2016 Tony Awards Recap!
The Tony Awards are always one of my favorite parts of the year. I always have such a ball no matter what happens. This year, that was incredibly true. This year's ceremony was most certainly one of my favorites so far.
First things first, every single one of my predictions was right. I regret not making bets because I would have won all of them...then again a lot of people would have won all of them. Nontheless, it was an amazing ceremony. I had a wonderful time watching it and I did an excellent job not checking social media before or during the telecast. Even though I knew everything that was gonna win, I was still taken by total surprise at each award. Now, I am going to go down each aspect of the 2016 Tony Awards.
THE RED CARPET
Best Dressed: If there was an award for "Best Dressed", Laura Benanti (nominated for "She Loves Me") definitely would have won. Benanti wore a stunning pink dress, which I am sure stole the show at the red carpet. Honorable mentions include Renee Elise Goldsberry (won for "Hamilton"), Jane Krakowski (Nominated for "She Loves Me"), and Phillipa Soo (nominated for "Hamilton).
Worst Dressed: I am sorry, but Daveed Diggs (won for "Hamilton") and Cynthia Erivo's (won for "The Color Purple") outfits looked awful. The colors on their outfits were just so ridiculous and they were just outrageous in general. You might say that they looked something like this:
THE CEREMONY
The ceremony was so wonderfully put together. James Corden was a delightful host and I hope they invite him back next year. My only complaint is that there wasn't enough of him, he was just sort of there. I was very pleased that there was a real opening number. In fact, it was the first one since 2013. Yes, Alan Cumming and Kristin Chenoweth did sing a medley of great showtunes last year but it wasn't really a big showstopping number. The year before that, Hugh Jackman just hopped around and no one understood what was going on. This year, the opening number was incredible and had many terrific nods to other Broadway shows and like the 2013 opening number, it was for the kids who dream of being on Broadway one day. I must also give a nod to the "Pre opening number", in which the cast of "Hamilton" performed a parody of their opening number to introduce James Corden. Corden did lots of excellent comedy bits. For example, the "Law and Order" bit with Danny Burstein and the Clinton/Trump bit.
Each show put on a great performance. Cynthia Erivo brought the house down, with her rendition of "I'm Here", which followed "Mysterious Ways", during "The Color Purple's" performance and the cast of "Waitress" did great on "Opening Up" and Sara Bareilles joined Jessie Mueller on "She Used to Be Mine", just to name a few.
As a huge "Hamilfan", I greatly appreciated their Tony performance, however I think they should have performed a medley to showcase all of the nominated performers and to give the other fans who haven't seen the show a better taste of what it is like live. The number they did was still amazing, I just would have preferred to see them do something else The way they closed the Tony's was pretty awesome though. Also, would they have still closed out the Tonys is they didn't win Best Musical?
I also think that "Bright Star" should have gone with a different song. If I wasn't already familiar with "Bright Star", their performance really wouldn't have made me really want to see the show. I also think that "Fiddler on the Roof" should have gone with "Tradition" or did the Bottle Dance along with the number they performed.
Just like it is every other year, when a show performs on the Tony Awards, it also serves as an advertisement for people tuned into CBS to go see their show. However, this year there was a bit of unintentional false advertising. As I have already mentioned, composer Sara Barielles joined Jessie Mueller on the song "She Used to Be Mine". Since that performance, people around NYC have been heard to say that they plan on getting tickets to the show that Sara Barielles is in. Not intentional, but the people in charge of the awards should have made it clear. In fact, if I didn't know any better then I would probably think she was in it.
I am very pleased with everyone who won last night. I was rooting for Carmen Cusack to win Best Leading Actress in a musical for "Bright Star", but Cynthia Erivo wholeheartedly deserved that award for her performance as Celie in "The Color Purple". She is delivering a moving performance Of course, "Hamilton" took home Best Leading Actor in a Musical (Leslie Odom Jr., Aaron Burr), Best Featured Actress in a Musical (Renee Elise Goldsberry, Angelica Schuyler), and Best Featured Actor in a Musical (Daveed Diggs, Marquis de Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson). Odom Jr., Erivo, Goldsberry, and Diggs definitely deserve those awards. Odom Jr. is giving an emotionally innovative performance and Goldsberry and Diggs were stellar. I knew they were going to win before nominations were even announced.
As expected, "Hamilton" won 11 of the 13 categories they were nominated for. They lost Best Scenic Design, which went to David Rockwell for "She Loves Me" and as I have already stated, Best Leading Actress in a Musical, Cynthia Erivo. Naturally, Hamilton won Best Musical, Score, Book etc.
This was a terrible year to be a show that wasn't "Hamilton". Only three musicals won on Sunday night and those were "Hamilton", "The Color Purple", and "She Loves Me". "Shuffle Along, or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed..." probably would have swept if "Hamilton" weren't on Broadway this year, with Sara Barielles taking home Best Score
You can find the full list of winners here
Nearly everyone had great acceptance speeches, but the best speech was given by Frank Langella, accepting an award for his performance in "The Father". Langella not only thanked his cast and creative team, but he also delivered moving words on the recent shooting in Orlando, as did Lin-Manuel Miranda, accepting the award for Best Score for "Hamilton".
I cried real tears when Renee Elise Goldsberry won her Tony and felt nothing but proud (for people I don't know) when "Hamilton" won nearly all of the awards. I was also glad to see "She Loves" me get one nod and "The Color Purple" get Best Revival of a Musical.
I think that this was a great Tony Awards! James Corden was a wonderful host and the show was very entertaining. I look forward to next year's Tonys, as well as what shows will be nominated and win. This year, the Tonys had the highest ratings in a long time so I am very interested to see what happens next year. Let's have a great 2016/17 Season on Broadway!
Read my review of "Hamilton" here
First things first, every single one of my predictions was right. I regret not making bets because I would have won all of them...then again a lot of people would have won all of them. Nontheless, it was an amazing ceremony. I had a wonderful time watching it and I did an excellent job not checking social media before or during the telecast. Even though I knew everything that was gonna win, I was still taken by total surprise at each award. Now, I am going to go down each aspect of the 2016 Tony Awards.
THE RED CARPET
Best Dressed: If there was an award for "Best Dressed", Laura Benanti (nominated for "She Loves Me") definitely would have won. Benanti wore a stunning pink dress, which I am sure stole the show at the red carpet. Honorable mentions include Renee Elise Goldsberry (won for "Hamilton"), Jane Krakowski (Nominated for "She Loves Me"), and Phillipa Soo (nominated for "Hamilton).
Worst Dressed: I am sorry, but Daveed Diggs (won for "Hamilton") and Cynthia Erivo's (won for "The Color Purple") outfits looked awful. The colors on their outfits were just so ridiculous and they were just outrageous in general. You might say that they looked something like this:
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| Mia Wakiowska in the new film "Alice Through the Looking Glass" |
THE CEREMONY
The ceremony was so wonderfully put together. James Corden was a delightful host and I hope they invite him back next year. My only complaint is that there wasn't enough of him, he was just sort of there. I was very pleased that there was a real opening number. In fact, it was the first one since 2013. Yes, Alan Cumming and Kristin Chenoweth did sing a medley of great showtunes last year but it wasn't really a big showstopping number. The year before that, Hugh Jackman just hopped around and no one understood what was going on. This year, the opening number was incredible and had many terrific nods to other Broadway shows and like the 2013 opening number, it was for the kids who dream of being on Broadway one day. I must also give a nod to the "Pre opening number", in which the cast of "Hamilton" performed a parody of their opening number to introduce James Corden. Corden did lots of excellent comedy bits. For example, the "Law and Order" bit with Danny Burstein and the Clinton/Trump bit.
Each show put on a great performance. Cynthia Erivo brought the house down, with her rendition of "I'm Here", which followed "Mysterious Ways", during "The Color Purple's" performance and the cast of "Waitress" did great on "Opening Up" and Sara Bareilles joined Jessie Mueller on "She Used to Be Mine", just to name a few.
As a huge "Hamilfan", I greatly appreciated their Tony performance, however I think they should have performed a medley to showcase all of the nominated performers and to give the other fans who haven't seen the show a better taste of what it is like live. The number they did was still amazing, I just would have preferred to see them do something else The way they closed the Tony's was pretty awesome though. Also, would they have still closed out the Tonys is they didn't win Best Musical?
I also think that "Bright Star" should have gone with a different song. If I wasn't already familiar with "Bright Star", their performance really wouldn't have made me really want to see the show. I also think that "Fiddler on the Roof" should have gone with "Tradition" or did the Bottle Dance along with the number they performed.
Just like it is every other year, when a show performs on the Tony Awards, it also serves as an advertisement for people tuned into CBS to go see their show. However, this year there was a bit of unintentional false advertising. As I have already mentioned, composer Sara Barielles joined Jessie Mueller on the song "She Used to Be Mine". Since that performance, people around NYC have been heard to say that they plan on getting tickets to the show that Sara Barielles is in. Not intentional, but the people in charge of the awards should have made it clear. In fact, if I didn't know any better then I would probably think she was in it.
I am very pleased with everyone who won last night. I was rooting for Carmen Cusack to win Best Leading Actress in a musical for "Bright Star", but Cynthia Erivo wholeheartedly deserved that award for her performance as Celie in "The Color Purple". She is delivering a moving performance Of course, "Hamilton" took home Best Leading Actor in a Musical (Leslie Odom Jr., Aaron Burr), Best Featured Actress in a Musical (Renee Elise Goldsberry, Angelica Schuyler), and Best Featured Actor in a Musical (Daveed Diggs, Marquis de Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson). Odom Jr., Erivo, Goldsberry, and Diggs definitely deserve those awards. Odom Jr. is giving an emotionally innovative performance and Goldsberry and Diggs were stellar. I knew they were going to win before nominations were even announced.
As expected, "Hamilton" won 11 of the 13 categories they were nominated for. They lost Best Scenic Design, which went to David Rockwell for "She Loves Me" and as I have already stated, Best Leading Actress in a Musical, Cynthia Erivo. Naturally, Hamilton won Best Musical, Score, Book etc.
This was a terrible year to be a show that wasn't "Hamilton". Only three musicals won on Sunday night and those were "Hamilton", "The Color Purple", and "She Loves Me". "Shuffle Along, or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed..." probably would have swept if "Hamilton" weren't on Broadway this year, with Sara Barielles taking home Best Score
You can find the full list of winners here
Nearly everyone had great acceptance speeches, but the best speech was given by Frank Langella, accepting an award for his performance in "The Father". Langella not only thanked his cast and creative team, but he also delivered moving words on the recent shooting in Orlando, as did Lin-Manuel Miranda, accepting the award for Best Score for "Hamilton".
I cried real tears when Renee Elise Goldsberry won her Tony and felt nothing but proud (for people I don't know) when "Hamilton" won nearly all of the awards. I was also glad to see "She Loves" me get one nod and "The Color Purple" get Best Revival of a Musical.
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| Renee Elise Goldsberry accepting her Tony for her performance as Angelica Schuyler in "Hamilton" |
I think that this was a great Tony Awards! James Corden was a wonderful host and the show was very entertaining. I look forward to next year's Tonys, as well as what shows will be nominated and win. This year, the Tonys had the highest ratings in a long time so I am very interested to see what happens next year. Let's have a great 2016/17 Season on Broadway!
Read my review of "Hamilton" here
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