| Author |
Message |
Beth4freedom
Member
10-24-2003
| Sunday, June 11, 2017 - 9:30 pm 
Anyone watching tonight?
I wish wish wish they had shown scenes from straight dramas like they used to: would love to have seen Little Foxes (what a cast!) and "A Doll’s House, Part 2". And the musicals seemed weak to me. Bandstand and Dear Evan Hansen were my favorites.
Loved the standing ovation for Jill Biden.
I loved that even the well-mannered Tonys ran 15 minutes over, with a number of acceptance speeches that wouldn't quit. Bette Midler even outlasted the music!
Biggest disappointment: Why oh why no musical number from hello Dolly!?? Big let down. And that Jerry Herman previously deleted song from David Hyde Pierce in front of plain curtain--well, there's a reason that you drop some songs on the road, this was a good example.
Anyone else with thoughts? Thanks!
|
Grooch
Member
06-16-2006
| Monday, June 12, 2017 - 1:54 am
Beth, I tried watching it, but I wasn't enjoying it at all. I didn't care for the opening or enjoy the musical bits that I saw. The David Hyde Pierce was a good example. So, I changed the channel.
|
Beth4freedom
Member
10-24-2003
| Monday, June 12, 2017 - 6:07 am
I was wondering if it was "just me" or if this was indeed the most lackluster Tonys in a while! The Hello Dolly absence of a big number--or even a song by Bette Midler--was a MAJOR let-down! Seemed like a tease and unfair. I read online that there was a disagreement about doing a big number remotely from Dolly's home theatre....but still it amazes me that some compromise couldn't have been worked out.
Speaks volumes that the best number (from Bandstand, which won for best choreography) was from a musical that I don't think was even nominated except for 2 technical categories--and was sadly positioned way late in the show.
At one point, they filled in with a number by the Rockettes!
|
Kookliebird
Member
08-04-2005
| Monday, June 12, 2017 - 8:47 am
It was not as good as in prior years. Hard when the opening mentions all the great hosts in prior years.... then, you get Kevin Spacey. I was tired of him by the end.
|
Mamie316
Member
07-08-2003
| Monday, June 12, 2017 - 9:51 am
I thought the best number was from The Great Comet. That is something I would love to see. The energy alone! The show was okay. I found myself reading more than anything else.
|
Roteach
Member
06-01-2003
| Monday, June 12, 2017 - 11:10 am
I enjoyed it but then, I always enjoy the Tony's. Kevin Spacey wasn't as high energy as other hosts but I kind of enjoyed his take on things and who knew he could sing and dance or do impressions?
I read an article on the Dolly issue. They wanted to do their number from their theater but it was vetoed and I THINK Bette didn't want to do a number.Heck, they could have done Ribbons Down My Back or Elegance which feature the featured actor and actress nominees. It was crappy also because none of their ensemble got any face/stage time.
On another note, I love the winner who mentioned the work of the stage managers.
I wish they had gotten a hook and taken Bette off after she really exceeded (4 minutes) her time. I hope she was kidding when she called the play off music "crap".
I'm listening to Dear Evan Hansen right now. Good year for Pasek and Paul. First the Oscar for La La Land and now a Tony for Dear Evan Hansen.
|
Sugar
Member
08-15-2000
| Tuesday, June 13, 2017 - 10:45 pm
I love me some David Hyde Pierce, however, I agree that number he performed was lackluster at best. I think it had more to do with the number itself, no wonder it was cut from the show.
Too bad someone else won MY big Powerball last week. I planned on buying a lovely property in NYC and attending the theater dang near every night. Heavy sigh of disappointment.
|
Beth4freedom
Member
10-24-2003
| Tuesday, June 20, 2017 - 10:42 am
CBS finally has the Tony Awards available on demand on my cable network. They split the Awards show into three 1-hour selections, with the Hello Dolly fiasco leading off section 2, which I ended up skipping entirely as far as a rewatch, it was painful enough on first viewing. I agree that the problem with the David Hyde Pierce number was the song itself, not the singer! It is just beyond belief that they could not have come up with a compromise selection, and to see Bette Midler come on stage right after as a presenter without singing a single note was just the reverse icing on the cake!
The BEST selections from musicals presented all evening were unfortunately in the LAST hour, which means that a lot of people missed them. Both Josh Groban's “Natasha, Pierre, and The Great Comet of 1812” and "Bandstand" (best choreography winner) took full advantage of the opportunities that the Tony Awards stage offered them and brought home show-stopping numbers. Some of the backflips that the Great Comet dancers did on the narrow foreground apron stage made me wonder how the Hello Dolly producers could have worried about endangering their performers by transferring from their home stage to the Radio City Music Hall! All they had to do was keep THEIR performers on the main stage, and all would have been well!
|
