Part 3: Frontmezzjunkies weighs in on the Tony Race –  Book/Score/Choreography/Orchestrations

by Ross

This is going to be a Hamilton feeding frenzy.  I’m not sure if this musical will or won’t sweep all four of these categories.  I am, of course, hoping it (my impulse is to say ‘he’ re: Miranda, but we are talking about the musical more then the man) won’t, as there are so many shows and people here who are so deserving of my love and everyone else’s, such as Steve Martin, Edie Brickell, Sara Bareilles, Savion Glover, and August Eriksmoen.

Here are my thoughts on these categories: Who I think will win (👉) and who I loved (❤️). Sometimes there are more then just one love, but I tried to narrow it down to the one I would probably vote for if I was able.

Links to my blog reviews will appear in Red here and there throughout this blog by the title of the blog review. Feel free to click on the link and check out what I had to say. And as always, read, like, share, retweet, enjoy.

https://frontmezzjunkies.com/2016/02/09/finally-heres-hamilton/
Best Book of a Musical

❤️Bright Star – Steve Martin

👉Hamilton – Lin-Manuel Miranda

School of Rock—The Musical – Julian Fellowes

Shuffle Along, Or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed – George C. Wolfe

It’s pretty much a no-brainier that Lin-Manuel Miranda is going to own these two (and more) categories. This show is going to rake in the awards.   For book, score, orchestrations, and probably choreography as well. Bare minimum, three out of four.

Wolfe could have a shot here, for the great Act 1 of Shuffle Along, and the lesser Act 2. And that’s what may hinder an upset here. If he had found as dynamic a second act as the first, this might have been a closer match.

I do love Bright Star, even if the book is a bit corn doggie, but it still had me. And I’m just plain happy that Bright Star is getting as much love as it is. I thought Waitress would have out shone Star.

https://frontmezzjunkies.com/2015/12/12/i-surrender-to-the-school-of-rock/

 

Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre

Bright Star – Music: Steve Martin and Edie Brickell  – Lyrics: Edie Brickell

👉Hamilton – Music & Lyrics: Lin-Manuel Miranda

School of Rock—The Musical – Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber  – Lyrics: Glenn Slater

❤️Waitress – Music & Lyrics: Sara Bareilles

Miranda. Yes. Naturally.

But I do love what Bareilles did here for Waitress. Such glorious music and harmonies. Same with the banjo brilliance of Martin/Brickell with Bright Star. It didn’t have as many delicious flavors as Waitress, but it still was beautiful to behold.

School of Rock is finally giving Webber some success and that has been a long time coming. He had a great time crafting this loud and rocking musical, and besides the amazing Brightman’s performance, the score was the best part of Rock.

https://frontmezzjunkies.com/2016/04/24/the-delicious-waitress/

 

Best Choreography

👉Andy Blankenbuehler, Hamilton

❤️Savion Glover, Shuffle Along, Or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed

Hofesh Shechter, Fiddler on the Roof

Randy Skinner, Dames at Sea

Sergio Trujillo, On Your Feet! The Story of Emilio and Gloria Estefan

This one is hard for me. Blankenbuehler will most likely win, riding on the coat tails of this guggernat, but Glover did some exceptional work on Shuffle Along, causing me to actually feel sorry for the stage’s floor boards. It was powerful and energetic, like a steam engine driving Shuffle Along to the end. Without that electricity, the show would have stalled.

I also loved Shechter and his inventive work taking on the traditional Fiddler and giving it fire. It was one of the best parts of Fiddler. I must admit I didn’t see the other two.  I sorta wish I had seen Dames at Sea, it might have been my only chance to see a Broadway production of this classic.

https://frontmezzjunkies.com/2015/12/17/comparative-fiddling-the-new-revival-of-fiddler-on-the-roof/

https://frontmezzjunkies.com/2016/04/28/shuffle-along-for-a-long-jazzy-ride/

 

Best Orchestrations

❤️August Eriksmoen, Bright Star

Larry Hochman, She Loves Me

👉Alex Lacamoire, Hamilton

Daryl Waters, Shuffle Along, Or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed

I’m going to give my love to Bright Star, while feeling pretty confident that Hamilton will grab this one too. I also will admit that I know little of what goes into this category, so I’m just going by how it sounded to me, and all four did great work.  Bright Star and She Loves Me, although so different in style, both sounded glorious.

https://frontmezzjunkies.com/2016/01/08/bright-star-a-blue-grass-lyrical-poem-to-home/

https://frontmezzjunkies.com/2016/03/17/loving-she-loves-me-part-ii/