"IT'S NOT TV, IT'S THE TONY AWARDS!" Yes, I watched that Tony, since I'm sure Adam will cover the other Tony quite amply. Honestly, I think I can say that this year's Tony awards were the best "mainstream" awards ceremony in years.(I'm omitting the various MTV Awards, which are always entertaining, but belong in a different category.) Performances were mostly great, there were just enough upsets, and Jackman's hosting was tons of fun. Particular high points?
1. Both segments of "host chat" with Jackman--first with Kristin Chenowith in character as G(a)linda from "Wicked" and later with John Tartaglia as Rod from "Avenue Q." Both had me rolling with laughter.
2. Really, across the board, the acceptance speeches. With the exception of one political rant (that was appropriate to the play and the award being accepted), folks were extraordinarily classy, thanking their castmates, their fellow nominees, and the "right" people.
3. I haven't seen "Avenue Q" yet (though I've listened to chunks of the score), but by all accounts, it richly deserved its awards. My one thought is that unlike "Wicked," it seems to be more a collection of songs than a complete score with recurring themes, but I may notice that more on repeated listenings.
4. Though "Not The Boy Next Door" is a fairly awful song (as is most of the music from "Boy From Oz"), Jackman tore the roof off the sucker with his performance of the song, most notably when he drags a bewildered Sarah Jessica Parker up on stage, saying "I Feel like a little Sex and the City!," and quipping about whether Matthew Broderick is "bi-coastal." Parker's quip that she didn't want to dance because "this is the wrong network!" was equally priceless.
5. The production numbers from "Avenue Q," "Assassins," and "Wicked" were all quite strong. This in spite of Jimmy Fallon hyperactively introducing "Avenue Q." Sadly, the number from "Wonderful Town" didn't come off as well as it could have, and I expect a closing notice to be posted on it shortly.
6. Gutsiest moves of the telecast? Daring to have a pre-planned bleeped word during "It Sucks To Be Me," and (just in New York) the producers of generally snubbed and panned musical "Bombay Dreams" spending the money to buy a 30 second spot that at least bordered on incoherence.
I simply must add one thing I just discovered over at TWoP. Anika Noni Rose, who won the Tony for supporting actress for her work in "Caroline or Change" was a co-star of "From Justin To Kelly." Her IMDB filmography proves it.
No comments:
Post a Comment