Welcome back to 'Tonys Flashback', where I take a deep dive into all of the nominees from any previous acting race at the Tony Awards. Today, we'll be taking a look back at what appeared to have been quite a stellar Best Lead Actress in a Musical lineup from 2014. So for each of the five nominees, let's go in order of who was (probably) last place to first place, shall we?
5. Mary Bridget Davies-A Night with Janis Joplin
5. Mary Bridget Davies-A Night with Janis Joplin
In Randy Johnson's biographical musical, Mary Bridget Davies played Janis Joplin, one of the most successful and widely known rock stars of her era. The show presents her, backed by a band of hippies, performing a concert in 1970, shortly before she died of a drug overdose at the age of 27.
This was the first and only Tony nomination for Mary Bridget Davies. a.
The New York Times' Tony Voter survey that year said that while Davies gave her all to the show, she never had a shot of winning.
4. Sutton Foster-Violet
This was the first and only Tony nomination for Mary Bridget Davies. a.
The New York Times' Tony Voter survey that year said that while Davies gave her all to the show, she never had a shot of winning.
4. Sutton Foster-Violet
In the Broadway premiere of Jeanine Tesori & Brian Crawley's 1997 musical, Sutton Foster played Violet Karl, a young North Carolina woman whose face was scarred in a childhood accident. She is stubborn and prickly, but filled with equal parts hope and obsession that she may heal and be made beautiful. With enough money finally saved up, she's traveling across the Deep South towards a miracle, the healing touch of a TV evangelist who will make her beautiful. On the way, she meets Flick, a young African-American soldier whose love for her reaches far past her physical "imperfections."
This was the sixth of seven Tony nominations for Sutton Foster. At that point, she had already won twice before. First in 2002 for originating the role of Millie Dillmount in Thoroughly Modern Millie. Then in 2011 for her performance as Reno Sweeney in the most recent Broadway revival of Anything Goes. She also had additional bids for Little Women (2005), The Drowsy Chaperone (2006), and Shrek the Musical (2009). Sutton would later be nominated again in 2022 for taking on the role of Marian Paroo in the Hugh Jackman-led revival of The Music Man.
According to the Times, Foster was luminous in the show, but wasn't a factor in this race.
3. Idina Menzel-If/Then
This was the sixth of seven Tony nominations for Sutton Foster. At that point, she had already won twice before. First in 2002 for originating the role of Millie Dillmount in Thoroughly Modern Millie. Then in 2011 for her performance as Reno Sweeney in the most recent Broadway revival of Anything Goes. She also had additional bids for Little Women (2005), The Drowsy Chaperone (2006), and Shrek the Musical (2009). Sutton would later be nominated again in 2022 for taking on the role of Marian Paroo in the Hugh Jackman-led revival of The Music Man.
According to the Times, Foster was luminous in the show, but wasn't a factor in this race.
3. Idina Menzel-If/Then
In this original musical by Tom Kitt & Brian Yorkey, Idina Menzel played Elizabeth, a city planner who moves back to New York following a divorce. She is looking to restart her life in the city of infinite possibilities. When her carefully designed plans collide with the whims of fate, Elizabeth's life splits into two parallel paths.
This was the third of three Tony nominations for Idina Menzel. At that point, she was a previous nominee for Best Featured Actress in a Musical in 1996 for originating the role of Maureen Johnson in Rent. She was also a previous winner in this category in 2004 for originating the role of Elphaba in Wicked.
According to the Times, "Ms. Menzel is having a moment, with “Frozen” and a memorable Oscars appearance, and some of the 40 voters adore her and want to honor her performance as a wholly original character. She just might pull off an upset."
2. Kelli O'Hara-The Bridges of Madison County
This was the third of three Tony nominations for Idina Menzel. At that point, she was a previous nominee for Best Featured Actress in a Musical in 1996 for originating the role of Maureen Johnson in Rent. She was also a previous winner in this category in 2004 for originating the role of Elphaba in Wicked.
According to the Times, "Ms. Menzel is having a moment, with “Frozen” and a memorable Oscars appearance, and some of the 40 voters adore her and want to honor her performance as a wholly original character. She just might pull off an upset."
2. Kelli O'Hara-The Bridges of Madison County
In Marsha Norman & Jason Robert Brown's stage musical adaptation of Robert James Waller's 1992 novel of the same name, Kelli O'Hara played Margaret Johnson, an Italian woman who married an American soldier to flee the war-ravaged Italy. As she gets to have a rare four days alone on her Iowa farm when her family heads to the 1965 State Fair, Robert Kincaid, a ruggedly handsome National Geographic photographer, pulls into her driveway seeking directions. As the two of them grow close together, they have a love affair which may very well alter the course of Francesca's life.
This was the fifth of seven Tony nominations for Kelli O'Hara. At that point, she was previously nominated for her performances in The Light in the Piazza (2005), The Pajama Game (2006), South Pacific (2008), and Nice Work If You Can Get It (2012). She went on to win the following year for her performance as Anna Leonowens in Lincoln Center Theater's revival of The King & I. Kelli later received an additional bid for her role(s) as Lilli Vanessi/Katharine in the 2019 Broadway revival of Kiss Me, Kate.
According to the Times, O'Hara had her share of support "by being a fierce champion of the now-shuttered “Bridges.”'
1. Jessie Mueller-Beautiful: The Carole King Musical
This was the fifth of seven Tony nominations for Kelli O'Hara. At that point, she was previously nominated for her performances in The Light in the Piazza (2005), The Pajama Game (2006), South Pacific (2008), and Nice Work If You Can Get It (2012). She went on to win the following year for her performance as Anna Leonowens in Lincoln Center Theater's revival of The King & I. Kelli later received an additional bid for her role(s) as Lilli Vanessi/Katharine in the 2019 Broadway revival of Kiss Me, Kate.
According to the Times, O'Hara had her share of support "by being a fierce champion of the now-shuttered “Bridges.”'
1. Jessie Mueller-Beautiful: The Carole King Musical
In Douglas McGrath's biographical musical, Jessie Mueller played Carol Klein, a young, spunky girl from a Jewish family in Brooklyn. As an aspiring songwriter with a unique voice, she gets a job working for music publisher Don Kirshner at 1650 Broadway under the name of Carole King. The story also explores her relationship with her first writing partner and husband Gerry Goffin, their friendly rivalry with a fellow songwriting team, Barry Mann & Cynthia Weil, and how she eventually came into her own as a recording artist.
This was the second of four Tony nominations for Jessie Mueller. At that point, she was a previous nominee for Best Featured Actress in a Musical in 2012 for her Broadway debut as Melinda Wells in the Harry Connick, Jr.-led revisal of On a Clear Day You Can See Forever. She'd later receive two additional bids for her performances as Jenna in Waitress (2016) and Julie Jordan in Carousel (2018).
So How Did Jessie Mueller Win?: a.
According to the Times, "Mueller held the lead among the 40 for her uncanny, moving performance as Carole King. Broadway loves to elevate deserving, devoted theater performers into bona fide stars."
This was the second of four Tony nominations for Jessie Mueller. At that point, she was a previous nominee for Best Featured Actress in a Musical in 2012 for her Broadway debut as Melinda Wells in the Harry Connick, Jr.-led revisal of On a Clear Day You Can See Forever. She'd later receive two additional bids for her performances as Jenna in Waitress (2016) and Julie Jordan in Carousel (2018).
So How Did Jessie Mueller Win?: a.
According to the Times, "Mueller held the lead among the 40 for her uncanny, moving performance as Carole King. Broadway loves to elevate deserving, devoted theater performers into bona fide stars."
In 2015, a blog page titled Broadway Etc. did a post on productions and/or performances he personally felt should've won the Tony, and Kelli in The Bridges of Madison County was absolutely one of them. While he never saw Beautiful, he still said "Jessie Mueller is a lovely individual who has continually proven herself both talented and versatile; she deserves a long and fruitful career filled with accolades, including a Tony Award or two. That said, she *stole* Kelli O'Hara's long deserved Best Actress statuette for what is sure to go down as one the golden-voiced soprano's greatest performances, Francesca in Jason Robert Brown's The Bridges of Madison County. Setting aside the fact that it is absolutely ludicrous the multitalented O'Hara is still Tony-less after five nominations in the past decade, her transcendent work in this sweeping musical drama was the kind of performance legends are made of. When people look back at her career many years from now, this will be the performance people won't believe she didn't win for, in the same way many people just assume Bernadette Peters won for Sunday in the Park with George (Peters lost to Chita Rivera in The Rink). The one small piece of solace to be found in this situation is that O'Hara publicly stated that if she couldn't win, she was rooting for Mueller."
As someone who is also invested in the Oscar race, I've seen countless people on Twitter complain about voters going for biopic performances over portrayals of fictional characters. Common examples they've used are Eddie Redmayne winning for The Theory of Everything over Michael Keaton in Birdman, Gary Oldman winning for Darkest Hour over Timothée Chalamet in Call Me By Your Name, Rami Malek winning for Bohemian Rhapsody over Bradley Cooper in A Star is Born, Renée Zellweger winning for Judy over Saoirse Ronan in Little Women, and Jessica Chastain winning for The Eyes of Tammy Faye over Penelope Cruz in Parallel Mothers. A great name I'd like to use for this scenario is "artistry vs. mimicry."
Legendary actor Humphrey Bogart once said "How in the hell can you judge one actor over another? The only way to judge fairly is let each nominee do Hamlet."
I will say that had Kelli O'Hara won for The Bridges of Madison County, then Jessie Mueller would eventually become overdue herself at this point. There was no way she was ever gonna win for Waitress up against Cynthia Erivo in The Color Purple. I don't think she would've prevailed for Carousel up against Katrina Lenk given how strong The Band's Visit was with Tony voters.
As someone who is also invested in the Oscar race, I've seen countless people on Twitter complain about voters going for biopic performances over portrayals of fictional characters. Common examples they've used are Eddie Redmayne winning for The Theory of Everything over Michael Keaton in Birdman, Gary Oldman winning for Darkest Hour over Timothée Chalamet in Call Me By Your Name, Rami Malek winning for Bohemian Rhapsody over Bradley Cooper in A Star is Born, Renée Zellweger winning for Judy over Saoirse Ronan in Little Women, and Jessica Chastain winning for The Eyes of Tammy Faye over Penelope Cruz in Parallel Mothers. A great name I'd like to use for this scenario is "artistry vs. mimicry."
Legendary actor Humphrey Bogart once said "How in the hell can you judge one actor over another? The only way to judge fairly is let each nominee do Hamlet."
I will say that had Kelli O'Hara won for The Bridges of Madison County, then Jessie Mueller would eventually become overdue herself at this point. There was no way she was ever gonna win for Waitress up against Cynthia Erivo in The Color Purple. I don't think she would've prevailed for Carousel up against Katrina Lenk given how strong The Band's Visit was with Tony voters.