What if Their Show Wasn't Nominated for Any Tony Awards?

Well, it's a good thing they didn't include the Tony Awards song on the cast recording after all. As we all know, the Tony Award nominations were announced yesterday, and while they are much better than last year (with a few caveats, the largest one known as Constantine Maroulis), all that love directed at [title of show] over the past 3 years had no effect. [tos] received only 1 nomination, for Best Book of a Musical. There's a chance it could win on a sympathy vote, but it's looking like Billy Elliot will steamroll the awards and will probably take it instead. As expected, Next to Normal joined Billy Elliot in the Best Musical category, with Shrek and Rock of Ages undeservedly taking the other 2 slots (seriously, what is it with Shrek? No one's wanted to see it since it opened, for the life of me I can't understand how it's racked up so many nominations this season). The other disappointment was that Daniel Radcliff didn't get a nomination and Equus was mostly shut out with nominations only for lighting and sound design, both of which it deserves to win. The rash of high profile play revivals in the past month proved too much distraction. However, it was good news for 33 Variations which picked up several nominations after having been mostly ignored by the other awards groups. Blithe Spirit was not so lucky though, scoring a sole nomination for Angela Lansbury, who appears a lock to win her 5th Tony. The other surprise was the expansion of the Best Revival of a Musical category from 3 nominees to 4, so Hair, Pal Joey, West Side Story, and Guys & Dolls all got recognized, and as much as I loved Joey, it'll be a bigger shock than LaChanze if Hair doesn't win. Overall, until we see how the Drama Desks and Outer Critics awards fall, it's looking like a big night for Billy, although Stephen Daldry himself will continue his personal losing streak; Best Director will likely go to Diane Paulus of Hair. Still, unless Next to Normal pulls a Spring Awakening resurgence, Billy should sweep Best Musical, Score, Orchestrations, most of the technical awards (although G&D could take scenic design for its revolutionary use of the video screens), Best Leading Actor, and likely Best Book and Featured Actor (for Gregory Jbara, it actually got 2 nominations in that category, as with Featured Actress in which Haydn Gwynne and Carole Shelley will cancel each other out and Martha Plimpton will win). Rock of Ages and Shrek should deservedly go home empty handed, although Shrek could pick off some of the technical awards, particularly costumes, but I think Rock and Shrek will cancel each other out, allowing Billy to pull through most of the categories. It's scary to think though that in a lesser year (like 2006) Rock of Ages would have had a real chance at least at Best Musical. All I can say is thank God the recession allowed more musicals to come and go and increase the competitive pool (although 13 and Tale of Two Cities were completely ignored despite picking up a few surprise nominations from the Drama Desks and Outer Critics). Lastly, with 9 to 5's poor showing, it's sad to realize that Joe Mantello is officially in an Andrew Lloyd Webber post-Phantom-like slump. Liek ALS, he's had a career full of huge hits and after his biggest hit yet which has the potential to completely change the musical theatre world, he's only had some middling hits and a lot of flops. Perhaps he's overextending himself, and Pal Joey did pick up some unexpected nominations, but after all the drama with that show, it was clear he was banking on 9 to 5 to restore him to glory and it really hasn't happened. As long as he can avoid involvement in musicalized versions of Son of a Witch or A Lion Among Men, he should still be better off than the delusional ALW who seems to think that Bring Back Phantom is actually a good idea.

Anyways, I could go on all day, but I don't think my boss would like that, so it's time to switch topics with an eye towards wrapping this up. As I mentioned, I saw Clemenza di Tito on Friday night, and it would be more accurately called Crap di Tito. Before I get completely negative though, I do have to say that the music was fantastic. The singers, despite all their dramatic faults, were all impeccable, and the orchestra led by the fabulous Jane Glover was superb. No one knows her way around Mozart like Ms. Glover and it's a shame that Lyric didn't snatch her up to conduct Figaro next season. However, for all its aural perfection, visually the show was tragic. I shelled out a lot of money for very close seats, and it was so not worth being close. The set itself was fine, but everything else was unfortunately; the costumes in particular, which looked like they raided the clearance rack at Walmart, but also the blocking, visual emoting, choreography (such as it was), and even the perfunctory lighting. It was literally painful to look at, it couldn't hold a candle to the first rate production I saw in Prague 2 1/2 years ago, in the actual theatre where it had its world premiere in 1791. I would have been better off going with the cheap seats in the balcony where we could still hear it just fine and not feel so cheated on the visual aspect.

Speaking of Prague, it's official, I will finally be back this fall, a couple of weeks earlier than usual in the hopes that the weather might be at least a little better than it was last time. We're heading out on Wednesday October 14 to Amsterdam, arriving early on the 15th, and then leaving on the 18th to Prague returning home on Saturday the 24th, giving us a day to recuperate before heading back to work. I know Tarzan was still going in Amsterdam earlier this year, so I have to check into that and see if it'll still be going while we're there. Apparently the Dutch like it much more than New Yorkers did, so hopefully we'll get a chance to see it, although my companion will be going kicking and screaming. I'll probably have to sit through something horrifically boring to make it up to him, but as long as the adult Tarzan is even half as hot as Josh Strickland, it'll be worth it. It's too early to see what'll be on tap for Prague, that'll have to wait until sometime in August when the National Opera announces the fall season. It was kind of disappointing the last two times that they didn't have another big musical after that fabulous over the top production of Miss Saigon my first time there in 2005 (and no, I don't count The Producers which was there in 2006). Hopefully there'll be something this time. Even if they don't though, I am so excited to finally go back and hopefully keep this a yearly event again.

So, that's it for now. Stay tuned for details about a possible Vegas trip at the end of this month. I may actually get to catch both Bette and Cher in one trip, getting them both taken care of and not having to try to squeeze in a second trip later!