The Tony nominees for best play & musical will be ...
"I would say 'A Catered Affair,' 'Cry-Baby' and 'In the Heights' are definitely in there and the question is: What will be number four?" says Backstage executive editor David Sheward in our podcast chat while sizing up the likely
Tony Award nominees for best musical. (The races for best tuner and play usually have four slots, not five.) Competing for that last entry: "Passing Strange," "Xanadu" and "Young Frankenstein."
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"'Catered Affair' hasn't opened yet, but I've heard very good things about it," he says. "It's got good word-of-mouth from an out-of-town run. But it's a very small-scale, intimate show. Usually, those don't win the Tony if there's something bigger and brassier also lined up.
Sheward describes "In the Heights" as "a fun, uplifting show," adding, "It's got story, it's got heart," but technically it wasn't a big hit off-Broadway before recently transferring to the Great White Way.'
"'Cry-Baby' is very much in the same vein as 'Hairspray,' " he notes. "It's from a John Waters movie. It hasn't started previews yet, but it sounds like it could be a very strong contender."
In the race for best play, "I think the one to beat is 'August: Osage County,' " Sheward says. "It's probably going to win the Pulitzer Prize and it's that rarity on Broadway, an American play with no big stars in it. It came to New York from Chicago with the Chicago company intact and it's a big hit with critics and audiences.
"I also think there will be Tom Stoppard's 'Rock n Roll' about the Communist revolution in Czechoslovakia in the 1960s and David Mamet's very funny play 'November' with Nathan Lane as president of the United States. The fourth slot will probably be Conor McPherson's 'The Seafarer.' "
Just saw "Cry Baby" in a preview performance -- and it's awful. People were literally walking out at the intermission. The reviews are going to be brutal when it officially opens next week.
Posted by: D.B. | April 15, 2008 at 08:49 AM
It's a really sparse year for musicals. The only one that got really great reviews from most all of the NY critics was "Xanadu." "In the Heights" got generally good to mixed notices.
I think those two shows are likely to receive noms, with the edge on winning going to "Heights" -- I don't think Tony voters would ever give the award to "Xanadu." However, after those two shows, I'm really at a loss to pick nominees.
My only prediction is that "Young Frankenstein" will not get a nom -- a very deliberate snub to Mel Brooks.
Posted by: D.B. | March 25, 2008 at 02:02 PM
Best Musical:
Xanadu
In the Heights
Passing Strange
A Catered Affair
Best Play:
The Seafarer
Rock n Roll
August: Oasge County
November
Posted by: Ral | March 20, 2008 at 11:44 AM
Best Musical: Passing Strange, In the Heights, Xanadu and Young Frankenstein
A Catered Affair got a drubbing in San Diego and seems a very dated kinda musical
Cry Baby just might squeeze in but also got mixed reviews
Posted by: Frankie R. | March 18, 2008 at 12:08 PM
I agree that the four Best Play nominees will likely be "Rock n Roll", "November", "Seafarer", and "August" as the one to beat. However, I've heard nothing but terrible things about "Cry Baby", and if predicting today I would say the nominees for Best Musical will be "A Catered Affair", "In the Heights", "Passing Strange", and "Xanadu".
Posted by: Jon | March 18, 2008 at 10:46 AM