The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year...The TONYS

It has taken me a few days but I'm finally ready to give my overall impression of the 2010 TONY awards and comment on the accuracy of my predictions.

So for being a performer, not a techie, I did okay with my picks for the design awards. I predicted that American Idiot and Red would take the lighting and scenic design categories and I thought they were very deserving. My favorite moment of the creative arts awards was the speech by Christine Jones, scenic designer of American Idiot, where she declared her undying love for director Michael Mayer and the songwriting team Green Day. Red's sound designer wanting to wear his Tony on a chain as bling with a reference to Jay-Z was also a hilight. I do have major issue with the fact that CBS cannot include design awards in their regular broadcast. The technical artists deserve just as much respect as the actors and producers and their awards should be presented on the television.

This year's opening number was kitschy and it was certainly evident, from the pop song theme, that its goal was to draw viewership outside of the normal TONY-watching crowd. In my mind, nothing can compare to the 2009 opening number, but this year's production was good in its own right. Having host Sean Hayes show off his piano playing skills was a great choice and framing the number with Chad Kimball as host was quite clever. The signature Kristin Chenoweth performance of I Say A Little Prayer was obviously a hilight and Sherie Renee Scott and the Mennonettes' trio Up The Ladder To The Roof was simply fabulous. The Memphis, Fela, and Million Dollar Quartet sections were simply forgettable. John Gallagher Jr singing Boulevard of Broken Dreams with the cast of American Idiot was energetic and almost touching until Green Day came onstage and made it a complete cliche.

Scarlett Johansson's win for Best Featured Actress in a Play for A View From The Bridge was certainly a surprise but it was well deserved and she gave a very gracious and eloquent speech. Eddie Redmayne was simply perfection in his speech for Best Featured Actor in a Play for Red as he spoke of the value of the performing arts in all of our lives and acknowledged his great mentor and co-star Alfred Molina.

Normally TONY performances make me anxious to see the new musicals, but the performances from Million Dollar Quartet, Fela, and Memphis were not the least bit enticing. Actually, I was much more intrigued by the package introducing the best play nominees. And for me to be more interested in a play than a musical really speaks to just how bad the quality of musicals was this year.

Katie Finneran is my new idol and she absolutely deserved the TONY for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for Promises, Promises. Her speech was so inspiring and I felt honored that she chose to give advice to aspiring actors, telling us to follow our dreams and ignore everybody who tells us otherwise. Yes it sounds cheesy, but Katie was so sincere, and funny too as she thanked Kristin Chenoweth for lending her eyelashes for the evening. I basically expected Levi Kreis to win Best Featured Actor in a Musical for Million Dollar Quartet but I was really hoping for Bobby Steggert from Ragtime. Levi seemed unexcited about his win and was boring in his speech......next subject.

Christianne Noll's rendition of Back to Before from Ragtime was stunning and I only wished this show had lasted longer rather than the rest of the trash from this season that is currently running. On the opposite end of the female solo performance spectrum was Catherine Zeta-Jones with her performance of Send In The Clowns. I wanted so much to love the performance but she overacted it to the point that it became difficult to watch (and listen to). Her musical phrasing was a disaster and she held certain notes forever while barely giving value to others. Her head movements were distracting and she looked like she was seizing...enough on that trainwreck.

Viola Davis and Denzel Washington won the leading categories for Fences and while Davis seemed genuinely moved and thrilled, Washington looked like he would have rather been anywhere else and even forgot the name of The American Theatre Wing. Fences' win for Best Revival of a Play was no surprise and based on its sales, it seems that audiences adore it.

American Idiot's performance was much stronger without Green Day and I really want to see this show. I also forgot to mention the La Cage Aux Folles performance which I found energetic and entertaining. The audience interaction was priceless and this is another show I will be seeing in the near future.

Bill T Jones was totally deserving of the choreography award for Fela and I was happy to see anybody but Twyla Tharp win. Her work was so great in her earlier shows but it is really all starting to look the same and she seems to have lost her innovative spirit.

Don't get me wrong, I love Glee, but in my opinion a television show has no place on theatre's big night. Matt Morrison did give a stellar performance though, in All I Need Is The Girl, and I desperately want him to come back to Broadway. Lea Michele and Don't Rain On My Parade...those two things have become synonymous right? I wasn't sure if Lea was trying to audition for the upcoming Funny Girl revival with this performance or what because she looked like she was about to either kill twelve people with her daggers for eyes of if her head was actually going to explode. When you start out at a 10, there is nowhere to rise to in the climax of the song without looking like you are about to spiral out of control.

Oh, I've forgotten to mention some of Sean Hayes' funnier moments as host, from the major liplock with Kristin Chenoweth and his Bernadette Peters/Annie wig to his Billy Elliot tights and Spiderman costume. He really was fabulously entertaining and his great showing as host made up for his loss in his category.

Red wins Best Play! No explanation needed.

The funniest moment of the entire show for me was the presentation of Best Leading Actor/Actress in a Musical by Bebe Neuwirth and Nathan Lane. The irony of the situation was uncanny as the pair, two of the theatre's brightest stars were not nominated. But they were great sports and it was a very memorable TONY moment. Maybe this will be the 2010 addition to my decade of favorite TONY memories? There were no surprises in these categories as Douglass Hodge won for La Cage Aux Folles and Catherine Zeta-Jones for A Little Night Music. Hodge is a class act and was charming in his speech. Zeta-Jones seemed absolutely floored when her name was announced, almost to the point where it seemed rehearsed. Thank god the awards are not based on TONY night performances or she wouldn't have had a chance, but I believe her performance in her show did indeed merit a win.

La Cage Aux Folles wins Best Revival of a Musical--we all expected it, and it probably deserved it as well.

Normally TONY night ends with a bang as Best Musical is announced. The category started off well with Bernadette Peters presenting, but the excitement soon fizzled as Memphis was announced. I can't say I was surprised but I would have loved to have seen a more innovative show take the night's top prize and would've been much happier with Fela or American Idiot.

As for the accuracy of my picks, I was correctly chose Redmayne, Davis, Finneran, Hodge, and Zeta-Jones in the performance categories, Grandage for direction of a play, and Bill T Jones for choreography. In the pre-broadcast, I had both of the lighting and scenic design categories correctly pegged, along with costume design of a play. And most importantly I was 4/4 in the big categories as Fences, Red, La Cage Aux Folles, and Memphis were all on my list.

In a word, the 2010 TONY awards were predictable. I love seeing a few great upsets and there really were none this year. Overall, it was a mediocre awards ceremony for a mediocre Broadway season with a few blips of pizazz from the Chenoweth/Hayes and Neuwirth/Lane sideshows.

My 2010 TONY Predictions: Design

As we know, this category is certainly not my area of expertise but I'm going to give it my best shot anyway!

Best Scenic Design of a Play: John Lee Beatty, The Royal Family, Alexander Dodge, Present Laughter, Santo Loquasto, Fences, Christopher Oram, Red

My Pick: Christopher Oram for Red-- this pick certainly reflects my 'artsy' taste but I give the nod to Oram simply for the recreation of the Rothko work.

Best Scenic Design of a Musical: Marina Draghici, Fela, Christine Jones, American Idiot, Derek McLane, Ragtime, Tim Shortall, La Cage aux Folles

My Pick: Christine Jones for American Idiot-- the use of television screens is a great incorporation of technology and that along with the graphiti on the walls suits the contemporary time period of the piece.

Best Costume Design of a Play: Martin Pakledinaz, Lend Me A Tenor, Constanza Romero, Fences, David Zinn, In The Next Room/The Vibrator Play, Catherine Zuber, The Royal Family

My Pick: Catherine Zuber for The Royal Family-- nothing in this category impressed me greatly but at least these accurately reflect the time period.

Best Costume Design of a Musical: Marina Draghici, Fela, Paul Tazewell, Memphis, Matthew Wright, La Cage aux Folles

My Pick: Matthew Wright for La Cage Aux Folles-- everything is better in drag! But in all seriousness, these are gorgeous costumes that are flamboyant and fabulous without being distracting.

Best Lighting Design of a Play: Neil Austin, Hamlet, Neil Austin, Red, Mark Henderson, Enron, Brian MacDevitt, Fences

My Pick: Neil Austin for Red-- I apologize for my artsy side coming out again but Austin shows the audience what happens to great art when it is not displayed in proper conditions, giving us insight into the importance of presentation in visual art.

Best Lighting Design of a Musical: Kevin Adams, American Idiot, Donald Holder, Ragtime, Nick Richings, La Cage aux Folles, Robert Wierzel, Fela

My Pick: Kevin Adams for American Idiot-- simply because the scenic and lighting design really do work in harmony in the production.

Best Sound Design of Play: Acme Sound Partners, Fences, Adam Cork, Enron, Adam Cork, Red, Scott Lehrer, A View From The Bridge

My Pick: Acme Sound Partners for Fences-- the score of this play is indeed fantastic, but part of what makes it great is the quality with which it is delivered, thanks to the sound designer.

Best Sound Design of a Musical: Jonathan Deans, La Cage aux Folles, Robert Kaplowitz, Fela, Dan Moses Schreier and Gareth Owen, A Little Night Music, Dan Moses Schreier, Sondheim on Sondheim

My Pick: Dan Moses Schreier for Sondheim on Sondheim-- the show is almost equally split between songs and video projections, but Sondheim's spoken voice blends seamlessly into the performance of his compositions.

Best Orchestrations: Jason Carr, La Cage aux Folles, Aaron Johnson, Fela, Jonathan Tunick, Promises, Promises, Daryl Waters and David Bryan, Memphis

My Pick: Jason Carr for La Cage aux Folles-- this is a great update of a classic without greatly altering the original.

My 2010 TONY Predictions: Plays/Musicals

Best Play Nominees: In The Next Room/The Vibrator Play, Red, Next Fall, Time Stands Still

My Pick: Red-- this play about iconic painter Mark Rothko is one of the most innovative subjects explored on Broadway in a long time. It is the complete package with its two actors also favored in their categories as well as several of its designers.

Best Musical Nominees: Fela, Memphis, American Idiot, Million Dollar Quartet

My Pick: Memphis-- this is certainly one of the most contested categories this year, but Memphis is perhaps the most commercially stable that has the best touring future, which is often a factor for TONY voters. It is also the most similar to recent best musical winners of the decade, from Thoroughly Modern Millie and The Producers to Hairspray and Billy Elliot. Fela is certainly innovative, but perhaps too progressive for the TONY awards. And American Idiot is so similar to 2007 winner Spring Awakening--is Broadway really ready to reward another teen angst rock musical? And poor Million Dollar Quartet doesn't have a shot.

Best Revival of a Play: Lend Me A Tenor, Fences, A View From The Bridge, The Royal Family

My Pick: August Wilson's Fences--this seems to be a no-brainer as it has the starpower of Denzel Washington and is a box office smash, not to mention it is superbly written.

Best Revival of a Musical: La Cage aux Folles, Finian's Rainbow, Ragtime, A Little Night Music

My Pick: La Cage aux Folles-- this also seems like an easy pick as it opened to critical acclaim and the viewers seem to love it. It also won the Drama Desk which is often a strong predictor.

Best Direction of a Play: Michael Grandage, Red, Sheryl Kaller, Next Fall, Kenny Leon, Fences, Gregory Mosher, A View From The Bridge

My Pick: Michael Grandage, Red-- this play really is the complete package and that reflects well on the director.

Best Direction of a Musical: Christopher Ashley, Memphis, Marcia Milgrom Dodge, Ragtime, Bill T Jones, Fela, Terry Johnson, La Cage aux Folles

My Pick: Bill T Jones, Fela-- the blocking and choreography blend perfectly in the night club atmosphere of this production and it is clear that Jones has done his research on the life and legacy of Fela Kuti.

Best Book of a Musical: Dick Scanlan and Sherie Renee Scott, Everyday Rapture, Jim Lewis and Bill T Jones, Fela, Joe DiPietro, Memphis, Colin Escott and Floyd Mutrux, Million Dollar Quartet

My Pick: Dick Scanlan and Sherie Renee Scott, Everyday Rapture-- this show burst onto the scene last minute and its quirky blend of Scott's real life story with a comedic twist make it one of the most poignant works of the season. I call it more of a play with music than an actual musical, which truly speaks to the strength of its book.

Best Score: Andrew Lippa, The Adams Family, Branford Marsalis, Fences, Adam Cork and Lucy Prebble, Enron, David Bryan and Joe DiPietro, Memphis

My Pick: Branford Marsalis for Fences-- this is perhaps the weakest category this year in a season filled with jukebox musicals, so out of disgust at the lack of originality amongst the new musicals, I have to give it to a play.

Best Choreography: Rob Ashford, Promises, Promises, Twyla Tharp, Come Fly Away, Lynne Page, La Cage aux Folles, Bill T Jones, Fela

My Pick: Bill T Jones, Fela-- this is the moment of truth for me, choreography is my forte so this has to be right. Normally Tharp is a front runner every time she works on Broadway, but Come Fly Away lacks the originality of her smash hit Movin' Out and this topic has already been explored choreographically in the Sinatra Suite she has been developing over the past few decades. Jones has worked on the Great White Way before, but nothing else has been nearly as explosive, innovative, or electric as his work this year in Fela.