You’re back! Thank you so much for your interest and support of the 2nd Annual Marco Awards for the covid era Movies and Television at the links here. Today we finish the third and final round for Excellence in Theatre. If you haven’t seen the first two installments, you can check out round 1 Movies here, and round 2 Television here. I’m ecstatic that many of you have taken some of my winners and many of my nominees (they’re all winners; its an honor to be nominated for a Marco 😉 ) and checked them out based solely on my recommendation. This is why I write. Today, we finish up the honors for covid year Theatre with the somber realization that it has now been two entire years since the day New York and the Broadway community became the first state to close down on March 12, 2020, followed by the rest of the country a day later.
The difference is that last year, with shows around the world closed and no income, Broadway showed how much they “cared” about us by offering a vast selection of pro-filmed performances for free throughout the summer, mostly London and PBS Lincoln Center pieces, as they are the only places wise enough to understand the importance and financial benefits of preserving live theatre on film. Our US unions are so greedy, demanding that someone will miss $10 for filming a job they’re already being paid for, that they drive the US costs up prohibitively. London understands that you can give up a few dollars in the front end and make a long term recoup in residuals in all future airings. It looked like the Disney+/Hamilton collaboration, offered free to subscribers would show how lucrative that could be long term. And even financial flop Diana preserved their legacy in an audience free taping in April, 2021, for Netflix, as did long time hit Come From Away for Apple TV. Rumor has it Waitress also reopened for a few weeks solely to pro-shoot a copy with composer Sarah Bareilles in the lead, to be aired soon
Other than that, Broadway’s generosity slammed the doors and shut us out as soon as tickets went back on sale. Seems when they reopened and the unions again took power, they didn’t “care” as much as they wanted us to think. Here’s hoping 2022 brings a return to preserving live theatre in the US.
I’ve broken these awards up into two categories: live Broadway theatre and the new streaming events that developed from the vacuum of quarantine. In the live market, we basically got the remainder of what should have been the 2020 season come to fruition, starting with the British Invasion Six, a pop concert saluting the infamous wives of Henry VIII, which had been slated to open only 3 hours after Cuomo slammed the gates to the state. We sadly did lose some highly anticipated productions that never came back, like Steppenwolf’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolfe starring Tracy Letts and Laurie Metcalfe, and the only best musical revival that opened so far, Ivo van Hove’s highly revised and modernized West Side Story.
The Tony committee made an enormous mess and a total mockery of everything this year because they felt they needed to rush out some half-assed nominations during lockdown for a fraction of a season and even botched that. They couldn’t even fill out some categories, like no Best Revival of a Musical, only one nominee for Best Actor in a Musical, and Best Score featuring five straight plays for nominees (again, just a huge slam to the only original musical The Lightning Thief, which I now regret not having seen so I could give it the consideration the always snobby Tony committee refused to). Then, after all this rushed-out foolishness, they announced the nominees for a partial season that ended March of 2020 in October of 2020 with no end of lockdown in sight, and they didn’t occur until September 2021, almost a year later. The resulting Awards ceremony was an even bigger joke than the Oscar debacle. They announced every award except best play, musical, and play revival on pay platform Paramount+, then had a two hour celebration featuring two black hosts (Audra McDonald in the Paramount half was divine) and an all black dance troupe, dedicated to how inclusive and progressive they are called “Broadway’s Back”, where at one point host Leslie Odom Jr. turned to the camera and changed the lyrics to “Broadway’s black tonight!” And then, like the Oscars, embarrassed themselves for 4 hours as an all white Tony committee handed out trophies to all white recipients. Again, if you have to beat the point home to tell everyone how inclusive you are, you probably aren’t. Which led to this year’s tony committee having to watch sensitivity training/internal bias videos, so they know how to vote next year?
The Tonys were such a mess this year that I considered throwing out the rule eliminating current season winners, as my nominating pool is the actual complete 2020 season. But as it turns out, even with limited nominees, Moulin Rouge and Tina would all have swept the same wins with the rest of the season included. So, to prevent just a repeat of the Tonys we’re trying to ignore, the rule excluding winners is intact
The remaining rules here are even a little more convoluted because theatre was more profoundly impacted by covid than film and television. The theatre world came through last year and offered so many free streaming events, from the National Theatre of London and PBS Great Performances offering the “best of” once a week all summer to Disney+ scoring the coup of live filmed Hamilton. It seemed that the greedy US unions were seeing the benefits of conceding some of their ridiculous demands to gain back end residuals, especially when work had dried up worldwide. But, this year, that came to a halt. They released exactly two new streaming show, a superb Apple TV capture of Come From Away and the financial failure but still worth a view Diana, and nothing else.
Other than that, Broadway’s generosity slammed the doors and shut us out. Seems when they reopened and the unions again took power, they didn’t “care” as much as they wanted us to think, forgetting how important art was to the masses and the unemployed just like that. Here’s hoping 2022 brings a return to preserving live theatre in the US. Looking forward to at least the London production of Sutton Foster’s Anything Goes to be offered this spring (literally a huge missed boat, Broadway company).
With Broadway taking baby steps to reopen I merged the partial current season with any show that was playing, either in preview, current season, or past season, as of Cuomo’s lockdown date of March 12, 2020 as eligible, including national tours and out of town Broadway tryouts, to make it interesting and not a regurgitation of any particular Tonys. This makes the Marcos the only awards in major theatre history that allows nomination of replacement cast actors, who are occasionally better than originals. As in other categories, any show or performer who has previously won a Tony for a role would be ineligible.
With the other format, streaming theatrical productions, the only requirement is that some platform somewhere streamed them for free for at least a weekend between March 12, 2021, and January 31, 2022, regardless of original production or release date. To make this interesting, I am allowing all shows and performers to be eligible regardless of past Tony history, because technically, those awards were for live performances. None of them have been awarded for anything in this new streaming medium which has different demands, so let’s honor and thank all of them for entertaining us for free in our own living room. It will also show how any Tony winners stack up with a season that didn’t bow out to avoid them (yeah, I’m looking at you, year of the Hamil-Tonys). Sadly, this year doesn’t have the variety and volume of last year’s nominees, but we will acknowledge excellence regardless.
Now, what would any serious Theatrical Awards program be without an opening number by the host, but, darn it, covid restrictions prevented me from assembling the talent to produce one. So to open our show, pick your own adventure: one of the best Tony Award openings in this millennium (Neil Patrick Harris’ 2011 “It’s Just Not For Gays Anymore”, here), or one of the biggest messes on any awards show ever since Rob Lowe danced with Snow White (a mishmash of every show from the 2009 season, resulting in not only robbing every show of their best number to feature for their nomination, but also provided shenanigans like Brett Michaels taking headbanging to another level when he concussed himself on a set change, and the most bizarre mash-up ever with Aaron Tveit screaming “I’m Alive” at a possibly drunk Stockard Channing warbling “Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered”, here)
2011 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6S5caRGpK4
2009 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wBfHHVHqYrQ
And with that, Welcome to the 2nd Annual Marco Awards for Excellence in Live and Streaming Theatre. Let the festivities begin…
The 2nd Annual MARCO AWARDS 2020: THEATRE (LIVE and STREAMING)
BEST STREAMING PRODUCTION of a MUSICAL
Annie—NBC jumped back in the game for the first time since 2018’s successful Jesus Christ Superstar Easter concert with John Legend. Selecting the family friendly and pretty much bulletproof Annie proved wise. Stars Taraji P. Henson, Harry Connick Jr., Nicole Scherzinger, and company had a blast and put on a great show.
Come From Away—Apple TV filmed the current cast of 2017’s surprise hit. Set on the morning of 9/11, a nimble cast of 12 jump back and forth as American travelers and citizens of Gander, Newfoundland, a small island town with a huge unused airport where all the inbound flights after the attack were diverted. A simple but very elegant show with no real set or costumes or special effects, it’s a simple lesson on taking care of each other and the kindness of strangers
Diana—Diana made history as the first Broadway show to air streaming (on Netflix) before actually opening. Filmed with no audience over lockdown, the show, written by David Bryan of Bonjovi (The Toxic Avenger) and Joe DePietro (Memphis), the pop rock musical chronicled the life of the People’s Princess from courtship to independence, and her struggles with Camilla and the Crown along the way. Open your mind and give it a try. It’s a delightful-enough pop rock trip through the end of the last millennium, and since 80s rock was Diana’s personal taste in music, this represents her story set to music by one of her idols. So fitting and an additional level to the show.
Kinky Boots—The London Company turns in another strong filmed adaptation of an American hit (get it together, American Unions, you’re sending all the streaming money across the Atlantic). A show that doesn’t profit from big names gets all the strong performances it needs to pop.
Ineligible: A rerelease of last year’s winner, Miss Saigon
WINNER: Come From Away. This is a rare show where less is 100% more, and it’s brilliantly conceived, written, directed, and cast to make the tale flow in a perfect and concise manner sacrificing no power in the process. And special kudos go to Apple TV for creating a rare flawless capture of the show exactly as what it is.
BEST STREAMING PRODUCTION of a PLAY
Sadly, after the generosity of the worldwide theatrical community during covid who released a best of the best array for a full field here last year, that’s all been scaled back and there were no high profile releases of any streaming plays, so there are no nominees in this category this year. Here’s hoping the community gets back to where they were next year. Straight plays are important too.
BEST LIVE BROADWAY MUSICAL
Diana—The only production ever to be eligible in both live and streaming in the same year, Diana tried to open minds with a Netflix stream before opening on Broadway, but the closed-minded nay-sayers did their best to shutter the entertaining Broadway version anyway.
Frozen–The first national tour to lead the way out of Covid closure, Frozen debuted with a strong cast and fantastic production values and special effects. The “Let It Go” dress change live, mid-stage, before your eyes was spectacular.
Once Upon a One More Time—When all the Disney princesses discover a feminist manual and get the idea to rewrite their own stories, set to the music of Britney Spears, you know you’re in for a once in a lifetime experience. Pre-Broadway tryout at the DC Shakespeare Theatre.
Jagged Little Pill—Using the music of Allanis Morrisette in a dark tale of addiction and abuse with a diverse, gender-fluid cast of characters provides many powerful moments, but even that wasn’t enough to please the super woke elite.
Six—It’s almost as if the Brits witnessed the Hamilton juggernaut play out across the pond and were like, “Hey, we have history too!” Thus they trotted out their heavy hitters, this pantheon featuring the six notorious wives of Henry VIII, presented as a girl group vying for favorite wife status for lead singer. Mix history with electronic club music and divas patterned after the likes of Beyoncé (Catherine of Aragon), Adele (Jane Seymour), and Arianna Grande (audience favorite Katheryn Howard), and the game is on. Full disclosure: there is a slight sympathy vote here because Six is the show that was scheduled to open exactly 3 hours after New York was locked down that afternoon.
Tina—Tony winner Adrienne Warren leads a high-energy biomusical chronicling the life of Tina Turner from abandoned child to battered woman to international superstar.
Ineligible: Tony winner Moulin Rouge, which, as the most elaborate production I’ve seen in years, would have swept up here.
WINNER: Six. Yes, it’s just a glorified concert featuring each wife in her own solo spotlight, but it’s a fun and coherent evening that gives a history lesson between the witty lines and the infectious dance club beats. It’s that rare show that is greater than the sum of its parts.
BEST LIVE BROADWAY PLAY
Slave Play—Up and coming, already award-winning playwright Jeremy O. Harris takes a harsh look at race relations between interracial couples who participate in antebellum fantasy play. The world events of 2021 that played out between lockdown and reopening proved this fascinating script provided a discussion we absolutely needed to be having
WINNER: Slave Play. In an Aaron Tveit world where it’s the only nominee, don’t let that diminish the power of this play. It would have won no matter what you’d thrown up against it.
BEST ACTOR in a STREAMED BROADWAY PLAY or MUSICAL
Harry Connick, Jr. (Annie)—The jazzy pop singer takes back to the stage for NBC as a piano tinkling, tap dancing Daddy Warbucks
Killian Donnelly (Kinky Boots)—If costar Matt Henry is the flash, Donnelly is the heart of the London production as the overwhelmed new owner of his father’s failing shoe company.
Roe Hartrampf (Diana)—As the default villain of the piece, Hartrampf is both charming and a cad as a Prince Charles whose heart has belonged to another from the beginning.
Joel Hatch (Come From Away)—As the mayor of Gander, navigating all the commotion when every plane in the sky lands in town, Hatch is a strong comic presence.
Matt Henry (Kinky Boots)—Henry commands the screen as the flashy drag queen Lola on the London boards. He’s everything Tony winner Billy Porter was except the attitude.
Ineligible: Last year’s winner, the phenomenal Jon Jon Briones, in the re-release of Miss Saigon.
WINNER: Matt Henry. I will get flack for this statement, but Henry is even better than American Tony winner Billy Porter as drag queen Lola. Henry’s portrayal is, like Porter’s stateside successor Wayne Brady, more grounded, more honest, more dignified, and more human, as British actor Chiwetel Ejiofor originated her in the source movie. Henry avoids all the traps Porter fell into of making Lola little more than an arrogant, finger-snapping, trash-reading, early eliminee of RuPaul’s Drag Race.
BEST ACTRESS in a STREAMED BROADWAY PLAY or MUSICAL
Jenna de Waal (Diana)—Love it or hate it, the one constant that can’t be denied is that de Waal transcends the material and is a stellar presence to carry the show.
Taraji P. Henson (Annie)—She won’t make you forget the masterful Carol Burnett but Henson has a blast chewing the scenery as the boozy floozy Miss Hannigan in the NBC live event.
Natalie Mendoza (Moulin Rouge)–Post Covid replacement for Karen Oliva, who left the show to battle actors’ working conditions, Mendoza is perfection as lowly chorine Satine who falls in love with a starving artist but has a tragic secret.
Eva Noblezada (Miss Saigon)—While Briones defies all comparisons and makes you forget predecessor Johnathan Pryce, Noblezada harkens just enough of Lea Salonga to not allow you to miss her, in all the right ways. A very impressive West End/Broadway debut.
Astrid van Wieren (Come from Away)—As Beulah, the acting mother hen of Gander who orchestrated the town’s hosting of stranded travelers, she’s the spirit of Canadian kindness. American can take a few notes.
WINNER: Jenna de Waal. Yes she has the meatiest role as the title character, and yes she gets a great assist from her physical resemblance to the princess herself, aided by William Ivy Long’s recreations of all her iconic fashion looks from the voluminous wedding gown to the beaded bolero and white gown to the titular “F*** Me” dress that gets a whole production number built around it. But in the end, de Waal is gracious, endearing, and makes us root for her unachievable ending.
BEST ACTOR in a LIVE BROADWAY PLAY or MUSICAL
Nicholas Barasch (Hadestown)—As the silken-voiced Orpheus of the national tour, Barasch woos both Eurydice and the audience.
Sean Allen Krill (Jagged Little Pill)—As the father of the dysfunctional suburban family at the core of the show, Krill is the strongest of the group, dealing with both his own and his wife’s trauma.
Roe Hartrampf (Diana)—Hartrampf’s Prince Less-Than-Charming comes clean about the other woman that was never not there.
Mason Reeves (Frozen)—As good-natured Kristoff on the national tour, Reeves adds a hint of romance to the story of two sisters.
Justin Guarini (Once Upon a One More Time)—The very first American Idol runner-up (understandably losing to Kelly Clarkson) is a clear winner here as a “Womanizer” Prince Charming in the innovative Britney Spears musical
Conrad Ricamora (Little Shop of Horrors)—Unenviably following initial Broadway royalty Jonathan Groff and Jeremy Jordan as Seymour, what Ricamora (How To Get Away With Murder) lacks in fangirl anticipation he makes up for in sheer talent.
Ineligible: This year’s only Tony nominee for best actor, default winner Aaron Tveit for Moulin Rouge
WINNER: Conrad Ricamora. Ricamora may not have had the fangirl factor predecessors Groff and Jordan had, but he made up for it with strong talent in an endearing performance, if you can call a loser who sells his soul and becomes a serial killer to get the life he wants endearing. Somehow, Ricamora pulls it off as the best actor I’ve ever seen in this role in 40 years. And as much as I love Tveit (yes, I’m an official Tveiter-Tot), Ricamora would have beaten him.
BEST ACTRESS in a LIVE BROADWAY PLAY or MUSICAL
Heidi Blickenstaff (Jagged Little Pill)—Joining the cast to cover for Tony nominee Elizabeth Stanley’s maternity leave, Blickenstaff brings a new intensity and energy to the show. Her descent into addiction madness was unnerving and her reemergence into the light the ultimate redemption. Dare I say she was better than her predecessor, who she continued to split the role with when she returned from leave.
Caroline Bowman (Frozen)—The ultimate ice princess, local-girl-made-good Bowman was a strong presence to carry the first returning national tour post covid.
Jenna de Waal (Diana)—De Waal does a wonderful job convincingly bringing a character known and beloved around the world to life, warts and all, physically and emotionally. Even with an affair, bulimia, and occasional bouts of pettiness, she’s still our princess and she maintains our sympathy.
Briga Heelan (Once Upon a One More Time)—As a new age fairy tale heroine who takes charge of her own story, she decides that old Cinderella has to go. When being beautiful and getting a man is no longer enough, Heelan leads a strong cast and masters all the Britney-isms in vocals and dance moves to make an improbable evening the best.
Morgan Siobhan Green (Hadestown)—Green is nobody’s damsel in otherworldy distress in the national tour of Hadestown
Nicole Kyoung Mi Lambert (Six)—Lambert rises to the top of the strongest ensemble show in New York as Anne Boleyn, appreciated far more by the audience than her particular husband. Armed with the cleverest song of the concert (and let’s face it, the most colorful story of the six), a mix of past and present colloquialisms retelling English history
Ineligible: This year’s well-deserved Tony winner Adrienne Warren as Tina
WINNER: Heidi Blickenstaff. Blickenstaff walks into a hit show and becomes a new powerhouse. She elevates the material beyond Morrisette’s conceived angst and into all the pathos of a Greek tragedy told in the American suburbs. As an opiate-addicted mother with a seeming perfect family, Blickenstaff digs deep into the darkness and pulls out the most luminous performance of the season.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR in a STREAMED BROADWAY PLAY or MUSICAL
Alistair Brammer (Miss Saigon)—Brammer has all the leading man requisites to sell the American lover who thought he finally left Vietnam behind, until he finds out there’s a woman and a son still waiting..
Tituss Burgess (Annie)—Burgess (The Unbreakable Kimmie Schmidt) helps bring the house down as Rooster Hannigan, one third of the trio of inept villains of the piece, with his big voice in the showstopper of the evening, “Easy Street”.
Garrett Keegan (Diana)—Keegan brings the house down as sexy, swaggering James Hewitt, polo instructor to Wills and Harry, lover to their mother.
Kwang-Ho Hong (Miss Saigon)—Hong makes the best of his role as the leading lady Kim’s jealous ex in a role rewritten and beefed up for more drama in this 25th Anniversary revival.
Caesar Samoya (Come from Away)—Samoya is a standout in an ensemble piece playing the other gay American Kevin, but earns the nom for his sympathetic portrayal of an innocent Muslim traveler experiencing bigotry and harassment because of the events of the hour.
Paul Whitty (Come from Away)—Whitty is consistent comic relief as a small town cop with a sense of humor, like giving speeding tickets marked STFD (Slow the F*** Down), who rises to the occasion when command and order is needed.
WiNNER: Caesar Samoya. Samoya hits a chord with the audience as we see anti-Muslim bigotry through the eyes of an innocent recipient.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS in a STREAMED BROADWAY PLAY or MUSICAL
Jen Colello (Come from Away)—Colello is the only member of the truly ensemble cast who gets a solo, as Capt. Beverly Bass, the first female American airline pilot. Her take on “Me and the Sky” would bring the house down if they didn’t orchestrate it in that new annoying way to plow ahead and deny her the ovation she deserves. She also plays a comic relief role as a Gander teacher’s assistant to show the flip side of her comic talents.
Erin Davie (Diana)—As stand-in villain Camilla Parker Bowles, Davie makes her at least somewhat tolerable and sympathetic, not an easy chore when we’re saddled with the real life memories.
Rachel Ann Go (Miss Saigon)—As local prostitute Gigi van Tramme, Go gives a memorable solo early in the show delivering “The Movie In My Mind”, a tribute to all the dreams the Vietmese were fed about the perfect life they could find in America. Couple that with a fantasy sequence as a blonde and busty “Miss Chinatown” in Jon Jon Briones’s “American Dream” 11:00 fantasy showstopper and Go makes a presence with a character that should barely register.
Megan Hilty (Annie)—Filling in for a Covid-stricken Jane Krakowski on two weeks’ notice, Hilty is a natural as the story’s bleach blonde floozy villainess Lily St. Regis (named after the hotel). She fills out a perfect trio for the showstopper of the evening “Easy Steet”.
Judy Kaye (Diana)—The two-time Tony winner gives gravitas and legitimacy to the show in a dual role as The Queen and Diana’s step-grandmother romance novelist Barbara Cartland. Between Cartland’s romance novel, heavy breathing narration of Diana’s tryst with the lusty shirtless James Hewitt, and the Queen’s 11:00 sympathetic surprise “An Officer’s Wife”, in which she confides to an on-the-way-out Diana that she identifies with a little of the overwhelming intimidation she experienced as a young woman thrust into the royal watch, Kaye makes it clear how she earned those previous awards and this nomination.
Nicole Scherzinger (Annie)—The former Pussycat Doll finally has one national platform to show the world that she is so much more than that. In a move to pattern the role more after dance icon Anne Reinking’s movie performance, Scherzinger shows her singing, acting, and Dancing With the Stars winning dancing ability all in one strong, solid performance
WINNER: Judy Kaye. While solid cases could me made for Scherzinger for the clear volume of showcasing she receives in this reconceived production, and for Colello for the command she demonstrates in her standout performance as Beverly Bass who lands “Me and the Sky” squarely on the audience, Kaye makes Diana all the stronger just for her presence. She could have won solely for her delivery of “An Officer’s Wife”, but the rest of her empathetic performance as the Queen grounds the show, and her cameo as Barbara Cartland is just the pink fluffy icing on this award-winning cake.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR in a LIVE BROADWAY PLAY or MUSICAL
Austin Colby (Frozen)—Local boy Colby excels as the handsome prince masking the lothario villain Hans opposite real-life wife Bowman in the national tour.
Christian Borle (Little Shop of Horrors)—Borle tries a different take on the sadistic Orin Scrivello (DDS!) and succeeds with his manic/intense portrayal, in addition to the 5 other roles he plays.
Levi Kreis (Hadestown)—the Tennessee native actor/musician/recording artist gives a fresh new take on narrator New Orleans jazz baby Hermes in the first national tour. His easy-going sexy, Southern charm effectively erases all memory of Tony winner Andre de Shields.
Derek Klena (Jagged Little Pill)—The Broadway male ingénue du jour delves into his darker side as a perfect American golden boy dealing with family drama and the trauma of the toxic “bro code”, concealing his best friend’s role in raping a fellow classmate.
Kevin Morrow (Hadestown)—Morrow’s deep bass gives Hades all the intimidation he needs in the underworld and up on top.
Daniel J. Watts (Tina)—puts all memory of Lawrence Fishburn’s academy award nominated performance of musical innovator/drug addict/chronic wife beater Ike Turner to rest. And that’s even with Fishburn getting the iconic “Eat the cake, Anna Mae!” scene,
Ineligible: Tony winner Danny Burstein as emcee Harry Zidler in Moulin Rouge, who would also have easily won here with the performance of his long and illustrious career. Not only did he give the best performance in the category, he also almost died form Covid and lost his beloved wife, Broadway icon Rebecca Luker to ALS. Who else deserves the award more?
WINNER: Daniel J. Watts. With the stellar Burstein out of contention, Watts hits a homerun as the sometimes charming, mostly terrifying Ike Turner, giving a brutal and brutally honest performance to support dynamo Adrienne Warren. Imagine what he could have been if he had the “Eat the Cake” scene also.
BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS in a LIVE BROADWAY PLAY or MUSICAL
Aisha Jackson (Once Upon a One More Time)—Jackson is all laughs as a ditzy Snow White, notorious not only for being a female cipher in her own story, but also for never turning down the opportunity to make an apple dessert for book club, never reconciling that she’s still buying from the crazy old lady who sold her the infamous one.
Judy Kaye (Diana)—Kaye’s standout performance as a no-nonsense Queen Elizabeth and a pink frilly Barbara Cartland is even more compelling live than on the Netflix stream. Her 110:00 standout moment with “An Officer’s Wife” is what great theatre is made of.
Dawnn Lewis (Tina)—The former resident of Moorehouse College and roommate of Denise Huxtable on 80s must-see-TV staple A Different World inhabits another different world—that of Tina Turner’s selfish and volatile mother-of-the-year Zelma, who, after abandoning young Anna Mae as a child, recommends she stay with toxic husband Ike because of what she can get out of her abusive son-in-law.
Britney Mack (Six)—Mack steals the show as 5th wife Katheryn Howard, the other beheaded one, who’s solo “All You Wanna Do” is a sad recounting of how the beautiful young Howard had been preyed upon by adult men since the age of 13, disguised as an Arianna Grande-style pop dance club piece.
Emily Skinner (Once Upon a One More Time)—Broadway vet Skinner (Side Show, The Cher Show) commands the show as Cinderella’s “Toxic” Stepmother, proving even women of a more-than-certain age can still carry off a good Spears tune when needed.
Samantha Pauley (Six)—Pauley has great fun as “lesser wife” Anne of Cleves, the German princess known as the one who was too unattractive even for a middle aged, overweight king with a gimp. Making the most of her solo “Get Down”, she cleverly reminds the other 5 that she is the one of the lot who not only kept her head, but also her dowry, her inheritance, and the country palace with full staff and no overbearing man telling her what to do 24/7.
WINNER: Dawnn Lewis. Lewis is a different actress than we know from her TV history. Her Zelma Bullock is brassy and bold, yet she garners a bit of last minute sympathy as she tries to reconcile with her estranged daughter on her hospital death bed—after confessing she let Ike Turner buy her a house to maintain her loyalty.
BEST SCORE of a LIVE BROADWAY MUSICAL
Diana—music & lyrics by David Bryan & Joe DiPietro
Frozen—music and lyrics by Kristin Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez
Six—music & lyrics by Toby Marlow & Lucy Moss
Ineligible: Anaȉs Mitchell’s best score recipient Hadestown
WINNER: Toby Marlow & Lucy Moss (Six). Considering all other potential nominees are jukebox musicals (Jagged Little Pill, Moulin Rouge, Tina, Once upon a Once More Time), or revivals (Little Shop of Horrors), and Frozen is only eligible for the lesser new songs created outside the Disney movie, the field is limited but as far as an entire score and its effectiveness, Six is a near perfect Ten. The lyrics recall history yet are contemporary with a wittiness and cleverness that permeates throughout the evening.
BEST SCRIPT of a LIVE BROADWAY MUSICAL
Diana—book by Joe DiPietro
Frozen—book by Jennifer Lee
Six—book by Toby Marlow & Lucy Moss
Ineligible: Best book Tony winner Hadestown
WINNER: Joe DiPietro (Diana). With the tortured mock Greek tragedy Hadestown out of the running and the popular and clever Six basically just a concert with no real book outside the individual storytelling songs, DiPietro’s story for Diana is better than given credit for. Even though it’s a default winner here, it still deserves merit for what he created and the clever devices he employed along the way.
BEST SCRIPT of a LIVE BROADWAY PLAY
Ineligible: Slave Play by Jeremy O. Harris, as last year’s winner
With only contender Slave Play the reigning winner, there are no nominees in this field
BEST STREAMED ONE-PERSON EVENT
BEST PERFORMANCE in a STREAMED ONE-PERSON EVENT
Again, after a wealth of these events with great winners in 2020, there are no new theatrical one-person pieces released this year. Sad, because last years winners (Heidi Shrek’s engrossing What the Constitution Means to Me and the hijinks of ultimate showman John Leguizamo in his ode to white-washed Latino history Latin History for Morons) were important social and historical pieces that we needed to see. We need to see more, theatrical world. Get it together and make that happen again in 2022.
With this, we bring an end to a project of love that was a year in the making across three different art forms. I don’t think any of us will ever forget what we did during this year (please, dear Jesus, be singular!!) of covid, but with the bulk of our interests and pastimes placed indefinitely on hold, unable to go anywhere, we at least could be thankful for the small things that came to us in our living room. And because of that, I feel a little grateful that I had the opportunity to return thanks and acknowledgement to those artists and programs who did try to make us feel better and forget how horrible everything was outside our TV rooms. If the Marco Awards do, as intended, become an annual piece, until next year, you know you can return for the usual analysis of the Oscars, the annual Christmas CD Review and Playlist, and, who knows, maybe even a normal catastrophe level Tonys, lying low on the social and political agendas actors can’t seem to stay out of. Thanks for following through with my valentine to last year’s unique entertainment until then! And if you haven’t already, check out the Movies and TV winners in the links above