Well, Avenue Q won the Tony’s for Best Musical, Book, and Score. Its nice to see that the Tony voters weren’t staid, for how else could a musical about people whose lives suck, and that centers around Internet P O R N win. Safe would have been to vote for Wicked (which was also an excellent musical, and it got me to read the wonderful book by Greg McGuire). I’m looking forward to both coming to Los Angeles.
As for other Tony observations:
- Hugh Jackman did a good job as host, but his trying to get Sarah Jessica Parker to dance was painful to watch (and didn’t she remember having danced on Broadway in Once Upon a Mattress). We still had the Janet Jackson effect, as SJP was worried about a wardrobe malfunction (of course, never mind the fact that over half the audience was hoping it was Jackman’s wardrobe that would malfunction).
- It was nice to see Phylicia Rashad win. I saw her in Blue at the Pasadena Playhouse in 2002, and it was great.
- When will producers learn to pick good selections to showcase their shows? Fiddler‘s was a pastiche; Wonderful Town made me less interested in the show (and there are good numbers in that show); Caroline, or Change didn’t draw me in. For Wicked, I would have shown something that showcased both actresses better, perhaps What is this Feeling?. On the other hand, the numbers from Boy from Oz, Assassins, and Avenue Q were showstoppers, and made one want to see the shows.
- It was nice to seem them include a clip from the Deaf West production of Big River. I had heard they were cutting the show from the telecast, so the inclusion was good.
- The best play winner (I Am My Own Wife) sounds interesting. 40 different roles?
