I have celebrated this day since before I moved to the city, even before I had a single degree! This year is special however. This year, though my wife and I aren't personally attending the ceremony, this is the first year that a show in the running is a show that I saw open Off-Broadway, that I witnessed being changed and prodded into its current wonderful form, that I got to know the cast and creative, and that my name was in the Original Public Theater Playbill (under Front-of-house but it still counts Dammit!).
I saw this show downtown at the Public more than 40 times and I never grew bored of it's content. I always learned something new about it and it continually affected me emotionally (and still does to this day {for days and days and days!}) That is an impressive feat! It's wonderful to know you are a part of something special, no matter how small that part may be.
It's competition is really something this year too! We have another wholly original musical, "Something Rotten," the culmination and unfortunately the final piece from one of my all time favorite collaborations, "The Visit," and finally an adaption of one of my favorite Movie Musicals whose score and extensive ballet sequences hark back to the Golden Age of Broadway, "An American in Paris." It's a remarkable season!
The real point that I try to make every year is that it doesn't matter who wins really, this is our entire community getting together to celebrate accomplishments and YAY that there are so many things to celebrate! So many people are making a good living doing what they love!!! There are ao many incredibly talented people living their dreams! Theater is alive and well (and fresh and new and every bit as wonderful) and that's what I celebrate every year on this day! That is why it is such an important day to me. This is proof that it can still be done and still be done well!
So as for my stakes in it this year, win or lose, "Fun Home" has definately changed my life for the better and is endlessly inspiring in my own endeavors but even if it doesn't win and make history tonight, "Something Rotten," "The Visit," and "An American in Paris," all deserve love and praise for all the hard work that has gone into them and all the work that they provide for thespians all over the city, country and world! Today's hottest shows are tomorrow's staples in community theater!
Wish us "Public people" luck tonight and tune in! And May the Gods of the Theatre smile on us and contiune to inspire such wonderful things!
P.S. I'm only blogging about the "Best Musical" caregory because I could literally go on for days about the content, categories, nominees, and each of the shows on Broaday this season! Nobody has the bandwidth nor time for that...especially when it's already been done! Check out these wonderful sources via the interwebs for more info on anything regarding the Tonys and Broadway in general!
https://www.facebook.com/theatermania
