Tony Nominations 2013: 10 plot twists to know
Ten noteworthy plot turns in the 2013 Tony nominations
1. “Kinky Boots” (with 13 nominations) edging “Matilda” (with 12 nominations) for most nominated show. A reminder that Harvey Fierstein, the “Kinky” book writer, is the Harvey Weinstein of the Tonys.
2. “Bring It On: The Musical” getting a nomination for best musical over “Hands on a Hardbody.” The lesson: Gymnastic cheerleading more crowd-pleasing than a paralytic auto-dealership marathon.
3. Bette Midler getting frozen out of the best actress category. Makes sense artistically, but how did the Tony nominating committee resist the publicity lure? (A fiery meeting no doubt taking place at CBS, which broadcasts the June 9 Tony ceremony, on Tuesday morning.)
4. Colm Tóibín’s “The Testament of Mary” getting a nomination for best play but Fiona Shaw getting squeezed out of the very competitive best actress category. A strange turn of events but more of a numbers game than an artistic statement.
PHOTOS: 2013 Tonys top nominees
5. Stars getting snubbed, Part I. Alec Baldwin, Jessica Chastain and Sigourney Weaver were all passed over while their co-stars received some love. Proof that the Tony nominating committee understands the meaning of “all that glitters is not gold.”
6. Stars getting snubbed, Part II. Al Pacino ignored for his egregiously silly performance in “Glengarry Glen Ross.” Reports of the demise of common sense on the Great White Way are somewhat exaggerated.
7. Stars getting snubbed, Part III. No nominations for Cuba Gooding Jr. or Vanessa Williams while Condola Rashad receives a nomination alongside the great Cicely Tyson in the revival of “The Trip to Bountiful.” Tyson, if there’s any cosmic justice, should walk away with the best actress award.
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8. Tom Hanks’ ensemble performance in “Lucky Guy” being justly recognized along with his costar Courtney B. Vance’s. Yet another sign that the Hollywood backlash was more discerning than not.
9. Despite the star worshiping by producers on Broadway, there’s still safety in numbers, as Alan Cumming and Midler learned the hard way. (Holland Taylor’s solo performance in “Ann” is the exception that proves the rule.)
10. Pam Mackinnon’s revival of “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?,” the bright spot of the season, being remembered in so many categories, including nods for the leads, Tracy Letts and Amy Morton. Hey, maybe intelligence and good taste still count for something?
ALSO:
A rich season for playwright Richard Greenberg
Review: ‘Kinky Boots’ is unsteady in its Broadway walk
Tracy Letts plays his part in illuminating Edward Albee’s ‘Woolf’
Twitter.com\charlesmcnulty
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