AND THE WINNER WILL BE...SHOULD BE...IS...

Handicapping the Tony's

By Jeannie

As the curtain descends on one of the most exciting Broadway seasons in years the race is on for the coveted prize which will translate into a great resume addition for its recipients and mega bucks for business here and for national and international touring companies.

A stellar group of leading men, many of whom would have easily won in a lesser competition, heat up the race. The leading women category pits two theater icons against each other, a brilliant newcomer and a Brit icon. Two new musicals indicate an exciting willingness to abandon traditional, while the revival category also features two tradition breaking productions from the past leaving the Golden Age far behind. New plays go from intimate to sprawling while revivals feature only one easily recognizable favorite. Political themes dominate with special relevance today balanced by some much needed, expertly delivered fluff.

In short this has been a most innovative season.

Its anybody's guess who will win the coveted awards - whats your?

Here's mine:

TONY NOMINATIONS

BEST MUSICAL:

Curtains: my favorite, a good old fashioned Kander & Ebb theater savvy musical

Grey Gardens: Was a shoo-in early in the season but faded in the stretch

Mary Poppins: Really well done but snobbism will relegate to an also ran

Spring Awakening : will win despite darkness of theme and a likely poor showing on the road.

Utopia

BEST PLAY

Frost/Nixon: brilliantly done but not that creative, based on real, existing material

The Coast of Utopia: will win on sheer size and scope but tends towards the tedious

The Little Dog Laughed: an aberration much more comfortable in its off Broadway beginnings

Radio Golf: A sentimental favorite to a departed, beloved author but predictable.

Talk Radio

BEST REVIVAL OF A PLAY

Inherit the Wind: lacked the punch of the movie due to odd reinterpretation in which the friendship and respect between the protagonists mitigated the tension of the battle (and scary when you realize there are so many in power today who still deny Evolution)

Journey's End: a slight but poignant play enhanced with a boffo ending and an anti-war sentiment which will elicit the votes and, closing the day of the Tonys, will make the award look silly

Talk Radio: the best play, stunning delivery by Schreiber, biting, relevant - should have won - possible upset here

Translations: buried in brogue, barely understandable, but touching

Company

BEST REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL

110 in the Shade: claustrophobically scrunched under a huge sun/moon, odd/mis casting brings out the weaknesses of the slight but lovable musical

A Chorus Line: Penalized because it is true to the original - but isn't that what the term "revival" means?

Company: ridiculous current vogue of having actors lug around instruments and play the score plus edgy nihilistic treatment of subject will bamboozle voters who want to appear hip

The Apple Tree: too goofy to consider

Frank Langella

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTOR IN A PLAY

Boyd Gaines, Journey's End: touching but low keyed in this volatile group

Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon - absolutely brilliant performance

Brian F. O'Byrne, The Coast of Utopia: lost in the tedium

Christopher Plummer, Inherit the Wind: would have been an automatic win in a lesser year

Liev Schreiber, Talk Radio: another slam dunk performance that could have/should have won

Julie White

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTRESS IN A PLAY

Eve Best, A Moon for the Misbegotten: though woefully miscast will take it since only acceptable way to avoid pitting Lansbury vs Redgrave (America loves the Brits)

Swoosie Kurtz, Heartbreak House: ???

Angela Lansbury, Deuce - should be a tie with Redgrave

Vanessa Redgrave, The Year of Magical Thinking - should be a tie with Lansbury

Julie White, The Little Dog Laughed: best, razor sharp performance but voters will not have the balls to diss the icons

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL

Michael Cerveris, LoveMusik: so quirky and thin (and unattractive)- will not make it

Raúl Esparza, Company: don't ask me why - nerdy in a sexually and dramatically ambivalent role

Jonathan Groff, Spring Awakening: no matter how many times I meet or see him on TV I never recognize the kid

Gavin Lee, Mary Poppins: the epitome of a perfect musical theater performance but its the Disney factor again

David Hyde Pierce, Curtains: my favorite, really good job but the play will bring him down

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL

Laura Bell Bundy, Legally Blonde: who???

Christine Ebersole, Grey Gardens: if they don't vote her in - I give up!

Brilliant dual performance practically created by her, definitely for her

Audra McDonald, 110 in the Shade: not this time, break the streak of unbroken wins

Debra Monk, Curtains: yes, we love her but this was a feature, not lead role

Donna Murphy, LoveMusik: quirky character in a quirky production

BEST BOOK OF A MUSICAL

Rupert Holmes and Peter Stone, Curtains: seems the voters cant follow the clever whodunnit

Doug Wright, Grey Gardens: should win for faithfully following the material but not original

Heather Hach, Legally Blonde: clever adaptation from film but not award stuff

Steven Sater, Spring Awakening: flavor of the year but not to my taste

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE (MUSIC AND/OR LYRICS) WRITTEN FOR THE THEATER

Music: John Kander, Lyrics: Fred Ebb, John Kander and Rupert Holmes, Curtains

Wouldn't it be loverly if accessible brassy show biz music with clever lyrics by the best of the best would win???

Music: Scott Frankel, Lyrics: Michael Korie, Grey Gardens: somewhat grating but brilliant score (second half) sabotaged by liltingly lovely old fashioned first

Music & Lyrics: Laurence O'Keefe and Nell Benjamin, Legally Blonde: by staying true to the light ad fluffy material nolo contere

Music: Duncan Sheik, Lyrics: Steven Sater, Spring Awakening: a unique sound for Broadway - let's hope its not a trend

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTOR IN A PLAY

Anthony Chisholm, Radio Golf: hands down the most remarkable and significant performance in the play

Billy Crudup, The Coast of Utopia: lost in the shuffle

Ethan Hawke, The Coast of Utopia: lost in the shuffle

John Earl Jelks, Radio Golf: another well done part

Stark Sands, Journey's End: poignant and touching performance for the Broadway newcomer. Will win if nostalgia for the just closed play survives.

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTRESS IN A PLAY

Jennifer Ehle, The Coast of Utopia - tie between sisiters

Xanthe Elbrick, Coram Boy: should win but against the other all Broadway favorites (and the show just posted closing notices)

Dana Ivey, Butley: too long ago, besides overacted

Jan Maxwell, Coram Boy: too small a role - wasted in it

Martha Plimpton, The Coast of Utopia - tie between sisters

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTOR IN A MUSICAL

Brooks Ashmanskas, Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me?

Christian Borle, Legally Blonde?

John Cullum, 110 in the Shade: competent but not award stuff

John Gallagher, Jr., Spring Awakening: best thing in the show

David Pittu, LoveMusik: quirkily overacted in quirky musical

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL

Charlotte d'Amboise, A Chorus Line: everybody likes her but nobody loves her though her performance cannot be faulted

Rebecca Luker, Mary Poppins: wasted in a trivial role

Orfeh, Legally Blonde: nice new name in featured role, maybe next time

Mary Louise Wilson, Grey Gardens: Broadway loves her though not usually in a musical - great job but only in second half - if Ebersole takes it she will bring mommy with her

Karen Ziemba, Curtains: a Broadway sweetheart (see d'Amboise above)

BEST DIRECTION OF A PLAY

Michael Grandage, Frost/Nixon

David Grindley, Journey's End

Jack O'Brien, The Coast of Utopia: should win for sheer perseverance alone

Melly Still, Coram Boy

BEST DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL

John Doyle, Company: hope this ends the trend towards abolishing the orchestra

(the union will love that)

Scott Ellis, Curtains: competent, perfect for show but.......

Michael Greif, Grey Gardens: odd disconnect between Act I & II should disqualify

Michael Mayer, Spring Awakening: again, takes courage to be so different

BEST CHOREOGRAPHY

Rob Ashford, Curtains: good job but unfortunately out of fashion this year

Matthew Bourne and Stephen Mear, Mary Poppins: should win - specially with Gavin's proscenium climb/dance, statues come to life, chimney sweeps on roof -

Bill T. Jones, Spring Awakening: again minimal touchy feely stuff new to Broadway - but is it better???

Jerry Mitchell, Legally Blonde: first time doubling as director, squelched his former half

BEST ORCHESTRATIONS

Bruce Coughlin, Grey Gardens

Duncan Sheik, Spring Awakening

Jonathan Tunick, : purists love his naturalistic authenticity to the score

Jonathan Tunick, 110 in the Shade

BEST SCENIC DESIGN OF A PLAY

Bob Crowley and Scott Pask, The Coast of Utopia: if not this, what - the best thing about the play

Jonathan Fensom, Journey's End

David Gallo, Radio Golf

Ti Green and Melly Still, Coram Boy