THEATRE-TONY AWARDS Big commercial hit and small, creative musical lead Tony Awards

Record ID: 150053

  • Title: THEATRE-TONY AWARDS Big commercial hit and small, creative musical lead Tony Awards
  • Date: 3rd June 2015
  • Summary: NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, UNITED STATES (FILE) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** ALAN CUMMING POSING FOR PICTURES ON RED CARPET
  • Embargoed: 18th June 2015 13:00
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  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA3OEK9H8RVTP9B0FHT0XOXFIKD
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Broadway is preparing for its biggest night on Sunday (June 7) with the 2015 Tony Awards, U.S. theater's highest honors, following a record-breaking season with a commercial hit vying with an edgy musical for the top prize.
    Tony winners Alan Cumming and Kristin Chenoweth, who is also a nominee, will co-host the show that will be broadcast live on CBS television from Radio City Music Hall.
    The best musical prize has turned into a race with "An American in Paris," with a score by George and Ira Gershwin, and the lesbian coming-out story "Fun Home" in the lead.
    Oscar and Emmy winner Helen Mirren seems the one to beat for the best actress prize for her role as Queen Elizabeth II in "The Audience," outpacing Carey Mulligan's inner-city schoolteacher in "Skylight" and Elisabeth Moss in the feminist play "The Heidi Chronicles.
    Paul Sheehan, the executive editor of Gold Derby doesn't expect any surprises.
    "We've seen a couple of shows do well in precursor prizes like the Drama Desk and Outer Critics. So I think we're going to see 'American In Paris' this British show called 'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time' will win best play. Helen Mirren is going to win hands down for 'The Audience,' which she reprises her role as Queen Elizabeth."
    At the start of the season "Fun Home" was thought to be the darling of Broadway.
    "It was a shoo-in until the nominations came out and then 'An American in Paris' did so well in the nominations and since then it's been winning prizes and winning box office, which is a big deal because a sizable number of Tony voters are road producers. So they're programming shows in theaters across the country. So a big musical like 'An American In Paris' can sell-out a theater. A small little intimate musical like 'Fun Home' isn't as attractive.'"
    "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" star and recent Juilliard School graduate Alex Sharp could also top multiple Oscar nominee Bradley Cooper as the physically deformed male in "The Elephant Man" and English actor Bill Nighy's wealthy restaurateur in "Skylight" for the best actor award in a play.
    For best actor in a musical, most experts predict it will be close call between Michael Cerveris, up for his second Tony as the closeted homosexual father in "Fun Home," and ballet dancer Robert Fairchild in his Broadway debut in "An American in Paris."
    In the best actress in a musical category Chenoweth will be battling for her second Tony as a Hollywood star in "On the Twentieth Century," against Kelli O'Hara, nominated for the sixth time for "The King and I," and Broadway veteran Chita Rivera, who could nab her third Tony for "The Visit."
    "I think it's going to go to Kristin Chenoweth who is the co-host. And she won years ago in featured, that category I said we never remember. But we remember her winning for 'You're a Good Man Charlie Brown.' But she has never won in lead. And in a brilliant move she's going to co-host the Tony's with Alan Cumming. And I think Tony voters, there is only about 800 of them, they feel good that she's doing that, so that gives her the edge."
    However, Sheehan feels the trophy should go to O'Hara.
    "This is her sixth Tony nomination, she really should have won last year for 'Bridges of Madison Country' and didn't. She's never won. And she's going to lose for a role in 'The King and I' that Deborah Kerr, one of her sixth Oscar nominations was for 'The King and I' she never won an Oscar. And I fear that this is going to happen to Kelli O'Hara at the Tonys."
    "The King and I" is the likely front-runner for the Tony for best musical revival against "On The Twentieth Century" and "On The Town."
    Rock star Sting earned his first nomination for best original score for "The Last Ship," which closed earlier this year, but many experts think Lisa Kron and Jeanine Tesori will win the prize for "Fun Home."
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