Luke's Top Ten: Broadway Breakdowns

We've all seen it.  At the beginning of the show the character is happy and enjoying their life...but we know it's just a matter of time before the screws in their head start to loosen.  Sure enough, by the time the curtain falls, they've had a full on Broadway Breakdown!  Sometimes they're sung, sometimes they're spoken, but they're always powerful.  Personally, the breakdown is my favorite part of almost every show!  I love it whenever there is energy, and there's no volcano of energy as cataclysmic as the Broadway Breakdown.  So, without further ado here's my list of my top 10 Broadway (and Off-Broadway) breakdowns:

#10 - Nessa Rose [Wicked]
In most shows, the lead gets the best breakdown (in this case the lead breakdown would probably be "No Good Deed").  However, occasionally a supporting actor/actress gets to be "the crazy one" and blows the audience away with their insanity instead.  That is the case in Wicked.  Out of all of the songs in Wicked, by far the most underrated (it didn't even make the album) is "Wicked Witch of the East".  It's such an epic song and it features Boq (my favorite character in the show) and it really gives Nessa Rose a chance to shine.  Now, there used to be a wonderful video of the West End cast (including two of my favorite British performers, Kerry Ellis and James Gillan), but for some reason it was tragically taken down.  So unfortunately I'll just have to give you this video which is audio only (I think the Australian cast), and you'll just have to kind of imagine what happens.  But if you ever get a chance to see this show live, be waiting for this song, and for Nessa's EPIC breakdown that gives her the position of #10 on this list.

 

#9 - Mr. Andrews [Titanic]
This was one of the first songs of Titanic that I ever became obsessed with.  It's the last scene of the show that takes place on the boat (the Finale is sung by the few survivors) and it depicts the actual sinking.  The song is sung by Mr. Andrews, the architect who designed the Titanic, as he realizes that the sinking could've been avoided if he had simply made a small modification to the design.  He realizes that this one mistake has killed thousands.  Going even further, he begins to lyrically depict the horrific way they'll die in detail.  I wish there was a good quality video of this produced live, because I've seen groups who, while this song is going on, have the passengers upstage screaming and crying out as they and their loved ones fall into the icy water.  It's really an epic moment!  But what gets me most is Mr. Andrews.  He's so intense!  Even though he doesn't necessarily "freak out," he has a calm, reserved breakdown, which makes it all the more chilling!
 

 

#8 - Carrie [Carrie]

Now, for those of you who don't know, Carrie is widely known as one of Broadway's biggest flops.  It ran for 5 performances and was called "the most expensive Broadway quickflop in history."  As it happens, one of the reasons the show failed was because a lot of people were not impressed with the way that Carrie's final breakdown was staged.  Personally, I've never seen the staging, but I know that the song is epic!  It's actually hard to choose one in this show, because Carrie and her mother  each have at least 4-5 breakdowns before the bloodied curtain falls on this show.  You could probably make a song-cycle entitled "Songs of a Crazy Lady" and the majority of this soundtrack would fit in there.  For those of you who don't know the story, it's about a girl named Carrie who has super natural telekinetic powers (like Matilda in Matilda).  Unfortunately she is bullied for being a freak and lives with a crazy "religious" mother (the kind that literally beats her daughter with a bible and is certain that every boy Carrie talks to is sent from hell).  *SPOILER* The show is mostly about her tortured life, but then climaxes at the prom when, as soon as she begins enjoying herself and even begins to be accepted by the others, a bully's cruel prank brings her to her breakdown.  In retaliation, Carrie reacts the same way any psychologically unstable, telekinetic, scorned teen would: She destroys the school and kills everyone at the prom.  Now, while I don't condone Carries actions, I do appreciate that she at least made an epic song about it! And it's that kind of flare in execution that lands her at the #8 spot on my Broadway Breakdown list!  (*NOTE* This song is mostly comprised of short reprises, so if you want to get the most out of it, you kind of need to listen to the rest of the soundtrack which, I should warn you, contains a good bit of foul language (this song is clean though) ).

 #7 - Diana [Next To Normal]

Like with Carrie, this whole show is kind of centered around Diana's 2 1/2 hour breakdown.  Sure there are moments when she can keep it together, but, to be perfectly honest, she begins the show crazy and ends it even more so.  Of course, even though she has several breakdowns throughout the show (and her family gets a couple of doozies too), I don't think any of them can compare to the tantrum she throws in "You Don't Know."  In this song, Diana, having just thrown a birthday party for her son that's been dead for 18 years (but she is still under the delusion that he's alive), confronts her husband and defends her crazy actions.  In this song we get a peek into what it's like to live as a crazy woman, and that plus the pained, crazed expression on Diana's face would earn it a spot on this list.  The fact that it's an epic song sung to perfection by Alice Ripley is just the icing on the cake!  (*NOTE* Because I want you to be able to see this performance I'm going to post N2N's Tony performance which included this song and another.  I would highly recommend watching them both, but the second one does have some language, so if you want to avoid that, stop the video as soon as the guy starts singing).

 

 #6 - Maria [West Side Story]

This is the first (but not only) breakdown of our list that actually does not take place during a song.  In fact, this moment (which I consider to be the best in West Side Story) is not musicalized at all, but it is a hauntingly intense finale.  When I watched the movie for the first time (alone in my basement, like any good musical fanatic with no friends) I couldn't move after it ended.  I stared at the TV, watching the credits scroll by, numbed by the intensity of the drama.  In fact, even though some people don't like the fact that Maria (the character paralleling Juliet) lives when Juliet dies, I think this ending is so much more intense and makes the show all the more tragic.  Plus, I think it sets a good precedent for people in the future.  If ever you're wondering how to end a show, I think giving a crazy suicidal lady a gun is a wonderful ending!  So now, feast your eyes on #6: Maria's breakdown (*NOTE* I had to use the movie because it was the best quality I could find, but it's pretty darn good).

 

 #5 - Andy [Glory Days]

Although it doesn't have the fame of Carrie (largely because it wasn't near as expensive to mount), Glory Days was an even bigger flop.  It played exactly 1 performance on Broadway (the cast came home from the Opening night Party to be told that the show was closed).  I find this terribly sad because, while the show was no Les Miz, I thought that it had some great songs, some talented actors, and a relevant message.  The show takes place on a high school football field where four best friends from high school have convenient for a make-shift reunion after their first year of college.  Although all four boys start the show in high spirits, tempers start flying when they realize that they're not all the way they used to be.  Long story short, things get said that shouldn't have been said and people get hurt.  This song is sung by Andy (the most hot-tempered of the bunch) who finally erupts because he feels like nobody's listening to him.  It's big, it's epic, it's filled with passion, and it ends with pretty much everybody storming out, like any good breakdown should! (*NOTE* This song does have some fairly extreme language.  I do NOT recommend it for innocent ears).

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#4 - Henry Jekyll [Jekyll & Hyde]

Like several other members of this list, poor Dr. Jekyll's breakdown is pretty much spans the entire show.  From his first breakdown (Board of Governors) to his last (Finale), the good doctor's wits seem to desert him as he descends into a fit of emotion.  In fact, his several breakdowns prompt just about every other character in the show to have a breakdown of their own (a few of whom have gruesomely literal breakdowns).  This particular song has spent a long time on my "favorite song ever" and it has the prestige of being Dr. Jekyll's second to last breakdown.  In it we see a man who is...conflicted at best.  Now some have you might have been exposed to David Hasselhoff's version of this song....I pity you.  I am pleased to present you with my favorite man to play Jekyll/Hyde: the Georgia native Rob Evan. Despite my disapproval for the unnecessary shirt tearing, this is a really solid performance of an epic breakdown!  After watching, you'll see why this was amazing enough to land Henry Jekyll comfortably in #4. (*NOTE* This song does contain some brief, fairly strong language.  You have been warned)

 

#3 - Sam Byke [Assassins]

Assassins is really a nice compilation of tons of good breakdowns.  If you ever feel like listening to The Ballad of Booth, I am a Terrifying and Imposing Figure, or How I Saved Roosevelt, you would see plenty of fantastic breakdowns!  However, none of them can rival that of old Sammy Byke.  I love this monologue so much!  I have literally sat in my basement and performed it to nobody several times, and I would've used it for an audition piece had not a friend of mine snagged it first (and, let it be noted, that he got the lead role that year).  As for the history behind the piece, Sam Byke was a fairly disturbed man for a long time, but it all erupted while he was driving to the airport.  Why was he going to the airport you ask?  Well, his plan was to hijack the plane, and drive it straight into the white house to kill president Richard Nixon, who he blamed for his losing his job (of course, he was overly paranoid, so once he got on the plane, he shot and killed both of the pilots and, since he couldn't fly himself, never got off the tarmac).  Since he knew that he would be killed in the crash, he needed a way to tell the world his motives behind this assassination.  So Sammy decided to use a cassette recorder to record a message that he wanted to tell President Richard "Dick" Nixon.  Lucky for us, during this message, Sam has one of the best Breakdowns ever to grace the Great White Way.  His tantrum tragically cost several innocent lives, but it did earn him a spot in a musical, and the number #3 spot on this list.  (*NOTE* This Monologue has a good deal of VERY strong language.  It is most certainly not suitable for innocent ears).

#2 - The Leading Player [Pippin]
Like in Sam and Maria The Leading Player does not need a song for his breakdown (which makes it a fun audition monologue, and one that I've used before).  Like most monologues that take place at the end of the show (and this is VERY close to the end of the show), it is really best appreciated after you've seen the rest of the show.  But for those of you who don't have that kind of time, all you really need to know is that the Leading Player has spent the whole show manipulating Pippin and this breakdown is what happens when Pippin suddenly rebels.  Now, the actor who is most associated with this role is certainly Ben Vereen (While Patina Miller is awesome, nobody just can't top this guy) who many might know for another major breakdown he had in Jesus Christ Superstar (which, like a surprising number of these, ended in his own death).  In my opinion, nobody could possibly pull this breakdown off the way that he did!  In fact, when I used it for an audition, I had to make some changes to the script because he made the lines sound epic, and they just sounded weird when I said them.  What I love is the way he just goes back and forth between tactics.  He, unlike most of our list, tries to keep up his outward appearance as he descends into madness, but, especially as the scene progresses, you can see his frustration seeping through.  If you want a master class in subtle acting while keeping high intensity, this is the breakdown you need to see!  It's so good, it has been called by some (namely, me) the number two Broadway Breakdown! (*NOTE* This video has some brief, mild language.  It's hardly even worth mentioning, but I know this blog has some young readers, and I thought that you should be warned).

#1 - Burrs [Andrew Lippa's The Wild Party]

Ok, so technically this is not a Broadway show.  But the meltdown is just so epic that I had to make an exception.  This, the climax of "Andrew Lippa's The Wild Party" (So named because there was another show based off of the same book called "The Wild Party"....it was not written by Andrew Lippa), is the reason I started this list, and is definitely my favorite Broadway Breakdown ever!  For those of you who were not aware, pretty much this entire show is about infidelity and jealousy.  In a rather confusing love quadrilateral, two men are at a party each with a woman, and by the end of the show they have switched women (either because they wanted the other woman, they wanted to make their woman jealous, or the other woman wanted them, or the other woman wanted to make her man jealous, etc.).  After a "Wild Party" indeed, the show ends, like any good story about infidelity must, with a jealous man in a bed room with his scantily clad wife/girlfriend, her lover, and a revolver.  Sounds exciting, right?  Now, remember who wrote this song.  Andrew Lippa is the brilliant mind who brought us songs like "My New Philosophy" [You're A Good Man Charlie Brown], Crazier than You [The Addams Family], Run and Hide [John & Jen], and is about to stun the world with his newest musical Big Fish.  You want to listen to the song now, don't you?  Just wait.  Now consider the cast in this song: Brian D'Arcy James (Shrek [Shrek: The Musical], Fredrick Barrett [Titanic]) is holding the gun, Julia Murney (Elphaba [Wicked] (replacement), Florence Vassy [Chess] (2003 Concert)) is his woman who was messing around with Taye Diggs (The Bandleader [Chicago] (2002 Movie), Benny [RENT]) who came to the party with his girl Idina Menzel (Elphaba [Wicked], Maureen [RENT]).  Ok, so let's review, this song has the most dramatic set up ever, is written by a musical theater genius, and features a freakishly incredible cast.  Ok, now that you're fully appreciating all of this epic splendor, you can enjoy what is, in my opinion, the number one Broadway Breakdown ever!!!  (*NOTE* While this song is splendid, there is a bit of fairly strong language.  Not as bad as some of the songs on this list, but bad enough that I wouldn't suggest it to any young ears.)

HONORABLE MENTION (in no particular order)
Joanne [Company] - Ladies Who Lunch
Sweeney Todd [Sweeney Todd] - Epiphany

John Jasper [Mystery of Edwin Drood] - Jasper's Confession

The Phantom [Phantom of the Opera]- Stranger than You Dreamt it
Smeagol [Lord of the Rings: The Musical (West End)] - Gollum/Smeagol

Conclusion
Well, there you have it.  Between the tears, screams, shrieks, an maniacal laughter, we get a glimpse into some Broadway brilliance.  Whether it's a neglected sister, a mourning girlfriend, or a cuckolded clown, Broadway is full of characters who get pushed right over the edge of insanity.  These are my favorites, but do you think that I missed some?  Is there a classic breakdown that you think I just jumped right over?  Feel free to tell me about it in the comments.  There's nothing I love more than being exposed to new Broadway shows (especially if it has a good breakdown)!  Also, be sure to vote in the poll on the top right of your screen to tell me what kind of posts you want to see in the future.  Until then, go have a breakdown listen to a Broadway show!

2013 Jimmy Awards

Everybody loves the Jimmy Awards.  There's nothing not to love!  The talent of the kids, the cleverness of the arrangements, the opportunity these students are receiving, all of it is just so darn amazing!  As some of you remember, last year we were made to wait some time before these videos were posted because they were releasing a PBS documentary called Broadway or Bust about these amazing talents.  To be honest, I really loved that special and I wish they could've done it again this year (but they should've told us that they were going to wait to release the videos).  But since there was no such special this year, the medleys have actually been released at a fairly reasonable time.  So please enjoy these marvelously talented students as they effectively blow your mind!!!!

*NOTE* For some reason I cannot explain, it's not letting me post most of the videos here on this blog.  If you click the green hyperlinks then you can watch them on youtube, but I'm afraid you can't watch them straight from here.  Sorry :(

THE MEDLEYS

If you're not familiar with the Jimmy Award Medleys then you definitely need to go to the NHSMTA Youtube page and watch all of the past years medleys.  These are such an amazing way to showcase each of the performers in the roles that landed them in the Jimmy's and they always find a way to have fun with the blending of the songs while still staying true to the characters.  The night that they were all posted, I stayed up late into the night watching them all and then had to go to my room and create my own improv medleys with my favorite characters (in pantomime of course, because my family was all asleep).  These just look like so much fun you can't help but want to join in!  So, without further ado, the 2013 Jimmy Award Medleys:

Medley #1:

I know we're just beginning, but this has to be my favorite guy medley of the bunch.  It has great characters, great actors, good arrangements, and THAT ENDING HARMONY!  One of my favorite things about this medley is the fact that characters we've seen before sang songs we hadn't heard.  In the past all the Jekyll/Hydes sang "Alive Reprise", all Sweeney Todds sang "Epiphany", All Freddy Bensons sang "Great Big Stuff", etc.  But this time we got to hear those familiar voices sing new songs (a theme repeated in most of these medleys) which was great.  I also liked seeing some characters from fairly famous shows that we haven't seen before (namely Frank Cioffi, Adolpho, and Batboy).  The positive highlights of this Medley were definitely Adolpho (that kid was hysterical!) and Dr. Jekyll (What a voice!).  I also want to give a shout out to Valjean for doing a great job on a tough song, and the second Sweeney for having the voice of a 30 year old base.  Some not so nice parts of the medley included Seymour's performance (sorry!), Freddy starting too soon (but he nailed his two big notes after that), and the most awkward transition I've ever heard in one of these (from "My Friends" [Sweeney Todd] to "Let Me Walk Among You" [Batboy] ).  But then Coalhouse did an awesome job pulling things back in, and the entire ensemble ended on the best note(s) I've heard in a long time!  Great job men of Medley #1!!!

Medley #2:

I think this is my favorite of the girl's Medleys for a lot of reasons.  I like the fact that we finally have gotten an Eponine (two in fact) as a nominee (I've been shocked that more haven't been nominated in the past).  I also like the fact that we got to see some characters that haven't been nominated ever before (like Kate Monster [Avenue Q] and Marmee [Little Women]).  I also love that they really did handle their "Millie" well in that they put her in a medley without the other one, and gave her a song that WASN'T Gimme Gimme (I've heard that song in these medleys more than I care to remember).  I also just like the staggering amount of talent in this Medley!  I think my favorites were the "bookend performers" of Kate Monster [Avenue Q] and Ariel Moore [Footloose].  But Cinderella [Into the Woods] and Millie Dillmount [Thoroughly Modern Millie] were both close runner ups.  The rest were certainly good, but they just didn't jump out as much.  And I also want to mention that I didn't particularly enjoy the performance of the two Adelaides [Guys and Dolls].  I mean, I know that accent comes with the character, but, for some reason, when these two did it, it got on my nerves more than it has in the past.  I also want to point out the range that Marmee [Little Women] had.  She sang most of that song in a super low register and still managed to tackle the higher falsetto notes.  All in all, all of these ladies were absolutely wonderful!

Medley #3:

Once before (in 2011) they had so many of one character (Millie Dillmount in that one) that they gave them their own medley.  If you remember, it wasn't very good.  It was pretty repetitive, didn't have any dynamic, and none of the actresses were particularly incredible.  It was just kind of boring.  Because of this, I was afraid that this Baker Medley would fall under the same category of dullness.  However, there is one truly fascinating thing about the Baker that I hadn't noticed until this song.  He doesn't have a solo.  There is not a single song in the show that the baker has all to his own.  So they couldn't do what they did last time (have all five of them jump in and out of one song), so what did they do?  THEY MADE AN ACTUAL MEDLEY!  This was brilliant!  This means you still got the dynamic and the transition while staying within the same character.  But it gets even better!  They had the foresight to play with some of the lyrics a bit so as to keep the audience laughing (I just about died at "when there's five of you").  Like with the Millies, I can't really pick out any of these bakers above the rest, but this time it was because they were all just so entertaining in the way they worked together.  So congratulations the Jimmy Awards for this clever arrangement, and for all of these wonderfully talented bakers!

Medley #4:

Ok, before I get going there is one question that I have.  How the heck is there a highschool in America who is allowed to do Spring Awakening (And before you ask, no, there is no official "cleaned up version".  Any editing that might have happened would've been illegal).  Ok, now that that's out of the way, onto the medley.  I did really like this medley.  From beginning to end it was certainly entertaining to say the least.  All of these girls did a fabulous job, but to me the stand outs were the first Olive Ostrovsky [25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee]and Meredith Parker [Batboy] (I was so disappointed it had to be her mic that cut out).  Honorable mention definitely goes to the Jo March [Little Women] (What an incredible voice!).  As for anything bad about this Medley.  I didn't care for the ending note the girls hit (partially because I don't think Elle [Leagally Blonde] carried it very well), and I REALLY didn't approve of the Audrey [Little Shop of Horrors].  She fell victim to the classic blunder of overdoing the accent and letting the singing suffer.  However, aside from these few cringing moments, I really did love this Medley.  It reminded me of some great songs I hadn't heard in a while and gave me a new new favorites.  Well done ladies :)

Medley #5:

You know how they say "the whole is greater than the sum of its parts"?  Well the opposite seems true for this medley.  Individually, each of these guys do an excellent job and it's really hard to pick a favorite.  However, I don't really care for the medley as a whole.  True they did have some kind of clever transitions (mostly using Princeton), but for the most part the characters and songs in this medley were just kind of boring.  Of course, this is not to say that individually these guys were bad.  Like I said, all of these guys are awesomely talented and this medley actually includes two of the nights winners (Emmett won "Best Ensemble" and the second J. Pierpont won Best Actor).  It's hard to choose a favorite in this one.  Personally I'd probably say Emmett [Legally Blonde] and Princeton [Avenue Q] , but they were all wonderful!  The only one I didn't particularly care for was Joseph [Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat].  I can't really put my finger on why I didn't like him, I expect most of it is I don't think he was as good as the guy who played Joseph when I was in it (although I am admittedly biased).  He certainly had a good voice, I just didn't like his interpretation of the character.  But, even though this medley wasn't my favorite, it's still really good and worth watching.

Medley #6:

Once again, I'm really in awe by all the talent here.  Granted, this medley was mostly made up of very common characters (With Velma Kelly, Annie Oakley, and The Lady of the Lake being the exceptions).  But even with that handicap, I feel like these actress found a way to make their characters their own.  Among all the talented divas singing in this medley were two official winners (Dolly Levi won Best Actress and The Lady of the Lake won for best Junior).  Personally, my favorites were The Lady of the Lake [Spamalot] ( I think she's my favorite girl of the evening.  I loved the way she put the character first but still pulled out a KILLER voice) and Velma Kelly [Chicago] (partially because I love how much her character contrasted the rest of them).  The runner up would have to be Janet van de Graaff [The Drowsy Chaperon].  Although I didn't like her performance the first time I saw it (I thought it was a bit forced), the more I watch it the more I realize that that is exactly how the character should be played.  Of course, this Medley had it's low points too.  I can't say that I liked Millie Dillmount [Thoroughly Modern Millie] or Polly Baker [Crazy for You], and that ending note they all hit made me cringe.  But if you look past these drawbacks, it's a really great group of actresses singing/acting their hearts out, and you can't ask for more than that!

Medley #7:

Although this medley wasn't my favorite, it certainly had it's excellent moments.  It was mostly composed of "straight guys" (you can tell by all the suits) but there were a couple of fun characters tastefully thrown in there.  I thin my favorites in this medley were the Man in the Chair [The Drowsy Chaperon] (I've always loved the character, and it was fun to see him throw himself into it) and The Scarecrow [The Wiz] (another favorite character of mine, brilliantly done).  Runner up definitely goes to Billy Crocker [Anything Goes], who had a truly infections energy (and the transition into his song was priceless!).  Of course, there were a few gentlemen I didn't particularly care for.  I thought Bobby Strong [Urinetown] was a little weak on some of his big notes (but, from the looks of things, that may have been an abnormally bad day for him) and I felt like Sky Masterson [Guys and Dolls] was just kind of off.  One of the things I really liked about this medley that I feel like I have to point out are the two Valjeans [Les Miserables].  I love the fact that, although they were the same character, they really couldn't be more different.  You can see a difference in the costumes, their physical appearance, the way they carry themselves, the way they sing, and their acting choices.  What I think it is (and I doubt this was intentional) is the first one looks like a mayor, and the second looks like a convict.  Both are correct, but very different from each other.  It just goes to show how different people can interpret a character different ways.  It was also cool seeing a Usnavi [In The Heights] up there!  I didn't realize that that character really doesn't sing at all in the show (just raps) but I thought this kid did a pretty good job anyway.  All in all, it was a fun one to watch.


So that's the medleys!  I'd say they get better every year, but I think it's more accurate to say they stay perfect every year!!!  We got to see some old familiar characters (Valjean, Millie, The Baker, Belle, etc.), got to see some new ones (Billy Crocker, Meredith Parker, Joseph, Annie Oakley, etc.), and got to be spectacularly entertained!  If I had to pick favorites I think I'd probably choose Mackenzie Kurtz (The Lady of the Lake) and Steven Heller (Jekyll/Hyde), but, as usual, neither of them were finalists.  It's no secret that I'm horrible at picking those out of the medleys.  But lets have a look at the talented young performers who were finalists.

The Solos

In an attempt to diverge from last year, let's begin with the Gentlemen:

This is Austin Crute, (the nominee from Atlanta, Georgia who played The Scarecrow [The Wiz] in Medley #7) singing "Hold Me In Your Heart" from Kinky Boots.  Personally I thought this was the best performance of the guys.  He sang this song with the passion and conviction it required and it was truly fun to watch.  I think it was an excellent song choice (especially considering the comedic nature of his Medley performance) and I'm glad that he made finalist.  Way to go Austin!

This is Micheal Burrell (the nominee from Mission Viejo, California who played the third The Baker [Into the Woods] in Medley #3) singing "This Is Not Over Yet" from Parade.  I don't know why I didn't like this performance so much because I liked Micheal in his Medley and I LOVE this song.  I guess I thought he just didn't look happy enough while he sang.  I mean, this guy just found out that he might not be hung for a crime he didn't commit, so I feel like a massive grin should never leave his face, but Micheal just looks angry for most of the song.  Of course, that acting choice aside, he does have a good voice for this character and he did sing the song well, so I see why he was a finalist.  Well Done Micheal.

This is the 2013 Jimmy Award Winning Best Actor Taylor Varga (the nominee from Norwich Connecticut who played the second J. Pierpont Finch [How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying] in Medley #5) singing "Santa Fe" from Newsies.  I haven't decided yet whether or not I like this kid's voice, but this was a perfect song choice for him.  I like how he didn't even try to add the characters iconic accent (which is traditionally WAY too heavy), he really kind of took the original character out of the song and made it his own, which I honestly approve of.  What's more, he seemed genuinely happy to be there singing, and that always makes it more enjoyable for us watching.  So, congratulations Taylor, you should be proud!

And now, for this year's lovely ladies (for some reason thus far unexplained to me, there were 4 finalists instead of 3):

This is Jillian Caillouette (the nominee from Norwich, Connecticut who played Jo March [Little Women] in Medley #4) singing "Finding Wonderland" from Wonderland: A New Adventure.  I loved Jillian in her Medley and I thought she was great here as well!  I loved the obscure song choice (that's one of my favorite things about the Jimmy Solo's, there's always a couple nice and obscure songs), and I really loved the way she belted it out.  I do feel like once she started singing the bigger notes (especially at the end) she kind of lost the acting and started looking really angry (and this is really a peaceful song lyrically) but aside from that I really don't have a complaint.  Jillian nailed it!

This is Eva Maria Noblezada (the nominee from Charlotte, North Carolina who played Ariel Moore [Footloose] in Medley #2) singing "With You" from Ghost: The Musical.  I think that this is my favorite performance of all of the soloists (guys and girls alike) and I'm honestly a bit surprised she didn't win.  Her emotion was powerful, her voice perfect, and her stare just piercing.  This song had plenty of dynamic and always seemed complete consumed in it.  All in all a really touching, ovation-worthy performance.  Brava Eva Maria!!!


This is Martha Hellerman (the nominee from Madison, Wisconsin who played Wendla [Spring Awakening] in Medley #4) singing "A Part of That" from The Last Five Years.  I really did like Martha's performance.  I thought she did a good job staying in the character, I think the song was a good choice for her, and she definitely sang it well.  I did feel like she was kind of shouting at some of the big notes, but maybe that's just what you have to do in a song like this.  All in all, to me, there really isn't much to make this performance stand out.  It wasn't amazing, but it certainly wasn't bad either.  Of course, it was way better anything that I could hope to do, and so for that, I applaud you Martha!

This is the 2013 Jimmy Award Winning Best Actress Sara Lynn Marion (the nominee from Fullerton, California who played Dolly Levi [Hello Dolly!] in Medley #6) singing "Raunchy" from 110 in the Shade.  Sarah Lynn probably gets the award for the most obscure song of the night (the only one I hadn't heard before) and I'd also wager that she delivered the "most courageous" performance.  It was wonderful to watch her completely let go of all self-consciousness, throw caution to the wind, and just get lost in this confident character.  That being said, I don't love the song choice just because it doesn't fit my personal taste.  However, her voice rocked it, and I think it's the kind of thing that she really had fun with, so I see why she picked it.  Before I finish talking about Sarah Lynn, I have to mention that she attends the Huntington Beach Academy for the Performing Arts.  You know why that's noteworthy?  Because Alex Syiek (2009 Nominee), Kyle Selig (2010 Winner), Jacob Gonzalez (2011 Nominee),  and Elizabeth Romero (2011 Nominee & 2012 Winner) also all attended the Huntington Beach Academy for the Performing Arts.  That's right, at least one person from this school has made it to the Jimmy's every year it's been in existence and Sarah Lynn is the 3rd one to win it all.  You know what this means?  It's likely that all of these people have performed in shows together!  So if you're ever near Fullerton California, go see a show by HBAPA (as I think they're occasionally known) because it's likely as not the show you see will contain future Jimmy Award nominees and winners, just like the spectacular Sara Lynn!

And...Everything Else

While, in my opinion, they aren't as cool, for continuities sake I figured I should post the rest of the performance videos from this years Jimmy Awards (or at least links).  The first one I'm going to show you is this years opening number.  If you're not familiar with the Jimmy's opening numbers, they always do a parody medley of songs from current long running Broadway shows (like Newsies and Wicked) and some of this years new shows (like Matilda and Pippin).  For some reason or another, they also decided to add in a pop song this year (We Are Young by the non-Broadway group "FUN").  Although I don't like diluting this beautiful Broadway mash up with "other music" I think as a whole this opening is still amazing!  Enjoy:

In the Jimmy's closing numbers, they always do something similar to the Opening, just with less songs.  They usually spend most of the song focusing on one or two songs instead of the several featured in the opening.  This year they chose to build the song around "Ten Minutes Ago" [Cinderella] (which was cool, because the night's hosts, Cinderella stars Santino Fontana and Laura Osnes, got to sing a little with the kids) and "Raise You Up" [Kinky Boots].  I'm sure this was an emotional moment for all of the kids, and, although it isn't my favorite of the Finales, it is really nice.  Take a look:

Conclusion

And that's it for this year's Jimmy Awards.  All the ups and downs, success, and defeat, wins and...well, each of these kids got flown to New York to train for a week with theater professionals, meet some of the other most talented kids in the country, audition in front of professional theater agents, and perform on a Broadway stage.....so there really were no losses.  As always I am both extremely jealous of and incredibly happy for each and every one of these kids.  Remember some of these names, because there is no doubt in my mind that you'll hear of some of them again!

This is probably my last post for the summer (and when school starts up I slow down a lot).  Seeing as I might not be able to post quite as much over this next school year, I've decided to prioritize.  If you would be so kind as to vote in the top right corner for which kinds of posts you enjoy reading the most then that would greatly help me in my prioritizing.  As always thanks so much for reading, and feel free to leave any comments you like (I will read them).  Now, go listen to some Broadway Music!

2013 Tony Awards (Part V: Other Tony Moments)

So, it's no secret that the best part of the Tony Awards are the shows.  Whether it's through performances, or interviews, or the final award tally of the night, the shows are the reason we watch the Tony's.  But that doesn't mean that there are some wonderful moments in the ceremony that really doesn't have much of anything to do with one specific show.  Some of them were the planned performances by guest stars, some of them were touching acceptance Speeches, and most of them involved Neil being awesome!  So, without further Ado, the "other" great parts of the 2013 Tony Awards!

Other Performances

They made it bigger!

The Tony's have some geniuses working on their show.  Like, seriously, this is probably my favorite opening number yet, largely because they made some really smart decisions.  Since injecting Neil into Book of Mormon (the 2011 Winner) worked so well last year, they did the same thing to Once (the 2012 Winner).  Then they incorporated performers from all of the major nominated musicals to show the community of Broadway and remind the audiences who the major characters of the night will be.  They added in some clever jokes about the Shia LaBeouf Scandal, all the kids on Broadway this year, and, yes, even the Les Miserables Movie.  Then they had Neil bust out all of his best stunts including hopping through that Pippin hoop and making himself disappear.  And then they had my favorite line of the night: "There's a kid in the middle of nowhere sitting there, living for Tony performances singin' and flippin' along with the Pippins and Wickeds and Kinkys, Matildas and Mormonses. So we might reassure that kid and do something to spur that kid. Cause I promise you all of us up here tonight.  We were that kid!"  AT LEAST NEIL PATRICK HARRIS GETS US!!!  As soon as that line was said, my whole Party pretty much applauded through the next 30 seconds of the song!  SOMEBODY MAKE THIS A T-SHIRT OR SOMETHING!!

Swingin' in Hitsville U.S.A.

So, as you'll know from my previous posts, I'm not a huge fan of Motown, but they actually did have a really good Tony Performance (better than some of the nominated shows in fact).  They did a good job of highlighting so much of their talented supporting cast, they did memorable songs that everybody would recognize, and they never let the energy die for a moment.  Despite the fact that I didn't like the show, I think they should be proud of their performance.

"Whatever Happened to my Part"?
No, the Lady of the Lake did not appear in this year's Tony Awards, but she may as well have, because we did have some guest appearances from some big Broadway/TV stars that shared her lamentations.  In the middle of the telecast, Andrew Rannells [Broadway: Book of Mormon, TV: The New Normal], Megan Hilty [Broadway: Gentlemen Prefer Blondes, Tv: Smash], and Laura Benanti [Broadway:Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, TV: Go On] came on with a parody medley of some of our favorite Broadway tunes.  It was a great way to appeal to the audiences who came to see the Tony Awards because of TV and it gave Neil a chance to gloat.  In my opinion, it was one of the more enjoyable portions of the evening.  Take a look:

Aren't you a little old to be performing rock songs on the Tony Awards?
If you're talking about Angela Lansbury, then heck no!  If you're talking about "The Rascals" then yes.  Most definitely.  I don't know whose idea it was to let these guys play at the Tony's, but it wasn't a good idea.  At first it looked like it was going to be a tribute the the plays of the year (which was tragically left out of this year's telecast), but after a minute or two, it was just a video of old guys who didn't seem to know they were old singing songs that weren't show tunes.  And, let's be honest, does anybody really want to see/hear that?

He's There!  The Phantom of the Opera!!!!

That's right, amid the slew of new musicals, the oldest show on Broadway managed to squeeze in a performance and remind the world why it's been running for over 10,000 performances!  In what I think was a recreation of the performance the Phantom cast did all those years ago at their own Tony Awards, the current Broadway cast performed Andrew Lloyd Webber's hauntingly beautiful song for the world to hear.  I loved it!  It was so beautiful and I am so glad that old shows like this get a chance to make it onto the Tony's.  However, I had forgotten how many people had never heard the Broadway version of the show's title song.  I would hope that all of my readers have, but in case you have only heard the movie soundtrack, it's important that you know that they had to lower the Phantom's part A TON for Gerrard Butler to be able to sing it.  Micheal Crawford (and, to my knowledge, all subsequent Broadway Phantoms) have to sing his songs significantly higher than poor Mr. Butler could manage.  I think this higher key makes the character more haunting and beautiful, but if you hadn't heard it sung that way, it can be a shock.  That being said, I am disappointed that a large portion of the attenders at my party accidentally made "ewww" noises instead of saying "Oh my goodness, this guy sings beautifully"!  I even heard one misinformed attendee speak the blasphemous words "Gerrard Butler was better".  Needless to say, I was about to whip our my "magical Lasso" on her, but I showed restraint.  Needless to say, this is the GOOD version of the song, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I did:

Try to Remember
I was glad to see that, after it was tragically forgotten last year, they included an "in Memoriam" song at this years Tony Awards.  I didn't particularly care for Cyndi Lauper's song, but I still enjoyed the moment (which was occasionally spoiled a bit by people applauding when someone they recognized appeared on the screen.  Which made me wonder, is that ok?  To clap for someone's death?  What's the etiquette there?).  As usual, I didn't recognize most of the people featured in the video, but there were a few, most notably Marvin Hamlisch.  His death was truly a tragic event for the Broadway community, and I hope that he's resting in peace secure in the knowledge that he has left a legendary legacy!

Whovians watch the Tony's for ONCE.

Yes, it's true, two groups of "superfans" collide as Arthur Darvill, most well known for playing Rory Williams on the BBC Fantasy show Doctor Who has made his Broadway debut as Steve Kazee's replacement in Once.  Not one to shy away from star power, the Producers decided to feature this new casting on the Tony Awards this year by performing of Guy's songs.  Unfortunately....I didn't like "Rory" as much as "the other Guy".  I mean, not to sound mean, but Arthur just kind of screamed incomprehensibly into a Microphone.  And since there was almost no lyrics and absolutely no dancing, there was nothing to do but sit there and listen to him wail gibberish.  To be honest, I was more entertained by the squealing Whovians we had present than the performance itself (and by the sudden interruption of the performance, which I'll get to later).

NPH and Audra McD "rap" things up

So, it seems that Lin Manuel Miranda has been working overtime to fit a rap into as many Tony Awards as he can!  And, contrary to what I learned from Commentary the Musical, Neil can really rap!  Since they already did a straight rap (2 years ago) this year they spiced up the closing number by parodying an actual (non-Broadway) song called "Empire State of Mind."  This meant they needed a female vocalist to back Neil up and they couldn't have picked anyone better than the youngest 5-time Tony Award Winning Actress Audra MacDonald.  Her voice was beautiful and I felt like the two of them meshed pretty well.  However, that being said, I didn't think this was one of the better closing numbers (in my opinion, none have compared to the first one I saw Neil do back in 2009).  Never the less, it's cool that Neil got to sing again, and it was a great way to end the show.  If nothing else, it's worth watching the video to see Neil hitting a low harmony (possibly the first time in his life), Lin Manuel Miranda playing Piano in the background,  and Audra "out-gangster" Neil in the last second.

NOTABLE SPEECHES:

I know that, generally speaking, the speeches are the most boring part of the telecast, and, with the exception of the Rascals' performance, that is still true.  However, there are always a few that stand out, and this year was no exception.  Whether it was something really funny like the annual American Theater Wing commercial (which I unfortunately can't find a video for), or really touching like Cicely Tyson's heartwarming speech, these are the ones that I think are worth seeing.

Mr. Microphone guy...YOU HAD ONE JOB!!!

From Dreamgirls to Dreams coming true

Cicely Tyson gives the classiest response to "Wrap it up" in the history of the Tony Awards!

...AND EVERYTHING ELSE NOTABLE

Lions and Spiders and Newsies, Oh My!

For some reason, something snapped in the Tony Award committee and they started making an effort to involve long running shows into the Tony Awards more this year.  The biggest way they did this was by having characters (not actors) from other Broadway shows introduce the performances.  Velma Kelly, Simba, Sandy the Dog, Jack Kelly, and Peter Parker were just a few of the characters that made an appearance at this years awards.  To be honest, I thought it was pretty cheesy, but it was cool to see the old shows getting to do something.  Here's some clips of the Chicago cast making introductions (I think something was amok with the teleprompter on the second one).

Everyone loves a good Playsical in the summer!

NPH does these "suggestions to producers" every year (part of me thinks he writes them himself).  I'd recommend you looking up some of the ones he's done in the past (I'm too lazy to track down links), some of my favorite of his suggestions have included "presidential musicals", and "scratch and sniff playbills"!  But this year I think was one of his finest!  Playsicals!!!!  Enjoy:

Neil gets some puppy love

I don't know why, but this really freaked out everyone at my Tony Party.  Personally, I think it's just one more thing that proves Neil will do anything for the sake of the show.  So here he is "bonding" with Broadway's favorite pooch (sorry the video quality isn't better):

We interrupt this broadcast because...WE HAVE NO SOUL!!!!

Ok, so this only applies to my fellow Georgians.  CBS Atlanta made a MASSIVE mistake and almost caused a riot at my house!  Right in the middle of Once's performance (told you I'd get back to it) and before the Best Musical was announced, the show just stopped.  Out of nowhere everything cuts to a news room and away from our precious TONY Awards!!!!!  We found out later that some human error was made and, for one reason or another, they thought the show was done.  After I, and I'm assuming several hundred others, wrote Emails of complaint to the station, they released a formal apology and said that they would run the final 7 minutes of the Tony's to kick off the news every night that week.  While it was a meager offering, at least they recognized their mistake and tried to fix it.  But I must say, there was a few hours of scrambling where plenty of mistakes were made, like this reporter who obviously knew absolutely nothing about the awards:

Conclusion

And that does it for this years Tony Awards!  It was a phenomenal year and culminated in an equally phenomenal night!  If you've stuck it out and read all five of these posts then I congratulate you!  Feel free to to leave a comment in the box below with any questions or comments you have about my posts or the awards themselves.  And be on the look out for my next post (I have a few "Luke's Top 10's" in the works). Thanks so much for reading!  In the words of the legendary Neil Patrick Harris, "Go see a Broadway show!"

Tony Awards 2013 (Part IV: Other notable Shows)

So, if you've read my past three blog posts, you know about most of the "powerhouse shows" of this year's Tony Awards.  I don't know the exact statistics, but it does seem that every year that the sixteen shows I blogged about earlier (the nominees for best musicals/plays) often leave with the majority of the night's awards.  But of course they're not the only shows eligible this season.  Some shows end up with several awards, and others without even a nomination.  I'm going to talk about all the ones that I find interesting (If I miss one of your favorite shows, feel free to tell me in a comment and I'll add it to this post).  So here we go, let's start with the Plays:

Notable PLAYS

As I said before, this was not a great year for plays.  There were very few that really excited me and that I found particularly groundbreaking.  However, there was theme that connected almost every single play that opened on Broadway this year: Movie stars.  It's possible that this happens every year, but this year specifically I found that almost every single show featured someone who is renowned for their movie or television career.  Some (Like Sigourney Weaver and Tom Hanks) are making their Broadway debut, and some (like Allen Cumming and Al Pacino) are well-worn veterans who are as comfortable on the stage as they are on the screen. Don't don't believe me?  I'll break it down by show:

• The Anarchist - Debra Winger [Terms of Engagement, An Officer and a Gentleman]
• Ann - Holland Taylor [The Truman Show, Two and a Half Men, Legally Blonde]
• The Assembled Parties - Jessica Hecht [Sideways, Dan in Real Life, J. Edgar]
• The Big Knife - Richard Kind [A Bug's Life, Argo, Spin City]
• Breakfast at Tiffany's - Emilia Clarke [Game of Thrones]
• Cat on a Hot Tin Roof - Scarlet Johansson [Lost in Translation, The Avengers], Benjamin Walker [Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Slayer]
• Dead Accounts - Katie Holmes [Batman Begins, Phone Booth], Judy Greer [13 Going on 30, The Descendants]
• An Enemy of the People - Boyd Gaines [Funny Games, Fame, One Day at a Time]
• Glengarry Glen Ross - Al Pacino [The Godfather, Scarface]
• Golden Boy - Tony Shalhoub [Monk, Galaxy Quest]
• Grace - Paul Rudd [I Love You Man, Role Models], Michael Shannon [Man of Steel, Take Shelter], Ed Asner [Up, The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Elf]
• Harvey - Jim Parsons [The Big Bang Theory, The Muppets]
• The Heiress - Jessica Chastain [Zero Dark Thirty, The Help], Dan Stevens [Downton Abbey, Hilde], David Strathairn [The Bourne Ultimatum, Lincoln]
• I'll Eat You Last: A Chat With Sue Mengers - Bette Midler [For the Boys, Hocus Pocus]
• Lucky Guy - Tom Hanks [Forrest Gump, Saving Private Ryan, Big]
• Macbeth - Allan Cumming [The Good Wife, Spy Kids, Tin Man]
• The Nance - Nathan Lane [The Birdcage, The Lion King, The Producers]
• Orphans - Alec Baldwin [30 Rock, Beetlejuice]
• The Other Place - Laurie Metcalf [Roseanne, Toy Story trilogy, The Big Bang Theory]
• Picnic - Sebastian Stan [Captain America: The First Avenger, Black Swan], Maggie Grace [Taken, Lost]
• The Trip to Bountiful - Cuba Gooding Jr. [Radio, Jerry McGuire, Ironman], Condola Rashad [Steel Magnolias, Smash], Cicely Tyson [The Help, Fried Green Tomatoes]
• Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike - David Hyde Pierce [Frasier, A Bug's Life], Sigourney Weaver [Alien, Avatar, Galaxy Quest]

Crazy right?  Out of 25 Plays premiering this season, 22 of them had big name movie/tv stars.  Like I said, it's possible this has always been happening and I'm just now noticing it, but regardless it's pretty amazing.  We just need to hope that shows don't feel like they "HAVE" to have Hollywood stars to make a successful show.  I'm all for adding a little star power to a show, but it better be able to stand on it's own as well!  And now, onto the 3 plays that I found the most interesting this year (not including those already mentioned in the previous post):

Grace
So, this show looked really interesting and I'm a bit saddened it wasn't recognized at all come award season (I expect that was largely because of how long it had been closed).  However, I think if it had come out later, it might have had a good shot.  It had some phenomenal actors, rich characters, interesting story telling, and  an unusual premise.  The show follows a young Christian couple who have just moved to Florida with dreams of building Christian themed hotels (Most plot synopsis just say "with plans to profit off of their faith", but I think that I read this was how they were going to do that).  In their building they meet an irritable, disfigured neighbor who has hardened himself against God and the world, and a hilarious old exterminator (both who are non Christians).  Naturally, the couple try to witness to these men, but as time goes on, it begins to become less clear who is influencing who.  You see, by the end of the show, everybody is dead, struck down by a mass murder/suicide by the husband.  And before you get all upset with me for letting loose spoilers, this is no secret, it's also how the play begins.  The opening scene is this act of violence, and then the corpses rise from the ground and begin to re-enact the events leading up to this tragedy.  Exciting right?  With tension like that, a stellar cast (I can almost guarantee that Micheal Shannon would've been nominated for best Supporting Actor if the show had been running when the nominations came out), and clever writing, I really wish this show could've been more recognized.

Macbeth
I have seen this show once, and I didn't get it.  I could only kind of follow most of the story, and most of the really classic lines, I didn't even catch until they had already happened.  So when Alan Cumming announced that he was performing The Scottish Play in a way that was even more confusing and hard to follow, you'd think I'd want to run the other way.  Not so!  You see, Alan Cumming [Cabaret (1998 Revival), Annie (1999 Movie)] performs this Shakespearean classic completely by himself!  How does he accomplish this?  Well, his character is a man in an insane asylum without a clear understanding as to why he's there, with his only clue being some scratches along his chest.  As a coping mechanism, his troubled character reenacts the Scottish play (in the original English I might add) by playing all the park and is only interrupted occasionally by two orderlies (who have no lines) who come in to restrain him when he gets to wild.  As his decent in to madness progresses, the audience begins to see that the circumstances of this disturbed man are not that different from those experienced by the characters in his play.  Now you begin to see why this show caught my attention?  What's so amazing to me is that this script finds a way to tell both of these stories without having to edit the dialogue at all.  True a few moments of Shakespeare's monster of a show have been cut, but absolutely no lines have been added!  Through clever blocking, a security camera that provides a live feed to three onstage screens, a terrifying doll, and a bathtub (that apparently comes with chilling effect where it looks like Alan has drowned), the creators of this show have reached a new level of creative story telling!  I'm honestly shocked that this play didn't get nominated for anything and I think that it is a darn shame!  Especially for Alan, his lack of a nomination was, in my opinion, the worst snub of the season.

The Nance

If Alan Cumming's lack of a Best Actor nomination was the biggest snub of the season, then The Nance's lack of a Best Play nomination is the second.  This show looked so spectacular and I really can't fathom why it was passed over.  The show is about a burlesque actor by the name of Chauncey who is the local "Nance" at the club where he works.  Now, "the Nance" is an archetype (like "The stooge") of a very effeminate man, and was almost always played by a straight man (largely because it wasn't very safe to be openly homosexual at that time, so there weren't many gay actors).  However, Chauncey is in fact homosexual, and this show gives insight into what the life of a closeted (and the eventually, outed) gay actor of that time would be like.  From what I've seen of the show, it is a real masterpiece that is alternatively hilarious and very powerful.  But what really makes this show something special is the performance by Nathan Lane.  Now, Nathan Lane is a legend on Broadway already and already has several Tony Awards under his belt, but everything I read said that this was the best performance of his career!  The character of Chauncey has such duality (which is no easy task for an actor) that Mr. Lane captures perfectly!  We've all seen him play the funny man (like his Tony Award winning runs as Max Bialystok [The Producers] ad Pseudolus [A Funny Thing...Forum]), and while there were certainly elements of that in this show, he also pulled out his deeper side and had some heart-breakingly powerful moments.  I'm glad that this show was recognized with 3 Tony Awards (all in the Costume, Scenic, and Sound Design), but the ones that it really should've won (Best Actor and Best Show) it couldn't hold on to, which is a crying shame.  However, the show is still running strong (Take that testament of Mary!) and I hope that it will be remembered as the powerful, important piece of art that it is.

Play Conclusion

All in all, the plays were alright this year.  True, the nominating committee missed a few gems and made some mistakes, but the plays themselves (for the most part) were pretty good.  Hopefully everyone realizes that the reason these plays were so good had something to do with the Hollywood talent that performed them, but mostly it was the smart writing, the creative designers, and the magic of Broadway!

NOTABLE MUSICALS

Chaplin

Out of all the shows that opened this year, this was one of the few that I was following the entire way.  As I said in a previous blog post, I've wanted to play Charlie Chaplin even before this musical existed, so I was thrilled when it came out and I loved every minute of the show!!!  The music was catchy, the story moving, the effects stupefying, the style unique, the acting incredible, and every other aspect of the show you can think of was just awesome....except the script.  Of course, I don't have access to the script, but most of the reviews that I read seemed to think that the show was good, but couldn't be great because the plot line of the show was too confusing and didn't rise and fall correctly.  I'm afraid that it was this weak story telling that made the show close as tragically early as it did, which is a real shame.  Because it closed so early, it didn't do very well when awards season rolled around.  True, Rob McClure did land a nomination for Best Actor (which I'll talk about in a moment), but I had hoped that it would also snag nominations for best supporting actress (for Jenn Colella), Best Musical (I personally think it beat both Bring it On and A Christmas Story), and at least a few design awards.  But the biggest injustice of this show is the fact that Rob McClure walked away from the ceremony without a trophy.  I mean, yes he was nominated, and yes, I love Billy Porter, but Rob should've won!  I even saw a few critics who said that if Chaplin was still running he probably would've won.  So, shame on the producers for closing the show, and shame on the Tony committee for choosing the wrong winner for Best Actor in a Musical.

Hands on a Hard Body

I really like this show for several reasons (not the least of which being the faces people make when you tell them the title before you explain the plot).  I love how character based the show is ('cause let's be honest, the plot-line doesn't really go anywhere), I love the cast they assembled (Hunter Foster [Urinetown, Little Shop of Horrors (2003 Revival)], Allison Case [Hair (2009 Revival)], Jay Armstrong Johnson [35MM (New York Premiere), Working: A Musical (Off-Broadway)]), And I like most of what I heard of the music. I see why the show didn't win anything, and I see why it had to close, because the show certainly did have it's problems.  But nevertheless I think it's a cool show, I'm so glad it made it to Broadway, I think it's a very "American" show, and I honestly wish it would've gotten a nomination for best musical (in my book it beat Bring it On and A Christmas Story).  They haven't released a full soundtrack yet (but I'm pretty sure one is coming) and the videos I saw weren't particularly helpful, so it's hard to know much about the show.  That being said, I've watched plenty of behind the scenes stuff, and I've read all the reviews I can, and I really want to see more.  I'd love to see this show live because I feel like there's a character for everyone in there and, while, I'm sure it can be a bit preachy at times, it's full of great comedy and touching moments.  But most of all I love the bond that the cast seems to feel.  If you remember, I gave these guys my "Best Ensemble" award because they all just seem so in sync with each other and the whole of them is definitely worth more than the sum of it's parts.  I hope that it has a life after Broadway (although I find it kind of unlikely), but even if it doesn't I think it's a "nice little show".

Jekyll & Hyde

So, there was plenty of surprise when the nominees for Best Musical came out (A Christmas Story and Bring it On surprised everyone), but I expect literally nobody was surprised when the nominees for best Revival of a musical came out.  There were only 5 revivals this year and four slots (explains how Annie got nominated, doesn't it?).  So, in reality, the nominations weren't naming the four best shows, it was naming the worst, and everyone kind of knew that was Jekyll & Hyde.  Now, don't mistake this for me hating on the show, if you read my Frank Wildhorn post, you'll know that I love Jekyll & Hyde, but that doesn't mean that I like everything they've done with it.  The original show was good.  It had good music, good characters, a thrilling story, all in all, good show.  Then they put David Hasselhoff in the filmed version.  I didn't like that, but at least the piece didn't change, so I let it slide.  Then they came out with "Jekyll & Hyde Resurrection" which is all the same songs completely rearranged to make it more like a Rock album.  I didn't like that either.  It ruined beautiful moments and made the show more of a horror show than it should've been (and what I hate is they got some excellent Broadway stars to sing on it too!  They wasted those beautiful voices!!!).  Unfortunately, this show seemed to stray closer to that than the original incarnation, as I knew they were going to.  As soon as I heard that Constantine Maroulis had been cast, I knew that they were going to take this song in the wrong direction.  They problem is they focused too much on Hyde.  All the commercials, all the press, heck, even the poster shows Hyde.  Now, don't get my wrong, I LOVE Hyde, he is by far my favorite of the two, but the show isn't about Hyde, it's about Jekyll.  It's about how a nice, respectable man who couldn't hurt a fly if he wanted to, becomes a monster.  When you cast someone like Mr. Maroulis in the role, he fits in better as Hyde than as Jekyll, then the thrill of the transformation is gone.  That's why this version didn't work, the darkness and grit of this musical is it's best part, but the awful irony is if you puff it up too much, the show crumbles.  Like I said, this version didn't work, but that's not why it wasn't nominated for anything.  The reason it wasn't nominated was because of the Curse of Frank Wildhorn (don't know what I'm talking about?  Click the link).  And you know what?  I'm ok with that.  I've decided that I don't even want there to be a successful Jekyll & Hyde on Broadway.  I love the fact that it's a cult classic, that it's the show that Broadway rejected but America loved; part of me thinks we could use more shows like that.

Motown:

A lot of people thought this show was one of the most snubbed of the season, but not me.  Why?  I didn't like it.  I thought it was cheap.  Granted, I've never been much a fan of this style of music, and I haven't even listened to the whole soundtrack, but the show just wasn't good to me.  It felt like the writers were more concerned with cramming in as many iconic songs as possible (I think they hit around 50!) than they were with making a good story.  The result?  They compiled a very talented cast.  They did some very good impressions.  And I imagine if you were a fan of Motown music, it would make for a very entertaining and enjoyable evening, and that's why I'm not upset that it was on Broadway.  I think it has a place on Broadway.  But I wouldn't call it a work of art.  I'm honestly glad that it isn't a "Tony Award Winning Musical," it's just another Jukebox Musical that went on Broadway, gave people some great memories and (hopefully), went on it's way (Of course, despite my protestations, Broadway still has yet to get rid of Mama Mia and Rock of Ages, so maybe this Jukebox musical will outlive my expectations as well).

Scandalous

This is the show that I knew the least about privy to reading this blog.  So, once I decided I wanted to write about it, I listened to a few of the songs I had heard were the best.  As it happens, I started right after listening to some Leap of Faith songs.  You guys remember Leap of Faith?  Last year's big budget musical about a "quirky" evangelist that built it's marketing around the fact that it had a big name star playing the lead (namely, my buddy Raul Esparza) and although people love that star they agreed that the show itself lacked a little bit in plot and while it had a few catchy tunes there really wasn't anything that made it memorable?  Yeah....I remember it too, but apparently whoever decided to put Scandalous on Broadway didn't, because it fell into all the same traps.  Sure, it has some good music, and Carolee Carmello [Parade, John & Jen (Off Broadway)] gave a stellar performance, but the show just isn't interesting enough.  The story follows a woman who wanted to be a preacher and really defied a lot of the religious leaders of her time (I think it might be based off of a true story).  But to be honest, aside from Ms. Carmello's voice, there's not much of an appeal to this show.  Maybe her and my buddy Raul should do a show together! (for those of you wondering how I became "buddies" with THE Raul Esparza, check out this video where we chatted together).

Musical Conclusion:

This was a good year for Musicals.  With the exception of Jekyll & Hyde and maybe Scandalous, all of these shows are pretty good.  There weren't many musicals, but quality should come before quantity.  I hope we can keep the standard this high in coming years!

General Conclusion:

BROADWAY IS AWESOME!  That should be the conclusion of every blog I write.  Regardless of the good or bad things I have to say, each and every one of theses shows are special and the fact that they are on Broadway is awesome!  Even though the shows mentioned here maybe didn't get as many Tony nominations as I think they should've, they're awesome because they were on Broadway!

And thus concludes my review of the 2012-2013 season.  I have one more Tony Award post about the aspects of the telecast that weren't show specific (acceptance speeches, opening numbers, Neil's best jokes, etc.)  Stay tuned!