It’s the middle of awards season here in NYC, and the name
on everybody’s lips is “Tony.” Last time
I predicted who would win the coveted statuette in the Choreography and
Direction categories; today, I pick who will and should win the awards for Best
Book and Score. At this point I should
mention that I have still not seen Matilda,
which is obviously one of the major competitors in these races, so there
will be some speculation and possible bias going on here. I reserve the right to change my predictions
after seeing the show, and if I do, look for an updated entry at a later
date. But if I don’t start on these
articles now I’ll never finish before June 9th, so let’s get down to
business!
Best Book of a
Musical
 |
| The team behind Matilda must have spent weeks taking courses on how to best impress the American press, because the critics certainly *adored* it. |
Nominees:
Joseph Robinette, A Christmas Story; Harvey Fierstein, Kinky Boots;
Dennis Kelly, Matilda the Musical; Douglas
Carter Beane, Cinderella
In case
you’re new to this blog, I want to make it very clear that I despise Douglas
Carter Beane’s libretto work, and think Cinderella
is the most offensively awful writing he’s done to date. Not only is his post-modern snark in complete
opposition to the overwhelming earnestness of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s score,
but Beane fails to make his additions funny or compelling in their own right.
His attempt to develop characters beyond their fairytale archetypes falls flat,
leading to personality inconsistencies and confused motivations that the talented
cast struggles to make sense of. And the
less said about his entry-level lecture on the wonders of democratic rule the
better. A three time Tony nominee, Beane
clearly has his fans among the Tony voters, but there are an equal number who
thought this Cinderella was a train wreck
of epic proportions, and I can’t imagine him winning this category.
Joseph
Robinette’s adaptation of A Christmas
Story was serviceable but nothing special, and the long-closed show will
have major difficulty competing with its still running rivals. Harvey Fierstein is one of the most
consistently excellent librettists in the industry, and his work on Kinky Boots once again demonstrates his
uncanny ability to couple witty one-liners with genuine heart and solid story
structure, creating honest if exaggerated characters that propel the narrative
forward at an effervescent pace. I imagine
that Dennis Kelly’s book for Matilda is
equally solid, as the Brits have a knack for strong story structure thanks to
their familiarity with the classics of dramatic literature. I am cheering for Fierstein, but I think this
is one category where Matilda has the
edge.
Should Win:
Harvey Fierstein, Kinky Boots
Will Win:
Dennis Kelly, Matilda the
Musical
Best Score
 |
| Whatever Lola wants, Lola gets. And Lola wants a Tony for Kinky Boots |
Nominees:
Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, A Christmas Story; Trey Anastasio and Amanda Green, Hands on a Hardbody; Cyndi Lauper, Kinky Boot; Tim Minchin, Matilda
the Musical
Kudos to
Trey Anastasio and Amanda Green for getting recognition for the underrated Hands on a Hardbody, but this is a case
where the nomination is the win, as I can’t imagine a scenario where the pair
beats their higher profile competition.
With twelve total nominations and lots of critical love, Tim Minchin is
certainly a contender for his work on Matilda,
although from a merit-based perspective I think this is one of the British
import’s weaker categories. The score is
rarely the strongest element of any British musical, and I think a win for
Minchin would likely be viewed as an upset.
I’m torn
about who I want to win among the remaining two nominees. I certainly liked Cyndi Lauper’s score for Kicky Boots, which managed to fuse her
distinct pop sensibility with more traditional musical theatre idioms. She is also the biggest name in this
category, and the Tony voters have a habit of rewarding celebrities from other
mediums who make credible Broadway debuts.
But in the grand scheme of things, Lauper is unlikely to write another
musical anytime soon, if at all, whereas University of Michigan graduates Benj
Pasek and Justin Paul would most likely dedicate their lives to writing
excellent shows. Not only is A Christmas Story the most inventive and
exciting score of the season (at least in my opinion), but Pasek and Paul are
the most promising songwriting team to emerge in years. I wholeheartedly believe that they could
become the next Kander and Ebb or Ahrens and Flaherty, and a Tony win would
give them the clout to get future projects off the ground and into
production. Broadway needs to do more to
nurture the next generation of musical theatre songwriters or eventually we’ll
be left with nothing but revivals and jukebox musicals, and a win for the young
duo would definitely be a step in the right direction. The smart money is on Lauper, but I’m really
hoping Pasek and Paul manage to pull an Avenue
Q-level upset.
Should Win:
Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, A
Christmas Story
Will Win:
Cyndi Lauper, Kinky Boots
That’s all
for now. The supporting acting
categories are up next, and don’t forget to check out the previous articles in
my Tony Predictions series:
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