Some Worthy Musicals That Didn’t Feel Tony’s Love
Tony Awards are coming up and this year is more competitive than ever. So it’s no surprise that some really terrific shows didn’t get as many nominations that they would have in a less competitive year.
The long-awaited Smash, based upon the TV series with a cult following, finally made it to the Great White Way and ended with two deserved Tony nominations – Best Featured Actor (Brooks Ashmanskas) and Best Choreography (Joshua Bergasse).
The fun musical about making a fun musical might have been up for Best Musical and Best Actress (Robyn Hurder) in a less stacked year. Alas, no. But fun time at the theatre shouldn’t be about the awards – being entertained should be reward enough. But in the theatre world and marketing campaigns, reviews and awards really help a show stay on the boards for a longer time as they use awards and reviews in banners and campaigns to keep audiences coming back. On the site http://www.show-score.com, Smash is fairing well with a 75% approval rating with over 500 audience members’ reviews. The week post Tony nominations, Smash‘s attendance was down 1.71% and performing at 76.88% capacity (compared to Death Becomes Her which was up over 8% in attendance since it received 10 nominations). More nominations might have helped Smash a lot and given this show legs to run a long time. The musical is uplifting and lively and should appeal to not only the locals who come but then after they’re done, the buses of tourists from out of town.
Another good show that got only two Tony Award nominations is Real Women Have Curves. Based upon the movie of the same name, this is an uplifting, female empowerment show that embraces women of all body types. Like the movie, this musical has a lot of heart and a great ensemble cast led by Tatianna Cordoba in her Broadway debut. She is supported by Tony nominee Justina Machado and several other women, notably Carla Jimenez from several TV shows and a standout in The Mick.
The show’s second Tony nomination is Best Score and other critics’ awards did nominate it for Best Musical (Drama League, Outer Critics), Best Actress Cordoba (Drama League and Drama Desk Awards) and Best Choreography by Sergio Trujillo (Drama League, Drama Desk).
More Tony nominations could have helped this show as it’s only performing at 66.23%, which is down over 4% since the Tony nominations. Pity, as audiences love this show with a 94% approval rating on Show Score.
Nothing is more thrilling than seeing these and other shows live – whether on Broadway or in your town. For a truly great experience, seek out live theatre.
