Eva lost but Hadestown sweeps Tonys

It would have been great if Eva Noblezada had won the Tony Award for Best Performance by a Lead Actress in a Musical. That would have given us two Tony-winning actresses. The first one was Lea Salonga, who won for her performance in Miss Saigon in 1992.

Eva, who is of Filipino and Mexican-American parentage, also made her debut in the revival of Miss Saigon in 2017. That was when she got her first Tony nomination. She got her second this year at the 73rd Tony Awards for her work in Hadestown, where she plays Eurydice. But winning was not yet in the cards for Eva. The honor went to Stephanie J. Block of The Cher Show.

Eva’s show, Hadestown, made excellent showing though. The folk rock opera with book, music and lyrics by Anais Mitchell won eight Tonys out of 14 nominations. That was the biggest sweep at this year’s Tony Awards that was held at the Radio City Music Hall in New York last June 10.

Hadestown is based on Mitchell’s folk opera album of the same title that was recorded nearly 10 years ago. The story is even older. It is a transplanted version of the legend of Orpheus set during the Depression era. Fans of Greek mythology know this as the one where Orpheus goes down to the underworld ruled by King Hades and Queen Persephone to rescue his love Eurydice.

Hadestown’s success is proof that stories, whether meant for the theater or the movies or even books, do not really need to be original. It is how you tell it or how you tweak it that counts. And Mitchell told the Orpheus tale in a new, interesting way that thoroughly captivated theatergoers. Given those trophies I say, she also found the right collaborators to give new lives to Orpheus and Eurydice.

Come to think of it, if you will check out the list of the Tony nominees this year, you will find that it is filled with non-original titles that were either based on memorable films or the lives of popular music stars. Best example is The Cher Show, which is based on the life of the legendary pop star and Academy Award-winning actress, Cher, complete with her Bob Mckie costumes.

There are also Ain’t Too Proud, The Life and Times of the Temptations, which was inspired by the famous Motown soul group; Tootsie based on the Dustin Hoffman film, plus Beetlejuice, King Kong, Pretty Woman, the Musical and others. And they are all raking it big at the box-office on Broadway.

So just as host James Corden sang so wittily in his opening number, Why Broadway Is Better Than TV, there is really nothing that can compare to the energy, the tension, to the interchange of emotions between actors and the audience in a live theater performance.

Oh yes, Corden made for an excellent host. He not only brought in massive star power. Remember, the guy is a big draw on television, the movies and the theater where he started his career. He maybe singing carpool karaoke most nights on the Late Late Show but he has retained his love for the theater and showed it by being a cheerful, enthusiastic host. 

And now for all those lucky enough to be visiting New York these coming months, here are the winners of the 73rd Tony Awards. Needless to say, these are also the shows that I think should be on your priority list.

•Musical: Hadestown

•Revival: Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!

•Performance by a Leading Actress: Stephanie J. Block, The Cher Show

•Performance by a Leading Actor: Santino, Fontana, Tootsie

•Performance by a Featured Actress: Ali Stroker, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!

•Performance by a Featured Actor: Andre de Shields, Hadestown

•Direction: Rachel Chavkin, Hadestown

•Book: Tootsie, Robert Horn

•Original Score Music and or Lyrics Written for the Theater: Hadestown, Anais Mitchell

•Choreography: Sergio Trujillo, Ain’t Too Proud — The Life and Times of the Temptations

•Scenic Design: Rachel Hauk, Hadestown

•Costume Design: Bob Mckie, The Cher Show

•Lighting Design: Bradley King, Hadestown

•Sound Design: Nevin Stenberg and Jessica Paz, Hadestown

•Orchestration: Michael Chorney and Todd Sickafoose, Hadestown