The Tony Awards recognize Once, Newsies, some other plays that were not based on movies

By Sean O'Neal | May 1, 2012 | 7:15pm

Aux Features Film

Today's considered accolades from esteemed voting bodies were not limited merely to the MTV Movie Awards. The Tony Award nominations have also been announced to recognize the best in theater (or as its patrons pronounce it, "thee-AH-tre," where the "I am better than you" is silent), which is that stuff where people act out movies live and with more songs. Leading the pack is the Broadway adaptation of Once with 11 nominations that include Best Musical, where it faces off against stage versions of Newsies and the Steve Martin comedy Leap Of Faith, plus the Matthew Broderick-starring Nice Work If You Can Get It, a goofy, crowd-pacifying, Gershwin pastiche that is nevertheless not based on a movie and is therefore doomed. Revivals of plays that have already been made into movies such as Death Of A Salesman, Evita, Jesus Christ Superstar, and Gore Vidal's The Best Man also did well, as did actors Philip Seymour Hoffman, James Earl Jones, John Lithgow, Frank Langella, and Andrew Garfield, who were similarly rewarded for moving from the silver screen back to treading the ol' blood-boards, or whatever it is theater folk refer to them as. On that note, Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark only managed nominations for scenic and costume design, so that was all worth it.

Anyway, take a look at the full list of nominees here, take note again that you should be referring to both David Alan Grier and Fringe's Michael Cerveris as "The multiple Tony-nominated…," and then discuss whether Once and Newsies would have even stood a chance against the Animal House, Back To The Future, or Austin Powers musicals. And that will count as your culture for today.