The 2010 - 2011 Season: By the Numbers

Today is the first day of the 2011 - 2012 season!

 

From the First (Brief Encounter) to the Last (The People in the Picture)

And what a rough road it has been to get to this new season from the last.  I can't remember a time when Broadway shows were making as much national news as in the 2010 - 2011 season.  Sure, the one show that didn't open made the most news and has become a part of the American Popular Culture dialogue, but Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark was far from alone in aking headlines.  Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown might just go down in history as the first show destroyed by the Internet before it even opened.  And then there were the protests surrounding The Scottsboro Boys, and the newsmaking of Broadway returns by such legends as James Earl Jones, Vanessa Redgrave, Patti LuPone and Joel Grey, as well as the Broadway debuts of such folk as Chris Rock, Kieffer Sutherland, Luke McFarlane, Lee Pace, Jim Parsons and others, and most recently, the lawsuit filed against Baby It's You! by Beverly Lee an original "Shirelle," Dionne Warwick and Chuck Jackson, as well as on the behalf of the estates of two of the Shirelles.

Let's take a look back at the season, not by hits and misses, favorites and shows we loathed, but by the shear numbers.

The Tony Awards Committee recognizes that 39 productions opened on Broadway this season, starting with Brief Encounter on September 28, 2010, and ending with The People in the Picture on April 28, 2011.

I have categorized each show into one of five categories: Play, Musical, Play Revival, Musical Revival, and Special Event. The Tony Awards will no longer recognize Special Theatrical Events, and are not a part of that 39 total above.

Special Theatrcal Events (4)

• Brigadoon - a one night only benefit
• Harry Connick, Jr. in Concert on Broadway
• Donny and Marie: A Broadway Christmas
• Kathy Griffin Wants a Tony

 New Plays (15)

• Brief Encounter
• The Pitmen Painters
• A Life in the Theatre
• Lombardi
• Colin Quinn: Long Story Short
• The Pee-Wee Herman Show
• A Free Man of Color
• Elling
• Good People
• Ghetto Klown
• Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo
• The Motherfucker with the Hat
• War Horse          

 New Musicals (12)

• Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
• RAIN: The Beatles Experience on Broadway
• The Scottsboro Boys
• Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
• Elf: The Musical
• Priscilla Queen of the Desert
• The Book of Mormon
• Catch Me If You Can
• Wonderland
• Sister Act
• Baby It's You!
• The People in the Picture

 Play Revivals (10)

• Mrs. Warren's Profession
• La Bete
• Driving Miss Daisy
• The Merchant of Venice
• The Importance of Being Earnest
• That Championship Season
• Arcadia
• Born Yesterday
• The House of Blue Leaves
• The Normal Heart

 Musical Revivals (2)

• How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying!
• Anything Goes

Like My Opinion Matters...

As I said above, as of today's blog, I still have 4 productions to see before I can make a fully informed opinion as to who or what should receive Tony recognition.  I realize that some are a shoe-in, so I haven't listed them below; it doesn't mean I don't want them or wish them well, I just figure they'll be nominated!  But here is a list of people and shows I really hope get some Tony love come Tuesday, because all of these performances, contributions and productions really stick out in my memory: 

• Anyone in the cast of Brief Encounter
• Emma Rice, director of Brief Encounter
• Malcolm Rippeth and Gemma Carrington, lights and projections, Brief Encounter
• Brief Encounter for Best Play

• Lombardi for Best Play
• Judith Light, Featured Actress in a Play, Lombardi
• Dan Lauria, Lead Actor in a Play, Lombardi

• Benjamin Walker, Lead Actor in a Musical, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
• Alex Timbers, Best Direction of a Musical, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
• Donyale Werle, Set Design of a Musical, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
• Justin Townsend, Lighting Design of a Musical, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
• Bart Fasbender, Sound Design of a Musical, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
• Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson for Best Musical

• The Scottsboro Boys for Best Musical
• Joshua Henry, Lead Actor in a Musical, The Scottsboro Boys
• Forrest McClendon, Featured Actor in a Musical, The Scottsboro Boys
• Jeremy Gumbs, Featured Actor in a Musical, The Scottsboro Boys
• Susan Stroman, Best Direction of a Musical, The Scottsboro Boys
• Susan Stroman, Best Choreography of a Musical, The Scottsboro Boys
• Ken Billington, Lighting Design of a Musical, The Scottsboro Boys
• David Thompson, Best Book of a Musical, The Scottsboro Boys
• John Kander and Fred Ebb, Best Score of a Musical, The Scottsboro Boys

• Laura Benanti, Featured Actress in a Musical, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
• Justin Guarini, Featured Actor in a Musical, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
• David Yazbek, Best Score of a Musical, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown

• Sebastian Arcelus, Lead Actor in a Musical, Elf: The Musical
• Bob Martin and Thomas Meehan, Best Book of a Musical, Elf: The Musical
• Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin, Best Score of a Musical, Elf: The Musical
• David Rockwell, Set Design of a Musical, Elf: The Musical
• Gregg Barnes, Costume Design of a Musical, Elf: The Musical

• Priscilla Queen of the Desert for Best Musical
• Tony Sheldon, Lead Actor in a Musical, Priscilla Queen of the Desert
• Brian Thomson, Set Design of a Musical, Priscilla Queen of the Desert
• Tim Chappel and Lizzy Gardiner, Costume Design of a Musical, Priscilla Queen of the Desert
• Nick Schlieper, Lighting Design of a Musical, Priscilla Queen of the Desert
• Simon Phillips, Direction of a Musical, Priscilla Queen of the Desert

• The Book of Mormon for Best Musical
• Casey Nicholaw, Choreography of a Musical, The Book of Mormon
• Casey Nicholaw and Trey Parker, Direction of a Musical, The Book of Mormon
• Robert Lopez, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, Book of a Musical, The Book of Mormon
• Robert Lopez, Trey Parker and Matt Stone, Score of a Musical, The Book of Mormon
• Andrew Rannells, Lead Actor in a Musical, The Book of Mormon
• Nikki M. James, Fatured Actress in a Musical, The Book of Mormon
• Brian Ronan, Sound Design of a Musical, The Book of Mormon
• Scott Pask, Set Design of a Musical, The Book of Mormon

• Catch Me If You Can for Best Musical
• Jerry Mitchell, Choreography of a Musical, Catch Me If You Can
• Jack O'Brien, Direction of a Musical, Catch Me If You Can
• Norbert Leo Butz, Lead Actor in a Musical, Catch Me If You Can
• Scott Wittman and Marc Shaiman, Best Score of a Musical, Catch Me If You Can
• Kenneth Posner, Lighting Design of a Musical, Catch Me If You Can
• Tom Wopat, Featured Actor in a Musical, Catch Me If You Can

• Victoria Clark, Lead Actress in a Musical, Sister Act
• Marla Mindelle, Features Actress in a Musical, Sister Act
• Cheri and Bill Steinkellner and Douglas Carter Beane, Best Book of a Musical, Sister Act
• Alan Menken and Glenn Slater, Best Score of a Musical, Sister Act

• Lizz Wolf, Costume Design of a Musical, Baby It's You!
• Howell Binkley and Jason H. Thompson, Lighting Design of a Musical, Baby It's You!
• Carl Casella, Sound Design of a Musical, Baby It's You!

• Martin Pakledinaz, Costume Design of a Musical, Anything Goes
• Kathleen Marshall, Choreography of a Musical, Anything Goes
• Brian Ronan, Sound Design of a Musical, Anything Goes
• Colin Donnell, Featured Actor in a Musical, Anything Goes
• Jessica Stone, Featured Actress in a Musical, Anything Goes

• Daniel Radcliffe, Lead Actor in a Musical, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
• John Larroquette, Featured Actor in a Musical, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
• Rose Hemingway, Featured Actress in a Musical, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
• Rob Ashford, Direction of a Musical, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
• Rob Ashford, Choreography of a Musical, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

Quite a list... quite a year!

Comments? Leave one here, email me at jkstheatrescene@yahoo.com or Tweet me!
Jeff
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