And the honors go to . . .

Best Musical
Assassins
It took 20 years  for this challenging piece to get to Broadway, and the Tonys copped out by pretending it was a revival. Shame! A contemporary musical that was never eligible for a Tony before is a new musical -- any other interpretation is pure sophistry.

Best Revival of a Musical
Big River
Combining signing deaf actors with Broadway veterans, this production was not just powerful -- it was a new concept in musical theatre performance. Kudos to director Jeff Calhoun and an amazing cast.

Best Special Event
Barbara Cook's Broadway
A living legend packs houses, delivers smashing performances -- and the Tony committee ignores her? Broadway's greatest Barbara still reigns, and how lucky we are to have her!

Best Score
Stephen Sondheim, Assassins
The most challenging theatrical score in years, from the master himself.

Best Book
John Weidman, Assassins
With an approach that refuses to compromise, this musical dares to delve into dark corners of the human psyche.

Best Direction of a Musical
Joe Mantello, Assassins
Tony-winner for his direction of last season's dramatic hit Take Me Out, Mantello made the most of a difficult piece.

Best Choreography
Kathleen Marshall, Wonderful Town
After years of rave reviews for her work on the Encores series at City Center, Marshall richly deserves the acclaim this fine production brought her.

Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical
Idina Menzel, Wicked
This gifted performer's powerhouse efforts did much to spark a less than perfect production to hit status.

Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical
Hugh Jackman, The Boy From Oz
As Broadway (and Hollywood's) new golden boy, this handsome, likeable Aussie single-handedly energized the whole theatre season. We can only hope he keeps coming back to the stage -- often!

Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical
Isabel Keating, The Boy From Oz
After years of watching drag queens "channel" Judy Garland with varying degrees of success, it was a revelation to see the role reclaimed by a woman in this uncanny performance.

Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical
Michael Cerveris, Assassins
Talk about tough competition! But the honors go to this Broadway veteran who gave yet another mind blowing performance as John Wilkes Booth.

Best Performance by an Ensemble in a Musical
Assassins
The cast of Wicked deservers honorable mention for their Herculean efforts, but this category must go to one of the most powerful ensemble efforts of recent years.

Set Design
Eugene Lee, Wicked.
No one knows how to fill the stage of the Gershwin like Eugene Lee, the co-creator of Sweeney Todd's mammoth factory, and the genius behind this massive production.

Costume Design
No award
Musicals101 does not feel that any Broadway musical this season displayed particular merit in this category. 

Orchestrations
William David Brohn, Wicked
Michael Starobin, Assassins
Both of these gifted men deserve special appreciation for their sumptuous achievements

SPECIAL HONORS - AND DISHONORS

Most Promising Musical Newcomer
Hugh Jackman, The Boy From Oz
Anyone as amazing as Hugh deserves a second nod. (After the way the Tony broadcast lionized him, we don't feel guilty!)

Best Performance by a Musical Veteran in a Non-Musical Role
Raul Esparza, The Normal Heart
In the searing Off-Broadway revival of Larry Kramer's landmark drama, Esparza gives the finest performance of his NY area career -- simply devastating. Now if only someone will write a new musical worthy of this amazing performer!

Worst Broadway Musical of the Year
Taboo
When egos refuse to listen to any drummer but their own, great flops are born. With better handling, this might have been a winner -- which only makes its failure all the more infuriating.

Most Needlessly Disappointing Musical of the Year
Never Gonna Dance
Thanks to a director who doesn't know a musical from a handsaw, this promising project fizzled into flopdom. How could anyone go so wrong with those classic songs?

Worst Showstopper of the Year
"Shakalaka Baby," Bombay Dreams
Audiences actually cheer nightly for this abomination of a number. The music is ghastly, the choreography annoying, and the dancing fountain is pure Vegas -- it is scary to see Broadway ticket holders encouraging such garbage.

Most Forgettable New Broadway Score
A.R. Rahman & Don Black, Bombay Dreams
As soon as this bomb closes (and whenever it is, it won't be soon enough), I cannot imagine any of these songs ever being heard again in North America -- not even in third-class Indian restaurants.

Sexiest Male Performer in a Musical
Hugh Jackman, The Boy From Oz
Yeah, he gets a third -- he's easily the hottest man on any stage this year.

Sexiest Female Performer in a Musical
No award
Musicals101 feels there were some very sexy ladies on Broadway this year, but it seemed as if directors and designers went out of their way to make these ladies look bad in production after production.

Copout of the Year
Press coverage of Wicked
Too many people in the NY press had too much fun attacking this show before it ever opened. It is not necessary for everyone who writes about the theatre to prove that they can be as vicious as that dreary homunculus who dishes up theatre gossip in The NY Post. He (or should I say "it"?) uses shrill bitchiness to draw attention to himself (itself?)-- real writers don't need to stoop to such tactics.

Unsung Hero
Tony Randall
This is our first-ever posthumous Dean's List honoree. Although the passing of this talented, classy man brought many tributes, Randall's lifelong dedication to the American theatre called for far more. Best known for his non-musical work, he was involved in two Broadway musicals -- as star of the ill-fated Oh Captain, and as producer of the short-lived Gentlemen Prefer Blondes revival. Mr. Randall will be sorely missed by the theatrical community, and by his beloved hometown, New York City.

Well, that's it for Musicals101's 3rd annual Dean's List! Till this time next year, we bid you all the best, and happy theater going!

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