00:00Mr. Cellophane, Mr. Cellophane, shoulda been my name.
00:07Welcome to Ms. Mojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the musicals that shockingly
00:12missed out on a Tony Award nomination or win.
00:15We're leaving out off-Broadway shows, since the Tony Awards don't have a category for
00:19them yet.
00:20I could stay right here or disappear, and nobody'd even notice at all.
00:29Number 10 – Falsettos, 46th Tony Awards
00:39In 1992, a musical about an unconventional Jewish family in New York dealing with love,
00:45identity, and illness in the face of a changing world hit Broadway.
00:48Critics lauded the show for its heart, humor, and tackling of real-world issues.
00:53When the 46th Tony Awards arrived, we had high hopes, especially with its seven nominations.
00:59While we can't complain too much – it won Best Book of a Musical and Best Original Score
01:02– there's one category where we felt it was robbed – Best Musical.
01:13That coveted award went to Crazy for You, which some viewed as a landmark in modern
01:17American musical theater.
01:19Still, we can't help but feel slighted on behalf of Falsettos.
01:30Number 9 – The Wiz, 77th Tony Awards
01:34When the 2024 Tony Award noms list was released, we scanned it multiple times in search of
01:39The Wiz revival.
01:40Despite lukewarm reviews from critics, audiences couldn't get enough.
01:44And who could blame them?
01:48It's a timeless tale, revitalized by the genius of Amber Ruffin, complete with catchy
01:55tunes and breathtaking staging.
01:57Not to mention it marked the triumphant return of this beloved classic to the Great White
02:01Way after its last revival in 1984.
02:12With all that going for it, you'd think it was a shoe-in – or should we say a silver
02:16slipper-in – for Best Revival.
02:18Wrong.
02:19Sadly, The Wiz wouldn't be skipping down the yellow brick road at this year's Tony
02:23Awards ceremony.
02:31Number 8 – Bonnie and Clyde, 66th Tony Awards
02:35The 66th Tony Awards was a tough year.
02:39Newsies.
02:40Once.
02:41Spider-Man turned off the dark.
02:42Are you teasing me?
02:43No, no, no, no, no.
02:44He's not teasing you.
02:45It's just that we can't do that.
02:46Okay, we're kidding about that last one, but the competition was fierce.
02:58Again this particular show may not have won over all the critics, but it definitely had
03:03a devoted fan base.
03:04Sadly, despite its compelling retelling of Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow's story,
03:08backed by a fantastic soundtrack, it struggled to find its footing, closing after just 36
03:14performances on Broadway, it seems this daring production was a gamble that didn't quite
03:18pay off.
03:19We're not saying it deserved to win Best Musical, but a little more recognition wouldn't
03:23hurt, right?
03:31Number 7 – Victor Victoria, 50th Tony Awards
03:35Picture it.
03:36It's 1996, the Tony nominations have been announced, and your jaw hits the ground as
03:40you realize Victor Victoria didn't make the cut.
03:43No offense to the competition, but seriously?
03:54This show deserved nods across the board, yet the entire production was overlooked in
03:59almost every category.
04:01Where did they go wrong?
04:02The witty script?
04:03The memorable score?
04:04Blake Edwards' innovative direction?
04:06Or simply the sheer entertainment it brought?
04:16Julie Andrews, who played the titular role, scored a lone nomination but graciously turned
04:21it down.
04:22Had she won, she'd have entered the elusive EGOT club, but instead she chose to stand
04:27with her team.
04:28That is a class act.
04:41Number 6 – Sunday in the Park with George, 38th Tony Awards
04:45Today, Sunday in the Park with George stands tall among Sondheim's masterpieces, yet
04:50its debut faced a lukewarm reception.
05:05Inspired by Georges Seurat's painting A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande
05:09Jatte, it broke the mold of typical musicals.
05:12Still, it earned the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and multiple Drama Desk Awards.
05:16As for the Tonys?
05:17Well, it won two, but also played runner-up to La Cage aux Folles.
05:27It was a worthy contender with its captivating story, enchanting soundtrack, and profound
05:32message.
05:33Still, we couldn't shake the feeling of Sunday being overlooked.
05:35Perhaps Sondheim's avant-garde style was too ahead of its time, but no win for the
05:40score?
05:41Or was it too late to demand reconsideration?
05:57Number 5 – Come From Away, 71st Tony Awards
06:01Any musical going up against the phenomenon of Dear Evan Hansen probably knew the odds
06:05were stacked against them.
06:07Even Natasha Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812, which was the most nominated show of
06:11the season.
06:21Now don't get us wrong, we're huge fans of Dear Evan Hansen and its thought-provoking
06:24narrative and stunning score, but we couldn't help feeling that Come From Away deserved
06:29more recognition.
06:36Its touching story and beautiful soundtrack made it a surefire crowd-pleaser, earning
06:40rave reviews and filling theaters.
06:42In any other year, it would have been the talk of the Tonys.
06:45At least the show's director, Christopher Ashley, secured a well-deserved win.
07:00Number 4 – Miss Saigon, 45th Tony Awards
07:04In 1991, Miss Saigon stormed onto Broadway from the West End.
07:08It's a stunning retelling of Puccini's Madame a Butterfly, with a breathtaking score
07:13by Alain Beaubile and Claude-Michel Chambert.
07:23It quickly became the hottest ticket of the year, captivating audiences and shattering
07:27ticket sales records.
07:28With 11 nominations each, Miss Saigon and the Will Rogers Follies led the pack for Tony
07:33glory.
07:42Despite victories for Lea Salonga, Jonathan Pryce, and Hinton Battle, the top prize slipped
07:47away, claimed by their toughest rival.
07:50The show had been tarnished by controversies that some think may have cost it the win.
07:54Still, we believe it deserved better.
08:05Number 3 – Be More Chill, 73rd Tony Awards
08:092019 was another fantastic year for Broadway, offering a diverse range of stories and performances.
08:23One standout was Be More Chill, a modern tale of a nerdy teen's journey to popularity, thanks
08:28to a supercomputer in his head.
08:30While opinions among critics varied, it struck a chord with a new generation of theatergoers.
08:35Despite receiving only one nomination for Best Original Score, it lost to Hadestown,
08:40which also won Best Musical.
08:53The cast also got snubbed from performing at the ceremony.
08:56Meanwhile, James Corden, Sara Bareilles, and Josh Groban humorously parodied one of their
09:00tunes without initially paying the show its proper dues.
09:03Needless to say, the fans were not too happy.
09:12Number 2 – Chicago, 30th Tony Awards
09:16Chicago first opened on Broadway in 1975, starring Gwen Verdon as Roxy Hart and Chita
09:21Rivera as Velma Kelly.
09:31Perhaps it was its dark, cynical tone, or maybe it was its focus on murderesses, but
09:35it left audiences squirming in their seats.
09:38When Tony season arrived, a chorus line stole the spotlight, while Chicago left empty-handed.
09:50But the story doesn't end there.
09:52Chicago's 1996 revival won six Tonys, setting a record for the most wins by a revival, a
09:57title it held until 2008.
09:59Additionally, the 2002 film adaptation garnered six Oscars.
10:04And how many did a chorus line win?
10:06Zilch.
10:07Look, we adore a chorus line.
10:08We're just stating the facts.
10:15Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.
10:19Greece, 26th Tony Awards
10:21It was a womp-bom-ba-loo-bop-a-womp-bam-booming loss for Greece when two gentlemen of Verona
10:26won instead.
10:40West Side Story, 12th Tony Awards
10:42The show lost out to The Music Man.
10:44Nothing against the show, but we were ready to rumble.
10:55Follies, 26th Tony Awards
10:57Some might say it was sheer folly that this show didn't win Best Musical.
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11:25Wicked, 58th Tony Awards
11:28Wicked defied all expectations when it soared onto Broadway, breaking so many records that
11:33we need a whole new list to cover them all.
11:36It has also won several Drama Desk Awards, and its cast album even picked up a Grammy.
11:43Popular
11:45Despite split opinions among critics, audiences flocked to see it.
11:49It seemed like a clear frontrunner at that year's awards ceremony.
11:52I think I'll try defying gravity and you can't pull me down.
12:01It was a decent night for the show, securing wins for Best Scenic Design,
12:05Best Costume Design, and Best Performance for its leading lady, Idina Menzel.
12:09But when it came to the big one, Best Musical, the winner was not Wicked.
12:14Well, it didn't suck to be part of the Avenue Q cast that night.
12:23Which Broadway show do you think didn't get the recognition it deserved?
12:26Share your thoughts in the comments.
12:28And I'm so ready to wake up now.
12:37Do you agree with our picks?
12:38Check out this other recent clip from Ms. Mojo.
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