The Tonys are Sunday. Are you excited?

It's on CBS. And Paramount+. If CBS is running things, it'll be the usual shitshow.

Is Kristen playing Donatello Versace in OP’s photo? Because she’s more than halfway there!

To look at those two broads it's more Night at the Museum.

I usually love The Tonys but not looking forward to it this year. I am afraid it’s going to be a woke crapfest and a lot of lecturing.

Those are two faces made for radio. Yeesh.

Kristin's face reminds me of one of those once-loved but abused old handbags you see in antique stores. I don't see why she bakes her skin in the sun so ridiculously when it makes her look much older than she is.

No Don’t know x 2 No

"Slave Play" has so many nominations, yet it did not get great reviews. It's just because there was a dearth of other new plays thanks to COVID.

Will not be watching. Award shows are for the brainless

But posting meaningless anonymous posturing statements on gay gossip forums is obviously for the brainy!

The Tonys are a stretch for an audience in a normal year.

USA Today.

Oh boy!!! Ben Platt will be there. Probably will sing something from you know what show to prop up ticket sales for his film:

Annaleigh Ashford, Kerry Butler, Kristin Chenoweth, André De Shields, Jake Gyllenhaal, Christopher Jackson, Audra McDonald, Idina Menzel, Ruthie Ann Miles, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Bebe Neuwirth, Leslie Odom, Jr., Kelli O'Hara, Ben Platt, Jeremy Pope, Chita Rivera, Daphne Rubin-Vega and BD Wong are just some of the artists who are set to appear. Additional performers and presenters will be announced later this week.

No Lea Michele?

[quote]The Tonys are Sunday. Are you excited?

Yes, if one of them isn't Tony Goldwyn.

I will officially declared a genius after I win 12 Tonys. I'm really excited!

Some softening bangs would really help Kristin. Idina, too, for that matter.

OMG - not middle aged stud muffin Jake Gyllenhaal. Did he at least take a bath and use some fuck’n soap before this?

Stud Aaron Tveit will take home his first Tony.

Complexion GOALS

[quote]Stud Aaron Tveit will take home his first Tony.

Only if 60% of the ballots actually vote for him. Highly likely, but damn that would be humiliating if he didn't win when he's the only nominee.

Who cares? There are much more important things going on in the world!

Kristin sure has that Republican woman look nailed.

Curious to see if the fashions are as outrageous as some of them were at the Emmys.

Kristin looks like tan mom.

R21, Is it true that the acting awards will not be awarded on camera?

Yes. Excited. So excited.

Is that you, Jessie?

Should the award winners in this shortened season get asterisks after their names?

Looks like CBS won't be airing many actual awards. From the Times:

"The Tony Awards are going to be a bit different this year.

Delayed by the continuing pandemic, Sunday’s in-person ceremony will recognize shows that opened — and, in many cases, closed — long ago. The official after-party is canceled. And most of the prizes will be presented on a streaming service, so the televised portion of the evening can focus on marketing Broadway."

And very woke ( read: black, guaranteeing a big night for " Slave Play"):

"McDonald and Odom have been concerned about racial justice in America, and said that the issue would be on their minds during the Tonys.

“I’m excited about the fact that there’s so much Black work being represented on Broadway this season, and I’m hopeful that there will be more awareness and more action toward making things more diverse and equitable, and making it more of an anti-racist space,” said McDonald. Last year, she co-founded Black Theater United, which recently negotiated an agreement with industry leaders that included a pledge to end the practice of hiring all-white creative teams.

“We need to make sure the Broadway we left is not the Broadway we return to,” McDonald said, “but that it is a better place.”

Odom said that a team of writers has been working on how to balance the show’s tone. “We have music and dance and great writers and a slew of talent, and we want first and foremost to entertain folks,” he said. “But beyond that, the show needs to come out of the truth of where we are. We need to honor this moment that we’re in, and deal with it honestly.”

Neither McDonald nor Odom saw many of the nominated shows, but they did both see “Slave Play,” Jeremy O. Harris’s daring exploration of slavery’s lingering legacy, which, with 12 Tony nominations, has the most nominations of any play in the awards’ history. McDonald said that the play “rocked me to my core.” Odom called it “a hard watch” and said, “there were parts I didn’t recognize, but the big lesson for me is when a younger person is speaking, and there is something you don’t recognize, that means it’s something for you to investigate.”

So, one has to be a Paramount subscriber in order to view the non-CBS portions?

The Tony awards used to be in June. Why the change to September?

For the pumpkin spice lattes, Rose.

Boy, Odom and McDonald are promising a painful show.

Barely a blip.

FUN FACT: Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman were murdered the night of the 1994 Tony Awards.

Big deal. 500 Tranny POCs were literally murdered by you not mentioning them for the past 30 seconds.

A new name is being announced., "Tony" being way too white, cis-gendered male and we see it. Next year: Welcome to they 75th Annual LaQuisha Awards!

"The Tony awards used to be in June. Why the change to September?"

Broadway types wanted it to coincide with the re-opening of Broadway. They want to make the show one big Broadway commercial in an attempt to lure tourists back to New York. So, that's why most of the awards will be given before the CBS telecast, rescuing the audience from hearing the endless drones of acceptance speeches, which, undoubtedly will be more woke than ever,

So even with the competitive portion of the Tony's relegated to a streaming service for 2 hours, they still won't be showing most of the awards and their nominees???? Please tell me we won't be forced to watch yet another cruise ship version of Hairspray.

I used to be excited. It seemed when whoever won, the audience present cheered the loudest. I imagine this Sunday's show, will another reminder of what this stupid pandemic has screwed up (using polite words).

The majority of the Tony Awards will be presented during a two-hour stream on Paramount+ beginning at 7 p.m. ET. Odom Jr.'s concert will begin on CBS at 9 p.m. ET. Best Play, Best Revival of a Play and Best Musical are set to be announced on the network.

The casts of the three Best Musical contenders are expected to take the stage, including Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, Moulin Rouge! and Jagged Little Pill, which is up for a staggering 15 nominations in total.

Predictions:

It's the big day for the gay Super Bowl.

BLIND ITEM

Because of some very unique rules, which I have no doubt will be broken to save embarrassment for the actor, it is possible that the only nominee in an award category this upcoming weekend, could still lose the award. "Tony Awards"/Aaron Tveit/"Best Leading Actor in a Musical"/"Moulin Rouge!"

Aaron admitted he went into a deep depression after not being nominated for Next to Normal.

I saw Moulin Rouge and do not believe it's his best work, but denying him the Tony tonight would be cruel.

I don't understand that Chenowith thing. I'm not a Broadway or theater fan so I don't really understand the appeal and she looks scary in that picture.

Tveit is popular with the Broadway set, so he will have no trouble getting the votes. The sad part is that there was only one male deigned worthy of a nomination.

R47, He wasn't popular enough to be nominated for both Next to Normal and Catch Me If You Can.

Who’s Tony and why is she Sunday?

Tony was Antionette Perry, actress and co-founder of the American Theatre Wing.

It feels quite suitable that it's Tony Sunday and we don't have a Theatre thread.

[quote]rescuing the audience from hearing the endless drones of acceptance speeches, which, undoubtedly will be more woke than ever,

Jeremy O Harris will no doubt prove you wrong when Slave Play unjustly wins. And god help us if Jagged Little Pill wins too.

Cheno made a career of being the loveable little girl with the high , child-like voice. These things that made her a star are now working against her, as no one sees her as a mature woman, due to that voice. Appearance-wise, she went from being Smurfette to Gargamel.

That feature was not included in my gay programming

[quote] Odom said that a team of writers has been working on how to balance the show’s tone. “We have music and dance and great writers and a slew of talent, and we want first and foremost to entertain folks,” he said. “But beyond that, the show needs to come out of the truth of where we are. We need to honor this moment that we’re in, and deal with it honestly.”

It sounds like a must-skip!

[quote]Jeremy O Harris will no doubt prove you wrong when Slave Play unjustly wins.

I haven't seen Slave Play, but I do hope James Cusati-Moyer wins the Best Featured Actor in a Play award. Also, Jake and Aaron.

Is this the official Tony’s thread? I think the occasion calls for an **official** thread.

I’m getting dressed up tonight but staying at home and watching on the big screen. I am having mini foods and champagne* and going all out. I’m in the Broadway mood darling. Perhaps a vape hit but I have to pace myself. I’m also having an “after party” where I change clothes and pig out on ice cream and pretzels served in a martini class.

Jealous much?

For an added thrill, La Cheno will perform her party trick of hammering nails into a plank of wood with her enormous forehead!

Chenowith's beginning to resemble a Terrahawks baddie

Did Chenowith get a role as an Oompa Loompa or something?

She's representing Donald Trump

Broadway stars are usually the most talented group of entertainers, but also the most unattractive.

Damn, Chenoweth is one hard lookin' broad.

No one can get hard looking at her.

When Jeremy wins all of the awards, will he kiss himself?

[quote] “But beyond that, the show needs to come out of the truth of where we are. We [bold]need to[/bold] honor this moment that we’re in, and deal with it honestly.”

We [italic]need to.[/italic]

It is absolutely a [italic]moral imperative[/italic] to speechify and posture!

R64 It'd make a difference from him blowing himself every time he speaks. It's actually quite funny how much he talks like he's some kind of pioneer for black people, given there's a very large section of the black community who absolutely hates him and his work.

Also, so ugly, and lacking any style.

[quote]I haven't seen Slave Play, but I do hope James Cusati-Moyer wins the Best Featured Actor in a Play award.

Barring a major surprise, I think the featured acting awards for a play will be going to Paul Hilton and Lois Smith for "The Inheritance."

I took the liberty of creating an official thread in case we didn't want to use this one.

I was wrong! David Alan Grier!

Lois Smith deserves *gobs" of awards.

r56 r58 r59 ChenoWETH, not -WITH.

Is there even a Best Score Award this year?

All the three Best Musical nominees are jukebox musicals

Go away, Kristin, @R71. You're old and ugly.

Aaron T, you fucking stud!

Will there be a award for most sexually harassed cast member?

R71 She still looks like a fucking OOMPA LOOMPA

No. I'll be watching NASCAR. I'll just leave my membership card on the table on my way out the door.

So CBS is delaying their part of the show so we can all watch “Big Brother.”

In the immortal words of Mickey Rooney - “Miss Gorightry, I protest!!!”

It's because they know that BB will have five times the audience of the Tonys.

The secret is out! Opening soon on Broadway: There's Something About Mary: The Musical, with Kristin Chenoweth as Magda (not the title character).

Has Bernadette had some facial work done?

Since last month?

White, female SJW begins the exhausting woke tweets:

Jennifer Vanasco @JenniferVanasco So many beautiful calls for change tonight, so many calls to action. So many calls for more diversity throughout theater. The broadcast is doing a great job. And yet- with a few exceptions- there sure are a lot of white winners. #TonyAwards

FUCK! FUCK! FUCK! The assholes don't appreciate my genius. Fucking racists.

15 nominations and zero wins? Black Twitter must be on fire.

The Inheritance was really a slog. It’s a shame the voters didn’t have the guts to recognize “The Sound Inside,” which had a smaller scope but flawless execution.

All you people buy Paramount+?

The speeches are killing the show.

"15 nominations and zero wins? Black Twitter must be on fire."

I'm impressed that Tony voters were able to identify crap and not be influenced by wokesters.

I’ve never understood why the Tonys are even on television.

R90, are you not gay, because what you said is blasphemy.

I'm gay and was even involved in theater for years, and I've still always wondered the exact same thing as r90.

They’re on television to try to tickle the box office!

Like the Macy's Parade, it's a big commercial.

I think the format should be kept. Have all of the awards during the first two hours, when only real theater geeks will watch. Then, save the commercial part for the CBS broadcast. No one wants to hear people they don't care about ( Best costume design for dancers with one arm) drone on. Have a fast -paced entertainment concert to show off the talent on Broadway so that the audience can see that not all people labeled " singers" sound like Lizzo, but that real voices and personalities are live on stage.

The most exciting part of the evening was that we didn't have to hear Jeremy O. Harris.

R91 Oh, I'm gay, just never gay enough

Let's hear your prediction:

Last year's Tonys were the lowest rated telecast ever with 5.4 million viewers. Will this year's be higher or lower?

Lower. Way lower.

Is this not the most ridiculous thing ever? From Broadway News:

"Some members of the theater community saw the shut out of “Slave Play,” written by a Black playwright and featuring a majority Black cast, from the Tony Awards as a sign that Tony voters were not yet ready to diversify the industry. Lopez was the first Latino writer to win the Tony Award for best play."

So, the Tonys were not ready to diversify, but the Best Play went to the first Latino writer.

Jeremy O. Harris didn't win for Best Play???

Then the voters must be RACIST and HOMOPHOBIC, because the guy who won in his place...

...oh.

Wait a second.

Just got through watching the concert broadcast on the west coast. It was a hell of a concert! Someone I know won a Tony tonight! Sadly, I knew or worked with several of the people featured in the In Memoriam section and I bawled my eyes out. I hope people watched, as this format is a WAY better commercial for live theater than the traditional one.

And, woke as it was, it wasn't the wokefest some were predicting. Fuck them. I got Stokes and Audra, Odom and Groban, Chita, some wonderful music. Sure as hell beats the usual Sunday night television!

Aaron's acceptance speech, including a shout out to his date "Erica".

Sigh. Look who is upset now.

It's funny seeing some reviewers hail this format as revolutionary, given it's basically the old way they did it with half the show on PBS and then the rest on CBS.

At least it was free when it was partially on PBS.

Aaron didn't 't thank Karen Olivo in his acceptance speech.

Is the TONYS saved on Paramount? or was it a one time deal?

R107, Was she there?

No-OOOOO! Gah-hhhhhhh!

Since when do a few idiot kids on Twitter become a movement. Huffington Post should be ashamed of such bad writing.

Ratings disaster! Audience half the size of the previous worst year.

The only people who are Bway obsessed are gays and a few straight nerds who were in theatre club.

They need a host who can bring eyeballs not Leslie Odom. Also there was no theatre during Covid.

[quote]The only people who are Bway obsessed are gays and a few straight nerds who were in theatre club.

So what? No one ever denigrates straight guys for being obsessed with football.

I don’t like Leslie Odom’s singing voice and he has no presence.

After I watched Hamilton with the original cast on Bway, someone asked my how Burr was. I literally said, There was a Burr?

Those ratings mean nothing. The Oscars, Emmy's, Grammys -- all down this year. So many people now wait until the next day and watch the good clips on YouTube. I just watched David Byrne and Moulin and Jennifer and Audra/Stokes. They were all great.

The ratings mean a lot because they’ve been on a steady decline for a decade. Yes, all award show suffered, but none of the others had only 2 million viewers

The Tonys never had anywhere near the numbers of most other award shows, so the drop may be equivalent percentage-wise.

R117, the Emmys were up 15%

"The Tonys never had anywhere near the numbers of most other award shows, so the drop may be equivalent percentage-wise"

I don't think any award show was down by about 50%.

Interesting article about what colleges the winners attended.

[quote]I don't think any award show was down by about 50%.

No other awards show was moved from June, when the competition is mostly reruns, to premiere week for the broadcast networks.

The ratings were certainly not good, but they’re not as catastrophic as you make it seem.

I thought the reviews were interesting: seems most critics thought the first half on Paramount+ was very good and the CBS concert portion only so-so. I personally thought it all came off much better than expected but still hope that next year they go back to a regular Tonys broadcast on the main network.

"The ratings were certainly not good, but they’re not as catastrophic as you make it seem."

Keep thinking positive thoughts. They were a disaster.

"No other awards show was moved from June, when the competition is mostly reruns, to premiere week for the broadcast networks."

They were moved for one simple reason: to coincide with the re-opening of Broadway and to serve as a commercial to get tourists back. That's the only reason....... It was never about the actual awards.

Dear Lin-Manuel Miranda, enough, please.

Lots of buyers remorse on social media for Paramount+.

Numerous complaints about the audio, either incredibly low or not there at all.

r126, actually ALL such award shows are just advertisements

By 2030 this will wind up on PBS if they're lucky. Which is probably its natural home anyway. Actually, they could make a multi-week show of it, integrating partial taped performance of the nominated productions with the presentations of the award.. play one week, musical the next... I don't know... but something to properly showcase the nominees. As an occasional viewer, with more interest and knowledge than just let's see that Phantom or the Les Mis when we go to New York City but less than one of the blood and sequins dripping from my mouth participants in the theatre threads, I still found most of the participants unknown and a mystery. More it's a rainy Sunday in June than must see TV.

Stokes sounded great and outsang Audra in their "Ragtime" duet -- maybe cause he had already sung "Impossible Dream" (very well, except for sneaking in a high note at very end). But the show should have ended with that. Lin-Manuel should be told "no" at least once, or if they have to "yes" him, say "Yes, you can't sing".

They needed a big number to end it, but how about paying tribute to the old Broadway that all of the wokesters are trying to dismiss? Do a classic number that will bring down the house. Old theater people are the only ones who watch the show anyway, not the SJWs, who just look at the winners list, count the number of black winners, decide it isn't enough, then go on a twitter tirade about the lack of diversity.

Rent opened on Broadway in 1996, Ragtime in '98, Wicked in '03. They are "old Broadway."

It was basically a BLM and vaccine commercial.

R 133, they are not old Broadway; they are still contemporary. What is needed is a big production number to end the commercial, which was the purpose of the televised CBS portion. Ending the way it did was a failure in exciting people to come back to Broadway.

I remember that diva cavalcade they did when Rosie hosted it. I thought that was terrific. But maybe that's just the elder gay talking. Still, there are a bunch of old standards that could really remind people what Broadway can be at its most thrilling. And you think of some of the big finishes with big companies - there's lots of opportunities.

R131, being louder does not equal “outsang.”

Both were stunning.

[Quote] that was the year a friend and I actually bought tickets to sit in the rafters of Radio City to watch the Tonys.

Rosie was hilarious, particularly during the commercials when her jokes were raunchy—then back to G rated jokes during the actual televised portion

R131, Compare Sunday night's performance to when they both sang it at the 1997 KCH.

^Oops!

The old musical extravaganza endings could reintroduce the public to songs with melody. It might be silly to some, but this is the type of song that they needed to excite viewers.

r141, nothing would thrill audiences of today more than hearing Carol Channing. George Hearn and Lee Roy Reams sing "Lullaby of Broadway"!

Something to make people realize the history of Broadway did not begin with " Frozen." There is no shame in being "traditional." Broadway didn't begin with Sondheim.

No better ending than " Lullaby of Broadway," especially with cast members from the various shows in their show costumes. Broadway is open, come on in.

I completely forgot about it. We were watching football. I know, I have to turn in my gay card.

I heard about Jennifer Holliday's OTT performance (does she do anything else anyway?) at the Tony's but can't find a video of it. Surprised it's not on YouTube.

r143 "There's No Business Like Show Business" is from "Love's Labours Lost?" That Shakespeare guy could really do it all, couldn't he?

I turned it off after Kenny Leon's diatribe.

Horrible, record low ratings. Everyone watched football instead. Of course

Does anyone remember a fairly recent Tony awards broadcast where the final number also sort of recapped the show that had just taken place? My memory is that it was very funny, maybe written in part by Bruce Vilanch? I can't remember if the host was Hugh Jackman or Neil Patrick Harris or maybe Nathan Lane?

I didn’t watch and don’t know anyone who did. Going up against football is suicidal

R150, It was NPH.

I can't imagine the viewership for a football game and the Tonys would EVER consist of the same people. Or was that some kind of joke, r151?

Kristin looks very handsome in that photo.

R150 They did that two years. 2011 was a rap written by...yeah you can guess who. 2012 - which is the one I'm guessing you're talking about - was written by David Javerbaum and Adam Schlesinger.

"Does anyone remember a fairly recent Tony awards broadcast where the final number also sort of recapped the show that had just taken place?"

This began the recap closing. After that, it was rap.

Ah yes, the year Billy Elliot won best musical over Next to Normal. Sure, NtN has its problems, but that result was about as ridiculous as the accents of the Billy Elliot cast.

R157, All I remember about that Tony Awards was Gregory Jbara bringing his wife with him to the stage when he won.

[quote] I heard about Jennifer Holliday's OTT performance (does she do anything else anyway?) at the Tony's but can't find a video of it. Surprised it's not on YouTube.

She sang it like she always sings it--popping out veins and eyes. Look for any Holliday performance of the song on Youtube and you'll get the gist

Ha oh yes. They had a pretty good opening number with bits from all the shows (culminating with them all on stage singing Let the Sunshine In), partially ruined by shitty sound, which turned mics on early so you could hear people warming up. Oh and that Rock of Ages getting getting hit in the head by the scenery.

Oh, and Liza announcing Billy Elliot as the winner with cries of "Yay Elton!!!"

Kristen Chenowith is playing fembot Callahan in the Broadway musical version of "Fembots in Las Vegas."

R161, I'll see you on opening night!

Producers should put all of the awards in the first hour. That will allow the audience to pat each other on the back. Then, do a concert celebration in the second, filled with just entertainment. This will prevent the viewers from having to endure acceptance drones from people they don't know. It will also save us from all of the political crap. You advertise that the CBS show will include no acceptance speeches and you will up your viewership.

Brit here, so I've only just now actually watched the Tonys. One thing I found hilarious is, given the masks covering the fake smiles, how easy it is to see how pissed some of the losing nominees were. I think Jake G thought he had it in the bag.

Jake has had everyone in his bag.

I hate the bombastic and overwrought Wheels of a Dream. But I hate the insufferable LMM a lot more.

r161 see r71

They didn't vote for Jake because they didn't want his stink lines showing up on camera.

Jake was on Live with Mr. and Mrs. Consuelos this morning to plug his new movie and he pretended to be crushing on their obese female producer.

R159 they used to have cocktail tables at these things but Jennifer Holliday always inhales the table cloths during her recycled performance and it spills the drinks