My Tony Awards

I love the Tony Awards. At this time of year, all the new shows are starting up, and it's hard not to wonder which one will take the big prize. I couldn't resist choosing my own winners!

This isn't so much a prediction, it's just who I would give the award to. I couldn't see every show, so I've just picked from the eleven I saw (even if they're not from this year).

---click 'read more' to see the nominees and winners (in bold)---

Review: Driving Miss Daisy

One Sentence Summary:   Fantastic one act play about an old Jewish woman and her African American driver set between 1948 - 1972.

Trivia:   Stars the unbeatable Vanessa Redgrave and James Earl Jones. Broadway royalty. Talk about talent! The role of the driver was originated on Broadway by Morgan Freeman, who also starred in the movie version in the 90s.

Best thing about it:   The acting. This is the best acting we saw in New York (which is no surprise considering we mainly saw musicals). Their awkward relationship is beautifully understated, and they play it perfectly.

We left thinking:   "I wish the stupid cow behind us hadn't loudly ruined the ending!"

Rating: 9 / 10

Review: Sister Act

One Sentence Summary: Whoopi Goldberg has produced a stage version of her iconic 90s movie about a lounge singer who witnesses a murder, is forced to lie low in a convent, and ends up leading a choir of nuns in a series of rehashed Motown hits.

Trivia: All the music is brand new and has been written by Alan Menken, the guy behind Little Shop of Horrors, The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Enchanted, and a host of others.

Best thing about it: Patina Miller is amazing as Deloris van Cartier. And watching nuns sing is still fun.

What they could change: The nuns learn how to sing too fast, and their sequined habits are a bit over the top before the final number.

We left thinking: "That was exactly what we expected. A very enjoyable night, but not enough to blow anyone away"

Rating: 7.5 / 10

Review: Wonderland

One Sentence Summary:   Alice is 30 with a daughter now and ends up back in Wonderland for an adventure so bland it makes Disney made-for-TV look like Shakespeare.

Trivia:   Stars Kate Shindle (Vivienne from Legally Blonde) as the Mad Hatter. Also the costumes are by Susan Hilferty who did Wicked. They're great, but you can tell the producers had no vision of their own for how Wonderland should look, so they just stole from Oz.

Kate Shindle as the Mad Hatter.

Best thing about it:   The cast. Only in New York can a show this bad get a cast this good.

What they could work on:   The book is awful. I've seen better scripts written by children's pastors at Auckland Baptist Churches. It states the obvious and does absolutely nothing else. There were audible groans from the audience at least a dozen times.

We left thinking:   "How can a show we hated already at half time have managed to get so much worse by the finale! The opposite of Wicked, this show would be nothing without it's source material. I give it a month. That's if it ever makes it out of previews."

Verdict: Avoid this show. 2.5 / 10

Review: The Book of Mormon

One Sentence Summary:   Musical comedy about two young mormons who are sent on a two year mission to Uganda.

Trivia:   This project was a collaboration between the creator of Avenue Q and the creators of South Park. The star is also the guy who played William Barfee in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.

Best thing about it:   The music was awesome. I found it really memorable and, much like Avenue Q, laughed out loud at just about every song. I will definitely be buying the album. Favourite moments include the opening song with dozens of wide eyed mormons ringing doorbells, the massive tap dance number about suppressing unwanted feelings, and the Hakuna Matata-esque African chorus number that centres around a comedic way of coping in difficult situations.

What they could work on:   When you know who wrote it, you expect crass. But this pushed a different button because of its setting in Uganda: real world issues. At times I felt the references to AIDS, disease, and famine could almost be educational for the insulated young American audience, and the joke was definitely more on the mormons than the Ugandans. But, there were a few points when it did go too far in making light of real situations that are definitely not funny.

Verdict:  The freshest new show on Broadway. Go out of your way to see this, but not if you're faint of heart. 9.5 / 10

Review: Mary Poppins

One Sentence Summary:   Theatrical version of the Julie Andrews classic you grew up with.

Trivia:   The show's original broadway stars recently reprised their roles, so we were treated to an excellent cast. Also, the extra few songs were written by the original Mary Poppins songwriters.

Best thing about it:   The part where they teach you how to spell supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (see below).

We left thinking:   "This is much more than you expect from a 'kids' musical. The way it remains true to the classic movie without feeling like a carbon copy that exists only to be a Disney money maker is really great to see".

Verdict:  More than just a tribute to the movie. A solid, enjoyable show that doesn't take the easy way out. 8 / 10

Review: Catch Me if You Can

One sentence summary: Imagine Frank Sinatra crossed with Mad Men.. Aaron Tveit (my fave) plays Frank Abagnale Jr in a new show from the team behind Hairspray.

Trivia: I discovered Aaron Tveit when I saw a clip of Next to Normal. Also stars Norbert Leo Butz, the original Fiyero in Wicked.

Best thing about it: instead of a solely pop score like Hairspray, the writers have taken a risk by using the jazzy style of the times. That's got some reviewers saying the songs aren't memorable, but I think those people aren't looking deep enough.

We left thinking: "That was genius. Aaron Tveit owns the stage, but doesn't have to prop it up because the material is excellent too."

Verdict: Enjoyable for the broad-minded, but it seems likely that the broadway community will reject it. 8 / 10

Review: American Idiot

One sentence summary: High energy rock musical based on the Green Day concept album of the same name.

Trivia: Billie Joe Armstrong (the lead singer of Green Day) does regular performances in the role of St Jimmy. He wrote all the music, and a lot of the script.

Best thing about it: Tom Kitt (of Next to Normal) has done an unreal job of the orchestrations. He took the heart of Green Day's music and managed to capture it in a whole new way that could only be experienced on stage. The sound is incredible. Watch the clip below.

We left thinking: "This show got right what Spiderman got wrong. It's simple, doesn't try too hard, and has turned unlikely source material into an absolute standout performance. It was about a hundred times better than we expected."

Verdict:  Better than the sum of its parts. 8 / 10

Day Four in NY: Behind the Emerald Curtain

When I made a list of all the shows I wanted to see in New York, there were 26. And I already felt like I'd squeezed out some goodies! The first big cut I made was to remove anything we could see in London, so unfortunately Wicked fell by the wayside. That killed me inside a little, because I adore Wicked and was sorry to miss it last time I was here. Luckily, there was a happy compromise in the form of Behind the Emerald Curtain.

We arrived a few minutes late, having ran from Dennis' apartment. It felt really cool to be leaving a New York brick apartment in the morning sunshine. I would love to have that life! Even if we were feeling a little worse for wear after too little sleep, and wearing the clothes from the night before.

But the Emerald Curtain was still cool. Basically, for Wicked geeks like me, they created a tour of the Gershwin Theater that gives you a behind the scenes look at how Wicked (or really any broadway show) is brought to life. It was full of interesting information like the most expensive costume being US$35,000, and the story of the chorus girl who popped her arm out of its socket onstage.

It was a full on broadway day really, because after the tour we bought tickets to American Idiot, and saw it, then had a brief rest before Catch Me if You Can. Another great, exhausting day in Manhattan.


AA

Review: Anything Goes

Plot in a sentence: Old school Cole Porter musical comedy set on a cruise ship.

Trivia: Stars the amazingly talented Sutton Foster (who I fell in love with when she performed this). It also features Joel Grey, the original MC in Cabaret and Wizard in Wicked. Big talents.

Best thing about it: The big dance numbers were out of this world (see rehearsal video below). It really embraced the cheesy big old school broadway musical style, and we loved it.

We left thinking: "Talent like Sutton Foster's is just unfair! She better win the Tony."

Verdict:  A thoroughly enjoyable night of old-broadway glamour. 9 / 10

Review: Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark

Plot in a sentence:   The Peter Parker story we all know so well, brought to life with a $65m budget, dazzling special effects, music by Bono, and a new villain (Arachne).

Trivia:   Spiderman is the most expensive broadway musical ever, and it's aerial stunts make it possibly the most ambitious too. It's becoming renowned for mishaps and injuries. When we saw it, they had to stop part way through a scene because a lift wasn't working. Apparently this happens quite often.

Best thing about it:   Julie Taymor (of The Lion King and Across the Universe) is the most visionary director I can name. Her stage mechanics in Spiderman are genius. They completely immerse you in the show, without handing it to you on a platter. Also the singers were great (Jennifer Damiano as MJ particularly).

What they could change:   This is the longest previewing show in broadway history, which means they're still making edits... and they still need some big ones. The narrating foursome are unneeded, most of the script is overstated, and Bono's music is, well, crap.

We left thinking:     "Any play from a comic that's already been made into a movie needs to bring out something new, and Julie Taymor does that magnificently with the staging, but fails to say anything special about the characters."

Verdict:  Not as much of a train wreck as the tabloids will make you think... but pretty close. Points for taking risks though. That doesn't happen often in the age of Mamma Mia. 6.5 / 10

Review: The Intelligent Homosexual's Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures

Plot in a sentence: Old guy decides to commit suicide because he never got over the death of his wife in the 70s, and his grown up children try to convince him not to.

Trivia: The author is Tony Kushner, who wrote Angels in America (possibly my favourite play ever!). Also directed my Michael Greif, who directed Rent. And we saw him there!!

Best thing about it: The acting was good.

What they should change: It hasn't officially opened yet, so they can change it... but it seems confused, like the playwright hasn't decided what he wants to say with it. And the length of the title is a giveaway to the nature of the show... self indulgent and obtuse.

We left thinking: "How can a four hour show explore characters and themes so poorly? Good thing we bought red bull during the first intermission!"

Verdict: Indulgent and mostly dull. Has nothing on Angels. 5 / 10

Review: Memphis

Plot in a sentence:   True story about Huey Calhoun who discovers an amazing singer named Felicia and creates rock 'n' roll in the process.

Trivia:   Won the Tony for Best Musical last year.

Best thing about it:   The acting was phenomenal. And the original music was surprisingly great.

We left thinking:   "I can't believe a show that good had such lukewarm reviews!"

Verdict:  A familiar tone (Dreamgirls, Jersey Boys), but still a story worth telling. 8.5 / 10