Biggest Tony Upsets?

[Jay94]

Discuss

- The Pajama Game over Sweeney Todd
- David Hyde Pierce over Raul Esparza

p.s. I suppose the main ones are in the acting categories but have there ever been any major upsets in Best Musical, Best Play or the Directing Categories

[Musicaldudepeter]

Patina Miller NEEDED her first Tony for Sister Act.

[dramamama611]

Just a matter of opinion.

[Gypsy9]

Let's not forget the 1960 Tony Awards when GYPSY lost to a tie between FIORELLO and THE SOUND OF MUSIC. That was a year when there was an embarrassment of riches. And Ethel Merman lost best actress in a musical to her friend Mary Martin. I wonder what would happen if that competition were to be repeated in later years!

[OKBroadwayFan]

Patina Miller over Sutton Foster....I don't think so

[tazber]

Nobody* NEEDS an award. You need oxygen. You need sustenance. You don't need a spinning metal gong.




*Except poor Jan. I fear for what she may do to herself if she loses again.

[BroadwayFan12]

^She'll steal Audra's five Tonys and put them all in her bag.

[AC126748]

LaChanze over Patti in 2006. (Also debatable: Joanna Gleason over Patti in '87)
Also debatable: Best Actress in a Musical, 2003.

[Bettyboy72]

This is all opinion-what someone calls an upset someone else calls justice.

David HP deserved that Tony over Raul easy-no upset in my book. Sorry to disagree.

I dont think Melisma Jaret Winokur deserved that Tony. Im not saying it was Bernadettes, but Melisma didn't deserve it that year. She got lucky.

[bdn223]

The biggest upset in tony history or at least the past ten years was AVENUE Q over WICKED no one saw that coming not even the producers of the Tony Awards. The reason is that when the Best Musical wInner was announced Wicked flashed on the screens behind the presenters, despite Avenue Q winning. There was a whole documentary about the Tony race that season, and the producers of the Tony awards admitted it was preprogrammed because everyone and their mother thought WICKED was going to win, so when AVENUE Q won everyone was shocked.

[ACL2006]

I'll second Avenue Q over Wicked. Wicked was this huge hit that was getting all of the attention and Avenue Q was this little R-rated off-Broadway puppet show that transfered to Broadway.

[blaxx]

The biggest upset in tony history or at least the past ten years

That's the funniest post in BWW history or at least the past ten minutes.

[Bwaydide92]

I have a hard time believing that the producers of the Tony Awards wouldn't know who the winners were beforehand. That's just something they would be in on so that they could have music and video ready. The presenters wouldn't know but the people running it would. Yes Avenue Q over Wicked was the biggest upset in recent Tony history (insiders say it all the time), but the producers wouldn't be stupid like that. I just watched a clip from Show Business the Road to Broadway and didn't see Wicked pop up in the background, so I'm finding it hard to believe what you said. Unless you have another clip showing it.

[Bettyboy72]

There was so much time between when Show Business wrapped and was released, that if that were the case it would have been discussed. I think that WICKED story is stretching the truth. The producers and staff know who the winners are.

[The Josh]

Wasn't it a big surprise when Thoroughly Modern Millie won Best Musical over Urinetown, despite Urinetown winning for Book, Score, and Direction? I was only seven years old when it happened, so I don't know all of the details, but this seems like definite upset.

[Hank]

Ave Q over Wicked, I loved that pick!
DHP over Raul, no way.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

I agree it's all subjective, I'm taking the term "upset" not as someone who deserved to win and didn't win, but someone (or something) that everyone expected to win and didn't.
Definitely the 2006 race (I believe it was 2006, might have been 2007, too lazy to check) with Esparza vs. David Hyde Pierce was a shock, most everyone had predicted Raul Esparza would win the Tony since it was announced that COMPANY would indeed be transferring to Broadway. Even when CURTAINS opened, most people thought Esparza was gonna win...and then he didn't. Esparza's face when he lost was the subject of many threads for the rest of the year.
I'd say Scarlett Johannson winning was a bit of an upset, most people were predicting Jan Maxwell to win since she was double nominated that year and she was not gonna win in the lead category.
I also remember a lot of people predicting DOUBT would win Lead Actor in 2004, Bill Irwin looked pretty surprised when his name was announced.

[Bwaydide92]

Norbert Leo Butz winning over Andrew Rannells AND Josh Gad was an upset for me at least. I found Norbert's performance to be rather boring, plus Gad and Rannells were both highly praised and BoM won most other things.

Leap of Faith actually getting a nomination.

[Gaveston2]

I think TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA over FOLLIES for Best Musical seemed an upset at the time. This is not a comment on which was deserving, but an acknowledgement that FOLLIES had been winning all evening while TWO GENTLEMEN had only won for Best Book of a Musical.

[AC126748]

This is all opinion-what someone calls an upset someone else calls justice.


Whether or not something should win is a matter of opinion, of course, but I think the OP was referring to "upsets" in the sense that one person was heavily favored to win, and then didn't. If I recall correctly, for example, Esparza was thought of by many as a shoo-in, won several other awards, and then lost to Hyde Pierce, which was something of a surprise.

[redmustang]

Wasn't it an upset back in the 80's when Best Musical went to Nine over Dreamgirls?

[mc1227]

I also feel that Ave Q winning over Wicked was one of the most unexpected Tony Award ever. I remember being completly stunned. Norbert winning over Rannells was not as big of a surprise to me. I am a big fan of Norbert but really disliked the performance he gave in that show.

[AngelorPhantom1359]

Nikki M. James over Laura Benanti. I sat in stunned silence when I heard them call her name. In my opinion, I can't see how they though she gave a better performance then Benanti who completely stole the show in Women on the Verge.

[givesmevoice]

Benanti looked pretty surprised at not winning, too.


The Joanna Gleason vs. Patti LuPone is a tough one, because I think they both gave Tony-winning performances. The category placement is what's debatable, in my opinion.

[Famebroadway2]

I remember the screens above the stage saying "Best Musical Wicked" after Ave q was announced as the winner. It was a HUGE F**k up on the awards part. They took it off quickly and eventually got Ave Q up there. You can also hear an audible gasp from the audience when the winner is announced! Hilarious.

If you can find a copy of the show, watch it. It was definitely broadcast.

[After Eight]

Becket over All the Way Home in 1961.