It's Tony Awards season here in New York City, and I'm finding it harder than usual to predict the winners this year. There are a lot of close calls and a few dark horses among the nominees.
Noticably absent from the nominations list are the box office-busting film and television stars who brought the spotlight and the adoring audiences to the
Great White Way this season. Pretty Woman Julia Roberts made her stage debut April 19th in Richard Greenberg's Three Days of Rain to grudgingly lukewarm reviews from devoted fans of her film career. Next door, at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre, erstwhile Friends star David Schwimmer took on the role of Lt. Barney Greenwald in Herman Wouk's monotonous The Caine Mutiny Court-Martial. The play was so poorly received that it closed after only 17 regular performances.
Even musical theatre wasn't exempt from the negative criticism, as former American Idol finalist Josh Strickland disappointed audiences and critics alike with his interpretation of the titular role in Disney's frenetically aerial production of Tarzan.
The shows and artists that have been recognized this year are an intriguing mix of some Broadway legends (Patti LuPone), some well-established stage veterans(Zeljko Ivanek), and some fresh new faces(John Lloyd Young). It will be exciting to watch which among these walk away with awards on June 11th.
I've got a few hunches about how things will shake out at Radio City, but I'm only 80% sure about my predictions this time around.
With the aforementioned caveat and without further ado, M.H. Archer's 2006 Tony Awards predictions:
Choreography
Kathleen Marshall, The Pajama Game
Orchestrations
Sarah Travis, Sweeney Todd
Book of a Musical
Bob Martin and Don McKellar, The Drowsy Chaperone
Score
Russell, Willis and Bray, The Color Purple
Scenic Design (Play)
Santo Loquasto, Three Days of Rain
Scenic Design (Musical)
David Gallo, The Drowsy Chaperone
Costume Design (Play)
Santo Loquasto, A Touch of the Poet
Costume Design (Musical)
Susan Hilferty, Lestat
Lighting Design (Play)
Mark Henderson, The History Boys
Lighting Design (Musical)
Howell Binkley, Jersey Boys
Direction (Play)
Daniel Sullivan, Rabbit Hole
Direction (Musical)
John Doyle, Sweeney Todd
Featured Actor (Play)
Mark Ruffalo, Awake and Sing!
Featured Actress (Play)
Tyne Daly, Rabbit Hole
Featured Actor (Musical)
Christian Hoff, Jersey Boys
Featured Actress (Musical)
Beth Leavel, The Drowsy Chaperone
Actor (Play)
Ralph Fiennes, Faith Healer
Actress (Play)
Judy Kaye, Souvenir
Actor (Musical)
Harry Connick, Jr., The Pajama Game
Actress (Musical)
LaChanze, The Color Purple
Play Revival
Faith Healer
Musical Revival
The Pajama Game
Play
Shining City by Conor McPherson
Musical
Jersey Boys
