Tony Awards: The Official Thread: Part Two

See you next year, TONYs!

They need a real great song and dance performance for this show - like Bonnie Franklin gave in 1970 for 'Applause'. Since then, this show has shit the big one.

Brody Grant 100% deserved the Best Actor in a Musical award. Not Groff. That’s just sad. That kid did amazing.

bump

So Midwest tourists may buy tickets to 'Outsiders' this summer and keep it running. All the others will post closing notices by the end of the month.

So many great shows closed already, or will close before I can get to New York. I really wanted to see Purlie Victorious . And Merrily We Roll Along.

Thank god for bootlegs!

And the 2025 Tony Award for Best Musical goes to.....My Cousin Vinny!

I think the voters did a good job of spreading the love amongst several different shows: SUFFS won book and score, Hell's Kitchen won lead and featured actress, and Outsiders won best musical. Everybody has something major they can take out on the road (and hopefully keep them running on Broadway for a little while longer, too).

Is Talkin' Broadway down?

Old Tony clips have been popping up online all weekend and, lemme tell ya, I'll take Betty Bacall croaking out a song over any of this shit. We don't have stars anymore. Everyone is so basic and interchangeable.

R5, are you aware of the actual box offfice numbers? Hell’s Kitchen and Cabaret will not close anytime soon. Suffs is doing ok. With your comment about Midwest tourists, you seem way out of touch with what is actually happening on Broadway.

r6 You don't need a bootleg of Purlie Victorius. It was on PBS's Great Performances a few weeks ago.

Thanks, R12. I have it. I was thinking more of the boots of the musicals, like Merrily, Suffs, Outsiders, Lempicka, etc.

R11, since you know the numbers, which shows ARE in danger of closing soon?

R11 exactly what I was thinking. How is Cabaret closing when it’s been doing well? Hells Kitchen is a hit.

Down what, R9?

Weird that Suffs won so much and Outsiders still won best musical.

Suffs didn’t win so much. It only won two awards, just like HK. Illinoise won 1 and Elephants (which was terrible) won none.

That happens, R16. Many's the time a show wins best book and best score, best direction, and several acting awards -and then loses best musical...

For those not familiar with Cynthia Ervivo. she single-handedly closed down the 2017 musical "Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812" when she went on a Twitter rant about the producers being 'racist' for planning to replace her friend Okieriete 'Oak' Onaodowan, who took over the lead role from Josh Groban in early July 2017.

Okieriete Onaodowan was known not to show up for rehearsals, showed up late to many performances, did not get along with many cast members and crew members, etc. He was getting negative reviews, and ticket sales dropped like a rock during his run (I saw him at the end of July and he was really not right for the role at all - totally unprepared). His contract was ending the end of September (he was just a summer replacement) and the producers were in talks with Justin Timberlake taking over the role from Okieriete Onaodowan through January, to try an boost the box office. (The show received 12 Tony nods - the most that season - and won 2).

That's when Ervivo began her Twitter rant and called (or 'heavily suggested') the producers 'racist' for replacing him with Timberlake instead of extending Oak's contract. She got all her idiot followers to do the same and it became a nightmare to the producers of the musical, which cost $14M to produce, and employed an equal number of minorities as Caucasians (people said it was one of the 'most racially balanced' cast and crew ever to work on Broadway. By mid-August, she encouraged her followers to 'boycott the show ' once Oak left. With that, Timberlake dropped out of talks; he didn't want this to kick off his musical theater debut. The producers called on their friend Mandy Patinkin to take over, but Patinkin really didn't want to get involved in the train wreck, as things were getting worse by the day. (The media picked up on it, and it spread like wildfire on social media). The damage was done, and the producers had no choice but to close the show once they lost Timberlake and Patinkin. The last day of performances was on Labor Day weekend, putting hundreds of workers (actors, musicians, backstage crew, theater workers, etc) out of work and took a loss of $14M - all thanks to Ervivo.

By then there was an ugly war on her Twitter account between her followers and the employees out of work and other union workers supporting them, as well as Broadway theater lovers. They all 'thanked Ervivo' for closing down the production, and putting hundreds of people out of work. It was ugly. Ervivo feigned ignorance, said she had no control of what happened, removed her post and shut down her account for a while. She dodged questions from the media, laying low for a while as well as her friend 'Oak'. Three of my friends were affected by the closing (one actor and two backstage crew members).

This is why I personally will never see anything Ervivo is in and support her career.

^ I should say 2016 musical, it opened in the Fall of 2016.

Not weird at all. It won 2 awards btw. Hardly “so much”. Outsiders won 4, with one of them being Director.

Hillary remains two awards short of an EGOT.

[quote]For those not familiar with Cynthia Ervivo.

Apparently you're not terribly familiar with her either, since you misspelled her name all the way through your post.

R19 It's ERIVO, not Ervivo.

There's also the fact that "Natasha, Pierre" was a piece of shit.

I saw it with my friend who's been a theater critic for two decades, and we had the same reaction — Josh Groban can sing, but this show is a piece of shit.

Is Angelina Jolie afraid of having her daughters look better than her, Vivian is wearing a dumpy vest and pants while AJ is glammed up

The Great Comet was a FANTASTIC piece of theater….when it played off-Broadway in the tent with Soo and Malloy as fhe leads. It was captivating and in the end, very moving.

So much of the magic was lost when they moved it into the Imperial. In the meatpacking district, it was a unique immersive experience. Chavkin’s direction was spectacular. None of the ambiance and interactive nature of the piece could be reproduced in the proscenium setting.

Great Comet is not a piece of shit, R25. It was very well reviewed and has been very successful in regional productions post Broadway, proving both a critical and audience success. We just had a major production my area last month and it was the hottest ticket in town -completely sold out at many performances. I may not be a theater critic, but I have been a professional music director and half-assed actor for over thirty years. I'm not saying my opinion is more valuable than yours or your critic friend's, but there are a hell of a lot of other critics and audience members out there who agree with me.

The Outsiders is the best show on Broadway. So happy it won. Brody Grant is fantastic. The choreography, lighting and direction are outstanding.

Lempicka is my sentimental favorite. Loved that show.

[quote]Apparently you're not terribly familiar with her either, since you misspelled her name all the way through your post.

You're 100% correct. I'm not terribly familiar with her since I lost all interest in her when she closed down the show and put hundreds of workers in the unemployment line. I don't care if I mis-spelled her name, as I have zero respect for her or interest in how she spells her name.

R25 is obviously an Erivo fan.

"The Great Comet was a FANTASTIC piece of theater"

Agree. I never saw it under the tent but saw it at the Imperial and was blown away by it. It was so good except for Oak - the weakest link, and the star.

Co-signing R33

That horrendous Eddie Munster wig on Brody Grant is unforgiveable. Danya Taymor should have been denied her Best Director Tony just for allowing that wig onstage.

That's one of the joys and tragedies of live theater, R33. It's different every night, and from every seat in the theater. You can see someone give an amazing, touching performance and send a friend, who sees something else.

Cynthia gave one of the single greatest performances in a musical in the past 20 years. I saw Color Purple 5 or 6 times and wept upon each viewing. Considering how much weak I thought the original production was, I have to give the credit to her and John Doyle.

I can’t believe Brian D’Arcy James lost to Groff tonight. What a miscarriage of awards justice. Brian (and Kelli) gave the best performances of the season and they lost to a decent performance and a constant no-show respectively.

Erivo can't keep her hoof out of her mouth.

I can't stand the little walk Fred Astaire/Gene Kelly dancing Groff does. He looks ridiculous. Especially being so hefty.

Erivo might be a cunt but she’s insanely talented.

But unable to sing "Defying Gravity" in show key...

Why was the "Jezebel Harlot Whore of Babylon" wearing a really ugly heavy fake velour Drapery as a gown that looked like it weighed 35 lbs.

Was Cuntzilla channeling Carol Burnett in "It went with the wind", those velour draperies were ugly as fucking shit!!!

Seriously, was the junkie whore trying to look fatter..."Hey Bitch, stop the drugs and fucking eat food you Whore

I have a hard time keeping up. Who is the Jezebel Harlot Whore of Babylon?

Cynthia the Racist put alot of people out of work when she went on her "fake cunt outrage" cause I'm Black!!

She's a fucking CUNT!!

I don't follow Broadway, but I've known Eden Espinosa since grade school. I adore her. We went to the same church and even *quasi* dated in junior high.

My mom was in NYC this past April and she saw Eden's show. Eden graciously invited her backstage (a big deal for my very suburban 70 year old mother). She really is wonderful.

Did she have a shot in hell at winning? And was her performance considered good? I know the show came and went pretty quickly.

Erivo is also hideously unattractive. Keep her onstage where her face won't turn people to stone.

Please keep up R43, Jezebel Harlot Whore of Babylon is Junkie Angelina Jolie-Voight!!

The one wearing 35 lbs of ugly velour drapery!!

[quote]r2 They need a real great song and dance performance for this show - like Bonnie Franklin gave in 1970 for 'Applause'.

They need to hire Debbie Allen to get the show back on track!

I met Eden Espinoza at a memorial for a mutual friend. She came across as a lovely person. I lover her CD.

Eden’s show was…not good. Sometimes it careened into camp, but mostly it was very dull. Eden blew out her voice and missed a lot of performances. There was one point where her understudy had gone more than she had (not counting previews). Amber was the bright spot in Lempicka.

It was a flop from the start and never had a chance.

Eden Espinoza hit me in the head with a fondue pot.

Queen Ariana brought the house down with that opening number.

The Great Comet is a fantastic musical. You don't need to lie about a show to defend someone.

At least you got to eat with her, R51.

Ariana performing

Performing? Is that what that was?

The greatest actress of our time, Jessica Lange, deserved the Tony. Damn you, Sarah Paulson.

Loved "Lempicka." Fabulous show.

The cast of Days of Wine and Roses deserved the Tony over Merrily We Roll Along.

"Queen Ariana brought us to church tonight !" as Symone Sanders likes to say constantly on MSNBC.

Ariana was not at her best tonight. The opening number was sub-par. But it wasn't her fault. It was the material.

[quote]Brian (and Kelli) gave the best performances of the season and they lost to a decent performance and a constant no-show respectively.

This is the first I've heard of Maleah Joi Moon being a "constant no-show." Please elaborate.

Maleah ain’t got nuthin’ on me, kid.

Agreed, r61. And for a host you want a bigger personality like Nathan Lane or Lansbury.

I can host! I’ve done it before! Please?

R62 that’s a lie. That poster is just saying anything. She hasn’t missed a single show yet.

Someone up thread said (joking?) that we'll see Jonathan Groff as host next year. We could do worse! I imagine Groff and NPH would do a very lively opening number.

Groff is such a fucking drama Queen. Please already with all the fake tears. And he looks like he is getting pudgy.

NPH hasn’t even been asked to host in years. They’ve used Ariana 3 times now. They like her. She did great last year with no writers. She had to wing it and create the choreography herself. She did better with the freedom.

Groff is well known as a cryer. I don't think they were fake tears. He cries during really good TV commercials.

R64. Ariana has been great in her two previous times as host. Tonight just wasn't to be...but again, it was the material, not her.

My dear Jessica Lange. I'm giving you the Tony.

The Tony voters just wanted to pass around the award.. Yeah, you've won before, but you deserved it again.

No, R71. She has to take some of the blame. She was very low-energy tonight.

THR analyzes this year's show:

What's with Jonathan Groff's high-waisted and high water pants? Is that part of his character in "Merrily?" If not, he looked quite odd.

P.S. Lose some weight, sweetheart. You're blowing up.

Interesting how her sister kept trying to hand Maria Friedman the Tony, but she firmly pushed it back. I thought she was robbed. She thought she was robbed. But she has too much self-respect to hold someone else's award -even if she was largely responsible for it being won in the first place. All the Tony predictions said that she was a sure thing, given that she took a notorious flop and turned it into a sell-out hit. It had to have hurt.

Yeah, Groff has put on a few pounds this year. But I'd still do him.

Guess now that he's won a Tony the line will be a little longer, but I'll take a number...

R75 I felt his pulled his pants up higher to hide the gut he’s developing more.

Tony snubs:

Did the Junkie whore Easy A Jolie Voight win a Tony tonight; did she just write a 2 million check like Miss Screeching Jen Hudson?

I can't believe I lost again.

R77 not as many people care about theater as you think. It has its loyalists and its big with gays and is growing now that more shows are doing tours to different cities etc. but overall the average person (especially man) can care less about it. I like what Rachel McAdams said about theater. She is new to it and coming from the film industry, so she was expecting it to be very big and cutthroat like the film/tv industry but it’s not like that at all. She was surprised by how small the theatre industry is and not very cutthroat at all. It’s small as far as the industry and fans go. Films are global but theatre is very intimate.

R80 yes. She is now halfway to EGOT status (it made headlines). Like Hudson, she paid to have her name slapped on a good musical as a producer so she has a chance at winning. And it worked. You will see more movie/tv stars “producing” plays or musicals now so they can possibly win a Tony. Taraji is currently “producing” something too.

Like Ariana DeBose said during her opening number, movies and tv can make you rich and give you global fame but theatre makes you better. You won’t get rich off of a play but you sure will become a better actor (most likely). There are no cuts or edits to save your performance. It’s all live.

R76. Yes, I know that Maria Freidman/"Merrily" was largely predicted to win for Best Director, but that was mostly because she made the show a hit this time 'round versus the flop it was when it debuted in 1981. However, Danya Taymor's win as best director for "The Outsiders" is well-deserved. She earned it, and I'm glad she won. The direction of The Outsiders was outstanding, plus it as a much larger cast, more complex story, and the acting in the The Outsiders was much better than Merrily.

Brody Grant/The Outsiders should have won instead of Jonathan Groff.

R84, that's total bullshit. You can be a great stage performer but completely lousy on film and vice versa.

Brody Grant was 100% robbed. He truly was terrific. Groff was very cute and likable but he didn’t have to do anything to warrant the win over Grant, who had to truly act/sing/dance his fucking ass off 8 times a week.

But Groff fucked ass 8 times a week, too!

^^Yes, R88. But not on stage.

Maleah Joi Moon/Hell's is very pretty. Nice that she won first time out.

Brody deserved to win for his first time out too. Groff, it shouldn't have been your night.

Sarah Paulson won for her first nomination tonight too, after years of theater. I didn’t know she’d never been nominated before tonight.

She shouldn’t have won though.

Radcliffe and Groff drooling and crying over each other was pathetic.

Radcliffe was so sweet and adorable when he won. He was genuinely shocked. Groff’s crocodile tears were ridiculous.

[quote]She was surprised by how small the theatre industry is and not very cutthroat at all.

Where has SHE been?

Jessica Lange always.

Didn’t the 1981 Merrily close after 16 performances? It bombed critically and people didn’t watch it. I heard the 44 previews for it were rocky too.

The cast was all teenagers minus one I think.

Deadline's take on the show.

Thought Maria Freidman was a lock?

Last years show was one of the best in years. Ironically no writers. This year was one of the worst. Not a good look for the writers.

R98. Danya Taymor/The Outsiders deserved Best Director of a Musical. Glad she won. Freidman seemed to be favored before the show, but Danya had a much bigger show to direct. Happy to see an 'upset.'

Ariana is terrific, but a new host is in order. Ariana's opening number was lackluster.

Well, there goes any of your chances to see me in Merrily before it closes.

From the previous thread...

[quote]Popular vote wins tonight. No fucking Electoral College involved.

If that were true, then the general public would decide the Tony winners instead of the Broadway League.

I predict record low ratings will be released later today for last evening.

Poor Jessica Lange had to endure appearing on “Kelly and Mark” and “The View” for nothing.

R66, you are very wrong. Joi Moon has missed MANY performances. I saw her understudy in early previews. Another friend went back twice trying to catch her and she was out both times.

She also left the show mid-show last week. Her attendance has been atrocious. Read the threads on BroadwayWorld if you’re looking for proof.

[quote]And he looks like he is getting pudgy.

I wish I had a Krugerrand for every time I have read that in the last 15 years.

[quote]Poor Jessica Lange had to endure appearing on “Kelly and Mark” and “The View” for nothing.

The indignity of it all. Mortifying. Jessica was robbed of her second Tony tonight. Sarah Paulson will pay.

r66 Maleah has missed a lot of shows and stopped the show 4 times in the past 2 weeks because she felt she couldn't finish the show. Like stopped the entire show. house lights up and all

What are you guys going on about re: Jessica? She was fine a very run-of-the-mill play. Paula Vogel knows how to write, but Mother Play wasn’t her best work. I felt I had seen it all before; it really reminded me of a bomb Tyne Daly was in called Mothers and Sons that followed a similar story.

Appropriate was thrilling. It was the August Osage County of the season and Paulson gave one helluva performance in it. She had major, “Eat the fish, bitch,” and “I’m running things now!” energy. It’s difficult to play such a nasty, vile character and still have the audience not completely turn against you. Paulson had the Tony in the bag from the start, and deservedly so.

Some people are just not cut out for Broadway.

A production of "August Osage County" with Paulson and Lange....that could have been good.

R112, agree! It’s too soon for a revival, but they would be wonderful together in A:OC.

R113, Better than me and Meryl?

I found the revival meeting fervor when black artists like Billy Porter, Kara Young, Kecia Lewis and Maleah Joi Moon collected their awards totally off-putting, over-sharing, self-indulgent.

Porter’s award was announced and expected (did he deserve it? — don’t know) but the three ladies showed no surprise at their wins and seemed to play only to other black artists in the room who pointedly paid court to them in return throughout the show.

Even choosing two black men to talk about “Stereophonic,” which has an all-white cast and therfore could (wrongly, I think) be seen as a throwback to an all-white Broadway, seemed to be trying to make a point. What point, I can’t say (Maybe, “Gee, we found two blck guys who love this show, can ya believe it?”)

The whole Black Uplift aura felt pre-arranged, agreed-to and very much like a private Tony ceremony going on in plain sight. I guess these artists only care about supporting — and voting for — each other and bringing black audiences to theater. Okay, but the exclusionary look was not a good one to me, and I ‘m not sure it played well to everyone watching.

The Cabaret performance was abysmal. I’m so glad I didn’t go near this revival, despite loving the movie and prior revival. Eddie is downright embarrassing and so off putting in his rendering of Emcee. Alan Cumming is probably laughing his ass off at his onstage buffoonery. Sally Bowles is as dreadful as I’ve read.

Amy Morton was so good in August, R114, that I don’t think anyone can remember a film version was even made. Despite Morton losing the Tony to her co-star that season, I think when you play word association with A:OC, most people will blurt out Morton’s name as the first thing they think of.

R116, the camera sitting right in Eddie’s face didn’t do him any favors. I thought he was very good in the theater though. Bebe was the best part of the revival, that and the transformation of the August Wilson.

What you’ve read about Gayle is sadly true. I thought her Sally was borderline terrible; she just seemed totally at sea with how to perform the part. It didn’t help that the stagings of “Don’t Tell Mama” and “Mein Herr” are the worst of the night. Her one saving grace was “Maybe This Time,” which I found affectingly rendered.

I’m sure the Cabaret producers are the most baffled bunch in New York. They transferred a smash hit that cleaned up at the Oliviers only for it to get pummeled by the American critics and then almost be shutout at the Tonys. This was supposed to be the slam dunk, but it made the wrong kind of splash.

Did the Lindsay Mendez statistician morph into a deranged Groff hater?

The amount of hate for Groff on this thread is disturbing. He’s talented, hard-working, not a fame whore, and no one has any specific stories of him being an asshole beyond the incessant hissing that he didn’t dump a bitchy female friend he’s known for 20 years.

Of all the gay men to go after, you bitches really have to call Jonathan Groff fat, smug, and mock the fact that he was crying when he won a Tony award?

Dark behavior. Even for DL.

And thank you r19 - I didn’t know that about Erivo. Very interesting. They touched on the controversy in that Chavkin New Yorker profile and she was all apologetic about it, but they didn’t get into the details.

So who will replace Eddie and Gayle in August? Andy Rannells is available.

[quote]R96 Didn’t the 1981 Merrily close after 16 performances? It bombed critically and people didn’t watch it. I heard the 44 previews for it were rocky too. The cast was all teenagers minus one I think.

The present producers have been very clever about burying all that. But you’re right, this is NOT a new musical!

Worst Tony thread ever. Anyone clever anymore?

Jessica will remain a one time winner for now. Glad turncoat, nepo Redminge didn't win again. Maybe it's because he's so privileged and a bit smarmy but he just rubs me the wrong way.

R117 The first thing most people think of is Meryl

R122 thinking he’s Mdme Armfeldt but is really just a big part of the problem he’s bitching about.

I'd eat Groff's beautiful ass and swallow his load. Glad he won

[quote] turncoat, nepo

Redmayne in what way, R123?

HA! Glad that old bag Lange LOST. But it's a shame Eli Gelb's cock didn't win him the award.

God love you, R117 -- "I think when you play word association with A:OC, most people will blurt out Morton’s name as the first thing they think of. "

Honey, "most people" haven't *heard* of Amy Morton. Yes, she was stunning in AOC, but . . . come on.

R127 by attacking JK Rowling and generally going with whatever the current public sentiment is, including apologizing for playing trans etc.

He might not be a showbiz nepo but his family fortune and many society connections certainly opened many doors for him

But what about Gelb's cock losing the Tony, R129?

I missed it. Was the In Memoriam as annually unsuccessful as the Oscars is?

The neceology was good. I’m not in a position to know if there were omissions. Nicole Sherzinger sang “What I Did For Love” in a part see-through gold-spangled dress and was effective. You can see how she would hold the stage.

“Necrology”

Jessica was never going to win. Sarah had better reviews and her play was extended.

And Jessica’s face. My God she looks like Gollum.

R115 you win today’s prize for using Black that many times in a single post… and it’s just past 10 am in NYC. Keep up the good work 💩👽

Andy Rannells should have shared his OZEMPIC with Gadd.

R119 Why are you thanking that poster? What the hell. You believe that Cynthia Erivo single-handedly was able to manipulate, in turn, Groban, Patinkin, Oak, Rachel, the producers and Broadway aficianados ….she’s God in heaven smiting that show.? Ridiculous!

The show closed because it wasn’t making enough money. The end.

Who is responsible for hiring all those fat girls as backup singers/dancers? There were at least two of them clompng around in that hideous CABARET number, and another one in that number where it started raining. If this is an attempt at "inclusion" it is NOT WORKING.

[quote]I missed it. Was the In Memoriam as annually unsuccessful as the Oscars is?

The Deadline reviewer linked at R97 above was very impressed, writing this:

[quote]The In Memoriam segment should be studied by every awards show producer from here on in: Put a fine performer onstage (tonight’s was Nicole Scherzinger, signing “What I Did For Love” from A Chorus Line), but make sure to show the big, unobscured pictures of the folks you’re honoring so everyone at home can see them;

So that's at least one person who thought they got it right.

I listened to the London cast recording of Cabaret and Redmayne hurt my ears. However, I did love his I Don't Care Much until he started screeching again. Jessie Buckley sounds great though.

Ariana DeBose is like Debbie Allen and Phylicia Rashad wrapped into one--Debbie's pedestrian talent, mixed with Phylicia's haughty self-importance and off-putting personality. I noticed in the credits that she produced the Tonys this year. I guess she only agreed to host again if she ran the show.

I thought The Outsiders performance really sold the show. It will sell tickets. The choreographed fight scene in the rain was inspired. Hell's Kitchen's performance sold a lot of tickets, too.

Radcliffe's performance was amateurish. Honestly, any college drama major could do better.

Happy that Days of Drunk Vacuuming won nothing. It was awful.

R141 I’m genuinely curious: of all the overwrought, pedestrian women who tread the boards on Broadway—why did you single out those two (actual sisters!)? Play your cards closer to the vest next time….

Thanks, R19. I knew most of that awful story, but had never heard the Justin Timberlake part of it. I only knew that Mandy was approached to take over the role, and my memory is that his casting was actually announced.

Also, re "Poison Oak," you left out the significant fact that his debut in the show was delayed because, apparently, he didn't learn the part properly, including bringing his piano playing up to snuff.

[quote] I noticed in the credits that she produced the Tonys this year. I guess she only agreed to host again if she ran the show.

Vanity credit. She had no power.

[quote] I’m genuinely curious: of all the overwrought, pedestrian women who tread the boards on Broadway—why did you single out those two (actual sisters!)? Play your cards closer to the vest next time….

Do shut up, Chicken Little.

You make no sense R146

R134, How mean. Miss Lange is 75 years-old. Her face has very little fat and is now mostly loose skin and cheekbones. Soit le visage, soit le derrière.

[quote] You make no sense [R146]

Then you're about as obtuse as you are subtle. Your race baiting shit is tired.

You seem very angry. Perhaps you could find a therapist to your liking at R141. I wish you well on your journey…

R149– if that doesn’t work for you, visit a therapist at R115… that may be more your speed.

Groff's been putting in the work for ages, and he's a doll. Glad he won.

I love Mendez's talent, but she missed way too many shows. Kecia Lewis's win was worth it for the "Everybody stop texting me, Jesus!" line alone.

But what a forgettable awards show. DuBose just doesn't pass the likeability test does she.

She does, actually.

[quote]Who is responsible for hiring all those fat girls as backup singers/dancers? There were at least two of them clompng around in that hideous CABARET number, and another one in that number where it started raining. If this is an attempt at "inclusion" it is NOT WORKING.

LOLQ This 'woke' era is going to be fodder for comedians in like ten year's time, once it's run its course.

So much fat and ugliness and pessimism all around.

It's like the emo theater kids usurped control of the school on a large scale.

😂 🤣

that broadcast left me feeling older than the baubles around Lynn Fontanne's neck

R109 and you’re still lying.

R115 Kecia Lewis showed no surprise? It’s as if you don’t know it’s 2024 and that the footage exists online. She was very shocked.

The lying needs to stop. As does the constant WW yourself.

R115 this is “not showing surprise” and then EXPECTING to win? Yet you sit on here praising Jonathan Groff who was full of shit the whole night. His win and fake tears are praised but you criticize THIS and claim she was entitled to the win? As if the footage doesn’t exist. It isn’t 1967 anymore. We have the internet.

DeBose and Erivo both interjected themselves into the Great Comet controversy so I guess everything's cool now.

r157 - It felt like a Ruth Brown moment.

R118 critics haven’t been trashing Cabaret. And it’s been a hit.

Who was the woman in the preshow show who won an award for some kind of regional work? Her speech was great, clearly memorized but delivered completely naturally. Would that more winners were similarly prepared.

Hey, R161, there's a cool new thing called Google. You should use it:

What is happening? Datalounge used to be informed about theater. Now we have people saying Cabaret didn’t get bad reviews and that Stereophonic has nothing to do with Fleetwood Mac. Is this the VFW?

Excitement, pleasure and delight is not the same as surprise. They knew a fix was in the works because Tony voters of color had no doubt assured them they were voting for them. Just because.

Of course this wasn’t a guarantee. But the joy other black performers took in it (Wendell Pierce’s head bump was especially unnecessary) suggests there was a concerted effort behind-the-scenes. And it paid off. Like the one where Clint Eastwood was damned if “Brokeback Mountain” was going to represent the American western at the Oscars and hit the phones to make sure it didn’t.

And I notice you didn’t include Kara Young in your shortlist of the shocked and surprised. She acted entitled because it was her third nomination in a row so c’mon, already! She as much as suggested it was reparations for Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee being ignored for awards decades ago. As if her winning does them any good. Total narcissism.

Brian d’Arcy James, age 55, lost his fifth try at a Tony last night but he’s an ageing white dude so who cares, right? But young Kara has paid her dues so let’s make way for this National Treasure. I’m merely saying this is how it looked to me, and possibly to many others who have been loyal theatergoers for years.

There are a lot of ways to interpret the secret-handshake way that many black performers behaved on Tony night. This has been one of them.

Oh come on, r165. That is insane. Do you have any evidence for these wild conjectures? How do you explain Maria Friedman’s loss?

R160 in the BEST way possible!

You're typing old and racist, r165.

R165 is a classic persecution-complex "reverse racism" fool. Yes, all those blacks sure know how to get together and take control and make everything go their way. Don't they always?

R166: They didn’t have a director candidate they cared about as much as they did Young, Lewis and Moore, whose acting awards are high profile.

Of course I have no proof and there never will be any. But this is how show business awards work behind the scenes. Black performers are very loyal to their own. In a way gay performers (for instance) are not. Which is laudable. But it’s an Ol’ Boy network as powerful as the old one it was set up to oppose.

Jack O'Brien's speech was a delight.

Most of you are not.

R165. Are you that tiresome all the time? Every day?

Please stop—the DL

My husband worked on shows with Jack O’Brien centuries ago at the University of Michigan.

R164 Stereophonic has literally nothing to do with Fleetwood Mac. Not every 70s piece on music is about them.

R170 please feel free to have a conversation with yourself at R165… and save the rest of us from your BS.

R165 says ANYTHING and thinks that makes it valid. Prison is calling.

R170 then stop making claims. You're right, there is no proof. You’re creating narratives and speculations. It’s bullshit.

R174 Literally, it did have SOMETHING to do with FM. And I mean literally in the literal sense.

Pay no attention to the Tony Awards. The best show of the season was Back to the Future. Also- The Great Gatsby is doing well. I work at TKTS and you’d be surprised how many people want to see it because they like Jeremy Jordan.

R161- Cabaret got destroyed by the critics. It was surprising it got so many nominations.

r178 ok. Provide a source.

R137- Mandy Patinkin was going to go into the show and Erivo scared him off with her tweets. She totally closed that show.

Totally — fur sure, dude. She was too narly.

R131- it was very well done. You could see the names clearly, Nicole sang great and when they focused on her, they stopped showing names.

[quote]Of course I have no proof and there never will be any.

LoL, how convenient for you, r170.

R181 one source is me, the author— I have publicly acknowledged the history of Led Zeppelin, the Company documentary and Fleetwood Mac as three keys to my writing. I’d let you guess which of those three provided the ultimate framework for the play, but I’m not sure you’re smart enough.

Only on the DL can you find so many bitchy queens hissing that Jonathan Groff shouldn't have won the Tony and didn't deserve it. He was widely predicted to win, not only because his performance in a difficult role is so excellent, but also because he has become very beloved in the industry and had never before won a Tony despite two previous nominations. Agreed that Brody Grant is great in THE OUTSIDERS, but he is at the very beginning of his career, this was his first nomination, and he will have many other opportunities.

The winners of Radcliffe, Groff and Paulson seem very well deserved, despite the nobodies of Datalounge complaining.

[quote]Groff’s crocodile tears were ridiculous.

Do you even know what the phrase "crocodile tears" means? Groff was nominated twice before, but this was his first win. Do you really think it's so unusual that someone would become very emotional upon winning their first Tony Award?

He had been practicing …for a long time.

[quote]Freidman seemed to be favored before the show, but Danya had a much bigger show to direct. Happy to see an 'upset.'

Also, Friedman's direction of MERRILY was overrated. While some of her casting and ideas were great, other aspects of the show -- including that ridiculously over-the-top performance by the woman who played Gussie -- were certainly not.

R121, WTF are you talking about?????!!!!

I think the concept behind the tribute to Chita was good but, unfortunately, it came off as kind of a mess because people kept talking through the music and the dancing. They should have worked on that and rehearsed it more.

r193, it was...perfunctory.

[quote]You believe that Cynthia Erivo single-handedly was able to manipulate, in turn, Groban, Patinkin, Oak, Rachel, the producers and Broadway aficianados ….she’s God in heaven smiting that show.?

You obviously have no understanding of the situation. Especially In the toxic climate that existed at that time, any charge of racism on the part of any show had the power to close it -- at least, if that charge gained traction because it was made by a celebrity. Or rather, to be more accurate, the charge of racism made the producers unable to hire either of the stars who might have allowed the show to run longer, because both of those starts happened to be Caucasian.

[quote]The show closed because it wasn’t making enough money. The end.

Yes, but it would have had lifelines at least for a bit longer if Justin Timberlake or Mandy had gone into the show. Don't oversimplify things, you twit.

Question: Was this the first time in Tony telecast history that the awards given out during the first hour or so of the ceremony (which I watched on Pluto) were not summarized during the CBS telecast? That's a huge omission, isn't it?

Blah blah …. Stop with the bullshit. She had no say in the show; the producers decided where and when to cut the cord. Stop trying to make her a latter day Elon Musk—he’s dumb, and you’re dumber.

[quote]She had no say in the show; the producers decided where and when to cut the cord.

Don't be so aggressively stupid. Of course the producers are the only ones who can actually decide to close a show, BUT Erivo's false, vicious charge of racism against them gave them no other choice.

Yes, they had no independent economic power to deal with a single tweet! They didn’t want to do it —the witch made it happen.

Everybody remembers the height of the cancel climate. Next to nothing could ruin a career.

I hope you enjoyed it while it lasted because as with all excess, it's beginning to pall.

[quote]Yes, they had no independent economic power to deal with a single tweet! They didn’t want to do it —the witch made it happen.

Your willful ignorance and stupidity seem to know no bounds. What happened was, Cynthia Erivo (and others) made a COMPLETELY FALSE charge of racist hiring practices against the producers of NATASHA, PIERRE... That false charge got picked up by the press in a big way, and many people believed it because they didn't bother to find out the truth, which was totally different from the way Erivo was framing it. The firestorm of controversy over all this became so great that the producers had no choice but to close the show immediately after Mandy Patinkin backed out of the replacement job.

What I described above is exactly what happened, and nothing you can say will alter the facts of the matter.

I like Jonathan Groff just fine. He's likable, a pleasant guy, gracious and very talented. However, he was not better than Brody Grant in The Outsiders, who was outstanding, a brilliant performance for his first Broadway show in a very layered and complex show.

Groff may have been due for a Tony, but this year, Brody Grant was robbed.

For me, one of the standout highlights of the evening was the camera capturing Billy Porter sniffing his armpit in the audience, making sure he wasn’t offending.

R202, I respect that opinion, but it's still just an opinion. You must be aware of the fact that many people consider Franklin Shepard an extremely difficult role because the character can so easily lose the audience's sympathy. There seems to be general agreement that Groff's inherent lovability onstage counteracted that to a great degree. So yes, the role is not nearly as difficult as Brody Grant's in terms of amount and difficulty of singing and dancing, but it's very challenging the way that I've explained.

As for Brody Grant's performance, I thought he was great but he really did not come across as a 14-year-old boy, which is rather an important part of the plot. His singing voice, in particular, seemed much more mature than that of a kid who's barely into puberty.

[quote]For me, one of the standout highlights of the evening was the camera capturing Billy Porter sniffing his armpit in the audience, making sure he wasn’t offending.

OMG, was that Billy Porter? The shot was so quick, I didn't realize who it was!

Another embarrassing moment was that woman pulling up her dress around the cleavage in a very big, noticeable way. I have no idea who she was. Anyone?

Cabaret is the 4th biggest show on Broadway currently, only behind The Lion King, Wicked and Hamilton. It's doing much better than Merrily We Roll Along. The Outsiders is sold out and doing amazing.

4th?! Is that like a pewter metal or copper?

[quote]Cabaret is the 4th biggest show on Broadway currently,

A tragic commentary on the taste of the masses. They obviously can't get enough of all that ridiculously self-indulgent overacting and over-direction, nor all of that disgusting vulgarity in the choreo and musical staging.

For 16 years I worked at 1633 Broadway— looking down on Wicked ;)

And then you jumped, R209?

I like Groff a lot and think he did wonders with Frank, who is a very difficult character to play. He becomes a true asshole and yet must keep the audience on his side. His performance was Tony-worthy. The problem (for me) was that Brian D’Arcy James had an even more difficult character to play and did it better than Groff (or Brody, who I also found to be excellent). Brian was on a whole different level from the other nominees and for people claiming that Groff was overdue- well, Brian is far more overdue than Groff.

Groff is a wonderful human being. He has made many friends in the industry and his emotions last night were touching and genuine. I still don’t think he deserved to win, but I certainly won’t begrudge him the fact that he did.

Joon on the other hand was highly undeserving. Kelli was robbed.

To clarify something for the dumb dumb who claimed Cabaret got good reviews (HA!) and is a hit (HAHA!), nothing is a “hit” until it has a recoup. & Juliet just recoup and it’s been doing sell out business for quite some time. Cabaret will need to sell out at full price for almost five years for it to be able to recoup. The initial investment plus the weekly running costs are astronomical. It’s a miracle ANY show on Broadway recoups nowadays, but it will take several miracles for Cabaret to make a return on its investment.

[quote]Another embarrassing moment was that woman pulling up her dress around the cleavage in a very big, noticeable way. I have no idea who she was. Anyone?

Coincidentally, that was ALSO Billy Porter.

R212 Sonia Friedman

Can we be honest here?

Maria Friedman did not win Best Director because the Broadway Merrily is just a carbon copy of the London production.

R214, As well as the Boston production in 2017.

Lots of people look down on Wicked, r209.

Billy Porter sniffing.

I didn’t get to see the awards show. Did Groff thank the Amish community?

R186 you lie too much. Karma is gonna be ugly for you.

R204 you aren’t aware of the material. They were outsiders and had to survive on their own from a young age. A lot of 14 year old boys had to be men back then.

[quote]Did Groff thank the Amish community?

He mentioned growing up in Lancaster, PA. He thanked his family for encouraging him in his eccentricities (such as dressing up as Mary Poppins when he was little) despite not really understanding them. They helped him nurture his dreams instead of trying to crush them.

I would love to see him win his next Tony for playing "Mary Poppins." He should be really good with all those years pf practice.

One of the fat chicks in the CABARET number had one of her boobs nearly pop out, right at the beginning.

R223 That's no way to talk about Queen Latifah!

Is the cast of Cabaret deliberately made up and costumed to look ugly or are they really that unattractive?

R219 send that bad karma. I’m ready

[quote][R164] Stereophonic has literally nothing to do with Fleetwood Mac. Not every 70s piece on music is about them.

A half-American half-British band recording their second album in 1976 with an insane control freak micromanaging every step of the process has absolutely nothing to do with Fleetwood Mac and "Rumors"?

Uh, okay.

WOW~ R137 has certainly proved to be a Cynthia Erivo apologist. He's so far up her ass he can see her tonsils.

Oops wrong movie!

If Groff should replace DeBose next year, expect a social media storm from Cynthia Erivo crying racism, and telling her followers to boycott The Tonys. Whether she will be as successful as she was n 2017 with 'The Great Comet' remains to be seen.

Ratings fall 15%

Age related confusion, R229?

Someone said The Imperial was "defaced" after DeBose and Erivo went into the Twitter war.

I'd forgotten that Sarah Paulson was an Emmy nominee for portraying now-MSNBC's Nicolle Wallace in "Game Change" opposite Woody Harrelson as Steve Schmidt.

I think I'll reread the book tonight.

I would like to thank some of you on this thread for educating me on this Erivo creature. I'm not a huge theater follower, but I do love "The Wizard of Oz" and "Wicked". I had never heard of Erivo before she was cast as Elphaba, but I thought as long as she understands the character and can sing, so what? Then I learned she is friends with Jada Pinckett-"#Oscarsbesowhite" Smith. Then I read this thread.

I already had my doubts with Ariana Grande-ego, Jeff "Why the hell does everyone kiss this dull man's ass?" Goldblum, and of course, Michelle "The Greatest Movie Stah Who Evah Lived So She Must Be In Every Movie Until She Dies!" Yeoh, but this has almost completely killed my enthusiasm for this movie. I'm also not too impressed with the director. I love Jonathan Bailey, but I've heard his jazz hands, theater kid version of "Dancing Through Life" drew snickers in preview showings. I may have to rethink my plans for November.

You might as well go see it, R235. Everyone is going to be talking about it, and it's only fair to see it before commenting. Chances are you'll/we'll be able to say some very cutting and catty thing with a good conscience...

One big element of the Erivo/Natasha & Pierre scandal that's not been mentioned are the inept billionaire hedge fund producers Howard & Janet Kagan, who mismanaged the show's funds and came under great scrutiny and controversy over other aspects of that production. I'm forgetting those details though. Anyone?

I believe the Kagans are now divorced and no longer dabble in the theatre.

[quote]Maria Friedman did not win Best Director because the Broadway Merrily is just a carbon copy of the London production.

That's an interesting theory that hadn't occurred to me, but I'm not sure the voters would hold it against her that the Broadway production was a carbon copy of the other two, because the London production (which came first) was hers, and this is of course the first time it's being seen on Broadway so the first time it was eligible for a Tony.

R235 Universal Pictures will really miss your $18.

Going to New York August 16-19 for my birthday. What's "must see"? I've heard a lot of different plays and musicals praised on the Tonys threads. I'm not that intense of theater goer, maybe once a year. I like the spectacle and the live performance aspect even for not great plays/musicals. Still, obviously, it would be nice to see something that's great.

You sound boring —and none too bright. There has been 839 posts to this thread on last night’s Tony awards, not to mention several thousand posts to the ongoing theater thread for this season alone…

have *

Mother Play and Lempicka are must sees! Also, Days of Wine and Roses., and Titantic at Encores.

Your best bet is Ben, Live at the Palace…they will be talking about this show 60 years from now.

R243, I know you’re joking, but we still might be talking about Ben Platt’s Palace debacle 60 years from now…because it was so shockingly awful! I certainly won’t be forgetting it anytime soon, but for all the wrong reasons!

Wow, I’m surprised the obvious animosity between Ben Platt and Anthony Ramos has barely been mentioned in these two threads. First of all when they walked onstage Platt and Ramos were noticeably at a distance from each other. Ramos glowered at Platt during their bit but Platt chose to barely look at Ramos, his gaze fixed firmly forward. I suspect the entitled little bitch Platt was pissed that he didn’t get to present the awards by himself and made this clear to Ramos right before their entrance.

Cut the poor boy some slack, R241. Sure, there have been a lot of posts -but most weren't worth reading. Very few were by people who had actually SEEN the shows in question.

I would advise the poster to wait for the post-Tonys fallout. In the next couple of weeks several shows will likely post closing notices. In the meantime, let us know what you've seen before that you really liked. You might be happier with a long-running show than something new.

Mother Play is dead.

Nah. I'll bet that Platt made a pass at Ramos during the rehearsal, and Ramos rejected him.

Simple explanations are always the most likely.

Why don’t you go see Stereophonic? That’s the show I would see.

[quote]R192 WTF are you talking about?????!!!!

That r121 post was not serious.

Look what it was in reply to.

[quote] You sound boring —and none too bright. There has been 839 posts to this thread on last night’s Tony awards

Yes, you'd know about none too bright.

Amy Ryan was robbed. Sarah didn’t deserve to win for that one-note screaming performance.

I didn’t realize Groff’s win and perhaps even Groff himself are so viscerally hated.

I love him. He was terrific in the show!

[quote]R252 Amy Ryan was robbed. Sarah didn’t deserve to win for that one-note screaming performance.

Ryan is an interesting actress in that she can actually play different people.

I mean, from this to Holly Flax?

Cynthia Erivo has become the female version of Billy Porter. A bit too piss elegant and pretentiously and obnoxiously grand for her own good.

Plus she needs to remove the nose ring. She looks utterly ridiculous.

Ah yes…an uppity black woman.

You type utterly ridiculous.

[quote]Cabaret got destroyed by the critics. It was surprising it got so many nominations.

Especially the nomination for Eddie Redmayne. His performance during the Tony Awards was an embarrassment.

When the vile actress who plays Sally Bowles (Gail awful voice) jerked off with the champagne bottle, I bemoaned the crassness of this revival. It’s the ultimate try hard. All perspiration, no inspiration. I want this company ran out of town.

[quote]I want this company ran out of town.

And I want your grammar to improve.

R236 doesn't know much about Datalounge.

I love Amy Ryan, but she was respectable, nothing more in DOUBT. Things of course might have been different had she been involved from the get-go, but somehow I doubt it. The whole production felt unnecessary.

[quote]I didn’t realize Groff’s win and perhaps even Groff himself are so viscerally hated.

Only on DataLounge. Seriously. So many people who post here are completely perverse in their opinions.

I just realized that THE WIZ had absolutely NO presence on the Tonys. Like it didn't even exist.

I still wonder what Tyne's performance would have been like in DOUBT. How soon we forget.

Someone on Facebook joked that, when they get a friend request, they ask that person to tell them who Antoinette Perry was before they accept. I'm thinking that as of today, or maybe at least as of a few weeks from now, that person will be able to change the question to: "Who was Lindsay Mendez?"

R263: I honestly don't get the hate. He's cute and has some talent. Yes he can be an annoying effeminate gay at times but I mean he's not Miss Porter level insufferable.

If Day of Wine and Roses had been even a moderate hit, both Kelli and Brian would have gotten those Tonys. They were both brilliant. Ah well, that's show biz!

[quote]So many people who post here are completely perverse in their opinions.

Not just in their opinions.

R268: The Tony voters have to get over their bias against closed productions. Kelli or Eden should've won Best Lead Actress in a Musical.

The "Bucket" woman (Patricia Routledge) won her Tony for a show that had already closed after a very brief run. (Groucho presents the awards since Leslie Uggams also won, in a tie.

Where’s Groucho when you need him?

Thinking about Redmayne's unappealing close-up gurning, I've just had several clips of the ceremony appear on my Instagram feed and I wonder if these ceremony performances are now filmed (if not staged) knowing that they'll have a longer afterlife and more views on social media, viewed in portrait mode on a 19:9 ratio screen? Wide stage images filmed from the middle distance look great within a proscenium arch, but less so in an Instagram reel.

The fact that there were only two "Tony ties" (that I can recall) and both of them involved a black nominee has always struck me as unfortunate, perhaps even suspect.

It’s always struck me how quickly bigots pop up unannounced on any Broadway thread. Hmmm

That's very possible r273

Nothing adds class to an awards ceremony when the winner stands up and hikes her dress in front of thirty million people.

[quote]The fact that there were only two "Tony ties" (that I can recall) and both of them involved a black nominee has always struck me as unfortunate, perhaps even suspect.

Please tell us, which was the black nominee—"Fiorello!" or "The Sound of Music"?

Touché, 278! I meant acting-wise: Carroll/Alberghetti and Uggams/Routledge.

[quote]Nothing adds class to an awards ceremony when the winner stands up and hikes her dress in front of thirty million people.

Do you really think 30 million people have EVER watched the Tony awards?

I also think Sara Ramirez was lip syncing her Tony performance. When she gets up to accept her award, she is noticeably congested and hoarse.

Jodie hiked hers up.

Never wear a strapless gown when you're going to be on TV or the stage.

Yeah, r283. When Jodie hiked hers up my friend Dan turned and said "If you have to hike up a strapless dress, you shouldn't be wearing one."

Was Dan wearing strapless at the time?

[quote]The fact that there were only two "Tony ties" (that I can recall) and both of them involved a black nominee has always struck me as unfortunate, perhaps even suspect.

Thank you, Miss Marple.

[quote]Nothing adds class to an awards ceremony when the winner stands up and hikes her dress in front of thirty million people.

Hikes THEIR dress!!

There have been a few ties at the emmys with a black actor as well

I think Illinoise was robbed overall. Justin Peck, who wasn't even nominated, should've won Best Director. One of the Illinoise guys should've won Best Featured Actor in a Musical. Radcliffe was ok but not win worthy. Suffs winning book and score was disgusting but at least it didn't win Best Musical. I don't hate that The Outsiders won Best Musical but it wasn't deserving and didn't need a best musical win to survive.

R288 have you called cops to let them know it’s happening?

Eli Gelb's loss speaks to his failure as a good fuck.

He never fucked me.

Nor I.

Gelb doesn't fuck men!

[quote]The Tony voters have to get over their bias against closed productions. Kelli or Eden should've won Best Lead Actress in a Musical.

In my opinion, Eden Espinosa's performance in LEMPICKA was not worthy of a Tony nomination, let alone a win. She's talented, but the show was awful and she's not a great actress.

Music videos done live don't win the Tony, r289.

Espinosa should star in a musical of Killers of the Flower Moon.

R295: She's a good actress but a terrible singer. It was obvious she was having pitch issues and you could literally hear her coughing during some of the songs. Also, like Miss Lindsay, Eden had an attendance issue and missed several performances after it opened but I guess singing that score eight times a week is incredibly difficult.

Eden is a great singer who got very sick during her run r298. If anything her acting was....meh. But maybe it was the direction.

R299 has it right, R298 doesn't know what he's talking about.

Groff does not get a pass. If you are lifelong friends with a horrible person you are in some way like them or excuse them because the outrank you. Either way he looks like a fool for it.

Are you referring to Lea Michelle? She was a kid. She's a wife and mother now and has grown up. She has taken responsibility for being a jerk. She saved an entire Broadway show with all those jobs herself. even Jane Lynch says she regretted leaving the show and should have stayed on.

In regard to Maleah Joi Moon's HK attendance above. I am not surprised. I saw HK on opening night and she was a mess. Her voice was already shot from previews and I was cringing hoping her voice would hold until the end of the show. She was unable to control her stress and emotions and was openly sobbing (not as an acting choice but as an actor breaking role due to uncontrolled emotions) through the final act of the show. In the curtain call she was still sobbing and not smiling or thanking the audience in any way. The rest of the cast had to comfort her. I chalked it up to the intense emotions of opening night and a failing voice and being 21 years old, but it sounds like she still hasn't gotten it together. Poor thing. She's very talented.

[quote]Are you referring to Lea Michelle? She was a kid. She's a wife and mother now and has grown up. She has taken responsibility for being a jerk.

It doesn't seem to me that she has taken responsibility for being a jerk. Yes, she offered some sort of weak apology, but she also said she wouldn't have been canceled for her behavior if she had been a man. We've heard that line before, from other women, but it's still bullshit.

Also, Lea Michele did not "save an entire Broadway show with all those jobs herself" out of the goodness of her heart. It just happened that she was good casting after some very bad casting, and she did a great job in the role, which I'm sure was a tremendous boost to her already huge ego and a desperately needed comeback vehicle after her near-cancellation.

Oh, and that was a really lousy production of FUNNY GIRL.

OK, she didn't do it out of the goodness of her heart, but she singlehandedly saved what you acknowledge to be a terrible production that was about to crash out. And she did it, as far as any of us could discern, with a maximum of professionalism and a minimum of conflict.

To R306...Mary Please

Agreed, R306. But I'm sure she realized that FUNNY GIRL was a great, desperately needed opportunity -- perhaps her only one -- as a vehicle for a comeback after her near-cancellation, and she would have had to be incredibly stupid and/or a complete, unashamed bitch to have exhibited any heinous or unprofessional behavior during her time in the production.

Was it Jane Lynch’s decision to leave Funny Girl when she did?

Yes, apparently R309. Why do you think otherwise?

Keep fucking that chicken, haters!

WE WERE INVITED BUT WE DECLINED!

R309. I think she had a month to go on her contract but left early so Lea and Tovah could go into the show together. Jane was leaving for a tv gig anyway so.........