Winner...or Loser...of the Weekly Poll: Million Dollar Quartet

You voted and the results are in...50% of you think that Million Dollar Quartet will be the next musical of the 2009-2010 season to announce its closing date. American Idiot followed with 20% and Best Revival Tony winner La Cage Aux Folles and Best Musical Tony winner Memphis each received 10%. Only 10% of you voted for Promises, Promises or A Little Night Music so here's hoping they stick around for a long time. Here is what I find interesting...the two shows that received the least votes have arguably the biggest stars in them in terms of legitimate Broadway talent with Kristin Chenoweth in Promises, Promises and Bernadette Peters and Elaine Stritch in A Little Night Music. Considering that the box offices for these shows have also been doing well, I think this proves that Broadway stars can still hold their own against Hollywood stars on the Great White Way.

I know this was a rather  unpleasant poll as we all hate to see shows close, but it is an inevitable part of the business of show.

Stay tuned for the next poll of the weekly, which will be a much happier topic.

TONY Nominee Swaps

So just for sheer fun, I decided I would toss a nominee out of a few categories and nominate somebody else who I really believe to be deserving. Oh yeah, and I'm a musical girl so don't expect much attention to be paid to plays in this completely hypothetical exchange of nominees.

Best Musical: Million Dollar Quartet is a waste of space. Did I mention I am sick of jukebox musicals?

My Swap: Sondheim on Sondheim-- it's a lovely night at the theater and includes some memorable performances of world-class music.

Best Revival of a Musical: Promises, Promises is great fun and I would love to see my girl Kristin Chenoweth's show nominated, but I can't bring myself to toss out any of these other fine revivals.

Best Leading Actor in a Musical: Chad Kimball is out of his league in this category.

My Swap: John Gallagher Jr. for American Idiot-- I know I said I was sick of jukebox musicals but I'm willing to make an exception in this case because Green Day allegedly wrote their album of the same name with the hopes that it would become a staged musical. Plus this boy owns the rock-musical performance style and excels here as he did in his TONY winning performance in Spring Awakening.

Best Leading Actress in a Musical: I'm sorry Montego Glover but I'm not feeling the Memphis love.

My Swap: Kristin Chenoweth for Promises, Promises-- anybody surprised about this decision? This category is filled with veterans and Kristin was clearly missing so I had to oust the newbie (sorry Montego, I hear you are fabulous though)! In my eyes, anytime Chenoweth opens her mouth it is TONY worthy so I stand firm with my choice.

Best Featured Actor in a Musical: I think we are all a little bitter about The Adams Family stinking up Broadway this season (I love your work Andrew Lippa, call me?) so Kevin Chamberlin will have to go.

My Swap: Cheyenne Jackson for Finian's Rainbow-- I know he would've been in the leading actor in a musical category, but this is hypothetical, so who cares?

Best Featured Actress in a Musical: I am a dancer so this is hard for me to say, but great dancing does not necessarily merit a nomination for an acting award, Karin Plantadit, though your talent is immense.

My Swap: Erin Mackey for Sondheim on Sondheim-- I know that was out of left field, far left in fact, but I was utterly blown away by her interpretation of the Sondheim music at her tender age.,

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.