Musicals101.com's
Dean's List for 2002-2003
Commentary by John Kenrick
(Copyright June 2003)

And the honors for 2003 go to . . .

Best Musical
Hairspray
This giddy spoof has extended the ongoing string of musical comedy hits that have blessed Broadway for the last three seasons. Every high school in America with a theatre group will take a shot at this one. A joyous addition to the canon!

Best Score
Marc Shaiman and Scot Wittman, Hairspray
Nothing else out there could touch this, with its rock, classic Broadway and R&B sounds and lyrics with genuine wit.

Best Book
Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan, Hairspray
A model of solid, fresh musical comedy writing.

Best Direction of a Musical
Jack O'Brien, Hairspray
This experienced pro finally found the right material here, giving Hairspray exactly the guidance it needed.

Best Choreography
Jerry Mitchell, Hairspray
It is high time this fine choreographer got his due.

Best Revival of a Musical
Gypsy
Despite some weaknesses, this is still one of the most glorious musicals ever written. Lovely as La Boheme is, it was a clumsy stretch for the Tony committee to classify it as a revival.

Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical
Marissa Jaret Winojur, Hairspray
Winojur's energetic performance was the heart & soul of the season's biggest hit.

Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical
Harvey Fierstein, Hairpray
A totally joyous performance from one of the most beloved actors in the business.

Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical
Chita Rivera, Nine
This musical comedy legend has returned, triumphant as ever.

Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical
Dick Latessa, Hairspray
There was solid competition in this category, but this Broadway veteran's charming performance won out.

Best Performance by an Ensemble in a Musical
La Boheme
With three sets of leads and two sets of featured singers, you could see this production any number of times without catching the exact same combo twice -- but the cast manages a Broadway-quality chemistry every time. A unique accomplishment.

Best Special Event
La Boheme
If anything fits the "special event" category, it should be grand opera on Broadway. Puccini's classic is as grand as ever in Baz Luhrmann's moving production.

Best Set Design
Catherine Martin, La Boheme.
See next award.

Best Costume Design
Catherine Martin & Angus Strathie, La Boheme
The Academy Award winning designers of Moulin Rouge have evoked the dark glamour of Paris in striking, unforgettable terms. What might easily have seemed drab is anything but! 

Best Orchestrations
Harold Wheeler, Hairspray
Great period sounds in a seemingly effortless blend -- bravo!

SPECIAL HONORS - AND DISHONORS

Most Promising Musical Newcomer
Antonio Banderas, Nine
Sexy, stage-savvy and musically gifted, Banderas made the kind of triumphant Broadway debut most film stars never come close too. Hope he returns soon!

Worst Broadway Musical of the Year
Dance of the Vampires
Pretentious, over-produced and totally insipid, this was the unquestioned bottom of the 2002-2003 barrel. By making this his return to Broadway, Michael Crawford showed genuine contempt for his fans.

Unfairest Fate of the Year
A Year With Frog and Toad
The critics went out of their way to insist this was more than a kiddie show -- but despite all its charms, it was still a kiddie show being marketed at Broadway prices. A tough sell in hard times! I think this delicious show will be a huge favorite in regional and amateur theatres, so we (happily!) have not heard the last of it.

Best Showstopper of the Year
"Follies Bergere," Nine
Nothing else this season drew the same prolonged cheers this did, thanks in large part to Chita Rivera's sheer star power. Jane Krakowski's "Call From the Vatican" was a close second! Bernadette Peters won some cheers with her "Rose's Turn" in Gypsy, but her conception of the song failed badly on the night I saw her.

Most Forgettable New Broadway Score
Michael Kunze & Jim Steinman, Dance of the Vampires
Tottering between Les Miz-style pop operetta, Rent-style rock, and Urinetown-style spoof, this score went in so many directions at once that it got nowhere.

Most Overdue Event
The closing of Les Miserables
I know many people, including some old friends, found years of employment thanks to the production, but enough was enough. Now if only Phantom and Rent would give up their ghosts . . .

Sexiest Male Performer in a Musical
Ben Davis, La Boheme
As the painter Marcello, this gifted actor/singer damn near stole the show -- the picture of relaxed sex appeal, and  a superb performer. He needs a new headshot -- the photo currently in Playbill does him little justice.

Sexiest Female Performer in a Musical
Jane Krakowski, Nine
Her "Call From the Vatican" was a pulse-altering coup de theatre, with an amazing entrance -- and an unforgettable exit. Who knew you could do so much with a sheet and a telephone cord? 

Copout of the Year
Press coverage of Gypsy
When the show was in trouble during previews, the press giddily reported the details. When the production got itself together and wound up getting rave reviews, the press coverage belittled "internet sources" for negative coverage during previews -- as if they had clean hands. Oh puh-lease!

Unsung Heroes of the Year
The gang at All That Chat (www.talkinbroadway.com)
These much maligned theatre lovers get the word out on what is happening in the theatre, 365 days a year. They are opinionated, passionate, occasionally obnoxious -- and an irreplaceable treasure trove of information for their fellow theatre lovers. In return, they get maligned by everyone from producers to the press. How ironic! If the press and producers were really doing their jobs, theatre buffs would not need to assist, inform and empower each other with web chat. As it is, thank heaven for all those ATC "chateratti" who get the unbridled word out!

Well, that's it for Musicals101's 2nd annual Dean's List! Till this time next year, we bid you all the best, and happy theater going!

Back to Musicals101's Homepage

Back to the Dean's List Page