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Harlett O'Dowd

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May 13, 2008, 9:39:35 AM5/13/08
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Nominations for the 2008 American Theatre Wing's Tony Awards®
Presented by The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing

Best Play

August: Osage County
Author: Tracy Letts
Producers: Jeffrey Richards, Jean Doumanian, Steve Traxler, Jerry
Frankel, Ostar Productions, Jennifer Manocherian, The Weinstein
Company, Debra Black/Daryl Roth, Ronald & Marc Frankel/Barbara
Freitag, Rick Steiner/Staton Bell Group, The Steppenwolf Theatre
Company

Rock 'n' Roll
Author: Tom Stoppard
Producers: Bob Boyett & Sonia Friedman Productions, Ostar Productions,
Roger Berlind, Tulchin/Bartner, Douglas G. Smith, Dancap Productions,
Jam Theatricals, The Weinstein Company, Lincoln Center Theater, The
Royal Court Theatre London

The Seafarer
Author: Conor McPherson
Producers: Ostar Productions, Bob Boyett, Roy Furman, Lawrence
Horowitz, Jam Theatricals, Bill Rollnick/Nancy Ellison Rollnick, James
D'Orta, Thomas S. Murphy, Ralph Guild/Jon Avnet, Philip Geier/Keough
Partners, Eric Falkenstein/Max OnStage, The National Theatre of Great
Britain

The 39 Steps
Author: Patrick Barlow
Producers: Roundabout Theatre Company, Todd Haimes, Harold Wolpert,
Julia C. Levy, Bob Boyett, Harriet Newman Leve/Ron Nicynski, Stewart
F. Lane/Bonnie Comley, Manocherian Golden Prods., Olympus Theatricals/
Douglas Denoff, Marek J. Cantor/Pat Addiss, Huntington Theatre Company/
Nicholas Martin/Michael Maso, Edward Snape for Fiery Angel Ltd.

Best Musical

Cry-Baby
Producer: Adam Epstein, Allan S. Gordon, Élan V. McAllister, Brian
Grazer, James P. MacGilvray, Universal Pictures Stage Productions,
Anne Caruso, Adam S. Gordon, Latitude Link, The Pelican Group, Philip
Morgaman, Andrew Farber/Richard Mishaan

In The Heights
Producers: Kevin McCollum, Jeffrey Seller, Jill Furman, Sander
Jacobs, Goodman/Grossman, Peter Fine, Everett/Skipper

Passing Strange
Producers: The Shubert Organization, Elizabeth Ireland McCann LLC,
Bill Kenwright, Chase Mishkin, Barbara & Buddy Freitag, Broadway
Across America, Emily Fisher Landau, Peter May, Boyett Ostar, Larry
Hirschhorn, Janet Pailet/Steve Klein, Elie Hirschfeld/Jed Bernstein,
Spring Sirkin/Ruth Hendel, Vasi Laurence/Pat Flicker Addiss, Wendy
Federman/Jackie Barlia Florin, Joey Parnes, The Public Theater, The
Berkeley Repertory Theatre

Xanadu
Producers: Robert Ahrens, Dan Vickery, Tara Smith/B. Swibel, Sarah
Murchison/Dale Smith

Best Book of a Musical

Cry-Baby
Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan

In The Heights
Quiara Alegría Hudes

Passing Strange
Stew

Xanadu
Douglas Carter Beane

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

Cry-Baby
Music & Lyrics: David Javerbaum & Adam Schlesinger

In The Heights
Music & Lyrics: Lin-Manuel Miranda

The Little Mermaid
Music: Alan Menken
Lyrics: Howard Ashman and Glenn Slater

Passing Strange
Music: Stew and Heidi Rodewald
Lyrics: Stew

Best Revival of a Play

Boeing-Boeing
Producers: Sonia Friedman Productions, Bob Boyett, Act Productions,
Matthew Byam Shaw, Robert G. Bartner, The Weinstein Company, Susan
Gallin/Mary Lu Roffe, Broadway Across America, Tulchin/Jenkins/DSM,
The Araca Group

The Homecoming
Producers: Jeffrey Richards, Jerry Frankel, Jam Theatricals, Ergo
Entertainment, Barbara & Buddy Freitag, Michael Gardner, Herbert
Goldsmith Productions, Terry E. Schnuck, Harold Thau, Michael Filerman/
Lynne Peyser, Ronald Frankel/David Jaroslawicz, Love Bunny
Entertainment

Les Liaisons Dangereuses
Producers: Roundabout Theatre Company, Todd Haimes, Harold Wolpert,
Julia C. Levy

Macbeth
Producers: Duncan C. Weldon & Paul Elliott, Jeffrey Archer, Bill
Ballard, Terri & Timothy Childs, Rodger Hess, David Mirvish, Adriana
Mnuchin, Emanuel Azenberg, BAM, The Chichester Festival Theatre

Best Revival of a Musical

Grease
Producers: Paul Nicholas and David Ian, Nederlander Presentations
Inc., Terry Allen Kramer, Robert Stigwood

Gypsy
Producers: Roger Berlind, The Routh-Frankel-Baruch-Viertel Group, Roy
Furman, Debra Black, Ted Hartley, Roger Horchow, David Ian, Scott
Rudin, Jack Viertel

Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific
Producers: Lincoln Center Theater, André Bishop, Bernard Gersten, Bob
Boyett

Sunday in the Park with George
Producers: Roundabout Theatre Company, Todd Haimes, Harold Wolpert,
Julia C. Levy, Bob Boyett, Debra Black, Jam Theatricals, Stephanie P.
McClelland, Stewart F. Lane/Bonnie Comley, Barbara Manocherian/
Jennifer Manocherian, Ostar Productions, The Menier Chocolate Factory/
David Babani

Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play

Ben Daniels, Les Liaisons Dangereuses
Laurence Fishburne, Thurgood
Mark Rylance, Boeing-Boeing
Rufus Sewell, Rock 'n' Roll
Patrick Stewart, Macbeth

Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play

Eve Best, The Homecoming
Deanna Dunagan, August: Osage County
Kate Fleetwood, Macbeth
S. Epatha Merkerson, Come Back, Little Sheba
Amy Morton, August: Osage County

Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical

Daniel Evans, Sunday in the Park with George
Lin-Manuel Miranda, In The Heights
Stew, Passing Strange
Paulo Szot, Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific
Tom Wopat, A Catered Affair

Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical

Kerry Butler, Xanadu
Patti LuPone, Gypsy
Kelli O'Hara, Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific
Faith Prince, A Catered Affair
Jenna Russell, Sunday in the Park with George

Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play

Bobby Cannavale, Mauritius
Raúl Esparza, The Homecoming
Conleth Hill, The Seafarer
Jim Norton, The Seafarer
David Pittu, Is He Dead?

Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play

Sinead Cusack, Rock 'n' Roll
Mary McCormack, Boeing-Boeing
Laurie Metcalf, November
Martha Plimpton, Top Girls
Rondi Reed, August: Osage County

Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical

Daniel Breaker, Passing Strange
Danny Burstein, Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific
Robin De Jesús, In The Heights
Christopher Fitzgerald, The New Mel Brooks Musical Young Frankenstein
Boyd Gaines, Gypsy

Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical

de'Adre Aziza, Passing Strange
Laura Benanti, Gypsy
Andrea Martin, The New Mel Brooks Musical Young Frankenstein
Olga Merediz, In The Heights
Loretta Ables Sayre, Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific

Best Scenic Design of a Play

Peter McKintosh, The 39 Steps
Scott Pask, Les Liaisons Dangereuses
Todd Rosenthal, August: Osage County
Anthony Ward, Macbeth

Best Scenic Design of a Musical

David Farley and Timothy Bird & The Knifedge Creative Network, Sunday
in the Park with George
Anna Louizos, In The Heights
Robin Wagner, The New Mel Brooks Musical Young Frankenstein
Michael Yeargan, Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific

Best Costume Design of a Play

Gregory Gale, Cyrano de Bergerac
Rob Howell, Boeing-Boeing
Katrina Lindsay, Les Liaisons Dangereuses
Peter McKintosh, The 39 Steps

Best Costume Design of a Musical

David Farley, Sunday in the Park with George
Martin Pakledinaz, Gypsy
Paul Tazewell, In The Heights
Catherine Zuber, Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific

Best Lighting Design of a Play

Kevin Adams, The 39 Steps
Howard Harrison, Macbeth
Donald Holder, Les Liaisons Dangereuses
Ann G. Wrightson, August: Osage County

Best Lighting Design of a Musical

Ken Billington, Sunday in the Park with George
Howell Binkley, In The Heights
Donald Holder, Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific
Natasha Katz, The Little Mermaid

Best Sound Design of a Play

Simon Baker, Boeing-Boeing
Adam Cork, Macbeth
Ian Dickson, Rock 'n' Roll
Mic Pool, The 39 Steps

Best Sound Design of a Musical

Acme Sound Partners, In The Heights
Sebastian Frost, Sunday in the Park with George
Scott Lehrer, Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific
Dan Moses Schreier, Gypsy

Best Direction of a Play

Maria Aitken, The 39 Steps
Conor McPherson, The Seafarer
Anna D. Shapiro, August: Osage County
Matthew Warchus, Boeing-Boeing

Best Direction of a Musical

Sam Buntrock, Sunday in the Park with George
Thomas Kail, In The Heights
Arthur Laurents, Gypsy
Bartlett Sher, Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific

Best Choreography

Rob Ashford, Cry-Baby
Andy Blankenbuehler, In The Heights
Christopher Gattelli, Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific
Dan Knechtges, Xanadu

Best Orchestrations

Jason Carr, Sunday in the Park with George
Alex Lacamoire & Bill Sherman, In The Heights
Stew & Heidi Rodewald, Passing Strange
Jonathan Tunick, A Catered Affair


* * *

Regional Theatre Tony Award
Chicago Shakespeare Theater

Special Tony Award
Robert Russell Bennett (1894-1981), in recognition of his historic
contribution to American musical theatre in the field of
orchestrations, as represented on Broadway this season by Rodgers &
Hammerstein's South Pacific.

Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre
Stephen Sondheim


* * *


Tony Nominations by Production

In The Heights - 13
Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific - 11
Sunday in the Park with George - 9
August: Osage County - 7
Gypsy - 7
Passing Strange - 7
Boeing-Boeing - 6
Macbeth - 6
The 39 Steps - 6
Les Liaisons Dangereuses - 5
Cry-Baby - 4
Rock 'n' Roll - 4
The Seafarer - 4
Xanadu - 4
A Catered Affair - 3
The Homecoming - 3
The New Mel Brooks Musical Young Frankenstein - 3
The Little Mermaid - 2
Come Back, Little Sheba - 1
Cyrano de Bergerac - 1
Grease - 1
Is He Dead? - 1
Mauritius - 1
November - 1
Thurgood - 1
Top Girls - 1

www.TonyAwards.com

Harlett O'Dowd

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May 13, 2008, 9:43:29 AM5/13/08
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YF - ouch!

that Stro was snubbed a director nod was not unexpected, but for SOUTH
PACIFIC to get a choreographer nom and Stro to be sitting at home is a
big ouch!

Nice to see YF get a nom for scenic design, but I'm surprised by no
nom for lighting and (somewhat less so) for costumes.

Steve Newport

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May 13, 2008, 10:18:29 AM5/13/08
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Yes, it was a punishment year like I feared. The other awards didn't go
this route. One odd exception to the pattern: the additional LITTLE
MERMAID songs over CATERED AFFAIR.

Steve Newport

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May 13, 2008, 10:25:40 AM5/13/08
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And the universally panned GREASE gets a Revival nomination.

Harlett O'Dowd

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May 13, 2008, 10:46:19 AM5/13/08
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On May 13, 10:25 am, NewportsRe...@webtv.net (Steve Newport) wrote:
> And the universally panned GREASE gets a Revival nomination.

what else would they have put into the 4th slot? They're surely being
urged to put a performance on the telecast anyway...

Steve Newport

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May 13, 2008, 11:13:19 AM5/13/08
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From: chris.c...@worldspan.com (Harlett O'Dowd) <<<And the

universally panned GREASE gets a Revival nomination.>>>
---------------------------------
What else would they have put into the 4th slot? They're surely being

urged to put a performance on the telecast anyway...
---------------------------------
So a total piece of shit can make even more money.

If they follow the old rules, viewers will not be seeing A CATERED
AFFAIR (this season's LOVEMUSIK), YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, or THE LITTLE
MERMAID (this season's LEGALLY BLONDE.)

One positive: there's now more likely to be a CRY-BABY recording.

Interesting that this is the first time Bloody Mary has shown up this
season.

Steve Newport

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May 13, 2008, 4:36:43 PM5/13/08
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From: chris.c...@worldspan.com (Harlett O'Dowd) for SOUTH PACIFIC

to get a choreographer nom and Stro to be sitting at home is a big ouch!
--------------------------------------
Mel was also snubbed in both categories. IIRC, he got a Drama Desk nom
for his lyrics. Their winners next Monday, I believe.

Harlett O'Dowd

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May 13, 2008, 7:10:19 PM5/13/08
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On May 13, 4:36 pm, NewportsRe...@webtv.net (Steve Newport) wrote:
> From: chris.conne...@worldspan.com (Harlett O'Dowd) for SOUTH PACIFIC

> to get a choreographer nom and Stro to be sitting at home is a big ouch!
> --------------------------------------
> Mel was also snubbed in both categories.

yes, but that was not unexpected.

Steve Newport

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May 13, 2008, 11:14:05 PM5/13/08
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From: chris.c...@worldspan.com (Harlett O'Dowd) Mel was also
snubbed in both categories, but that was not unexpected.
-------------------------------------
I though he had a chance of a book nom, possibly before the other Meehan
show CRY-BABY.

Ed(NY)

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May 14, 2008, 12:43:40 AM5/14/08
to

"Steve Newport" <Newpor...@webtv.net> wrote in message
news:2642-482...@storefull-3156.bay.webtv.net...

From: chris.c...@worldspan.com (Harlett O'Dowd) <<<And the
universally panned GREASE gets a Revival nomination.>>>
---------------------------------
What else would they have put into the 4th slot? They're surely being
urged to put a performance on the telecast anyway...
---------------------------------
So a total piece of shit can make even more money.

If they follow the old rules, viewers will not be seeing A CATERED
AFFAIR (this season's LOVEMUSIK), YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, or THE LITTLE
MERMAID (this season's LEGALLY BLONDE.)

Putting "A Catered Affair" and "Lovemusik" in the same category is an
extraordinary stretch, IMHO. Both had creative and unusual formats, but
that's where it ends for me.

Harlett O'Dowd

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May 14, 2008, 8:51:18 AM5/14/08
to
On May 13, 11:14 pm, NewportsRe...@webtv.net (Steve Newport) wrote:
> From: chris.conne...@worldspan.com (Harlett O'Dowd) Mel was also

Why? He simply typed in Wilder's screenplay into a word processor,
trimmed it and added some songs.

Steve Newport

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May 14, 2008, 1:02:24 PM5/14/08
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From: eb...@earthlink.net (Ed(NY))
"A Catered Affair" and "Lovemusik" in the same category...both had

creative and unusual formats, but that's where it ends
---------------------------------------
In Tony terms, they both had/have nominated performers, but were/are not
nominated as "Best Musical." Last season, it was initially decided that
LOVEMUSIK and LEGALLY BLONDE (also not up for the big prize) would
perform anyway, but that decision was overturned. I read recently that
CBS has demanded more musical numbers from the shows this season. (We
may see the still-running BLONDE belatedly.)

CATERED and YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN have nominated performers. LITTLE MERMAID
surprisingly does not. Although its score (again surprisingly) is
nominated.
I'm guessing even it's a better show than GREASE.

Steve Newport

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May 14, 2008, 1:08:26 PM5/14/08
to

From: chris.c...@worldspan.com (Harlett O'Dowd) Mel was also
snubbed in both categories, but that was not unexpected.
-------------------------------------
SN: I though he had a chance of a book nom, possibly before the other
Meehan show CRY-BABY.
------------------------------------

Why? He simply typed in Wilder's screenplay into a word processor,
trimmed it and added some songs.
------------------------------------
SN: The adapted CRY-BABY book was not critically acclaimed, either-- so
I thought he might get a token nom (like Stro as choreographer)-- as he
did in previous awards this season.

Harlett O'Dowd

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May 14, 2008, 5:38:39 PM5/14/08
to
On May 14, 1:08 pm, NewportsRe...@webtv.net (Steve Newport) wrote:
> SN: The adapted CRY-BABY book was not critically acclaimed, either-- so
> I thought he might get a token nom (like Stro as choreographer)-- as he
> did in previous awards this season.

yes, but if the point is to *punish* Brooks, then it stands to reason
that the book should be at the head of the snub list (even before
musical) because there is virtually *no* achievement there at all - to
the point that most of the laughs aren't really his.

I would see him begrudgingly nominated for score before book.even if
it's not successful he at least DID something.

Stephen Farrow

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May 14, 2008, 8:34:19 PM5/14/08
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Harlett O'Dowd wrote:

> I would see him begrudgingly nominated for score before book.even if
> it's not successful he at least DID something.

I wouldn't (at least, based on the cast recording). "Puttin' on the
Ritz" only serves to highlight - in neon letters fifty feet high - the
astonishing shallowness of the rest of the score. It's even more vapid
than his score for "The Producers". It has all of the ingredients of
classic golden-age musical comedy except wit, charm and style.


--

Stephen

I pushed nothing funky.

Steve Newport

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May 14, 2008, 9:34:26 PM5/14/08
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From: stephen...@gmail.com (Stephen Farrow) based on the cast

recording). "Puttin' on the Ritz" only serves to highlight - in neon
letters fifty feet high - the astonishing shallowness of the rest of the
score. (YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN)
---------------------------------
I don't disagree, and yet I'd still place the cast recording a notch
above XANADU.
And while the additional material of THE LITTLE MERMAID is fine, I'm
surprised it was nominated over the completely original A CATERED
AFFAIR.

Steve Newport

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May 15, 2008, 12:13:01 PM5/15/08
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Best Play
August: Osage County
Author: Tracy Letts
Producers: Jeffrey Richards, Jean Doumanian, Steve Traxler, Jerry
Frankel, Ostar Productions, Jennifer Manocherian, The Weinstein Company,
Debra Black/Daryl Roth, Ronald & Marc Frankel/Barbara Freitag, Rick
Steiner/Staton Bell Group, The Steppenwolf Theatre Company

Tony Nominations by Production

August: Osage County - 7

-----------------------------------
SN: It also won the Pulitzer Prize


www.TonyAwards.com

Harlett O'Dowd

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May 15, 2008, 4:14:29 PM5/15/08
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On May 14, 8:34 pm, Stephen Farrow <stephen.far...@gmail.com> wrote:

> I wouldn't (at least, based on the cast recording). "Puttin' on the
> Ritz" only serves to highlight - in neon letters fifty feet high - the
> astonishing shallowness of the rest of the score. It's even more vapid
> than his score for "The Producers". It has all of the ingredients of
> classic golden-age musical comedy except wit, charm and style.


I don't dispute a word of this, but at least he wrote *something* - at
least he had to reach for a rhyming dictionary on one or two
occasions. In regards of the book he did NOTHING.

Let me be clear - he was rightfully snubbed in both categories but if
the Tony nominators were to begrudgingly give him a nomination to fill
in one of the categories it would have made more sense for it to be
for score.

Steve Newport

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May 18, 2008, 4:52:08 PM5/18/08
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From: chris.c...@worldspan.com (Harlett O'Dowd) Let me be clear -
if the Tony nominators were to begrudgingly give Mel Brooks a nomination

to fill in one of the categories it would have made more sense for it to
be for score.
------------------------------------
Does "Stew" really deserve four nominations?

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