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IT’S LUCKY 13 FOR IN THE HEIGHTS
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By Joel Markowitz
Tues – May 13 — It’s the show that has captured my heart and the hearts of my friends. It’s energetic and exciting, and it’s an old fashioned Broadway musical with a Latin twist. Today, In The Heights received a well-deserved 13 Tony Awards nominations.
The critically acclaimed revival of South Pacific, playing to sold-out crowds at Lincoln Center, followed with 11 nominations.
This year, the Tony nomination committee showed great courage and common sense by also nominating the hilarious Xanadu and the very strange Passing Strange in the Best Musical category.
I feel sorry for the Best Play nominees who have to compete with the Pulitzer Prize Winning August: Osage County, which is a shoo-in to win Best Play.
And how nice to see Cry-Baby in the Best Musical category. It’s a show the critics disliked but audiences love, and local actor/composer lyricist Nick Blaemire is assured of a long performing stint with the show. Great news Nick!
And thank you, Tony nominators, for not nominating the horrific Young Frankenstein – Mel Brook’s idiotic, over-blown, boring, production. I tried to listen to the CD last weekend, and couldn’t get through an entire track! It goes to show ya that charging $375 a ticket and selling out the first 4 months does not guarantee a Tony nomination for Best Musical. Ironically, the Outer Critics Awards named this travesty Best Musical along with Xanadu yesterday. But you have to remember that these are the same awards that named Victor! Victoria! Best Musical a few years ago. Sorry, Mel! I knew The Producers, and Young Frankenstein is no The Producers.
And what a joy to see Robin de Jesus and Daniel Breaker, who I had the honor of podcasting last month, both nominated for Best Featured Actor in A Musical. Well deserved Robin and Daniel!!
You can hear their podcasts here:
Daniel Breaker from Passing Strange
Robin de Jesus from In The Heights
Mejor de suerte In The Heights en la Noche de Tony!
Every year I throw a potluck Tony Awards party, and this year, for the first time, I’ll open it up to DC Theatre Scene readers. If you think you’d like to join us on Sunday, June 15th from 6 - 11 pm in a penthouse party room with large screen TV, email me – Joel@dctheatrescene.com - for the arrangements.
