2007 Tony "Post-Mortem": The Quest for Relevance

Not really a genuine post-mortem since the show is still going on as I type this, however, the winners this year seem to be very predictable and for the most part deserving (although Coast of Utopia: Molitva at this year's Eurovision in my view), so I'm wrapping it up with 20 minutes to go.

Supposedly, this is the last year that CBS is broadcasting the show, and I almost think this is a good thing, as the Tonys struggle to find some type of relevance in a world that has largely passed them by.

I'll get back to that cerebral thought in a moment, but first...

My god, I cannot believe that there hasn't been a duff winner yet.

• Spring Awakening seems to be deservedly sweeping every category its nominated in.
• Julie White won against all odds, however, if you saw her in Little Dog, this is no surprise. She was that good. As much as I despise Douglas Carter Beane as a writer (particularly in terms of plot), he can write amazing monologues and female characters...he just bombs badly in every other aspect.
• Mary Louise Wilson gave the best acceptance speech so far: "This was not a surprise."
• Bill T. Jones came very close to Wilson for best acceptance speech (certainly won it for best winner's walk to the podium).
• A special award should go to Eddie Izzard as presenter for Special Theatrical Event (aka the most boring category imaginable). I don't know if he was scripted or ad-libbing, but it was probably inherently better than the two nominees in that category. (Kiki & Herb were robbed, even though they probably didn't stand a chance, but they would've won that knife fight.)

Now to the negativity.

I don't get the accolades for Coast of Utopia but I reckon it has more to do with people wanting to appear smart rather than for the play itself.

We all understand that the Tonys are televised more out of tradition rather than for ratings, but the way that everything is synergised for maximum cross-referencing is just dire. Try as hard as they might, Viva Laughlin will likely not become more than a mere footnote for the 2007-08 season, and a camp/cult rerun 5 years after, no matter how much they hype up Hugh Jackman & Melanie Griffith.

Yet, that's not the worst part. That dubious honour goes to this year's tagline: "There's A Little Bit of Broadway in Everyone."

Christ on a stick, that is stupid as hell.

The last thing I want to see or hear is some random bleach blonde bimbette claiming how she loved going to see Cats when she was young...all of 2 minutes ago.

"Broadway" is near death, praise god. Let the new theatrical phoenix arise.

Update: Tonight's only shocker was the newly out David Hyde Pierce winning Best Actor. What the hell was that? And the newly divorced Taye Diggs & Idina Menzel co-presenting...that was most definitely odd.