THEATRE GOSSIP #592: Audra Doesn’t Know Her Edition

Even a new thread can’t help Oh, Mary. It’s still overripe and overrated.

Grosses are out.

R2: The fact that this overrated piece of shit play is in the running speaks to how dismal this current Broadway season is.

I'm putting my money on Jasmine to swoop in and steal the Tony

When are BOOP and REAL WOMEN HAVE CURVES going to call it quits?

R6: And apparently they're not into Floyd Collins and Dead Outlaw either.

Watched the Great Performances/Barbican Kiss Me, Kate last night. The best things about it were the set and a tall, handsome bearded guy in the chorus. Unfortunately, he was in the back most of the time (because: tall). A quick Google search today tells me his name is Lucas Koch. It appears he'll be in Evita with Rachel Zegler later this year.

He’s Cooper’s cousin

Is Andrew Durand gay? In the interviews I've seen or read, his private life never comes up. He did a dual chat with Taylor Trensch who was queer as can be, but Andrew kept his powder dry, so to speak.

R10: I think he's straight. I believe that's his girlfriend at 2:44 in the video. He's not my type though.

Yeah he gave an interview once that talked about him being a straight man in musical theatre.

They are usually the queeniest

I seem to remember Andrew used to date a woman who's quite a well known theater performer, but for the life of me, I can't recall who that is.

R13 was it Kecia Lewis?

I do know that Andrew has a terrible singing voice.

Many people feel Andrew Durand is a good singer with a fine voice, so you shouldn't state your weird opinion as fact.

[quote]A quick Google search today tells me his name is Lucas Koch. It appears he'll be in Evita with Rachel Zegler later this year.

He was also in 2023's [bold]Crazy for You[/bold] in the West End, with Charlie Stemp.

Lame, OP.

What do dl-ers think of John Proctor is the Villain?

I didn't read the other threads. Can someone fill me in on what happened between Patti and Audra?

It was a drug deal gone bad…

John Proctor is a very good play with an excellent cast. Nothing to praise to the skies, but an enjoyable evening.

We had a quarrel, R20, a lovers spat

I write "I'm sorry," but my letters keep coming back

Andrew Durand is cute and seems like a nice guy.

Twirling my projections

in opposite directions

This is kind of funny. Hasbeen Sam Harris inserted himself for no good reason by releasing a video chastising his “friend” Patti LuPone for her words, and people shit on him for equating his gayness with the black experience, so now he had to release his own apology statement where he said he needs to listen more. If he had never inserted himself into the whole thing, he wouldn’t have gotten himself into this shitshow to begin with.

I also think Andrew Durand is quirky cute, and I'm glad he mooned in Ink.

R25, that production of LET IT RIDE also starred a very young George Gobel. He had a beautiful light tenor voice - hard to imagine that he became a well-known comedian. LET IT RIDE is one of my favorite scores.

And he was the first to sing the words "People need people" in a Broadway musical song, not Streisand...

Thanks for this new thread, OP! Will we fill it before the Tonys?

Of course, we will.

A young, cute George Gobel (with Guys & Dolls' Sam Levene).

I assume the SMASH fans ("There are dozens of us! DOZENS!") and/or creatives DGAF about getting shut out.

I think a cute number on the Tonys' would do more to boost Boop's BO than Jasmine winning.

Why did Sarah Snook win a Best Actor Drama Desk Award when there was a category for Best Solo Performance?

[quote] And he was the first to sing the words "People need people" in a Broadway musical song, not Streisand...

Didn’t Babs sing “people WHO need people”?

George Gobel was not that young when he starred in Let It Ride on Broadway in 1961. He was 42 and had already been a big star on 1950s TV. I don't see the "cuteness" others are seeing, even when younger.

I was an apprentice in 1970 at the Ogunquit Playhouse when he came through in a production of Play It Again, Sam. He was always on the phone in the green room with his bookie.

I so Gobel in Last of the Red Hot Lovers with Jane Curtin also in the cast.

[quote]that production of LET IT RIDE also starred a very young George Gobel.

The "very young" George Gobel" was past 40 when he did "Let It Ride" in 1961 and had already headlined "The George Gobel Show" on NBC from 1954 to 1959 and on CBS from 1959 to 1960.

Hello, r37!

I'm afraid that Boop!, SMASH, and DEAD OUTLAW are already goners. Lots of whispers about their Fall replacements, with CHESS set for the Broadhurst.

Are they waiting on renovations to the Imperial, or will that happen after the next tenant? Was that tied to the 780 Eighth Avenue project? Is that even still a thing?

Oh, never mind ... it's 740 Eighth Avenue, and it's still moving forward.

There's still a planned renovation for the Imperial.

Lots of closing notices next week and not just for this season's new shows.

The tourists just haven't come back.

Wow, “The Outsiders” is still packin’ ‘em in.

The tourists may not be coming back, but "Beetlejuice" is.

Who will win the Tonys.

I wonder how often the costumes were changed in the original A CHORUS LIKE. I don't mean the leotards and tights, which would be easy to replace, but the shirts and pants, etc.

Like, say, Robert Lupone's costume: How many times can you wash a shirt and pair of pants that are danced in every night before they fade and lose their shape? And how similar is the replacement going to be? Did Theoni V. Aldredge buy multiples of stuff as backup when originally putting the show together?

I have never thought of this before and now I'm curious. I wouldn't think anything was built for the show secifically, except the finale tuxes. So, how do they find identical replacements? And when?

How much longer can Cabaret hang on? The current leads are leaving soon and no replacements have been announced. Billy Porter just finished up in London. I wonder if he would come to Broadway.

I still can't believe Darren Criss will soon be halfway to EGOT.

[quote]r48 How much longer can Cabaret hang on? The current leads are leaving soon and no replacements have been announced.

Is Patti available?

She should spin this redemtion arc for all its worth. Publicity's publicity!

[quote] How much longer can Cabaret hang on?

Don’t they make a lot of money through bar sales?

[quote]Andrew Durand is cute and seems like a nice guy.

He is a very nice guy, he is cute, and he's one of those men who has a banging body although you would absolutely never guess that when you see him fully clothed. His body is not big and muscular, but insanely ripped and well defined, as anyone who saw him in SHUCKED can tell you.

More stuff gets built than you'd think, r47.

Is Dead Outlaw worth seeing?

[quote] Like, say, Robert Lupone's costume: How many times can you wash a shirt and pair of pants that are danced in every night before they fade and lose their shape? And how similar is the replacement going to be? Did Theoni V. Aldredge buy multiples of stuff as backup when originally putting the show together?

[quote]I have never thought of this before and now I'm curious. I wouldn't think anything was built for the show secifically, except the finale tuxes. So, how do they find identical replacements? And when?

You really think Broadway costume designers are buying off the rack?

With very few exceptions, all costumes are created by the costume shop

R55 True to a certain extent but ACL was largely costumed with dancer's rehearsal clothes. I mean, they didn't have 30 seamstresses knitting dance tights in a backroom at Barbara Mattera.

[quote]R55 You really think Broadway costume designers are buying off the rack?

But it started Off Broadway.

Cassie’s costume was the only iconic one.

[quote]Is Dead Outlaw worth seeing?

I thought it was great, but if you want to see it, you'd better hurry.

[quote]R58 Cassie’s costume was the only iconic one.

It’s also one of the ones you could but at Danskin.

BUY at Danskin ! !

When are they pulling the plug on Smash?

Dead Outlaw is a great musical. I saw it twice and loved it. It might not be splashy enough for what passes for Broadway nowadays but it is flawless. Also, its main theme, is very much of our times.

I bought at Alexander's. I BOUGHT at Alexander's.

Well, I *shoplifted* at Alexander's!

I would add Morales' and Zach's rehearsal costumes as being immediately identifiable if that's your definition of iconic.

I cruised the tea room at Alexanders.

[quote][R55] True to a certain extent but ACL was largely costumed with dancer's rehearsal clothes.

You obviously don't know how it works, r56.

By the way, Theoni considered ACL her masterpiece.

I also loved DEAD OUTLAW. A true original.

Anyone work with Valerie Mahaffey RIP onstage?

DEAD OUTLAW is original, yeah, and consistently interesting, But it definitely lacks something, whether it is heart, as some have stated, or something else. And the rockabilly/country score is not to everyone’s taste.

But definitely go in the next few weeks and than tell us what you thought.

I worked with Valerie on stage years ago. Loved her.

R65. Well, I *shoplifted* at Alexander's!

- Celeste Holm

[quote]By the way, Theoni considered ACL her masterpiece.

Will forever be thrilling.

Who didn't shoplift at Alexander's, Celeste?

I never liked Zach's original costume. Too matchy matchy. He seemed like someone who would wear jeans and a turtle neck.

[quote]He seemed like someone who would wear jeans and a turtle neck.

Not to Michael and Theoni.

Should Dead Outlaw tried for an Off-Broadway run? Or do only STARS make an OB run work financially these days?

Just give it up already Real Women Have Curves.

Most people who actually have seen Real Women Have Curves enjoyed it, including me. It’s not a masterpiece, but it’s a shame that a well-crafted book musical can’t have a decent run.

Next season looks very missable. I am looking forward to Ragtime, but the other revivals feel like regional theater.

There hasn't been a big musical since Hamilton, and that premiered 10 years ago. I don't understand why nobody is writing big musicals anymore? We've seen several big plays premiere in the last 10 years, but no big musicals.

We don't have brilliant creatives at present, r81. Who are the visionaries?

R78=The off-Broadway run of Dead Outlaw is what convinced them they just had to play Broadway.

[quote]R76 I never liked Zach's original costume. To matchy matchy.

He was a fag.

No sooner did I wonder when there'd be a Pollyanna musical and I read today that Debbie Allen is producing/directing one called POLLY, based in the Deep South.

I read some of the ACL costume ideas were pulled from what the dancers rehearsed in, themselves. Pamela Berlin wore a pair of sneakers one day with her tights and Michael Bennet liked the look. When Kelly Bishop wore an old, undersized leotard because everything else was dirty he thought it made Shiela look like a “naked, vulnerable child.” Thommie Walsh requested a neckerchief and Donna McKechnie wanted a rehearsal skirt because she knew she looked good in them.

Michael Bennett invited Theoni and her assistants into rehearsals daily to observe and photograph (with Polaroids) what the dancers wore each day.

Of course, this is nothing unusual and what many costume designers might do designing any modern dress play (or musical). Even though the actors are portraying characters and not themselves, great costume designers know the clothes have to be comfortable on the actors and look believable on their bodies to make them work.

Pam Blair, not Pam Berlin who is (was?) a director.

^^ yes, thank you

[quote]R87 great costume designers know the clothes have to be comfortable on the actors and look believable on their bodies to make them work.

It helps if they’re drawn to what they’re wearing, too.

Edith Head wrote, “You can lead a horse to water, and you can even make them drink, but you can’t make actresses wear what they don’t want to wear.”

Real Women Have Curves will have a life after its short B'way run. It's the type of female-centric show that the regionals/community/educational theater loves. There's always more gals than guys in theater.

Dead Outlaw is an arty intimate show with a small cast and it'll get productions.

I don't see Smash doing well.

Ironically, I don't think Death Becomes Her will do as well as other "hits" because it's a tough show to do. All those tricky effects. And, a lack of actual good songs.

[quote]R55 You really think Broadway costume designers are buying off the rack? With very few exceptions, all costumes are created by the costume shop

So, this tee shirt would have been specifically sewn for Pam Berlin/Blair, at the Public Theater? That seems rather expensive to do. And the jeans, tees, and zippered sweatshirt behind her - all custom made?

I’d think they bought what they could, dyeing items if they had to to fit the color scheme, and then once the show was a hit when a piece wore out they would have it copied by a costume house. Then a collection of patterns would begin to build up for replacement performers.

The other consideration is many of those clothes should look broken in… not new. Which goes back to how long did they last, being washed 8 times a week? They would have been DRENCHED with sweat!

[quote]Jon Bernthal and Ebon Moss-Bachrach to Headline ‘Dog Day Afternoon’ Broadway Adaptation

[quote]So, this tee shirt would have been specifically sewn for Pam Berlin/Blair, at the Public Theater? That seems rather expensive to do. And the jeans, tees, and zippered sweatshirt behind her - all custom made?

Yes, r92, as has been explained.

[quote]The other consideration is many of those clothes should look broken in… not new.

They're dyed and distressed to look that way.

R85.....

*

If you don't know already and still have cable, CNN is broadcasting the penultimate performance of Good Night, And Good Luck live this Saturday at 7:00 pm Eastern (4:00 pm Pacific). As it's at the Winter Garden I'm hoping the ghost of a Follies showgirl wanders by.

[quote]I'm hoping the ghost of a Follies showgirl wanders by

I'm wondering if that Dog Day Afternoon production won't be highly theatricalized in some weird (probably off-putting) way. Not that a literal recreation of the movie would be welcome.

Polly is a 1989 American made-for-television musical film adapted from the book Pollyanna by Eleanor H. Porter featuring an all African-American cast (with the exception of Celeste Holm).

I wonder which theater will get Dog Day Afternoon. Rumors are that the Broadhurst has Chess.

One night in Broadhurst and the world's your oyster........

I get my kicks above the waistline, sunshine!

Darren is leaving Maybe Happy Ending on August 31.

R97 since it's at the Wintergarden - we'll probably see the ghost of Grizabella.

Is this new production f CHESS known to be a full production and not just a concert?

Though IIRC the only number/scene that wasn't concert-like in the original Broadway production was One Night in Bangkok (was that the song title?), with lots of lascivious dancing and skimpy costumes.

At the Kennedy Center, this version of CHESS was what I would describe as a staged concert, but quite a fully staged one. If by "full production" you mean will there be more sets for Broadway, I have no idea, but given that the show has so many scenes in so many different locales, I'm guessing minimal sets and probably lots of projections.

R104: Little shit knows he has the Tony in the bag.

Tony roundtable. I can't wait until after Sunday when these people won't be in the news for a whole month.

I think Dead Outlaw might've benefited from a smaller venue like the Hayes.

John Proctor announed an extension "through Summer 2025" (vague) but Sadie Sink still leaving on July 13.

"New casting for the role of Shelby Holcomb will be announced next week."

I wonder how much SS was the draw? She certainly wasn't for me, but I'm not really the target audience.

The Queen of Versailles has a teaser out…

Sadie Sink looks gorgeous in the video portrait of her in the Times. It’s part of their yearly (since 2018) portrait session with all the Tony nominees..

The Queen of Versailles ad looks fun, much lighter and fizzier than I'd expected the show to be.

Definitely looks light on plot, r114.

Dead Outlaw has the word "dead" in it and Maybe Happy Ending has the words "maybe happy" in it.

Thank you for sharing, r116.

Hal Prince talked about WSS costumes in his book. He said he didn't understand why there was such a big budget for wardrobe when they could just as easily have used Levis and gotten them for free in exchange for a credit in the program. It was decided that when the costumes needed to be replaced, they would not be resewn but they would indeed be replaced with Levis. A few months after the opening, Prince wondered why the show didn't look as vibrant and beautiful and then realized that the switch from costumes to Levis was significant.

Incidentally, I don't understand why Irene Sharaff won Best Costume Oscars for THE KING AND I and WEST SIDE STORY.

All she did was rehash the same designs she'd used on Broadway for both.

Kiss of the Spiderwoman's first trailer. I... don't love it. Bill Condon is a moderately talented filmmaker whose track record and taste levels are... dynamic.

J-Lo just seems like J-Lo. But, I guess that's what they paid for. If they wanted a great actress they would have hired one.

Still... Kander must be chuffed. How nice that he's still with us to see this come to fruition. I never thought it would happen.

First of all, R119, it was still her work to begin with. Plus, I'm sure she modified at least some of the designs at least somewhat, and also, there were more costumes that needed to be designed for the film versions than for the Broadway shows. And finally, Sharaff obviously wasn't eligible for Academy Awards when her costumes were on Broadway, so why not for the movies?

Cecil Beaton created new costumes for the film version of "My Fair Lady."

Tom Felton comes to Broadway to play Draco Malfoy.

[quote]The Harry Potter alum is set to reprise his role as the complicated Slytherin Draco Malfoy as he makes his Broadway debut in the Tony Award-winning play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child later this year. The 37-year-old actor will replace current Draco performer Aaron Bartz as part of a 19-week limited engagement at the Lyric Theatre in New York City from Nov. 11 until March 22.

Cecil Beaton had Audrey Hepburn for inspiration, not that tawdry guttersnipe Julie Andrews.

r119, you probably don't think Anne Bancroft deserved her Oscar for The Miracle Worker either, do you?

Come sit by me.

will this be good?

Does anyone know why the 2017 revival of 'Sunset Blvd.' was completely ignored at the Tonys that year ? I understand Glenn Close not being eligible, but the show itself ? The director ? Michael Xavier ?

No.

Next…

[QUOTE] Does anyone know why the 2017 revival of 'Sunset Blvd.' was completely ignored at the Tonys that year ? I understand Glenn Close not being eligible, but the show itself ? The director ? Michael Xavier ?

It wasn't very good and the stripped down nature of it showed all it's flaws. Glenn was really showing her age.

R129 I'm surprised to read that. The revival got great reviews (from what I recall), and I enjoyed it very much. I know it had no chance against the revival of 'Hello Dolly', but I thought for sure it would grab some nominations. Do you know if it lost money or made money in it's limited 17 week run ?

It lost money. Sunset Boulevard always loses money. The current revival has no hope of recouping. I have friends who invested.

How George Clooney’s ‘Good Night, and Good Luck’ Is Preparing to Go Live on CNN:

Broadway’s Inaugural Group Marquee Dimming To Honor Gene Hackman, Linda Lavin, Helen Gallagher, Others:

The only person who ever made any money off of Sunset Blvd. was Patti LuPone.

[quote]you probably don't think Anne Bancroft deserved her Oscar for The Miracle Worker either, do you?

No, she didn't.

Not that she wasn't great, but Katharine Hepburn should have won that year for Long Day's Journey. Whereas Bancroft should have won in 1968 for Mrs Robinson when Hepburn won for Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?

Shoulda, coulda, woulda.

[quote]The quarterly dimmings will take place on the second Tuesday in September, December, March and June.

Since Lavin died on the last Sunday in December, 2024 , shouldn't the March dimming have been for her ? Why did they wait until June ? Something's not right.

I remember reading when 'Sunset' closed in March, 1997 it was said investors (including Barbara Walters) only earned 80% of their investment back. One investor spoke out and said that if ALW didn't have to pay Lupone the same weekly salary as he was paying Glenn Close each week during Close's run for those eight months, the musical would have made a healthy profit for investors (and would probably have run for at least another year or two). However, two leading lady salaries out of one box office - the show never recovered.

" As I mentioned earlier, Webber wanted to open multiple productions simultaneously - LuPone hadn’t even started rehearsals for the West End production when it was announced that Glenn Close would be playing Norma in L.A. Whether this was to build buzz, keep the show the “star,” and not one particular performer (as was the express goal of “Phantom”), or to hedge his bets and “audition” his casts on a global scale (or, likely, all of the above) we can’t know for sure, but regardless, LuPone wasn’t super comfortable with this set up – feeling, rightly, that it created competition between productions, and diluted who was, officially, the original cast.

And that’s not to mention the fact that some people didn’t understand why LuPone wouldn’t be in the L.A. company, imagining it had something to do with her performance (in reality, it was a timing issue) with said speculation happening, again, before LuPone had even started rehearsals (and that was after months of drama in the press claiming that Meryl Steep and LuPone were having a cat fight over who would play Norma in London while LuPone was already deep into contract negotiations).

But Webber promised LuPone that, no matter what, she would be starring in the role on Broadway, not Close. She got an ironclad contract that said just that. Indeed, she refused to get on a plane to London without it.

LuPone was then treated horribly during the West End run. It came out later that Webber’s company was likely trying to make her life a living hell so that she would break her contract and leave the show. Regardless, LuPone went out on stage and did her job every night.

The rumors were that Close was a bigger “name” and that LuPone didn’t get the reviews Lloyd Webber wanted (he made the same case against the West End cast of “Bad Cinderella” – blaming them for the show’s poor reviews, which he then went on to receive again with the brand new Broadway cast). "

I have little love for Andrew Lloyd Webber or his work, but it seemed clear at the time that LuPone was ridiculously miscast. He believed Close was better for the show, and he paid for that. Thirty years later and Patti still can’t accept she was totally wrong for the role.

[quote]The rumors were that Close was a bigger “name"

Indeed, Glenn Close was a bigger name than Patti LuPone.

By 1994, Close had already won 2 Tonys ("The Real Thing," "Death and the Maiden") and had 5 Oscar nominations ("The World According to Garp," "The Big Chill," "The Natural," "Fatal Attraction," "Dangerous Liaisons").

At the time, LuPone had recently starred on the TV series "Life Goes On" (1989-1993) but that show wasn't really a ratings winner, only averaging around #69 during all four seasons.

The only time it really garnered national attention was when Chad Lowe was brought in towards the end as an AIDS patient (which was still pretty daring and taboo at the time) and won an Emmy for his performance.

Encores was supposed to have announced their 2026 shows yesterday. I wonder if they’re having a hard time lining up performers.

I wish OPs would go back to using quotation marks around the thread title. It took me several viewings to understand that the title of the thread is "Audra Doesn't Know Her." I kept trying to figure out what Audra's edition is, and why she doesn't know it.

[quote] Why did they wait until June ? Something's not right.

Are you accusing me of an irregularity? Every husband livestreams his feelings, right?

R139 nails it. Debates over ALW's level of talent aside, I think there can be little doubt at this point that he's one of the most despicable people ever to work in theater on Broadway or in London. Yes somehow, he STILL has fans who will defend him to the death. Inexplicable.

[quote]Since Lavin died on the last Sunday in December, 2024 , shouldn't the March dimming have been for her ? Why did they wait until June ? Something's not right.

I guess you missed it, but there was a previous dimming of the lights of one Broadway theater, the Broadhurst, in commemoration of Lavin's passing. But that was arranged separately, so it seems the League wanted to include her in this upcoming group also.

Zero reaction to the Kiss of the Spiderwoman trailer. That's actually very telling. I feel the same way.

Actually, R147, I've heard and read very positive reactions to the SPIDER WOMAN trailer, and the buzz on the movie that I've heard is very good.

R147 it’s too late. They should have made the movie in 1998 with Vanessa Williams.

That’s the problem with all of these. They wait too long.

Gypsy should have been done in 2000 with Barbra Streisand.

And let's face it. SPIDER WOMAN is not first rate K&E.

R149, the CHICAGO movie was made many, many years after the Broadway production closed, and for that matter, many years after the revival opened, but that didn't seem to be a problem in terms of reviews and box-office success for that movie. So be careful with your generalizations.

Oh, and P.S., the original film of GYPSY was released in 1962, not long after the show closed on Broadway. So your comment about that is bizarre.

Jlo sounds so... bland in that trailer.

And her wigwerks are 😵‍💫

[quote]Jlo sounds so... bland in that trailer.

Not any blander than Madonna in Evita.

Who wigged better?

Some on here bray about how Audra didn’t deserve each of her Tonys—-but no one ever gets specific

So, which Tony didn’t she deserve and who should have won instead?

[Quote] Who wigged better?

Lea Michele has chimed in

Give it up—👽

TIA

I detest Kiss of the Spiderwoman musical—but I’m excited to see the movie

[quote] Lea Michele has chimed in

Shitwigler!

I'd almost forgotten about the Widow Monteith and her wig issues.

[quote]Not any blander than Madonna in Evita.

True, R154. And I'm a Madonna fan. I do think Madge did much better in Dick Tracy. Well, she's still a lousy actress, but musically/vocally, she did surprisingly well with the Sondheim and Patrick Leonard songs on the soundtrack. She's often talked about her love of Golden age musical theatre and musical films and I think that appreciation paid off there. Sooner or Later always gets trotted out, but I think it's her performance of Sondheim's 'More' that's especially good. She just really gets that wry, dry rat-a-tat-tat thing he was going for there.

[quote]Some on here bray about how Audra didn’t deserve each of her Tonys—-but no one ever gets specific. So, which Tony didn’t she deserve and who should have won instead?

What "some people" say is that she didn't deserve ALL of her Tonys, which is very different from the way you phrased it. I would say she didn't deserve the award for MASTER CLASS (because it wasn't much of a role, and was poorly written) and probably also not for PORGY AND BESS (because her performance and the entire production were so wrong-headed, plus she was frequently absent). It's true that the competition was not very strong in the P&B year, but I think the award should have gone to Jan Maxwell.

No one was actually looking for a reply R162

I mean, when you already have 6 Tonys and have won every acting category, does it really matter if you win again? I doubt it.

R164. No but it matters to the production that's hoping to hang on at least through summer.

Why do you say that, R165? Do you seriously think there's anyone out there saying to themselves, "Gee, I'm a huge fan of Audra McDonald and I know she has already won six Tony Awards, but I really want to wait to see if she wins her seventh Tony for GYPSY before deciding that I want to buy a ticket for the show?"

Of course not. If any Tony award will make any difference at all for GYPSY at the box office, it's the one for Best Revival.

One of the most annoying of the Usual Suspects at a certain theater chat board is bitching about DEAD OUTLAW's "baffling" Tony nominations, and saying that show's nom for Best Musical should have gone to JUST IN TIME instead. This person might consider the fact that OUTLAW has a highly praised original score surely has a lot to do with it, but I guess his priorities are elsewhere.

I would say Audra also didn't deserve her Tony for A Raisin in the Sun. A fine performance but nothing special.

And considering neither Brian Stokes Mitchell nor Marin Mazzie won Tonys for Ragtime, I'll even question Audra's win for that one.

In these years was the competition weak in her categories?

So is Lady Day the only one that is unanimously proclaimed to be deserved?

Except that she should have been in the Best Actress in a Musical that year.

For R168

1994: When Audra won Featured Actress in a Musical for CAROUSEL, the other nominees were Marcia Lewis in GREASE, Sally Mayes in SHE LOVES ME, and Marin Mazzie in PASSION.

1996: When Audra won Featured Actress in a Play for MASTER CLASS, the other nominees were Viola Davis in SEVEN GUITARS, Michele Shay in SEVEN GUITARS, and Lois Smith in BURIED CHILD.

1998: When Audra won Featured Actress in a Musical for RAGTIME, the other nominees were Anna Kendrick in HIGH SOCIETY, Tsidii Le Loka in THE LION KING, and Mary Louise Wilson in CABARET.

2004: When Audra won Featured Actress in a Play for A RAISIN IN THE SUN, the other nominees were Essie Davis in JUMPERS, Sanaa Lathan in A RAISIN IN THE SUN, Margo Martindale in CAT ON A HOT TIN ROOF, and Daphne Rubin-Vega in ANNA IN THE TROPICS.

2012: When Audra won Lead Actress in a Musical for PORGY AND BESS, the other nominees were Jan Maxwell in FOLLIES, Cristin Milioti in ONCE, Kelli O'Hara in NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT, and Laura Osnes in BONNIE & CLYDE.

2014: When Audra won Lead Actress in a Play for LADY DAY AT EMERSON'S BAR AND GRILL, the other nominees were Tyne Daly in MOTHERS AND SONS, Cherry Jones in THE GLASS MENAGERIE, Estelle Parsons in THE VELOCITY OF AUTUMN, and LaTanya Richardson in A RAISIN IN THE SUN.

Thanks for the rundown, R171. Makes it much simpler for people to make their own judgments.

It also shows r168’s ignorance, since Audra didn’t compete against Mazzie or Stokes. Against the competition she actually had, she definitely deserved it. But I have seen Mothers and Coalhouses that erased the original performances, but I’ve never seen a smarter take on Sarah or a better singer.

Stokes was the favorite, until people saw Cabaret. Alan Cumming won that award by the end of Willkommen

Not really ignorance, R173. I'm sure R168's point was that Stokes and Marin Mazzie both deserved to win Tonys for their performances in RAGTIME more than Audra did for hers. But of course, it doesn't work that way, it all depends on who the competition is in a particular category.

That said, I personally think Stokes deserved the Tony for RAGTIME over Cumming for CABARET, whose performance was emblematic of a production that was the first huge step in the vulgarization and wild misinterpretation of one of the greatest musicals ever written.

It looks like Jamie Lloyd is going to pull a similar outdoor video stunt with his upcoming production of Evita in London. The rumor is Rachel Zegler will actually perform part of “Don’t Cry For Me, Argentina” on a makeshift balcony on an outdoor facade of the London Palladium.

I’m sure it will go swimmingly.

R175, assuming you're serious, that will only work if they can figure out a way for Zegler to perform at least part of the number onstage in the theater.

THIS DAY IN BROADWAY HISTORY: In 1979, "Loose Ends" opened at the Circle in the Square Theatre.

Off Broadway Hit ‘Kowalski’ Aims For Broadway Transfer:

Deadline's Tony predictions:

It's interesting that most places are saying it will be a Groff repeat but I thought Darren Criss was the shoe in

R180, I really think it could easily go either way, and I wouldn't be surprised if the voting is VERY close -- though, of course, we'll never know. Will be very interesting to see what happens.

Not one post about the "Wicked For Good" trailer on All That Chat. How bizarre.

R178-Let's hope they replace that lousy actor who played Tennessee. He was fucking awful.