I was able to watch the Tonys last night in a hotel room in Orlando ("Orlando. I love you Orlando." Yes, I now have to sing that every time I say that city's name. Thanks,
Book of Mormon.) I didn't have access to a computer, so I didn't get to live blog or tweet, but in case anyone still cares, here are some random thoughts about the evening:
-Overall, I thought it was one of the most entertaining Tonys in a long time in terms of production numbers, but in such a competitive year, the awards themselves ended up being pretty predictable (i.e. boring). The biggest and I think only surprise for me was Nikki M. James winning for best featured actress in a musical. I was pretty sure Laura Benanti would win, but she does already have a Tony and I'm extremely happy for James. She gave the most moving and genuine speech of the night (with Norbert Leo Butz's speech coming in at close second).
-Speaking of Norbert Leo Butz, I think he deserves a Tony every time he opens his mouth, but I still think he should have been nominated for featured actor. I'm guessing the reason the
Mormon love didn't extend to either of the male leads is that they split the vote...
-But that doesn't explain why Rory O'Malley didn't win. After James's win, I expected him to ride the
Mormon train too. I'm not heartbroken he didn't win, but I thought John Larroquette was the least deserving in the featured actor in a musical category.
-As much as I love Andrew Rannells and the song "I Believe," I didn't think it was fair to only showcase him, especially when so many actors from the show were nominated. However, I was impressed that the song was not censored.
-I thought
Priscilla deserved a nomination over
Sister Act or
Catch Me If You Can, but since it wasn't nominated, a performance from the show made no sense. The
Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark number was also unnecessary, but if they want to sell the show, a love ballad isn't the way to do it.
-I don't like Chris Rock as an actor, but I appreciate that he said what everyone was thinking.
The Book of Mormon win was a no-brainer. Still, it's exciting that a good musical won this year (especially after last year).
-Speaking of
Memphis, it's hard to forget that that musical exists when they insist on performing a selection from the show again. I hope this isn't going to be a regular thing.
-I'm not seeing
War Horse until the end of the month, so I can't comment on whether its many wins were deserved until then. Stay tuned.