Tonys 2017 thoughts

Best Musical Wild Card. There Will Be Sun Groundhog Day https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2EB1_mgNr8&list=PL7zuSd2e0NsMWq_thPkD6p8uXjPEhfWpd&index=2. Come From Away
Dear Evan Hansen
Groundhog Day
Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812.

With the core four in this category, it’s tough to pick a real winner here. I would love to see Dear Evan Hansen pull out a win. It could go with the very serious Dear Evan Hansen, which I feel like is the overall fan favorite. The Great Comet has a lot of spectacles so that could be its key to the win.   They could also go with what I think is the underdog and go with the very fun Groundhog Day. Come From Away is very real, and I think this could be what gives them the win in this category.

Best Book
David Hein and Irene Sankoff, Come From Away
Steven Levenson, Dear Evan Hansen
Dave Malloy, Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812
Danny Rubin, Groundhog Day

The best book is another wild card, there are many wild cards among the nominees this year, but overall this is what I was expecting in this category.   I think the way that Dear Evan Hansen is so fantastically written, and it’s such a story I think it will win.  Dear Evan Hansen is a story that is very real, and I think that people can relate to the story, so that’s why I think it will win. Speaking of real stories I think that Come From Away could be the underdog in the best book, because it’s about real events that actually happened.   

Best Score: David Hein and Irene Sankoff, Come From Away
Dave Malloy, Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812
Tim Minchin, Groundhog Day
Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, Dear Evan Hansen

Okay so everyone in this category is extremely talented, and I wish that I could do this post without calling a clear winner, but then there wouldn’t be a point to it. I’m giving the score to Dear Evan Hansen because I mean have you heard that score? I love the music and the lyrics of that score so much. It’s raw and it’s real and I think that this is what will help it win this category.  I love the score to The Great Comet as well, and I think that they could pull out a win. Most of the shows have a very serious tone, but Groundhog Day on the opposite end of the spectrum is a very fun score overall, and I think that they could pull out a win as the underdog.

Dear Evan Hansen, You Will Be Found performance from Today. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNf99gbrotY! 

Best Revival of a Musical
Falsettos
Hello, Dolly! 
Miss Saigon

Falsettos Preview https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSev5wZKQ2k.

 I think this has a chance, and not because I don’t know much about the others shows. I really think that of these three that this is going to be the one that wins because I think everything about the production will help it pull out a win.

 Best Leading Actor in a Musical
Christian Borle, Falsettos
Josh Groban, Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812
Andy Karl, Groundhog Day
David Hyde Pierce, Hello, Dolly

Ben Platt, Dear Evan Hansen.

 Ben Platt is giving his heart and soul on that stage as Evan. He is acting with such emotion up there, not to say that the others in the category are not, but in my opinion, he is doing it the best. I could see Josh Groban pulling out a win because again he is acting with emotion in his role as Pierre.  

Best Leading Actress in a Musical. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OL6GLr3k_Vo No One Else music video
Denee Benton, Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812
Christine Ebersole, War Paint
Patti LuPone, War Paint
Bette Midler, Hello, Dolly! 
Eva Noblezada, Miss Saigon

I would love for Denee to come out with a win for her role as Natasha. She is playing Natasha and making the role her own, and she is singing with such emotion.  Jessie Mueller the underdog pulled out a win a few years ago, and I would love to see is happen for Denee. Yes she is the youngest, and this is her Broadway debut but I think she has what it takes to come out on the top of this category.

Best Featured Actor in a Musical

Gavin Creel, Hello, Dolly! 
Mike Faist, Dear Evan Hansen
Andrew Rannells, Falsettos
Lucas Steele, Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812
Brandon Uranowitz, Falsettos

A controversial choice I know, but if you listen to the cast recording I think you will hear that Andrew could win this. He sings his role as Whizzer Brown with such raw emotion and this was a new sort of a role for him, and I think he did it well.  Lucas Steele is a cast member that steals the show as Anatole, and I think that he could pull out a win here if Andrew doesn’t get the win. Lucas is one that is singing, dancing, and playing the violin all in the same song in the show.   

 Best Featured Actress in a Musical. Wild card
Kate Baldwin, Hello, Dolly! 
Stephanie J. Block, Falsettos
Jenn Colella, Come From Away
Rachel Bay Jones, Dear Evan Hansen
Mary Beth Peil, Anastasia

Now I had a clear winner picked for this category but I changed my mind upon thought. I think that everyone in this category brings something new to the table, and I think that it is tough to pick just one clear winner. I could go to Stephanie J Block for her performance as Trina. It could go to Jenn Colella for her show-stopping number “Me and the Sky”. I could see Rachel Bay Jones getting it for her heartbreaking performance as Heidi Hansen.   

Scenic Design of a Musical

 Mimi Lien, Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812

Rob Howell, Groundhog Day
David Korins, War Paint
Mimi Lien, Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812
Santo Loquasto, Hello, Dolly! 

Mimi Lien designed something special at the Imperial Theater where The Great Comet is playing. I think that she has it in the bag just because of what she did, and how she designed the set. She needed to make sure that people could be sitting on parts of her set, and that they wouldn’t take away from what was happening on stage, or from the rest of the set.   

Best Costume Design of a Musical
Linda Cho, Anastasia
Santo Loquasto, Hello, Dolly! 
Paloma Young, Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812
Catherine Zuber War Paint

Giving this one to Anastasia. What Lind Cho did with those costumes I find really extraordinary, I could also see War Paint winning this one.

Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Howell Binkley, Come From Away.  The Cast of Come From Away performs Welcome To The Rock. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8JI70eXjG8
Natasha Katz, Hello, Dolly! 
Bradley King, Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812

Japhy Weideman, Dear Evan Hansen

Honestly, I didn’t know who I should give this one to so I just put Come From Away as my pick so I could get them on this post. I know that I a terrible reason, but I haven’t seen the show so I don’t know what they do with the lighting in the show. This show could be the underdog in this category.

Best Choreography
Andy Blankenbuehler, Bandstand
Peter Darling and Ellen Kane, Groundhog Day
Kelly Devine, Come From Away
Denis Jones, Holiday Inn, The New Irving Berlin Musical

Sam Pinkleton, Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812

Going with The Great Comet because I love the way that the movements are so intertwined I have never seen this show either, but what they did on The Today Show was amazing. The dancing in what I have seen in this show I love. I could also see Bandstand taking this just from that lift that they have Laura Osnes do, and all of the swing movements.

Best Direction of a Musical
Christopher Ashley, Come From Away
Rachel Chavkin, Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812
Michael Greif, Dear Evan Hansen
Matthew Warchus, Groundhog Day
Jerry Zaks, Hello, Dolly! 

Lots of great directors up for this category. I would love to see Michael take it because direction is a big part of what makes a show, and he is doing some amazing things with Dear Evan Hansen. I could see Rachel taking it for what she is doing with The Great Comet, but I think this one belongs to Michael.

Best Orchestrations
Bill Elliot and Greg Anthony Rassen, Bandstand
Larry Hochman, Hello, Dolly! 
Alex Lacamoire, Dear Evan Hansen
Dave Malloy, Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812

Finally this one I think that Dave has it which might be another controversial pick here. I pick him because he knows how to write a great song, and I think his talent for writing will help him win. I could also see Dear Evan Hansen taking it, because I love those orchestrations as well, but I think this belong to Dave. From the moment I heard the first chords of the prologue, I thought to myself, “this will win best orchestrations someday.