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BroadwayWorld's 2nd Annual Phonys! 2018 Tony Categories We Wish Existed
By: A.A. Cristi Jun. 08, 2018
Each year, the Tony Awards honor Broadway's best and brightest from the current season. And though the awards are many, each year there are a few shows that bring a little something new and different to the stage that deserve their own brand of recognition.
From princess pants to princess power, from fierce belters to jaw-dropping drummers, and everything in between, check out our recommendations for Tony's most overlooked honors of the 2017- 2018 Broadway season. This is the 2018 Phonys.
Most Charming Accent in a Musical (Or Possibly Ever)
Lindsay Mendez in Carousel
2017-18 has been a season of impressive dialect work from some of our favorite stars. Starting with the Middle Eastern accents of The Band's Visit all the way through to Professor Higgins lessons in British linguistics, the season has given us an array of top notch articulations. But none proved as charming as that of of Carousel star Lindsay Mendez. Paired with her powerhouse vocals and irresistible persona, Lindsay's delicious New England lilt is endearing enough to make any sailor fall in love.
Best Darbouka on Broadway
THIS GUY.
In recent seasons, Broadway has played host to some hard-rocking spectacles and icons, from the shredding school kids of School of Rock to Bruce Springsteen's current Broadway residency. But in the 2017-18 Broadway season, no musician melted more faces than Ossama Farouk, the show-stopping onstage percussionist of The Band's Visit. Playing the darbouka, a traditional goblet drum, and the riq, an Arabic tambourine, this Egyptian-born professional drummer is stealing the show nightly with his rapid, thrilling feats of percussive excellence, making him the toast of the Alexandria Ceremonial Police Band!
The Ethel Merman Memorial Prize for Belting Face
TIE! Alex Newell for Once on This Island & Caissie Levy for Frozen
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The Broadway belter is a timeless staple of the musical theatre artform, and each year some of brightest stars join the ranks of boisterous voices that have come to define the belter legacy on Broadway. This year, we're recognizing not one, but TWO extraordinary singers for whom optioning up is never an option.
Alex Newell more than provides with his shining portrayal of the goddess Asaka in the Broadway revival of Once on This Island. Taking her showstopping anthem, "Mama Will Provide" to extraordinary new heights, Alex is thrilling audiences nightly and has forever secured his place as heir to the Titus Burgess screlting throne.
In a never before seen Phonys tie, we couldn't possibly hand out this award without recognizing Frozen's resident ice queen, Caissie Levy. Taking on one of the most iconic songs of the past decade is no easy feat, but Caissie has risen to the occasion with gusto, adding a whole lot of heart and some jaw-dropping new flourishes to the modern classic, "Let It Go".
Most Exfoliating Set Design of a Musical
Once on This Island
It's free pedicures for everyone over at Once on This Island, where the cast of characters that inhabit the world of this island fairy tale dance jubilantly each night on Dane Laffrey's sandy stage, and (probably) depart with the smoothest soles in the business. I assume. @ me to confirm.
The Girl Power Prize for Fearless Females
This Broadway season has given us ladies much to celebrate. From Spongebob to Mean Girls, the women on our stages have proven that girls of all ages (and species!) can save the day through science, song, and a whole lot of sisterhood. But when it comes to acts of female bravery, no performer shined more brightly this season than Frozen star, Patti Murin.
Through opening up about her ongoing struggles with anxiety and depression, Patti has inspired folks in the theatre world and beyond to stand up, seek help, and destigmatize mental health issues. Ironically, by admitting her fears, Patti has more than proven her fearlessness, giving us all a princess we can be proud of.
Most Relatable Tap Number By A Downtrodden Sea Creature in a Musical
"I'm Not A Loser"- Gavin Lee and the Anemone Chorus in Spongebob Squarepants the Musical
For those who don't secretly hate themselves. Whose lives aren't empty. Who don't not leave the house, because they don't not prefer to stay at home. This one's for you. You're not a loser and neither are Gavin Lee and his tap-dancing anemone chorus who are bringing the house down nightly with this (completely relatable, depending who you are... i.e.- Me.) eleven o'clock number.
The G.O.A.T. Award
Is there anything Nathan Lane can't do? Answer: No. From his Tony-winning turns in the musicals The Producers and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, to dozens of dramatic exploits (including the behemoth role of Hickey in The Iceman Cometh, currently occupied on Broadway by Denzel Washington), to his countless appearances in television and film; from O'Neill to drag, Nathan has proved he can do it all.
This season, he brings yet another masterful turn to the Broadway stage, portraying high-powered attorney and Trump mentor Roy Cohn in the Broadway revival of Angels in America. Pivoting once more to portray Cohn, a real-life character who is Shakespearean in his wickedness, Nathan has once again proved that when it comes to acting, he is one of the Greatest of All Time.
Best Jimmy Buffett Musical
Escape to Margaritaville
Its visit to Broadway will have been brief when it closes early next month, but when it comes to Jimmy Buffett musicals, we'd like to raise a salty-rimmed glass to Escape to Margaritaville, the tropical tuner that had audiences wasted away in Parrothead paradise this season.
Most Progressive Fashion in a Musical
Elsa's Pants in Frozen
Anyone who grew up on Disney will tell you, princess fashion is where its at. But in bringing Frozen to Broadway, costume designer Christopher Oram delivered a modern take on the concept, outfitting Caissie Levy's Elsa in the princess pants heard 'round the world. Seeing Elsa's iconic ice blue gown in person might thrill audiences, but it's her slacks that save the day and usher in a new era of cartoon couture.
Most Exciting New Sound on Broadway
The Band's Visit
The story of America is one that could feasibly be told through the evolution of the show tune. As demographics shift in our society, so too do that of our musical theatre. With each passing decade, innovative and inclusive composers expand the borders of our artform, reimagining and redefining the sounds that make up a musical.
This year, David Yazbeck delivered Middle Eastern, Israeli, and klezmer music to Broadway with The Band's Visit. Creating a score as vivid in its authenticity as it is striking in its poetic delicacy, Yazbeck's exciting new sound has swept audiences away on a jasmine wind and ushered a brand-new musical language to the stage.
Best Real, Honest to God Magic On Stage
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Broadway has never shied away from the occasional magic trick, but to date no show has brought more stunning feats of witchcraft and wizardry to the Main Stem than Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Wish we could say more but you know the rules...#KeepTheSecrets.
And last but not least....
Best Ensemble.
Best Ensemble.
Best Ensemble.
Repeat until we have one.
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