Posted by Musicaldudepeter 2012-04-24 17:36:56
If the Tonys were established at the time of the original productions of Oklahoma! and Carousel in the '40s, would they have swept the awards? Which performers would have been singled out/nominated do you think?
In an interview with Gene Nelson, Nelson states that Celeste Holm was the breakthrough performer of the original Oklahoma! in her role as Ado Annie... She was even bigger than Alfred Drake he says. She was denied the same role in the 1955 movie version (the role went to Gloria Grahame) Would the original Oklahoma and Carousel have done well at the Tonys?
Posted by North2009 2012-04-24 17:49:29
Well Tony voters would have had their pick of (going by late April cut off date):
LAUGH, TOWN, LAUGH w/ Ed Wynn
STAR AND GARTER
STARS ON ICE
THIS IS THE ARMY (one would think a big contender for awards)
NEW PRIORITIES OF 1943
SHOW TIME
WINE, WOMEN AND SONG
LET FREEDOM RING
COUNT ME IN
OY IS DUS A LEBEN! w/ Molly Picon playing herself
BEAT THE BAND
ROSALINDA a revamp of DIE FLEDERMAUS
ONCE OVER LIGHTLY
NEW FACES
YOU'LL SEE STARS
SOMETHING FOR THE BOYS w/ Merman and Cole Porter score
FOR YOUR PLEASURE
OKLAHOMA!
ZIEGFELD FOLLIES OF 1943
Would think the big nominees would in fact be OKLAHOMA, SOMETHING FOR THE BOYS, THIS IS THE ARMY, STARS AND GARTERS and ZIEGFELD FOLLIES. The revivals were all operettas.
Would the original Oklahoma and Carousel have done well at the Tonys?
Posted by North2009 2012-04-24 18:01:24
The 1944-45 season:
DREAM WITH MUSIC
TAKE A BOW w/ only one Marx Bother - Chico
HATS OFF TO ICE
SONG OF NORWAY
STAR TIME
BLOOMER GIRL
SADIE THOMPSON
RHAPSODY
THE SEVEN LIVELY ARTS
LAFFING ROOM ONLY
SING OUT SWEET LAND w/ Alfred Drake
ON THE TOWN
UP IN CENTRAL PARK
THE FIREBRAND OF FLORENCE
CAROUSEL
The ones to beat would have been CAROUSEL, ON THE TOWN, BLOOMER GIRL, UP IN CENTRAL PARK and THE SONG OF NORWAY.
Imagine choosing Best Choreography between Agnes de Mille, Jerome Robbins, Agnes de Mille, Helen Tamaris and George Balanchine.
Would the original Oklahoma and Carousel have done well at the Tonys?
Posted by EricMontreal22 2012-04-24 19:12:43
Oh dear, I would hate to see my two fave 40s shows, OTT and Carousel up against each other... Would DeMille get nominated against herself--her work in both Bloomer Girl and Carousel is pretty epic.
Would the original Oklahoma and Carousel have done well at the Tonys?
Posted by North2009 2012-04-24 19:35:41
Both shows of de Mille's that season had very similar dance plans and both featured a requisite dream ballet - the Civil War ballet in BLOOMER GIRL and Louise's ballet in CAROUSEL. Though it's been written that the Civil War ballet really did not have a lot to do with the plot of the show, unlike the ballet in CAROUSEL.
Would the original Oklahoma and Carousel have done well at the Tonys?
Posted by EricMontreal22 2012-04-24 20:17:34
The civil war ballet seemed to be shoehorned in just to give some gravitas. There's a TV performance of it online, with James Mitchell and it's pretty awesome.
