It's Turkey-Lurkey Tony Time Again!

The title of this blog refers to that classic dance number from Promises, Promises--"Turkey Lurkey Time" in which Donna MacKechnie led a chorus of office workers in a drunken revel. The annual awards-bestowing orgy in the NY thetre community is similarly unbridled. Monday morning the Outer Critics announced their winners (the only group to consider Young Frankenstein as a candidate for Best Musical). Monday evening I voted with the NY Drama Critics Circle. Tuesday the Tony nominees were announced. This Sunday the Drama Desks will be handed out (and webcast on theatremania.com and heard on Satellite XM, but it will not be broadcast on PBS as in years past), then the Obies on next Monday night.

Predictions are always fun and it looks like In the Heights which scored the most Tony noms, will win big that night. It's just different enough to excite the venturesome Tony voters and just conventional enough to satisfy those frightened by that loud rock music (even though the score is influenced by hip-hop, salsa, and other modern rhythms). Passing Strange is just too hip and cool for the Tonys (if they can vote for something a little safer), so it will not do well. PS will, however, score big at the Drama Desks since Heights was eligible for their prizes last year during the show's Off-Broadway run.

August: Osage County is a lock for both awards for Best Play as is Patti LuPone in Gypsy for Best Actress in a Musical. Her performancce cries out "You will give me two standing ovations per performance and every award you've got or I'll shoot your dog!!!"

The biggest Tony and DD snub is the near-ignoring of Top Girls at MTC. Martha Plimpton is up for a featured Tony and Marisa Tomei is in the running for a Drama Desk in the same category. Yet many critics are upset this revival was passed over in every other slot. Reaction has been interesting to say the least. MTC subscribers who can't wrap their heads people talking at once in different accents (during the Act I dinner scene) have been grabbing their walkers and shuffling out during intermission. While others, mostly professional theatre people, are praising it to the skies. I loved it, but then I had seen it twice before (in the 1982 Off-Broadway production at the Public and at Williamstown), so I knew what to expect.

Be sure to watch this week's On Stage on NY-1 for more of my predix.

--David Sheward