That we are not allowed to stray from the topic even a LITTLE? I mean come on, we were still discussing the Tony Awards, but we just shifted to Idina's performance.
Rant, Wickud, Rant, Wickud, Rant! We're not gonna pay Rant! 'Cause everythink is Wickud!
"Leave Walt Disney Theatricals new sparkling production of The Little Mermaid on Broadway alone!!!"
lakezurich will be played by Paul Groves in the BWW musical
Hands down, Idina. Still can't figure out how she won considering the other actresses she was up against. Let's not even talk about her horrendous Tony award appearance.
"Carson has combined his passion for helping children with his love for one of Cincinnati's favorite past times - cornhole - to create a unique and exciting event perfect for a corporate outing, entertaining clients or family fun."
As bad as it was, if I was in hell and forced to listen to one horrific thing for the rest of forever, i would pick that over her Royal Variety Performance any day.
Idina's okay, even good sometimes, but Elphaba is TOO BIG for her unless shes having a really, really good night. Acting and singing wise
"I trained as a classical actor at Juilliard. I jump at the opportunity to do classical text...But I never in a million years guessed I'd get to play Juliet!"- Michael Arden
For me, it was John Lithgow in Sweet Smell of Success. I couldn't even figure out why he was nominated other than having a recognizable name.
Runner up would be Heather Headley in Aida. Her singing was great, but that was it. Her acting was rather so-so. When she wasn't mumbling her lines, she was speaking such a an affected inflection, it was bordering on silliness. Every time she said "RAH-DAH-MEEZ...", like Queen of the Zombies, I would almost burst out into a fit of giggles. Considering her competition (Rebecca Luker, Marin Mazzie, Toni Collette and Audra McDonald), I could only imagine the votes were split somehow allowing Heather to land on top.
"What can you expect from a bunch of seitan worshippers?" - Reginald Tresilian
I don't know that I'd call Idina Menzel a "sure thing" going into the Tonys. As I recall, Ken Mandelbaum weighed in on it and felt that Tony voters were likely to go with Tonya Pinkins or Donna Murphy, calling Menzel a "dark horse" whose odds were further hampered by being nominated alongside her co-star.
I don't know that I've seen any truly bad Tony-winning performances, but I've seen some underwhelming ones. Gretha Boston in Show Boat, for example. I loved the production and her performance was fine, but honestly she won by default. Her competition was 3 women in the same show (a revue at that). In retrospect, Wilson Jermaine Heredia was nothing special in Rent either, but maybe I shouldn't say that out loud.
I don't think Menzel's voice was so bad on the Tony performance. It was her Amazing Face Contortions that bug me.
"Y'know, I think Bertolt Brecht was rolling in his grave."
-Nellie McKay on the 2006 Broadway production of The Threepenny Opera, in which she played Polly Peachum
I'm certainly not judging by Tony night performances, in which there have been FAR worse than Idina. But when I saw Idina in Wicked about a month after the Tonys, I totally got why she won. Her voice was spot on, her acting was solid, and she blew the roof off the place in three huge belting numbers. Kristin was funny, but it was clear it was Idina's show and she nailed it.
Tonya Pinkins was arguably the best "actress" that season, but her voice was completely unreliable. She cracked the opening line of the show when I saw it, forcing her voice out as hard as she possibly could and it just went downhill from there. Great acting, but the performance was completely overshadowed by how often her voice cracked or completely gave out.
And as for Wilson's Angel in Rent, well, I've seen many an Angel and none played with as much affection or honesty as I'd seen in his performance. The first time I saw Rent, Wilson, Idina and Daphne were the standout performances, though there really wasn't a wink link in the entire original cast.
"What can you expect from a bunch of seitan worshippers?" - Reginald Tresilian