What was the most shocking Tony Win/loss ever?

[Leadingplayer]

Is there like an equivalent to Marisa Tomei winning the Oscar?

[TheGingerBreadMan]

I know this is my opinion and it's in the minority, but I was outraged beyond words when ONCE won Best Musical.

[yankeefan7]

"Avenue Q" beating "Wicked" for Best Musical and score.

[TheGingerBreadMan]

^^

Yes.

[metropolis10111]

Totally agree. Though I was in Camp Q it was shocking when it won. I remember that in the very top corner of the telecast that the screen announcing the winner quickly flashed up Wicked then switched. It was a night to be online with a big bowl of popcorn as the rabid lovers and haters of the show either posted outage or glee.. Sigh... the good old days ..

[After Eight]

"I know this is my opinion and it's in the minority, but I was outraged beyond words when ONCE won Best Musical."

So was I, but I wouldn't have called it shocking. In fact, I'd say it was as foregone conclusion as you could get.

I guess for me, the most shocking win was La Cage over Sunday in the Park, because that time, the far-better and deserving show actually won!

[Wynbish]

Within recent memory:

John Larroquette as Best Featured Actor for How To Succeed

I wish that it was possible for Steve Kazee and Danny Burstein to have both won. But it maybe should have been Danny's

Clybourne Park as Best Play

And poor Raul...

[Dave19]

The title of this post should be: "Is there like an equivalent to Halle Berry winning the Oscar?"

[Dave19]

"Avenue Q" beating "Wicked" for Best Musical and score.

Why is that so strange?

I think Avenue Q is a much better musical and has a better score.
Wicked is just a whole lot of cliche's and uninspiring music. And the story is annoying.

[TheGingerBreadMan]

I love AVENUE Q, but IMO the score doesn't even compare to WICKED. I cry every time I see it, especially during "For Good". "Defying Gravity" is one of the best Act I finales I've ever seen.

[Wynbish]

It's a battle between a smart, arguably one-note score vs. a soapy, but sentimental score. I prefer the former.

[yankeefan7]

Read link below.

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/06/08/theater/avenue-q-tony-coup-is-buzz-of-broadway.html

[trentsketch]

The Avenue Q win was surprising if you didn't know the campaign they were running. The producers invested a lot of resources into a great PR campaign and it paid off. I was split between Avenue Q and Caroline, or Change that year for most of the categories, wished Taboo had been a bigger player, and was just happy that so many shows that I enjoyed (musicals and plays) were nominated and talked about.

I'm trying to think of the last time I was shocked. I really didn't think Memphis would have won so many of its nominations but it wasn't exactly a banner year for original book musicals. Nomination wise, I imagine it was quite shocking when they put Alice Ripley and Emily Skinner as a single nominee for Side Show.

[Chicago Star]

When Laura Benanti lost to Nicki M James.

[iluvtheatertrash]

For me it was Idina beating Tonya Pinkins.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Lets not forget that AVENUE Q producers were promising people that they would go to their theaters when they went on tour (tourability is obviously a major factor in Tony winners, even more so in 2003/4), meanwhile they had signed an exclusive deal with Steve Wynn to play his hotel in Vegas instead of touring. They got a sh*tload of votes from the touring community and won. And then a lot of people were pissed to find out they had been duped with an empty promise. Yes, they had a cute and smart campaign, but lets not undermine the fact that just because Q is the "smaller" show, it doesn't mean it didn't have it's own backdoor dealings going on.

But yes, their win was clearly the Tony shocker of the last ten years. I'd also throw in David Hyde Pierce and Michelle Pawk's wins, off the top of my head.

[henrikegerman]

Marisa Tomei's oscar for My Cousin Vinnie was much deserved; the performance is great and gets dismissed merely because it's broadly comic; as if broad comedy done well is "easy" - hah!

Still it was shocking.

Avenue Q beating Wicked was also shocking; which says a great deal more about the Tony's more frequently valuing what's big and highly marketed over what's smaller and well done than it does about anything else.

My vote goes to Julie White's win for The Little Dog Laughed over Swoosie Kurtz, Vanessa Redgrave, Angela Lansbury and Eve Best. And, in that instance, less was not more. I found White's performance not only a surprising tony win given the competition, but also to be disrespectful of her character, on-the-nose in portraying her character's shallowness, overacted, screechy, shrei-y and annoying, and to not serve the play which deserved better and which I actually enjoyed. (an unpopular opinion I admit).

[iluvtheatertrash]

I thought Julie White was the best thing about it, personally...

[RaisedOnMusicals]

Jerry Herman not even being nominated for Best Score for his wonderful music in Mack and Mabel. The show, while a flop, garnered eight nominations, but not best score, even though it is widely considered to be brilliant. It contains two of my all time favorites, "I Won't Send Roses" and "Time Heals Everything."

[followspot]

Would love to hear a pre-2000's example. (Not being snarky — I really would — the post does specify ever.) Anyone?

[Sondheim_Geek]

I think many will also say Raul (Company) losing to David Hyde Pierce (Curtains).

[FrontRow]

Once?
That wasn't so shocking. Maybe you didn't like it (I wasn't crazy about it myself), but plenty of predictions had it winning for Best Musical. Besides, how about a little memory, people? Even Avenue Q/Wicked, it was a David & Goliath type of victory, but not ENTIRELY unexpected -- as in, some people thought it could happen.

I believe John Malkovich not even getting nominated for 'Burn This' (198 was extremely shocking.

[yankeefan7]

i thought James Naughton (Chicago) beating Robert Cuccioli (Jekyll & Hyde) for Leading Actor in a musical (1997) was quite shocking. First, Mr. Cuccioli's role was so much more demanding than playing Billy Flynn. Second, Mr. Cuccioli won the Drama Desk Award and the Outer Critics Circle Award for that role.

[explorer]

For me the loss was Michele Lee in Seesaw.

[sally1112]

It was hands down when Patti Lupone lost for Sweeney Todd the year Oprah bought the Tony for the young lady in The Color Purple.

[LuminousBeing]

How about "Nine" beating "Dreamgirls?"