The Queen Has Been Crowned

Ripley got it. Alice Ripley is the 2009 Tony winner for Best Actress in a Musical, as I knew she would be. Lenora and I were screaming for her. Congratulations, Alice. It was certainly a Tony well-deserved. And I could not be one little bit happier that Next to Normal took Best Score. How about that, Elton John? And Hair. Oh, beautiful, brilliant Hair. Congratulations and may it be a long, prosperous run. Love and congratulations to Angela Lansbury and Karen Olivo. These two lovely ladies most certainly deserved their awards.

But other than that, my heart is broken. I've made my mind up, folks. I am never going to see Billy Elliot. Never. Never, never, never. I'll never go see it and I'll never stop saying that the Tony belonged to Will Swenson. One Tony for Hair? Really? And no Tony for Diane Paulus? I've lost faith in the Tonys. As the night wore on, I got increasingly disgruntled. Seriously. Billy Elliot is not the Second Coming, people. Shut the hell up. (I am, though, very happy that Next to Normal was able to hold its own in Score and Orchestrations.) My poor heart just about broke in two when the three little ballerinas robbed Gavin Creel. It was pathetic, really. It was a slap in the face to the other four nominees. "We don't care that you've been working on Broadway for years. We're gonna give it to the three little ballerinas." What ever happened to awarding an actor's 'body of work?' Come on. We all know that's why you tossed a Tony to that oaf Greg Jbara.

And, of course, we all know that Best Musical went to Billy Elliot. God damn it. God DAMN it! (Sorry. I love saying it like that.) I'll admit it. I was hoping against hope that Next to Normal would get it. I was on my knees for them, praying for a miracle. And the miracle did not come. Screw you, Billy Elliot. You're Broadway's next punch line.

Before I go, here's my lists for Best and Worst Dressed.

Best Dressed:
Jennifer Damiano
Karen Olivo
Angela Lansbury
Alice Ripley
Marcia Gay Harden

Worst Dressed:
Liza
Jane Fonda
Will Swenson
Gavin Creel
Piper Perabo