Given that it
was an unusual Tonys this year, while I of course enjoyed the nominated musical
performances as always, most of my favorite performances this time around were
the “extra” numbers, the ones that were performed just cuz. Featuring a good
variety of songs from a talented range of actors, there were some very fine
performances on offer here.
Leslie Odom Jr. & Josh Groban – “Beautiful City”
Sigh - this performance used to be on YouTube, but now it's gone. With this Leslie Odom Jr.-Josh Groban duet, you have two indelible voices in one number. Odom’s voice is like silk and Groban’s is like velvet, and they come together beautifully in this spare but moving rendition of Godspell’s “Beautiful City.” Their pre-performance banter is cute, with Groban suggesting they sit on the steps of the stage to seem “casual and unrehearsed,” as if either of them could ever sound unrehearsed. The blend of their voices is gorgeous, and the montage of shots of New York rebuilding/reopening hammers home the present-day resonance of the song.
Anika Noni Rose & Ben Platt – “Move On”
“Move On” is a song that pretty much always get to me. While the cranky Sondheim snob in me complains, “Why don’t people talk more about ‘We Do Not Belong Together’ or ‘Lesson #8’ when they talk about Sunday in the Park with George?”, I can’t deny that this song is impeccable. Anika Noni Rose and Ben Platt, two actors with beautiful voices and remarkable command over the emotion of their performances, perform it wonderfully. The harmonies are piercing, and every lyric is given its due.
Titus Burgess & Andrew Rannells – “It Takes Two”
Now, obviously I have an Andrew Rannells agenda at all times, so it was inevitable that I was going to enjoy this, a performance of what I feel is a pretty underrated Into the Woods song anyway. Titus Burgess sings the part of the Baker’s Wife in what might be even a bit higher than the original key – for a lot of men, singing in that range would quickly sound shrill or strained, but Burgess manages to stay just in the pocket where it works. He’s nicely balanced out by Rannells, whose singing as the Baker is reliably good and who does a nice job even hints of acting into a “lifted” performance, one with no pretense of being within the actual context of the show. Namely, I really enjoy his shy, lovestruck smiles. The two are sweet and a little flirty together, and the 2021-relevant themes – that of leaning on one another when we’re in “the woods,” rediscovering each other, and hoping that the changes in us will last once life goes back to normal – are evident without feeling heavyhanded.
Tina: The Musical – Medley
I don’t generally have a whole lot of interest in seeing biomusicals live. Yes, there’s always the appeal of how much the cast sounds the stars they’re portraying, but when it comes to the story, most biopics/biomusicals about famous musicians tend to follow the same overall pattern. So if I felt safe to go back to Broadway, I wouldn’t pick Tina as one of my first shows back, and I probably won’t seek it out when it tours. But that doesn’t mean that the cast can’t put on a hell of a show. Singing a medley of “We Don’t Need Another Hero,” “Simply the Best,” and “Proud Mary,” complete with onstage quick-changes, Adrienne Warren is a powerhouse who proves just why she won the Tony for Best Leading Actress in a Musical.
Iconic Duos – Medley
Okay, no surprise on this one, given that I spent an entire paragraph of my review of the telecast salivating over this performance. It’s three numbers from three different duos, but I decided to categorize it as one performance so it wouldn’t take over this whole write-up. Seriously, though, I am living for all of this. Watching it on TV, I was just like, “Kristin and Idina, nice! Anthony and Adam, awesome! OMG, Brian and Audra!!” If they’d saved “Move On” for this segment and brought out Bernadette Peters and Mandy Patinkin, I might have keeled over. So good. Everyone sounds amazing, and each number is a wonderful blast from the best, reliving an iconic Broadway moment.
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