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Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
Review: "Texas Chainsaw 3D" Gory and Scary
Texas Chainsaw 3D (2013)
Running time: 92 minutes (1 hour, 32 minutes)
MPAA – R for strong grisly violence and language throughout
DIRECTOR: John Luessenhop
WRITERS: Adam Marcus and Debra Sullivan, and Kirsten Elms; from a story by Stephen Susco, Adam Marcus and Debra Sullivan (based upon the characters by Kim Henkel and Tobe Hooper)
PRODUCER: Carl Mazzocone
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Anastas N. Michos
EDITOR: Randy Bricker
COMPOSER: John Frizzell
HORROR
Starring: Alexandra Daddario, Dan Yeager, Tremaine “Trey Songz” Neverson, Tania Raymonde, Shaun Sipos, Keram Malicki-Sanchez, Thom Barry, Paul Rae, Scott Eastwood, James McDonald, Richard Riehle, David Born, and Sue Rock
Texas Chainsaw 3D is a 2013 horror film presented in 3D. It is the seventh film in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre franchise. Texas Chainsaw 3D is a sequel to the events of the original The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974), which was directed by Tobe Hooper. Hooper also directed The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 (1986), the first sequel to his classic film. In Texas Chainsaw 3D, a young woman travels to Texas with her friends to collect an inheritance, but she does not realize that a chainsaw-wielding killer is part of her family legacy.
Picking up immediately after the events of the original movie, Sheriff Hooper (Thom Barry) arrives at the Sawyer home to arrest Jedidiah “Jed” Sawyer (Dan Yeager), for murdering several people – killing some with a chainsaw. However, the people of Newt, Texas, led by Burt Hartman (Paul Rae), want immediate justice and burn down the Sawyer family home, killing everyone inside. In the chaos, Gavin and Arlene Miller (David Born and Sue Rock) find a baby from the Sawyer family and adopt her.
Some two decades later, the daughter, Heather Miller (Alexandra Daddario), is a young artist, living with her boyfriend, Ryan (Tremaine “Trey Songz” Neverson). Heather receives a letter that her grandmother, Verna Carson, has died, and this is the first time that Heather learns that the Millers adopted her. Heather, Ryan, and their friends, Nikki (Tania Raymonde) and Kenny (Keram Malicki-Sanchez), head to Newt, Texas in order for Heather to receive the inheritance that Verna left for her.
When she meets her grandmother’s lawyer, Farnsworth (Richard Riehle), Heather discovers that her grandmother left her a lot of money and a mansion. Heather and her friends love the mansion, planning to spend the night, but do not realize that it holds a monstrous secret, hidden in its bowels.
There is a lot that one can say about Tobe Hooper’s career, some of it negative, but he made one of the greatest horror movies (American and otherwise) ever in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. I see the film as a uniquely American gothic tale. It takes the Southern gothic and gives it a Texas edge that also visually encapsulates the decaying state of post-1960s, post-Vietnam America.
I have seen some of the sequels and remakes, not all, and they just do not live up to the original – even Hooper’s own 1986 sequel (which had its moments). No sequel, remake, or re-imagining of the 1974 ever will.
That said, Texas Chainsaw 3D is actually a fairly good movie. It a slasher film with a unique take on family obligations. Texas Chainsaw 3D also plays around with the idea that even the most horrific villain can be a kind of anti-hero when compared to unsavory characters that peddle in class conflict, prejudice, and lynch mobs – the so-called pillars of the community. I’m not going to lie and call this movie an American classic, but this film has a Texas macabre vibe that stuck with me long after I finished watching it.
I did find a few things odd. So if this movie takes place two decades after the original, which took place in the early to mid-1970s, then, Texas Chainsaw 3D takes place in the early to mid-1990s. Just judging by the smart phones, this movie does not take place in the 90s. I guess they just moved the timeline. Also, there is a scene when a jerk rips open Heather’s shirt, for no apparent reason. As she is not wearing a bra, this must be a moment of exploitation to give male audience members a peek at the actress Alexandra Daddario’s breasts.
Selling this film as a 3D movie is cynical, and although I did not see it in 3D, I wonder what I missed. I didn’t notice many scenes that would have been effective in 3D. However, Texas Chainsaw 3D has a number of generally riveting scenes and set pieces, especially the fair ground chase. I would like to see director John Luessenhop and the creative crew and staff of this motion picture get a shot at another film in the franchise.
6 of 10
B
Wednesday, June 12, 2013
Review: "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" Remake Just a Remake
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003)
Running time: 98 minutes (1 hour, 38 minutes)
MPAA – R for strong horror violence/gore, language and drug content
DIRECTOR: Marcus Nispel
WRITER: Scott Kosar (based upon the original screenplay by Kim Henkel and Tobe Hooper)
PRODUCERS: Michael Bay and Mike Fleiss
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Daniel C. Pearl (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: Glen Scantlebury
COMPOSER: Steve Jablonsky
Razzie Awards nominee
HORROR
Starring: Jessica Biel, Jonathan Tucker, Erica Leerhsen, Mike Vogel, Eric Balfour, Andrew Bryniarski, David Dorfman, Lauren German, Terrence Evans, Marietta Marich, Heather Kafka, Kathy Lamkin, Brad Leland, Mamie Meek, and John Larroquette (voice)
The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, the 2003 remake of the 1974 horror film classic, is a by-the-books horror film with a few pages missing. It’s scary, and has all the requisite bumps. All jokes aside, there are some really intense moments. It seems that the idea of a chainsaw-wielding maniac chasing people, even fictional ones, is really unsettling. The characters here, however, seem a bit too dumb, and the film also has too many throwaway characters that could have been left out of the film.
The story is basically the same. Five teenagers or young people take the back roads of rural Texas to trouble where they encounter a monstrous killer who murders his victims with a chainsaw. In the original film, the kids took a detour to visit an old family estate of one of the youths. This time around, the gang gets sidetracked when they encounter a young woman wandering in a semi-daze along the road. After she kills herself, the kids look for help from the local law, and that’s how they set themselves up for gruesome deaths.
If the original TCM can be seen as a work of art in the horror genre, the remake is simply product – a professionally done movie meant to separate teens and other horror fans from their cash. There are no artistic pretensions here. It’s not half bad, and actually quite intense, creepy, and skin crawling during most of the movie. Having the cinematographer of the original film, Daniel Pearl, return to photograph this movie was an excellent choice by the producers. Pearl creates some spine-chilling and hair-raising shots in this movie that help to sell the film’s horrific atmosphere.
I have mixed feelings about the cast, but Jessica Biel is a champ and does a star turn in this film. The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2003 is an easy recommendation for any and all who like scary movies.
5 of 10
C+
NOTES:
2004 Razzie Awards: 1 nomination: “Worst Remake or Sequel”
Monday, June 17, 2013
Review: "Man of Steel" Overstuffed with Spectacle
Man of Steel (2013)
Running time: 143 minutes (2 hours, 23 minutes)
MPAA – PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence, action and destruction, and for some language
DIRECTOR: Zack Snyder
WRITERS: David S. Goyer; from a story by David S. Goyer and Christopher Nolan (based upon the Superman characters created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster and published by DC Comics)
PRODUCER: Christopher Nolan, Charles Roven, Deborah Snyder, and Emma Thomas
CINEMATOGRAPHER: Amir Mokri (D.o.P.)
EDITOR: David Brenner
COMPOSER: Hans Zimmer
SUPERHERO/ACTION/DRAMA/SCI-FI
Starring: Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Michael Shannon, Diane Lane, Kevin Costner, Russell Crowe, Antje Traue, Harry Lennix, Richard Schiff, Christopher Meloni, Ayelet Zurer, Laurence Fishburne, Michael Kelly, Dylan Sprayberry, and Cooper Timberline
Man of Steel is a 2013 superhero movie from director Michael Bay. Ooops! I mean…
Man of Steel is a 2013 superhero movie from director Zack Snyder. The film is co-produced and co-written by Christopher Nolan, the director of “The Dark Knight trilogy” (yep, that’s what they’re calling Nolan’s Batman films) with a screenplay by David S. Goyer, who co-wrote Nolan’s Batman films. Man of Steel is a reboot of the Superman film franchise and is the first Superman movie since 2006’s Superman Returns.
Man of Steel focuses on Superman living as a young drifter and itinerant worker. He is forced to confront his destiny and secret extraterrestrial heritage when Earth is invaded by members of his race. That sounds warm and dramatic, but the actual film is an over-produced event movie that loses its heart and soul in a tsunami of computer-generated imagery and special effects. Once you see the movie, you might also think that this loud movie looks like something Michael Bay made, especially his Transformers films.
Man of Steel opens on the planet Krypton, where renowned scientist, Jor-El (Russell Crowe), and his wife, Lara Lor-Van (Ayelet Zurer), celebrate the arrival of a son, Kal-El. Their world, however, is dying as the rebel, General Zod (Michael Shannon), and his followers attack Krypton’s ruling council. In order to save Kal-El, Jor-El launches him in a spacecraft bound for Earth. The infant Kal-El lands on Earth in Smallville, Kansas, where he is found and adopted by Martha and Jonathan Kent (Diane Lane and Kevin Costner), who name the baby, “Clark Kent.” Clark’s alien physiology gives him superhuman abilities on Earth, but also causes him to feel confused and isolated.
As an adult, Clark Kent (Henry Cavill) lives a nomadic life. He does not realize that Lois Lane (Amy Adams), a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist for the Daily Planet, is tracking him. Both Kent and Lane discover that Kent’s alien past is about to return in a way that could mean the end of humanity and the world as we know it.
Man of Steel is half-good, half-ridiculous. First, the ridiculous: the movie is all over the place. It jumps back in forth in time from occasionally overly-sentimental flashbacks to over-charged, present-day fight scenes. The characters are either under-utilized or underdeveloped. Henry Cavill and Amy Adams are actually good as Clark and Lois, but every time they seem about to really bond as characters, Man of Steel runs over to action scenes that look like they came out of the Transformers films, Revenge of the Fallen and Dark of the Moon.
Some of the set pieces depict levels of destruction that are practically impossible to fully comprehend. Fight scenes and aerial battles happen in a whirlwind of computer-generated imagery; sometimes, I couldn’t make out much of anything, even the combatants. In fact, much of Man of Steel is one big tornado of special-effects crap thrown at the screen. There is so much destruction going on in Metropolis that it began to annoy me. After ten minutes of this, I realized that the movie had crossed the line of relentless triteness that now defines big-budget Hollywood event movies.
Even this post-human movie offers moments of genuine humanity. The scenes in Smallville, present and flashback, offer some poignant character drama, if not the occasional tedious homily. There is a good moving and emotional set piece with Laurence Fishburne as Daily Planet Editor in Chief Perry White, as he and some of the Planets’ staff fight to survive the destruction of Metropolis. Michael Shannon is brilliantly demented as General Zod, in way that makes the character alluring.
The filmmakers and (more likely) the studio do not seem interested in Clark Kent’s humanity. They seem obsessed with the spectacle of the superhero and his adversaries as videogame wrecking balls, tearing apart the world in visuals created by computers, software, and cinema technology. Sometimes, that looks quite good, as in Marvel’s The Avengers. Sometimes, it looks like a preposterous overstatement, as in Man of Steel. I found this movie to be a mostly unpleasant viewing experience. Is this what future Superman movies are going to look like? I hope the intriguing, interesting character bits that really left an impression on me and are the reason for my “B-“ score can have a bigger place in the next Man of Steel.
5 of 10
B-
Sunday, June 16, 2013
Sunday, June 16, 2013
Special "World War Z" Ticket Gives Fans Early Look
PARAMOUNT ANNOUNCES FIRST OF ITS KIND "WORLD WAR Z" MEGA TICKET
PARAMOUNT PICTURES AND REGAL CINEMAS OFFER “WORLD WAR Z MEGA TICKETS” AT ADVANCE 3D SHOWING ON WEDNESDAY, JUNE 19TH AT SELECT LOCATIONS NATIONWIDE
Paramount Pictures and Regal Entertainment Group are bringing Brad Pitt’s highly anticipated film “WORLD WAR Z” in RealD 3D to audiences in five cities across the U.S. ahead of its worldwide theatrical release with a first-ever exclusive World War Z Mega Ticket movie package.
Packages include one adult ticket to an advance RealD 3D showing of “WORLD WAR Z” at participating theaters on Wednesday, June 19th at 7:30 p.m. and a small popcorn, one HD digital copy of the movie when it becomes available*, one pair of “WORLD WAR Z” collector’s custom RealD 3D glasses, and one official full-size limited-edition movie poster, while supplies last.
“Regal is pleased to offer this ultimate fan event at five locations in conjunction with our partners at Paramount Pictures. The interest and anticipation for Brad Pitt’s latest thriller is at a fever pitch and this ‘World War Z Mega Ticket’ offers a unique experience for our patrons,” stated Ken Thewes, chief marketing officer for Regal Entertainment Group.
Participating theaters:
Los Angeles: Edwards Irvine Spectrum 21 IMAX & RPX
Houston: Edwards Greenway Grand Palace Stadium 24 & RPX
San Diego: Edwards Mira Mesa Stadium 18 IMAX & RPX
Atlanta: Regal Atlantic Station Stadium 16 IMAX & RPX
Philadelphia: UA King of Prussia Stadium 16 & IMAX
The film is already receiving early critical raves, with Peter Travers of Rolling Stone saying, “It’s everything you want in a blockbuster – smart, shifty, and scary as hell.”
For more information on the World War Z Mega Ticket packages, visit www.WorldWarZMovie.com/MegaTicket
World War Z Mega Tickets are available at http://www.fandango.com/worldwarz3dmegaticket_165509/movieoverview
General movie tickets are on sale now at www.fandango.com, www.movietickets.com and at theater box offices.
“WORLD WAR Z” revolves around an ex-United Nations investigator Gerry Lane (Brad Pitt), who traverses the world in a race against time to stop a pandemic that is toppling armies and governments and threatening to decimate humanity itself. The film stars Pitt, Mireille Enos and James Badge Dale.
Paramount Pictures and Skydance Production present, in association with Hemisphere Media Capital and GK Films, a Plan B Entertainment/2DUX2 Production “WORLD WAR Z,” directed by Marc Forster from a screenplay by Matthew Michael Carnahan and Drew Goddard & Damon Lindelof, and screen story by Matthew Michael Carnahan and J. Michael Straczynski. Based on the novel by Max Brooks. Produced by Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner and Ian Bryce.
“WORLD WAR Z” opens in theaters everywhere June 21st, 2013.
* HD digital copy of “WORLD WAR Z” available to download or stream when released on street date. Internet connection and compatible device required.
About Paramount Pictures Corporation
Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment, is a unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. Paramount controls a collection of some of the most powerful brands in filmed entertainment, including Paramount Pictures, Paramount Animation, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, Insurge Pictures, MTV Films, and Nickelodeon Movies. PPC operations also include Paramount Home Media Distribution, Paramount Pictures International, Paramount Licensing Inc., and Paramount Studio Group.
About Regal Entertainment Group
Regal Entertainment Group (NYSE: RGC) operates the largest and most geographically diverse theatre circuit in the United States, consisting of 7,350 screens in 578 theatres in 42 states along with Guam, Saipan, American Samoa and the District of Columbia as of May 23, 2013. The Company operates theatres in 46 of the top 50 U.S. designated market areas. We believe that the size, reach and quality of the Company’s theatre circuit not only provide its patrons with a convenient and enjoyable movie-going experience, but is also an exceptional platform to realize economies of scale in theatre operations.
PARAMOUNT PICTURES AND REGAL CINEMAS OFFER “WORLD WAR Z MEGA TICKETS” AT ADVANCE 3D SHOWING ON WEDNESDAY, JUNE 19TH AT SELECT LOCATIONS NATIONWIDE
Paramount Pictures and Regal Entertainment Group are bringing Brad Pitt’s highly anticipated film “WORLD WAR Z” in RealD 3D to audiences in five cities across the U.S. ahead of its worldwide theatrical release with a first-ever exclusive World War Z Mega Ticket movie package.
Packages include one adult ticket to an advance RealD 3D showing of “WORLD WAR Z” at participating theaters on Wednesday, June 19th at 7:30 p.m. and a small popcorn, one HD digital copy of the movie when it becomes available*, one pair of “WORLD WAR Z” collector’s custom RealD 3D glasses, and one official full-size limited-edition movie poster, while supplies last.
“Regal is pleased to offer this ultimate fan event at five locations in conjunction with our partners at Paramount Pictures. The interest and anticipation for Brad Pitt’s latest thriller is at a fever pitch and this ‘World War Z Mega Ticket’ offers a unique experience for our patrons,” stated Ken Thewes, chief marketing officer for Regal Entertainment Group.
Participating theaters:
Los Angeles: Edwards Irvine Spectrum 21 IMAX & RPX
Houston: Edwards Greenway Grand Palace Stadium 24 & RPX
San Diego: Edwards Mira Mesa Stadium 18 IMAX & RPX
Atlanta: Regal Atlantic Station Stadium 16 IMAX & RPX
Philadelphia: UA King of Prussia Stadium 16 & IMAX
The film is already receiving early critical raves, with Peter Travers of Rolling Stone saying, “It’s everything you want in a blockbuster – smart, shifty, and scary as hell.”
For more information on the World War Z Mega Ticket packages, visit www.WorldWarZMovie.com/MegaTicket
World War Z Mega Tickets are available at http://www.fandango.com/worldwarz3dmegaticket_165509/movieoverview
General movie tickets are on sale now at www.fandango.com, www.movietickets.com and at theater box offices.
“WORLD WAR Z” revolves around an ex-United Nations investigator Gerry Lane (Brad Pitt), who traverses the world in a race against time to stop a pandemic that is toppling armies and governments and threatening to decimate humanity itself. The film stars Pitt, Mireille Enos and James Badge Dale.
Paramount Pictures and Skydance Production present, in association with Hemisphere Media Capital and GK Films, a Plan B Entertainment/2DUX2 Production “WORLD WAR Z,” directed by Marc Forster from a screenplay by Matthew Michael Carnahan and Drew Goddard & Damon Lindelof, and screen story by Matthew Michael Carnahan and J. Michael Straczynski. Based on the novel by Max Brooks. Produced by Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner and Ian Bryce.
“WORLD WAR Z” opens in theaters everywhere June 21st, 2013.
* HD digital copy of “WORLD WAR Z” available to download or stream when released on street date. Internet connection and compatible device required.
About Paramount Pictures Corporation
Paramount Pictures Corporation (PPC), a global producer and distributor of filmed entertainment, is a unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), a leading content company with prominent and respected film, television and digital entertainment brands. Paramount controls a collection of some of the most powerful brands in filmed entertainment, including Paramount Pictures, Paramount Animation, Paramount Vantage, Paramount Classics, Insurge Pictures, MTV Films, and Nickelodeon Movies. PPC operations also include Paramount Home Media Distribution, Paramount Pictures International, Paramount Licensing Inc., and Paramount Studio Group.
About Regal Entertainment Group
Regal Entertainment Group (NYSE: RGC) operates the largest and most geographically diverse theatre circuit in the United States, consisting of 7,350 screens in 578 theatres in 42 states along with Guam, Saipan, American Samoa and the District of Columbia as of May 23, 2013. The Company operates theatres in 46 of the top 50 U.S. designated market areas. We believe that the size, reach and quality of the Company’s theatre circuit not only provide its patrons with a convenient and enjoyable movie-going experience, but is also an exceptional platform to realize economies of scale in theatre operations.
Saturday, June 15, 2013
"Kinky Boots" Walks All Over 2013 Tony Awards
by Lucy Troy
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre is more commonly known as the “Tony Award.” The Tony Awards recognize achievement in live Broadway theatre and are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway productions and performances, and there is an award given for regional theatre. There are also several discretionary, non-competitive Tony Awards, such as a Special Tony Award.
The Tony Awards are considered the highest theatre honor given in the United States. It is essentially New York theatre industry’s equivalent to the Oscars for motion pictures, the Grammy Awards for music, and the Emmy Awards for television.
The 67th Annual Tony Awards were held on Sunday, June 9, 2013, in order to recognize achievement in Broadway productions during the 2012–2013 season. CBS television broadcast the ceremony live from Radio City Music Hall in New York City with Neil Patrick Harris hosting for fourth time (his third consecutive year hosting).
I normally ignore the Tony Awards unless a film actor I like wins or is nominated. Tom Hanks received a “Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play” for his performance in the play, Lucky Guy. He lost to Tracy Letts for Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
I did note that half the acting categories: Best Actress in a Play, Best Actor in a Musical, Best Actress in a Musical, Best Featured Actor in a Play, went to African-American performers. Kinky Boots, with its score by 1980s pop music sensation, Cyndi Lauper, was the night’s big winner, receiving 6 awards out of a leading 13 nominations. Of course, Kinky Boots is based on the 2006 film of the same name, which is based on a true story. I got the winners list from Vulture.com.
2013 Tony Awards – Winners (in bold) and Nominees:
Best Musical:
Bring It On: The Musical
A Christmas Story, The Musical
Kinky Boots WINNER
Matilda: The Musical
Best Book of a Musical
A Christmas Story, The Musical, Joseph Robinette
Kinky Boots, Harvey Fierstein
Matilda: The Musical WINNER
Best Play
The Assembled Parties
Lucky Guy
The Testament of Mary
Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike WINNER
Best Revival of a Musical
Annie
The Mystery of Edwin Drood
Pippin WINNER
Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella
Best Revival of a Play
Golden Boy
Orphans
The Trip to Bountiful
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? WINNER
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play
Tom Hanks, Lucky Guy
Nathan Lane, The Nance
Tracy Letts, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? WINNER
David Hyde Pierce, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
Tom Sturridge, Orphans
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play
Laurie Metcalf, The Other Place
Amy Morton, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Kristine Nielsen, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
Holland Taylor, ANN
Cicely Tyson, The Trip to Bountiful WINNER
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical
Bertie Carvel, Matilda: The Musical
Santino Fontana, Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella
Rob McClure, Chaplin
Billy Porter, Kinky Boots WINNER
Stark Sands, Kinky Boots
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical
Stephanie J. Block, The Mystery of Edwin Drood
Carolee Carmello, Scandalous
Valisia LeKae, Motown: The Musical
Patina Miller, Pippin WINNER
Laura Osnes, Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play
Danny Burstein, Golden Boy
Richard Kind, The Big Knife
Billy Magnussen,Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
Tony Shalhoub, Golden Boy
Courtney B. Vance, Lucky Guy WINNER
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play
Carrie Coon, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Shalita Grant, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
Judith Ivey, The Heiress
Judith Light, The Assembled Parties WINNER
Condola Rashad, The Trip to Bountiful
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical
Charl Brown, Motown: The Musical
Keith Carradine, Hands on a Hardbody
Will Chase, The Mystery of Edwin Drood
Gabriel Ebert, Matilda: The Musical WINNER
Terrence Mann, Pippin
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical
Annaleigh Ashford, Kinky Boots
Victoria Clark, Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella
Andrea Martin, Pippin WINNER
Keala Settle, Hands on a Hardbody
Lauren Ward, Matilda: The Musical
Best Direction of a Play
Pam MacKinnon, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? WINNER
Nicholas Martin, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
Bartlett Sher, Golden Boy
George C. Wolfe, Lucky Guy
Best Direction of a Musical
Scott Ellis, The Mystery of Edwin Drood
Jerry Mitchell, Kinky Boots
Diane Paulus, Pippin WINNER
Matthew Warchus, Matilda: The Musical
Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theater
A Christmas Story, The Musical, music and lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul
Hands on a Hardbody, music by Trey Anastasio and Amanda Green; lyrics by Amanda Green
Kinky Boots, music and lyrics by Cyndi Lauper WINNER
Best Scenic Design of a Play
John Lee Beatty, The Nance WINNER
Santo Loquasto, The Assembled Parties
David Rockwell, Lucky Guy
Michael Yeargan, Golden Boy
Best Scenic Design of a Musical
Rob Howell, Matilda: The Musical WINNER
Anna Louizos, The Mystery of Edwin Drood
Scott Pask, Pippin
David Rockwell, Kinky Boots
Best Costume Design of a Play
Soutra Gilmour, Cyrano de Bergerac
Ann Roth, The Nance WINNER
Albert Wolsky, The Heiress
Catherine Zuber, Golden Boy
Best Costume Design of a Musical
Gregg Barnes, Kinky Boots
Rob Howell, Matilda: The Musical
Dominique Lemieux, Pippin
William Ivey Long, Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella WINNER
Best Lighting Design of a Play
Jules Fisher & Peggy Eisenhauer, Lucky Guy WINNER
Donald Holder, Golden Boy
Jennifer Tipton, The Testament of Mary
Japhy Weideman, The Nance
Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Kenneth Posner, Kinky Boots
Kenneth Posner, Pippin
Kenneth Posner, Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella
Hugh Vanstone, Matilda: The Musical WINNER
Best Sound Design of a Play
John Gromada, The Trip to Bountiful
Mel Mercier, The Testament of Mary
Leon Rothenberg, The Nance WINNER
Peter John Still and Marc Salzberg, Golden Boy
Best Sound Design of a Musical
Jonathan Deans & Garth Helm, Pippin
Peter Hylenski, Motown: The Musical
John Shivers, Kinky Boots WINNER
Nevin Steinberg, Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella
Best Choreography
Andy Blankenbuehler, Bring It On: The Musical
Peter Darling, Matilda: The Musical
Jerry Mitchell, Kinky Boots WINNER
Chet Walker, Pippin
Best Orchestrations
Chris Nightingale, Matilda: The Musical
Stephen Oremus, Kinky Boots WINNER
Ethan Popp & Bryan Crook, Motown: The Musical
Danny Troob, Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella
* * *
Recipients of Awards and Honors in Non-competitive Categories
Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre:
Bernard Gersten
Paul Libin
Ming Cho Lee
Regional Theatre Award:
Huntington Theatre Company, Boston, M.A.
Isabelle Stevenson Award:
Larry Kramer
Tony Honor for Excellence in the Theatre:
Career Transition for Dancers
William Craver
Peter Lawrence
The Lost Colony
The four actresses who created the title role of Matilda the Musical on Broadway: Sophia Gennusa, Oona Laurence, Bailey Ryon and Milly Shapiro
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre is more commonly known as the “Tony Award.” The Tony Awards recognize achievement in live Broadway theatre and are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway productions and performances, and there is an award given for regional theatre. There are also several discretionary, non-competitive Tony Awards, such as a Special Tony Award.
The Tony Awards are considered the highest theatre honor given in the United States. It is essentially New York theatre industry’s equivalent to the Oscars for motion pictures, the Grammy Awards for music, and the Emmy Awards for television.
The 67th Annual Tony Awards were held on Sunday, June 9, 2013, in order to recognize achievement in Broadway productions during the 2012–2013 season. CBS television broadcast the ceremony live from Radio City Music Hall in New York City with Neil Patrick Harris hosting for fourth time (his third consecutive year hosting).
I normally ignore the Tony Awards unless a film actor I like wins or is nominated. Tom Hanks received a “Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play” for his performance in the play, Lucky Guy. He lost to Tracy Letts for Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
I did note that half the acting categories: Best Actress in a Play, Best Actor in a Musical, Best Actress in a Musical, Best Featured Actor in a Play, went to African-American performers. Kinky Boots, with its score by 1980s pop music sensation, Cyndi Lauper, was the night’s big winner, receiving 6 awards out of a leading 13 nominations. Of course, Kinky Boots is based on the 2006 film of the same name, which is based on a true story. I got the winners list from Vulture.com.
2013 Tony Awards – Winners (in bold) and Nominees:
Best Musical:
Bring It On: The Musical
A Christmas Story, The Musical
Kinky Boots WINNER
Matilda: The Musical
Best Book of a Musical
A Christmas Story, The Musical, Joseph Robinette
Kinky Boots, Harvey Fierstein
Matilda: The Musical WINNER
Best Play
The Assembled Parties
Lucky Guy
The Testament of Mary
Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike WINNER
Best Revival of a Musical
Annie
The Mystery of Edwin Drood
Pippin WINNER
Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella
Best Revival of a Play
Golden Boy
Orphans
The Trip to Bountiful
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? WINNER
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play
Tom Hanks, Lucky Guy
Nathan Lane, The Nance
Tracy Letts, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? WINNER
David Hyde Pierce, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
Tom Sturridge, Orphans
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play
Laurie Metcalf, The Other Place
Amy Morton, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Kristine Nielsen, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
Holland Taylor, ANN
Cicely Tyson, The Trip to Bountiful WINNER
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical
Bertie Carvel, Matilda: The Musical
Santino Fontana, Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella
Rob McClure, Chaplin
Billy Porter, Kinky Boots WINNER
Stark Sands, Kinky Boots
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical
Stephanie J. Block, The Mystery of Edwin Drood
Carolee Carmello, Scandalous
Valisia LeKae, Motown: The Musical
Patina Miller, Pippin WINNER
Laura Osnes, Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play
Danny Burstein, Golden Boy
Richard Kind, The Big Knife
Billy Magnussen,Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
Tony Shalhoub, Golden Boy
Courtney B. Vance, Lucky Guy WINNER
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play
Carrie Coon, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Shalita Grant, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
Judith Ivey, The Heiress
Judith Light, The Assembled Parties WINNER
Condola Rashad, The Trip to Bountiful
Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical
Charl Brown, Motown: The Musical
Keith Carradine, Hands on a Hardbody
Will Chase, The Mystery of Edwin Drood
Gabriel Ebert, Matilda: The Musical WINNER
Terrence Mann, Pippin
Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical
Annaleigh Ashford, Kinky Boots
Victoria Clark, Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella
Andrea Martin, Pippin WINNER
Keala Settle, Hands on a Hardbody
Lauren Ward, Matilda: The Musical
Best Direction of a Play
Pam MacKinnon, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? WINNER
Nicholas Martin, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
Bartlett Sher, Golden Boy
George C. Wolfe, Lucky Guy
Best Direction of a Musical
Scott Ellis, The Mystery of Edwin Drood
Jerry Mitchell, Kinky Boots
Diane Paulus, Pippin WINNER
Matthew Warchus, Matilda: The Musical
Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theater
A Christmas Story, The Musical, music and lyrics by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul
Hands on a Hardbody, music by Trey Anastasio and Amanda Green; lyrics by Amanda Green
Kinky Boots, music and lyrics by Cyndi Lauper WINNER
Best Scenic Design of a Play
John Lee Beatty, The Nance WINNER
Santo Loquasto, The Assembled Parties
David Rockwell, Lucky Guy
Michael Yeargan, Golden Boy
Best Scenic Design of a Musical
Rob Howell, Matilda: The Musical WINNER
Anna Louizos, The Mystery of Edwin Drood
Scott Pask, Pippin
David Rockwell, Kinky Boots
Best Costume Design of a Play
Soutra Gilmour, Cyrano de Bergerac
Ann Roth, The Nance WINNER
Albert Wolsky, The Heiress
Catherine Zuber, Golden Boy
Best Costume Design of a Musical
Gregg Barnes, Kinky Boots
Rob Howell, Matilda: The Musical
Dominique Lemieux, Pippin
William Ivey Long, Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella WINNER
Best Lighting Design of a Play
Jules Fisher & Peggy Eisenhauer, Lucky Guy WINNER
Donald Holder, Golden Boy
Jennifer Tipton, The Testament of Mary
Japhy Weideman, The Nance
Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Kenneth Posner, Kinky Boots
Kenneth Posner, Pippin
Kenneth Posner, Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella
Hugh Vanstone, Matilda: The Musical WINNER
Best Sound Design of a Play
John Gromada, The Trip to Bountiful
Mel Mercier, The Testament of Mary
Leon Rothenberg, The Nance WINNER
Peter John Still and Marc Salzberg, Golden Boy
Best Sound Design of a Musical
Jonathan Deans & Garth Helm, Pippin
Peter Hylenski, Motown: The Musical
John Shivers, Kinky Boots WINNER
Nevin Steinberg, Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella
Best Choreography
Andy Blankenbuehler, Bring It On: The Musical
Peter Darling, Matilda: The Musical
Jerry Mitchell, Kinky Boots WINNER
Chet Walker, Pippin
Best Orchestrations
Chris Nightingale, Matilda: The Musical
Stephen Oremus, Kinky Boots WINNER
Ethan Popp & Bryan Crook, Motown: The Musical
Danny Troob, Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella
* * *
Recipients of Awards and Honors in Non-competitive Categories
Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre:
Bernard Gersten
Paul Libin
Ming Cho Lee
Regional Theatre Award:
Huntington Theatre Company, Boston, M.A.
Isabelle Stevenson Award:
Larry Kramer
Tony Honor for Excellence in the Theatre:
Career Transition for Dancers
William Craver
Peter Lawrence
The Lost Colony
The four actresses who created the title role of Matilda the Musical on Broadway: Sophia Gennusa, Oona Laurence, Bailey Ryon and Milly Shapiro
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