The Playgoer: Tony Prognostication

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Friday, May 11, 2007

Tony Prognostication

...from the well-sourced Michael Riedel. For those keeping score.

Sample prediction:

The producers of "Legally Blonde" are desperate for that fourth slot. If they get it, they're going to marshal the so-called "road vote" in an effort to topple "Spring Awakening."

The "road vote" is made up of theater owners and presenters from around the country. The producers of "Blonde" are convinced the road will vote for their show because it will sell much better around the country than "Spring Awakening," which deals with teenage sexuality.

The only things standing in their way are the Tony nominators.

Some of the savvier ones are onto the plan, and I think they'll deny that fourth slot to "Legally Blonde" as a way of protecting "Spring Awakening," a musical everybody with a brain in this industry recognizes as a beautiful and important show.

That fourth slot, then, will go to "LoveMusik," an arty show that stands no chance of winning, and the "Blonde" backers will see red instead of pink.

To play at home, watch the nominations announced live Tuesday morning via podcast or NY1.

PS. Oh, also this is interesting (and encouraging) too:
"Journey's End" is a huge hit with the nominators. They know it's struggling at the box office, so they're planning to shower it with what they hope will be box-office boosting nominations.

1 comment:

June said...

I enjoy reading Riedel, but he's often wrong. The movie Show Business, about the 2003-04 Best Musical Tony contest, which is showing at the Sunshine right now, has scenes of Riedel and some theater critics meeting regularly to handicap the race. They all make some rash predictions, but Riedel is pretty much laughably wrong throughout. (I know, I know, so what, but it's pretty amusing.)