Tony Awards 2017

I've got my Tony Ballot. Should I fill it based on how I think WILL win or who I think SHOULD win?

I will do a proper predictions this eve before the awards, but I am genuinely still struggling with Best Actor in a Musical. Like, I know everyone is saying Ben, and I do think ultimately it will be him, but I just have a strange, Andy Karl feeling poking the back of my brain.

Go with your gut! I had a niggling feeling all season about Moonlight despite it being so unlikely and look what happened.

However, personally I'd feel much better about Andy's chances if the injury/opening night had happened a bit closer to Tony voting. As cynical as it is, he had a lot of momentum around that time and it seems to have faded a bit.

I just wanna see one upset in the musical performer races. The most shocking would obviously be Bette losing, but the two Featured races are still pretty open. Especailly Featured Actress as Cohella I think could easily take over Bay Jones, and Stephanie again could be a dark horse and sneak in.

It would be TV gold if Bette loses. And you know three of the four women would be like "no Bette, you deserve it, come on up", whereas Patti would accept it with open arms. But thats why we love her, zero f***s given!

Full list of performances tonight according to someone at the dress rehearsal



Kevin Spacey Opening Number

Come From Away - Welcome to the Rock

Miss Saigon - This is the Hour/I'd Give My Life For You

Falsettos - A Day in Falsettoland

Dear Evan Hansen - Waving Through a Window

Hello, Dolly! - Penny in My Pocket

Cynthia & Leslie with Rockettes - New York, New York

Groundhog Day - Seeing You

War Paint - Face to Face

Great Comet - Dust & Ashes/The Abduction

Bandstand - Nobody

Justin Guarini, Oak & others - In Memoriam to It's So Hard to Say Goodbye to Yesterday

Kevin Spacey, Patti LuPone & Winners Finale - The Curtain Falls

I think Waving Through a Window is the better song but You Will Be Found is probably the best staged moment of the show. I guess they want to sell some cast recordings. It's a shame though because Ben has performed this song in costume and with the show's staging already.

But yeah overall an underwhelming selection of songs. Can't wait for Great Comet, especially after seeing what those at the rehearsal have said, other than that eh. I'm sure Cynthia and Leslie will sound lovely.

Its not gonna happen, but if David performs Penny in front of the curtain like in the show, everyone is gonna expect a surprise of the curtain to rise and Bette and the waiters to be ready to go.

FINAL PREDICTIONS;

Best Musical
“Dear Evan Hansen”
R.U.: “Come From Away”

Best Musical Revival
“Hello, Dolly!”
R.U.: “Falsettos”

Best Actor (Musical)
Ben Platt, “Dear Evan Hansen”
R.U.: Andy Karl, “Groundhog Day”

Best Actress (Musical)
Bette Midler, “Hello, Dolly!”
R.U.: Denée Benton, ''Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812''

Best Featured Actor (Musical)
Lucas Steele, “Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812”
R.U.: Gavin Creel, “Hello, Dolly!”

Best Featured Actress (Musical)
Rachel Bay Jones, “Dear Evan Hansen”
R.U.: Jenn Colella, “Come From Away”

Best Book of a Musical
“Come From Away,“ David Hein and Irene Sankoff
R.U.: “Dear Evan Hansen,“ Steven Levenson

Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics)
“Dear Evan Hansen,” Benj Pasek and Justin Paul
R.U.: “Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812,” Dave Malloy

Best Director (Musical)
Rachel Chavkin, “Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812“
R.U.: Michael Grief, ''Dear Evan Hansen''

Best Choreography
Sam Pinkleton, “Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812”
R.U.: Andy Blankenbuehler, “Bandstand”

Best Costume Design (Musical)
Paloma Young, “Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812”
R.U.: Catherine Zuber, “War Paint“

Best Lighting Design (Musical)
Bradley King, “Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 ”
R.U.: Japhy Weideman, ''Dear Evan Hansen''

Best Scenic Design (Musical)
Mimi Lien, “Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 “
R.U.: Santo Loquasto, “Hello, Dolly! “

Best Orchestrations
Dave Malloy, “Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812”
R.U.: Alex Lacamoire, ''Dear Evan Hansen''


Best Play
“Oslo ”
R.U.: “A Doll’s House, Part 2 ”

Best Play Revival
“Jitney”
R.U.: “The Little Foxes”

Best Actor (Play)
Kevin Kline, “Present Laughter”
R.U.: Chris Cooper, ''A Doll's House, Part 2''

Best Actress (Play)
Laurie Metcalf, “A Doll’s House, Part 2”
R.U.: Laura Linney, “The Little Foxes”

Best Featured Actor (Play)
Michael Aronov, “Oslo”
R.U.: Danny DeVito, “The Price”

Best Featured Actress (Play)
Cynthia Nixon, “The Little Foxes”
R.U.: Jayne Houdyshell, A Doll’s House, Part 2″

Best Director (Play)
Rebecca Taichman, “Indecent”
R.U.: Barlett Sher, ''Oslo''

Best Costume Design (Play)
Jane Greenwood, “The Little Foxes”
R.U.: Susan Hilferty, “Present Laughter”

Best Lighting Design (Play)
Christopher Akerlind, “Indecent”
R.U.: Donald Holder, “Oslo”

Best Scenic Design (Play)
Nigel Hook, “The Play That Goes Wrong”
R.U.: David Gallo, “Jitney”

OK I'm going on gut instinct with these predictions. A couple may seem out there, but I'm workin' off the vibes and I'm probably wrong haha:

Best Musical - "Dear Evan Hansen"
Best Musical Revival - "Hello, Dolly!"
Best Actor in a Musical - Andy Karl, "Groundhog Day"
Best Actress in a Musical - Bette Midler, "Hello, Dolly!"
Best Featured Actor in a Musical - Gavin Creel, "Hello, Dolly!"
Best Featured Actress in a Musical - Jenn Colella, "Come From Away"
Best Book of a Musical - Steven Levenson, "Dear Evan Hansen"
Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) - Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, "Dear Evan Hansen"
Best Director of a Musical - Rachel Chavkin, "Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812"
Best Choreography - Andy Blankenbuehler, "Bandstand"
Best Costume Design of a Musical - Catherine Zuber, "War Paint"
Best Lighting Design of a Musical - Bradley King, "Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812"
Best Scenic Design of a Musical - Mimi Lien, "Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812"
Best Orchestrations - Dave Malloy, "Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812"

Total:
"Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812" - 4
"Dear Evan Hansen" - 3
"Hello Dolly!" - 3
"Come From Away" - 1
"Bandstand" - 1
"Groundhog Day" - 1
"War Paint" - 1

Thankfully, unlike last year where even though deserving, Hamilton made the awards awfully dull to watch, it will be serious competition and excitement for this year.

Based on a 70-page portion of War & Peace in which Natasha (engaged to Andrey) has an affair with Anatole which leads to her ruin in society. Meanwhile, Pierre is going through existential depression and finds a reason to live in a moment of compassion with Natasha at the end. Significance of the plot? It's Tolstoy, there's a reason why War & Peace is still read by millions around the world. It's Tony worthy as not only is it excellently designed, it has a brilliant ensemble of a cast and the music and lyrics - although divisive - are groundbreaking, innovative, varied and unlike anything that's ever been on Broadway before. Like any other show that prides itself on being unconventional, it wont be for everyone, but I happen to think it's pretty much a masterpiece and it moved me more than any other show this season. And I greatly admire the courage to bring something like this to commercial, Broadway theatre.