On Sunday night, they were no outsiders.
After a fierce battle, the brilliant new musical “The Outsiders” finally won the coveted Best Musical trophy at the Tony Awards, held at Lincoln Center and honoring the very best of Broadway.
Most critics (not me!) predicted that Alicia Keys' semi-autobiographical “Hell's Kitchen” (also a fun night out) would win.
No. Despite Keyes' aggressive campaigning, the innovation and beating heart of “The Outsiders,” based on S.E. Hinton's classic novel about Oklahoma gang warfare, won over Tony voters in a season packed with 15 new musicals. Too many, in fact.
The battle for Best Musical was fierce right up until the final seconds of the ceremony.
Early in the evening, there was nothing that looked like a commanding presence: “The Outsiders” had a slight lead in lighting and sound, and “Saffs” composer and lead actress Shaina Taub won best screenplay.
And in the biggest shock of the night, “The Outsiders” director Danya Taymor edged out “Merrily We Roll Along” nominee Maria Friedman for best director. The Greasers and Sox were merrily marching toward the finish line.
And, surprisingly, “Suffus” won the award for Best Original Score, making it a close race. However, “The Outsiders” still came out on top with four Tony Awards.
Many of the other winners were in line for predictions: “Stereophonic” won best play, the hit “Merrily We Roll Along” was named best revival of a musical, and “Appropriate” won best revival of a play.
ah.
Jonathan Groff was in tears after winning Best Actor in a Musical for Merrily, while his co-star Daniel Radcliffe won Best Supporting Actor.
“I'll just talk about it quickly and try not to cry,” the Harry Potter star said. Thank you, Dan.
Best Actress in a Musical went to the brilliant newcomer Maleah Joy Moon from “Hell's Kitchen,” while best actress in a play went to Sarah Paulson from “Appropriate.” Jeremy Strong from “Succession” finally won best actor in a play this year.
How is the performance?
They were a mixture of different elements.
Today, musical numbers are even more important than the trophies, because the Tony Awards are the only opportunity these musicals have to be exposed to about 4 million potential ticket buyers nationwide.
“The Outsiders,” starring Best Actor nominee Brody Grant, features an emotionally charged and thrilling fight in the rain.
And for audiences who sat through two hours of the Tony Awards ceremony, the revival of “Cabaret,” starring Oscar winners Eddie Redmayne and Gayle Rankin, with its lively rendition of “Willkommen,” was one of the best showings.
“This figure will translate into increased ticket sales,” an industry insider said of the production, which has been panned by theatre critics.
The “Hell's Kitchen” cast medley started off slow, but picked up steam when Keys and rapper Jay-Z performed local anthem “Empire State of Mind.” But before you shell out big bucks, remember that the famous rapper and Keys weren't actually performing.
“Illinois,” a moving dance piece set to music by Sufjan Stevens, was beautifully choreographed. You'll either love it or hate it.
“Tommy by the Who” appealed to audiences' nostalgia for 1960s rock and roll, while “Water for Elephants” defiantly declared, “We've got acrobatics!”
To make matters worse, they were pressed to be allowed to play original songs from “Stereophonic,” a play about a 1970s Fleetwood Mac-esque band, on air, which, after some silly protests, they got.
That was a big mistake. The song was sensational but the performance was lackluster. They would have been better off just winning.
Oscar winner Ariana DeBose hosted the broadcast for the third time.
Her opening number was one of the worst Tonys in years, a weird flop like “Sweet Charity,” with lyrics that evoke Broadway and pop. Other than that, she carried on calmly. She said this was her last performance. Goodbye!
Overall the evening was pretty boring.
The Tony Awards are hugely important to Broadway, even with declining audiences, and CBS, the American Theatre Wing and the show's producers need to get it right.
This year we did not do that.
