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| re: Also: Brynner didn't win the Tony for Best Actor in a Musical | |
| Posted by: larry13 12:56 pm EST 02/13/21 | |
| In reply to: Also: Brynner didn't win the Tony for Best Actor in a Musical - WaymanWong 03:59 am EST 02/13/21 | |
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| Brynner was billed below the title(explanation, not justification, for the Tony decision)and, once again, maybe the Tonys thought they were doing him a favor by guaranteeing him a win. Famously, Gertrude Lawrence supposedly on her deathbed asked that he be moved to above the title--which he was.(And, of course, the new Anna would then share top billing--which Lawrence never did.) As outrageous as the King being seen as a supporting role, it still isn't as ludicrous as Molly Brown being so cited. |
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| re: Also: Brynner didn't win the Tony for Best Actor in a Musical | |
| Posted by: Michael_Portantiere 01:52 pm EST 02/13/21 | |
| In reply to: re: Also: Brynner didn't win the Tony for Best Actor in a Musical - larry13 12:56 pm EST 02/13/21 | |
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| Right. For what it's worth, I think the overwhelming reason why Brynner did not initially receive star billing for the original production of THE KING AND I and, therefore, was nominated not nominated in the leading actor category was that he was a little-known commodity at the time. I'm not saying it's a GOOD reason (I don't think it is), but I do think that's the explanation, as you say. | |
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| Mary Beth Peil as Anna in "King and I" was nominated for Supporting Actress | |
| Last Edit: PlayWiz 04:41 pm EST 02/13/21 | |
| Posted by: PlayWiz 04:38 pm EST 02/13/21 | |
| In reply to: re: Also: Brynner didn't win the Tony for Best Actor in a Musical - Michael_Portantiere 01:52 pm EST 02/13/21 | |
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| It's also kind of ludicrous that when Mary Beth Peil did one of Brynner's Broadway "King & I" revivals she was nominated for Supporting (or Featured, whatever they called it that year) Actress for Anna! Yes she was below the title, but it was originally conceived as the star part of the whole show. But Tonys are very inconsistent over the years with categories; they did that with putting leading people in supporting categories like those Tony winners Tom Bosley in "Fiorello", Tammy Grimes in "Molly Brown", Dick van Dyke in "Bye Bye Birdie" which I can think of offhand and also nominee William Daniels' huge role of John Adams (who declined that nomination for "1776"). | |
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| re: Mary Beth Peil in "King and I" was nominated for Supporting | |
| Last Edit: WaymanWong 05:19 pm EST 02/13/21 | |
| Posted by: WaymanWong 05:16 pm EST 02/13/21 | |
| In reply to: Mary Beth Peil as Anna in "King and I" was nominated for Supporting Actress - PlayWiz 04:38 pm EST 02/13/21 | |
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| What's also so ridiculous about Peil's Supporting nomination is: Who is she supporting? ''The King and I'' was designed to be a star vehicle for Gertrude Lawrence. Anna has more songs to sing in ''The King and I'' than anyone else. The show revolves around her arc, and the King is her colorful antagonist. Lawrence won her Tony for Best Actress in a Musical as Anna, and decades later, so did Donna Murphy and Kelli O'Hara. Despite her billing, the Tonys should've bumped Peil up to Leading Actress, and she could've competed with Leilani Jones, who was billed above the title in ''Grind.'' (It wouldn't have been the first time there were just two Tony nominees in that category.) Instead, the Tonys dumped the Leading Actress category, and bumped Jones down to Featured Actress, alongside Peil, and Evalyn Baron and Lenka Peterson, both from ''Quilters.'' |
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| re: Mary Beth Peil in "King and I" was nominated for Supporting | |
| Posted by: larry13 05:51 pm EST 02/13/21 | |
| In reply to: re: Mary Beth Peil in "King and I" was nominated for Supporting - WaymanWong 05:16 pm EST 02/13/21 | |
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| And 'we" still discuss, debate, question, predict, argue, etc. etc. etc.(as the King might have said)the Tony nominations and awards. And it's not even as if the awards(except maybe best musical), let alone nominations, had any real box-office clout. | |
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| Yes, the Tonys were pretty unimportant in 1952 | |
| Posted by: AlanScott 08:16 pm EST 02/13/21 | |
| In reply to: re: Mary Beth Peil in "King and I" was nominated for Supporting - larry13 05:51 pm EST 02/13/21 | |
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| Thank you. I have said that a bunch of times here. In 1952, the Tony awards were pretty unimportant to the public. Newspaper ads might mention the New York Drama Critics Circle award if a show had won it, but rarely if ever Tony awards. | |
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| re: Mary Beth Peil in "King and I" was nominated for Supporting | |
| Last Edit: PlayWiz 07:36 pm EST 02/13/21 | |
| Posted by: PlayWiz 07:35 pm EST 02/13/21 | |
| In reply to: re: Mary Beth Peil in "King and I" was nominated for Supporting - larry13 05:51 pm EST 02/13/21 | |
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| There was a time I believe when Best Actor and Actress in both a musical and play prompted people to buy tickets to check out the award winner, at least when tickets were reasonably affordable. Sometimes supporting as well, if they were a sensational breakout star like Gwen Verdon in "Can-Can", for example. For a while when there were some really great choreographers on Broadway, the winner of the Best Choreography award also sold tickets. | |
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