In celebration of the 70th Annual Tony Awards, I decided to write a post on my blog for the first time in over a year. Here are my top fifteen moments at the Tonys from the past few years. I couldn't pick and choose overall favourites so I decided that putting them into chronological order would be the best way to do it.
In The Heights (2008)Currently, the brilliant Lin Manuel-Miranda is famous for Hamilton, but back in 2008 he brought the Pulitzer winning hip-hop musical 'In The Heights' to Broadway and ended up taking home the Tony Award for Best Musical. I had the pleasure of seeing the London production this year and the energy seen in this performance is persistent throughout the entire show. The story centres on a tight-knit group of people living in Washington Heights - a poverty-stricken corner of New York. It's a simple story that is interwoven with complex themes and honest characters. Shrek the musical (2009)I am one of those people that had mega doubts about the idea of Shrek as a stage musical... and yet here we are with me putting their Tony performance on my 'favourites' list. After I watched Shrek the musical I realised how wrong I was about prejudging it. The book is witty, the score is fun, and the choreography is snazzy. All of which they they gave a little taste of in their 2009 Tony performance. P.S. The nod to Wicked is worth this entire performance. Catch Me If You Can (2011)Norbert Leo Butz is hands down one of the best Broadway performers ever, and in this performance he really shows how very deserving of that title. The show itself was pretty mediocre, but Norbert Leo Butz is a true star and it's easy to see how he went on to win the Tony Award for Best Actor just from watching this video. Also, Aaron Tveit's vocals are as smooth and silky as always. Here's to hoping we can maybe get him back to the Tony Awards in the next few years to come! NPH and Hugh Jackman Duet (2011)Hedwig and Jean Valjean battling it out through song? Yes, please! So who did you think came out on top? For me, Neil Patrick Harris will always have a special place in my heart as being my ultimate favourite Tony Awards host but, despite this, Hugh Jackman did a much better job of hosting the Oscars than NPH did. So really, both are winners in my eyes. I want another Hugh Jackman/NPH song battle in the future please, thank you. | Next to Normal (2009)Only two performances into my list, and yet already another Pulitzer Prize winning musical! Alice Ripley's stunningly emotional performance in this scene is one of the main reasons why it is one of my favourites. Next to Normal's portrayal of mental illnesses is incredibly poised. By personifying Diana's mental illness, it helps the audience to understand her psyche and the on-going battle that she is facing within her own mind. The concept of this show is genius. Anything Goes (2011)I am a sucker for an stunningly intense tap dance scene. It's one of my favourite things about musical theatre. A good old tap dance scene is my heaven. Was it a surprise that Anything Goes won the award for Best Choreography? Definitely not! I cannot mention this performance without also mentioning the perfection of Sutton Foster. After a good 2-3 mins of some hardcore tap dancing, she then finishes it off with some belting. She is an actual goddess. How to Succeed in Business... (2011)Who knew Daniel Radcliffe was not only a great actor, but is also a pretty decent singer and dancer too? Damn, Harry Potter is a triple threat! I'm not going to lie, I wasn't expecting to enjoy his Tony Award performance quite as much as I did. I did have doubts about his singing abilities... which were quickly squashed. It is a really big shame that he was snubbed for a nomination. The choreography of this scene is sublime and is the main reason why it made it onto my list of favourite Tony performances. Book of Mormon (2012)Anyone who knows me well will know that The Book of Mormon is one of my favourite shows. Now, this show had the privilege of performing at the Tony Awards in both 2011 and 2012 so choosing my favourite was difficult. As much as I love watching Andrew Rannells trying to convert a Ugandan warlord to Mormonism, I enjoy seeing the happy big grins of the Mormons more. Plus, I got to see Nic Rouleau as Elder Price in London and he is such a wonderful performer! |