VIEWPOINTS – The “What-If” 74th Annual Tony Awards: Celebrating the 2019-2020 Broadway Season

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Tonight was supposed to have been Broadway’s valedictory night, the 74th Annual Tony Awards for the 2019-2020 season. As most of you know, the ceremony has been postponed to some unspecified date in the future due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Of the 40 or so shows that were scheduled to open this season, I caught 31 of them before Broadway completely and abruptly shuttered on Thursday, March 12th (note that my attendance is inclusive of a few preview and Off-Broadway performances). In retrospect, not a bad track record at all! As such, I thought I’d go ahead with my own “alternative universe”, “what-if” Tony Awards. Indeed, it seems a shame to be unable to celebrate and recognize — while my memory remains vivid — the extraordinary artistry and efforts of theater professionals over the course of the noteworthy, only slightly truncated 2019-2020 season.

A RECAP OF THE 2019-2020 BROADWAY SEASON

To recap, here are the shows that made it / almost made it to the Great White Way this season. The following is a roundup by category.

New Plays

Officially opened as of March 12th:

  • Sea Wall / A Life
  • The Height of the Storm
  • The Great Society
  • Slave Play
  • Linda Vista
  • The Sound Inside
  • The Inheritance
  • A Christmas Carol
  • My Name Is Lucy Barton
  • Grand Horizons

In previews as of March 12th:

  • The Minutes
  • Hangmen (although I did not see it during previews on Broadway, I caught the Off-Broadway incarnation)
  • The Lehman Trilogy (similarly, I caught the Off-Broadway incarnation)

Prior Off-Broadway run completed:

  • Hangmen (Atlantic Theater Company)
  • The Lehman Trilogy (Park Avenue Armory)

New Musicals

Officially opened as of March 12th:

  • Moulin Rouge!
  • Tina: The Tina Turner Musical
  • Jagged Little Pill
  • The Lightning Thief
  • Girl from the North Country
  • David Byrne’s American Utopia (arguably a “special entertainment”)
  • Freestyle Love Supreme (also arguably a “special entertainment”)

In previews as of March 12th:

  • Six (March 12th was supposed to have been the musical’s official opening night!)
  • Mrs. Doubtfire (I did not see)
  • Diana (I also did not see)

No public performances as of March 12th:

  • Flying Over Sunset

Prior Off-Broadway run completed:

  • Sing Street (New York Theatre Workshop)

Play Revivals

Officially opened as of March 12th:

  • Frankie and Johnny in the Claire de Lune
  • Betrayal
  • The Rose Tattoo
  • A Soldier’s Play

In previews as of March 12th:

  • Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (I did not see)

No public performances as of March 12th:

  • American Buffalo
  • Plaza Suite
  • How I Learned to Drive

Musical Revivals

Officially opened as of March 12th:

  • West Side Story (I did not see; I was scheduled to see it on March 12th!)

In previews as of March 12th:

  • Company

No public performances as of March 12th:

  • Caroline, or Change

Special Entertainments

Officially opened as of March 12th:

  • Derren Brown: Secret
  • Slava’s Snow Show
  • The Illusionists: Magic of the Holidays
  • Harry Connick, Jr.: A Celebration of Cole Porter
  • Kristin Chenoweth: For the Girls (I did not see)
  • There were a number of other special events that played Broadway this  season

BEST PLAY

2019-2020 was a spectacular season for new plays on Broadway. Luckily, I was pretty much able to catch them all, in one form or another. Despite some stiff competition from noteworthy plays like Matthew Lopez’s soapy gay epic The Inheritance, Jeremy O. Harris’s incendiary Slave Play, Martin McDonagh’s first-rate return in Hangmen, and Adam Rapp’s sinuous The Sound Inside, my pick for best play of the season narrowly goes to Stefano Massini’s The Lehman Trilogy for its breathtaking scope and Sam Mendes’s impeccable production.

BEST MUSICAL

In my mind, the battle for best musical is between a a pair of diametrically opposed London-born productions, the ebullient Six and the sobering Girl from the North Country, with the lavish stage version of Moulin Rouge! following closely behind. Although I’m hard-pressed to pick between these two very different works, I’d say the slight edge goes to the gorgeously crafted Girl from the North Country for playwright Conor McPherson’s haunting Depression-era book and penetrating use of the Bob Dylan songbook, as well as its array of deeply-etched performances. Special mention must also go to two productions that, although not technically musicals in the traditional sense of the term, managed to excite me terribly with their authenticity and unexpected theatricality – the David Byrne concert American Utopia and the giddily improvisational Freestyle Love Supreme.

BEST BOOK OF A MUSICAL

Hands-down, Mr. McPherson’s sublime, profoundly poetic work for Girl from the North Country gets my vote. After having seen the musical three times (twice on Broadway, once Off-Broadway), I can safely say that it’s one of the finest books of a musical I’ve come across over the past decade. A remote second place goes to Diablo Cody’s ambitious if flawed book for Jagged Little Pill.

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

As with book of a musical, there’s also very limited competition in this category, in my opinion – Six easily takes the crown for Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss’s insanely catchy, whip-smart pop score, which deliciously and skillfully emulates the song stylings of such pop superstars as Brittany Spears, Celine Dion, Beyoncé, Alicia Keys, etc.

BEST REVIVAL OF A PLAY

Without having seen the four anticipated revivals that were scheduled to open after March 12th (Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, American Buffalo, How I Learned to Drive, and Plaza Suite), I’m still nonetheless very comfortable with picking Jamie Lloyd’s austere, revelatory revival of Harold Pinter’s Betrayal – in which Tom Hiddleston, Zawe Ashton, and Charlie Cox reprised their riveting performances from across the pond – for the win. It was the finest production of the oft-performed play I have ever seen.

BEST REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL

Of the three musical revivals programmed for the Great White Way this season, I unfortunately got to see just one. Sadly, I had tickets to see Ivo van Hove’s controversial, much-publicized West Side Story on the very night Broadway shut down, and Roundabout’s revival of Caroline, or Change didn’t even get a chance to begin performances. This leaves only Marianne Elliott’s revisionist, rightfully acclaimed Company (another London import, albeit substantially recast for Broadway), which was well into previews when the lockdown was implemented. Luckily, I was able to catch it, and I’m completely satisfied with this default choice.

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN A PLAY

Although Adam Godley, Ben Miles, and Simon Russell Beale were undeniably masterful in The Lehman Trilogy, I would probably pick Tom Hiddleston’s emotionally naked turn in the revival of Betrayal. I was left utterly shaken by his performance both times I saw it.

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE IN A PLAY

In my book, the competition is tight between Laura Linney’s deeply moving if conventional portrayal in My Name Is Lucy Barton and Mary-Louise Parker’s layered, quietly shattering work in The Sound Inside. At the end of the day, however, the edge goes to the bold, unforgettable performance by Ms. Parker (who was supposed to have returned to Broadway the same season in Paula Vogel’s How I Learned to Drive in the role that made her a star).

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MUSICAL

This season on Broadway, the beguiling music man David Byrne unexpectedly shined like a beacon of hope during our fraught times in American Utopia. For this reason alone, he deserves and wins the prize. For a more conventional performance, stalwart New York stage actor Jay O. Sanders also caught my attention for providing the sturdy backbone of Girl from the North Country. But my pick still goes to Mr. Byrne.

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MUSICAL

Long story short, I would probably give the award in an extremely competitive field to Mare Winningham, who was simultaneously fierce and richly heartbreaking as the mentally challenged matriarch in Girl from the North Country. That’s not to discount the courageous work of Elizabeth Stanley as an opioid-addicted suburban mother in Jagged Little Pill, Karen Olivo’s visceral performance as the glamorous Satine in Moulin Rouge!, and Adrienne Warren’s career-making turn in Tina: The Tina Turner Musical.

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A PLAY

I saw some great featured performances this season (e.g., Will Hochman in The Sound Inside), but the one that I simply can’t get out of my mind is Tom Sturridge’s detailed, devastating solo performance as an inconsolable father in Simon Stephens’ rich, compact one act play Sea Wall, the first offering in a rare double bill on Broadway.

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A PLAY

This one’s between the great Jane Alexander – who was one of the few bright spots in Bess Wohl’s otherwise flat comedy Grand Horizons – and the totally invested Joaquina Kalukango, who laid it all out for audiences in Slave Play. This one goes to Ms. Kalukango’s fearless performance, but just by a hair.

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A MUSICAL

This was Danny Burstein’s award to win from the get go. His exuberant interpretation of master of ceremonies Harold Zidler in Moulin Rouge! was as alive and present a performance as you’ll likely come across. Just like Joel Grey and Alan Cumming in Cabaret, Mr. Burstein’s presence holds Moulin Rouge! together.

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A MUSICAL

It was only a matter of time before the tough-as-nails Patti LuPone officially played Joanne in Company on Broadway. And boy, was it worth the wait; the legendary diva does not disappoint. Her rendition of the ferocious Stephen Sondheim anthem “Ladies who Lunch” in the Marianne Elliott’s revival scintillates, as it has for years in various concert settings. That being said, each of singing actresses of Six are life-giving forces in their own respect.

BEST SCENIC DESIGN OF A MUSICAL

No competition, Moulin Rouge! is one of the most remarkable visual spectacles to grace Broadway in years, thanks to Derek McLane’s monumental, immersive scenic design. Special mention goes to Bunny Christie’s ingenious work on the Company revival.

BEST SCENIC DESIGN OF A PLAY

The visual conceit behind The Lehman Trilogy (set design is by Es Devlin) was able to give the play the room to be as epic as it needed to be, yet was able to contract to effectively accommodate its more intimate moments. Not far behind was the Anna Fleischle’s atmospheric, consistently inspired work in Hangmen.

BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A MUSICAL

For sheer spectacle and detail, nothing can beat Catherine Zuber’s blockbuster work for Moulin Rouge! That being said, I gagged at the sure-to-be-iconic looks created by Gabriella Slade for the queens of Six (Anne of Cleves’ costume reveal, upgraded specifically for Broadway, is everything). The award goes to Ms. Zuber.

BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A PLAY

For its period-perfect costumes, I would choose A Christmas Carol (kudos to Rob Howell, who is credited for designing both the production’s costumes and set) as the clear winner.

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A MUSICAL

Six enhanced its design elements for the Broadway edition, most notably its concert-inspired lighting design by Tim Deiling. The arena-worthy results could have easily transferred the musical a few blocks downtown to Madison Square Garden. Not surprisingly, Justin Townsend’s elaborate work on Moulin Rouge! also impressed. But Six reigns supreme in this design category.

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A PLAY

Two London imports hit the bulls-eye with their stylish lighting designs – The Lehman Trilogy’s historical panorama and Betrayal’s soul-bearing evocation of personal trauma were aided by some stellar lighting, both by designer Jon Clark. Mr. Clark’s work on The Lehman Trilogy gets my pick for its scale and diversity.

BEST SOUND DESIGN OF A MUSICAL

Peter Hylenski’s sound design for Moulin Rouge! gives the musical a lush pop sound, while allowing the audience to comprehend every single lyric; impressive work. On the other hand, Simon Baker refreshingly treats Bob Dylan’s songs in Girl from the North Country with the the acoustic sensitivity of a serious drama. Close call, but I choose Mr. Hylenski’s flashier work.

BEST SOUND DESIGN OF A PLAY

It’s a tie – the sound designs of both A Christmas Carol and Betrayal (by Simon Baker and Ben and Max Ringham, respectively) effectively immersed me in their respective, albeit very different worlds.

BEST DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL

Alex Timbers is emerging as one of the most visionary American directors of his generation. This season, he helmed two brilliantly realized productions – the thrillingly and soulfully staged concert American Utopia and the spectacular spectacular that is Moulin Rouge! Mr. Timbers gets my vote for his collective contributions (i.e., it’s a tie!).

BEST DIRECTION OF A PLAY

It’s a tie for this direction category, too. Renowned British directors Sam Mendes and Jamie Lloyd have both proven themselves to be theatrical auteurs who  are also deeply invested in the underlying text in their respective productions of The Lehman Trilogy and Betrayal. Special mention goes to the inspired work of Matthew Warchus — another well-regarded Brit — on the thoughtfully revisionist stage adaptation of A Christmas Carol.

BEST CHOREOGRAPHY

I’m obsessed with Annie-B Parson’s disarming, completely distinctive choreography for American Utopia. She deserves the win. Not to be discounted for her effort is Carrie-Anne Ingrouille’s witty, punchy movement for the queens of Six.

BEST ORCHESTRATIONS

For its sonic magnificence, nothing can top the jubilant percussive beats of David Byrne’s American Utopia this season on Broadway. That Mr. Byrne took the time during the performance to deconstruct the show’s orchestrations is a testament to his painstaking dedication to give audiences just the right sound for the singular experience.

Categories: Broadway, Theater

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