Hello, Sammys! (Or: If I as a Tony Voter 2017)

The Tonys reward the right people more often than not. Certainly more than any other major awards show. But I still find myself rooting for overlooked underdogs every year. And that's why I have The Sammys to imagine the Tonys done my way!

This year was filled to the brim with incredible new works and reimagined classics. Broadway has relinquished its hold on strong new plays in recent years. But that all changed this season when a group of audacious and finely crafted plays made their way to the rialto. "The Encounter" was the most unique offering in a Broadway house in years. "Indecent" dared to delve into an avant-garde ensemble structure usually reserved for only the most experimental Off-Broadway houses. And "A Doll's House, Part 2" cemented Lucas Hnath as one of our top American playwrights with a script that was moving and hysterical. All three instantly joined the ranks of my favorite plays and choosing which was my favorite was incredible difficult.

I was brought to tears by the music in "Dear Evan Hansen" and "Come From Away," had stomach pains from laughing at Bette Midler in "Hello, Dolly!" and Stephanie J. Block in "Falsettos," and was blown away by revamped revivals like Sam Gold's deconstructed "Glass Menagerie."

You can view my actually predictions for tonight's Tony Awards in the Contenders section, but here's how I wish the nominees and winners had shaken out:

Musical
Bandstand
Dear Evan Hansen (winner)
The Great Comet
Come From Away (runner-up)
Groundhog Day

Play
The Encounter
A Doll's House, Part 2 (winner)
Indecent (runner-up)
Oslo
Sweat

Musical Revival
Hello, Dolly! (winner)
Falsettos
Sunset Boulevard (runner-up)

Play Revival
Six Degrees of Separation
The Glass Menagerie (runner-up)
Jitney
The Little Foxes (winner)

Actor - Play
Corey Hawkins, "Six Degrees of Separation"
Kevin Kline, "Present Laughter"
Simon McBurney, "The Encounter" (winner)
Gideon Glick, "Significant Other" (runner-up)
Joe Mantello, "The Glass Menagerie"

Actress - Play
Laurie Metcalf, "A Dolls House, Part 2" (winner)
Cate Blanchett, "The Present"
Sally Field, "The Glass Menagerie" (runner-up)
Allison Janney, "Six Degrees of Separation"
Laura Linney, "The Little Foxes"

Actor - Musical
Corey Cott, "Bandstand" (runner-up)
Ben Platt, "Dear Evan Hansen" (winner)
Josh Groban, "The Great Comet"
Andy Karl, "Groundhog Day"
Jon Jon Briones, "Miss Saigon"

Actress - Musical
Bette Midler, "Hello, Dolly!" (winner)
Christine Ebersole, "War Paint"
Patti LuPone, "War Paint" (runner-up)
Eva Noblezada, "Miss Saigon"
Denee Benton, "The Great Comet"

Featured Actor - Play
Michael Aronov, "Oslo" (winner)
Anthony Azizi, "Oslo"
Danny DeVito, "The Price"
Nathan Lane, "The Front Page"
Richard Topol, "Indecent" (runner-up)

Featured Actress - Play
Jayne Houdyshell, "A Doll's House, Part 2" (runner-up)
Lindsay Mendez, "Significant Other"
Cynthia Nixon, "The Little Foxes" (winner)
Condola Rashad, "A Doll's House, Part 2"
Alison Wright, "Sweat"

Featured Actor - Musical
Gavin Creel, "Hello, Dolly!" (winner)
Andrew Rannells, "Falsettos"
Will Roland, "Dear Evan Hansen"
Brandon Uranowitz, "Falsettos" (runner-up)
Michael Xavier, "Sunset Boulevard"

Featured Actress - Musical
Kate Baldwin, "Hello, Dolly!"
Stephanie J. Block, "Falsettos" (winner)
Jenn Collela, "Come From Away"
Amber Gray, "Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812"
Rachel Bay Jones, "Dear Evan Hansen" (runner-up)

Director - Musical
Christopher Ashley, "Come From Away" (runner-up)
Rachel Chavkin, "The Great Comet" (winner)
Michael Grief, "Dear Evan Hansen"
Matthew Warchus, "Groundhog Day"
Jerry Zaks, "Hello, Dolly!"

Director - Play
Sam Gold, "A Doll's House, Part 2"
Sam Gold, "The Glass Menagerie" (runner-up)
Ruben Santiago-Hudson, "Jitney"
Daniel Sullivan, "The Little Foxes"
Rebecca Taichman, "Indecent" (winner)

Score
"Come From Away" (Irene Sankoff and David Hein)
"Dear Evan Hansen" (Benj Pasek and Justin Paul) (winner)
"Groundhog Day" (Tim Minchin)
"Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812" (Dave Malloy) (runner-up)

Book of a Musical
"Come From Away" (Irene Sankoff and David Hein) (winner)
"Dear Evan Hansen" (Steven Levenson)
"Groundhog Day" (Danny Rubin) (runner-up)
"Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812" (Dave Malloy)

Script of a Play
Joshua Harmon, "Significant Other"
Lucas Hnath, "A Doll's House, Part 2" (winner)
Lynn Nottage, "Sweat" (runner-up)
Simon Stephens, "Heisenberg"
Paula Vogel, "Indecent"

Choreography
"Bandstand" (Andy Blankenbuehler) (winner)
"Come From Away" (Kelly Devine)
"Groundhog Day" (Peter Darling)
"Holiday Inn" (Denis Jones) (runner-up)
"Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812" (Sam Pinkleton)

Orchestrations
"Bandstand" (Bill Elliott & Greg Anthony Rasen)
"Hello, Dolly!" (Larry Hochman) (winner)
"Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet" (Dave Malloy)
"Sunset Boulevard" (David Cullen and Andrew Lloyd Webber) (runner-up)

Scenic Design - Musical
"Dear Evan Hansen"
"Groundhog Day"
"Hello, Dolly!" (runner-up)
"Natasha, Pierre, and The Great Comet of 1812" (winner)

Scenic Design - Play
"Jitney"
"The Little Foxes"
"The Play That Goes Wrong" (winner)
"Six Degrees of Separation" (runner-up)

Costume Design - Musical
"Anastasia"
"Hello, Dolly!" (winner)
"Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812"
"War Paint" (runner-up)

Costumes Design - Play
"A Doll's House, Part 2"
"Les Liaisons Dangerueses"
"The Little Foxes" (winner)
"Present Laughter" (runner-up)

Lighting Design - Musical
"Bandstand"
"Dear Evan Hansen"
"Groundhog Day" (winner)
"Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812" (runner-up)

Lighting Design - Play
"The Encounter"
"Indecent" (winner)
"The Little Foxes"
"Oslo" (runner-up)

Sound Design - Musical
"Dear Evan Hansen"
"Come From Away"
"Miss Saigon" (runner-up)
"Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet" (winner)

Sound Design - Play
"The Encounter" (winner)
"Indecent" (runner-up)
"Jitney"
"Significant Other"

Projection Design - Play or Musical
"Dear Evan Hansen"
"The Encounter" (winner)
"Indecent" (runner-up)
"Oslo"

WINS
5 - "Hello, Dolly!"
3 - "Dear Evan Hansen," "A Dolls House Part 2," "The Encounter," "The Great Comet,"
     "The Little Foxes"
2 - "Indecent"
1 - "Bandstand," "Come From Away," "Falsettos," "Groundhog Day," "Oslo,"
     "The Play That Goes Wrong"

The Sammys: If I was an Oscar Voter 2017

I'm worried that nothing I like will win any major awards at this year's Oscars. Which is why I voice my own opinion with the Sammys!

Let's get one thing out of the way: "La La Land" is definitely no where near my top ten films of the year. I think its charming with some great music, but has considerable flaws and doesn't belong in a Best Picture conversation. Hollywood loves itself, hence its Oscar tally. I also partly blame awards pundits for hyping the film to no end, and maybe I'll watch the musical years removed from the buzz and appreciate it more. As it stands, it isn't winning anything in my awards.

It was a striking year for film however. I've watched "The Witch" several times and remained terrified. It's score and striking visuals still give me nightmares. "Arrival" was one of the best surprises of the year, with a smart script and Amy Adams' best performance to date. "Deadpool" surpassed expectations to show that the superhero genre still has a few tricks up its sleeve. I wanted to hate the milking of Star Wars, fearing the standalone films would water down the series. But Gareth Edwards clearly felt freed by the lack of an episode number, and turned in a heart wrenching war film with some of the best sequences in the saga. "Moana" is by far the best musical film of the year and solidify that Lin-Manuel Miranda can do no wrong. Two queer films, "Other People" and French indie "Paris 05:59: Theo & Hugo" delivered powerful depictions of gay life through naturalistic dialogue and clever camerawork.

But the year will come down to three films for me. "20th Century Women", a beautiful portrait and tribute to three women in writer/director Mike Mills' life. Annette Bening will break your heart over and over again, and it should be considered criminal that the Oscars ignored her. No actress plays such complex emotions with her ease. "Hell or High Water" is a modern western packed with enough layers to warrant multiple viewings. It has a sort of apocalyptic feel, as if its characters are some of the last inhabitants on earth, and reminds us why Jeff Bridges is one of our greatest living actors. But it is "Moonlight", Barry Jenkins' stunning story of a black gay man's evolution in Miami that struck me the most. The three actors playing Chiron are intrinsically linked in emotion and physicality, and Jenkins chooses an artful way to depict his point of view without appearing stuffy or snobby. It will go down as a classic and is a movie I can't wait to watch over and over again.

The Sammy nominees and winners below:


Best Picture
10. Deadpool
9. Other People
8. Arrival
7. Paris 05:59: Theo & Hugo
6. Moana
5. The Witch
4. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
3. 20th Century Women
2. Hell or High Water (runner-up)
1. Moonlight (winner)

Best Director
Gareth Edwards, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story
Robert Eggers, The Witch
Barry Jenkins, Moonlight (winner)
David Mackenzie, Hell or High Water (runner up)
Mike Mills, 20th Century Women

Lead Actor
Casey Affleck, Manchester by the Sea
Ryan Gosling, La La Land
Jesse Plemons, Other People (runner up)
Ryan Reynolds, Deadpool
Denzel Washington, Fences (winner)

Lead Actress
Amy Adams, Arrival
Annette Bening, 20th Century Women (winner)
Isabelle Huppert, Elle (runner up)
Natalie Portman, Jackie
Emma Stone, La La Land

Supporting Actor
Mahershala Ali, Moonlight
Jeff Bridges, Hell or High Water (winner)
Ben Foster, Hell or High Water
Trevante Rhodes, Moonlight (runner up)
Ashton Sanders, Moonlight

Supporting Actress
Viola Davis, Fences (winner)
Greta Gerwig, 20th Century Women
Kathryn Hahn, Bad Moms (runner up)
Naomie Harris, Moonlight
Molly Shannon, Other People

Original Screenplay
Olivier Ducastel and Jacques Martineau, Paris 05:59: Theo & Hugo
Guy Hibbert, Eye in the Sky
Chris Kelly, Other People (runner up)
Mike Mills, 20th Century Women (winner)
Taylor Sheridan, Hell or High Water

Adapted Screenplay
Eric Heisserer, Arrival (runner up)
Barry Jenkins, Moonlight (winner)
Theodore Melfi, Hidden Figures
Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick, Deadpool
August Wilson, Fences

Animated Feature
Finding Dory
Kubo and the Two Strings (runner up)
Moana (winner)
The Red Turtle
Zootopia

Film Editing
Arrival
Hell or High Water
Moonlight
Paris 05:59: Theo & Hugo (runner up)
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (winner)

Cinematography
Arrival
Hell or High Water
La La Land
Moonlight (winner)
The Witch (runner up)

Production Design
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
Florence Foster Jenkins
Kubo and the Two Strings (winner)
La La Land (runner up)
The Witch

Costume Design
Florence Foster Jenkins
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (runner up)
Hidden Figures
Jackie (winner)
The Witch

Makeup/Hair
Deadpool (winner)
Florence Foster Jenkins
Hidden Figures
Jackie
Star Trek: Beyond (runner up)

Score
Hell or High Water (Nick Cave and Warren Ellis) (runner up)
Jackie (Mica Levi)
La La Land (Justin Hurwitz)
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (Michael Giacchino)
The Witch (Mark Korven) (winner)

Song
'No Dames' from Hail, Caesar!
'Runnin' from Hidden Figures
'Audition (Fools Who Dream)' from La La Land (runner up)
'How Far I'll Go' from Moana (winner)
'We Know the Way' from Moana

Sound Editing
Deadpool
Hacksaw Ridge (runner up)
Hell or High Water (winner)
Jason Bourne
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Sound Mixing
Arrival (winner)
Hacksaw Ridge (runner up)
The Jungle Book
Moana
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Visual Effects
Captain America: Civil War
Doctor Strange
The Jungle Book (runner up)
Kubo and the Two Strings
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (winner)

Ensemble
Fences
Hell or High Water
Hidden Figures
Moonlight (winner)
20th Century Women (runner up)


Winners
5 - Moonlight (Picture, Director, Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography, Ensemble)
2 - 20th Century Women (Lead Actress, Original Screenplay)
2 - Fences (Lead Actor, Supporting Actress)
2 - Hell or High Water (Supporting Actor, Sound Editing)
2 - Moana (Animated Feature, Song)
2 - Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (Film Editing, Visual Effects)
1 - Arrival (Sound Mixing)
1 - Deadpool (Hair/Makeup)
1 - Jackie (Costume Design)
1 - Kubo and the Two Strings (Production Design)
1 - The Witch (Score)

The 2016 Sammy Awards, Or, If I was a Tony Voter and All That Followed

Trying to get Cheno and Alan to host The Sammys, these costumes required

Its that time of year again. After a dynamite season I've seen around 20 Broadway shows. And I still feel like I missed out on some big shows (Shakespeare in the Park continues to elude me, and I never got to take in Cicely Tyson and James Earl Jones in The Gin Game). But this has been a landmark season in New York, thanks in large part to Hamilton putting Broadway in the national news. But that show wasn't the only production worth celebrating.

I was pleasantly surprised by a number of shows I thought I wouldn't care for. When I first heard that Andrew Lloyd Webber was doing a rock musical adaptation of a Jack Black movie, my initial reaction was a Scooby Doo-esque "HUH?". But School of Rock turned out to be one of the most fun nights I had in a theatre all year. I was also worried that a re-imagined version of Spring Awakening could never live up to the thrilling first experience I had with that musical. But Michael Arden and Deaf West crafted a beautiful and heart-wrenching show about communication. Or really miscommunication, and its tragic consequences. I was a puddle of tears at the final tableaux and I wish that revival was still with us.

The Public has been on a roll ever since Fun Home. Now in addition to spawning mega-hit Hamilton, they've also given us a powerful drama in Danai Gurira's Eclipsed. The first Broadway play written, directed, and starring all women. Get it Michonne. Roundabout also had a stellar season, including a hilarious staging of Noises Off, a long-but-totally-worth-it-trust-me production of Long Day's Journey Into Night, and Stephen Karam's The Humans. I went into The Humans totally blind as to what is was about and I truly haven't stopped thinking about it since the show ended. I laughed, I cried, I clutched my pearls in absolute terror. Don't even talk to me if you haven't seen this show.

And I havent even mentioned all the career defining performances this season gave us by the likes of Jessica Lange (oh you thought she wasn't a stage actress? Wrong), Megan Hilty (I laughed so hard at the "NO BAG!" moment that people stared), Laura Benanti (Amalia was basically created for her, just a few decades early), and Danny Burstein (I'm not sure if Male Kelli O'Hara will finally win a Tony, but he is THE reason to see Fiddler). Oh and there is also Cynthia Erivo. I guess I didn't include her before because her talent and skills are so astounding I'm not sure she's human. Special shout out too, to her new co-star Heather headley who had me in tears 3 words into a song. #Aida4lyf. The Color Purple has maybe the best singing I've heard on Broadway.

So, since I'm a person of many strong opinions: it's time for the 2016 Sammys! The Sammy Awards are sort of like the Tony Awards, except they are solely decided by me. And obviously a sassy blogger's stamp of approval is a lot more fun than some shiny trophy and exposure on national television. Of course, if you're looking for more things about said Tony Awards, my final rankings and predictions are over in the contenders column to the right (or if you're on a mobile device, a much less exciting and less intuitive drop down box at the top of the screen. Huzzah!).

Without further ado: The 2016 Sammy Awards

Best Musical
Hamilton (winner)
Shuffle Along...
School of Rock
Waitress (runner-up)

Best Play
Eclipsed (runner-up)
The Father
The Humans (winner)
King Charles III

Best Revival of a Musical
The Color Purple (runner-up)
Fiddler on the Roof
She Love Me
Spring Awakening (winner)

Best Revival of a Play
Fool for Love
Fully Committed
Long Day's Journey Into Night (winner)
Noises Off (runner-up)

Director of a Musical
Michael Arden, Spring Awakening (winner)
John Doyle, The Color Purple
Scott Ellis, She Loves Me
Thomas Kail, Hamilton (runner-up)
Diane Paulus, Waitress

Director of a Play
Rupert Goold, King Charles III
Jeremy Herrin, Noises Off (runner-up)
Jonathan Kent, Long Day's Journey Into Night
Joe Mantello, The Humans (winner)
Liesl Tommy, Eclipsed

Best Lead Actor in a Musical
Alex Brightman, School of Rock
Danny Burstein, Fiddler on the Roof (runner-up)
Zachary Levi, She Loves Me
Lin-Manuel Miranda, Hamilton
Leslie Odom Jr., Hamilton (winner)
Benjamin Walker, American Psycho

Best Lead Actress in a Musical
Laura Benanti, She Loves Me (runner-up)
Carmen Cusack, Bright Star
Cynthia Erivo, The Color Purple (winner)
Audra McDonald, Shuffle Along
Jessie Mueller, Waitress
Philippa Soo, Hamilton

Best Lead Actor in a Play
Gabriel Byrne, Long Day's Journey Into Night
Jeff Daniels, Blackbird
Frank Langella, The Father (winner)
Tim Pigott-Smith, King Charles III (runner-up)
Mark Strong, A View From the Bridge

Best Lead Actress in a Play
Nina Arianda, Fool for Love
Jessica Lange, Long Day's Jounrey Into Night (winner)
Lupita Nyong'o, Eclipsed (runner-up)
Sophie Okonedo, The Crucible
Nicola Walker, A View From the Bridge

Best Featured Actor in a Musical
Gavin Creel, She Loves Me
Daniel N. Durant, Spring Awakening (winner)
Daveed Diggs, Hamilton (runner-up)
Christopher Jackson, Hamilton
Billy Porter, Shuffle Along

Best Featured Actress in a Musical
Danielle Brooks, The Color Purple
Renee Elise Goldsberry, Hamilton (winner)
Jane Krakowski, She Loves Me (runner-up)
Krysta Rodriguez, Spring Awakening
Helene Yorke, American Psycho

Best Featured Actor in a Play
Reed Birney, The Humans (winner)
David Furr, Noises Off
John Gallagher Jr., Long Day's Jounrey Into Night
Robert Sella, Sylvia
Michael Shannon, Long Day's Jourey Into Night (runner-up)

Best Featured Actress in a Play
Pascale Armand, Eclipsed
Megan Hilty, Noises Off (winner-tie)
Jayne Houdyshell, The Humans (winner-tie) 
Andrea Martin, Noises Off
Saycon Sengbloh, Eclipsed
...these are my awards and I refuse to choose between these two women

Best Score
Bright Star (Steve Martin and Edie Brickell)
Hamilton (Lin-Manuel Miranda) (winner)
School of Rock (Andrew Lloyd Webber & Glenn Slater)
Waitress (Sara Bareilles) (runner-up)

Best Book
American Psycho
Hamilton (winner)
School of Rock (runner-up)
Waitress

Best Choreography
Andy Blankenbuehler, Hamilton (runner-up)
Savion Glover, Shuffle Along (winner)
Spencer Liff, Spring Awakening
Hofesh Shechter, Fiddler on the Roof
Sergio Trujillo, On Your Feet!

Best Orchestrations
Fiddler on the Roof
Hamilton (winner)
She Loves Me (runner-up)
Shuffle Along...

Best Scenic Design of a Musical
American Psycho
Hamilton
She Loves Me (winner)
Tuck Everlasting (runner-up)

Best Scenic Design of a Play
The Humans (runner-up)
Long Day's Journey Into Night
Misery
Therese Raquin (winner)

Best Costume Design of a Musical
Hamilton (winner)
On Your Feet!
She Loves Me
Shuffle Along... (runner-up)

Best Costume Design of a Play
King Charles III (runner-up)
Long Day's Journey Into Night (winner)
Noises Off
Therese Raquin

Best Lighting Design of a Musical
American Psycho (runner-up)
Hamilton (winner)
Shuffle Along...
Tuck Everlasting

Best Lighting Design of a Play
The Crucible
The Humans (runner-up)
Long Day's Journey Into Night (winner)
Therese Raquin

Best Sound Design of a Musical
American Psycho (winner)
Hamilton (runner-up)
School of Rock
Spring Awakening

Best Sound Design of a Play
The Crucible (runner-up)
Eclipsed
The Humans (winner)
A View From the Bridge

OFF-BROADWAY 

Unfortunately, I do not posses the time and resources to see each and every Off-Broadway offering that New York City is blessed with. So, like you I get shut out of hits like Grounded with Anne Hathaway, or miss limited runs of critical darlings. But this sector of theatre still deserves kudos and congratulations. So here are some picks from the shows I did see this season.

Best Off-Broadway Production
Cinderella (Company XIV)
Dear Evan Hansen (Second Stage) (winner)
Head of Passes (The Public Theater)
Perfect Arrangement (Primary Stages)
The Robber Bridegroom (Roundabout Theatre Company) (runner-up)

Best Performance in an Off-Broadway Musical
Michael C. Hall, Lazarus
Leslie Kritzer, The Robber Bridegroom (winner)
Steven Pasquale, The Robber Bridegroom
Ben Platt, Dear Evan Hansen (runner-up)
Marcy Richardson, Cinderella

Best Performance in an Off-Broadway Play
John Benjamin Hickey, Dad Woof, Papa Hot
James Lecsene, The Absolute Brightness of Leonard Pelkey
Phylicia Rashad, Head of Passes (winner)
Lois Smith, John (runner-up)
Jennifer Van Dyck, Perfect Arrangement


Top Ten New Songs of the Season
10.) "My Most Beautiful Day", Tuck Everlasting
9.) "Selling Out", American Psycho
8.) "At Long Last", Bright Star
7.) "Where Did the Rock Go?", School of Rock
6.) "Sun's Gonna Shine", Bright Star
5.) "Stick it to the Man", School of Rock
4.) "My Shot", Hamilton
3.) "She Used to be Mine", Waitress
2.) "The Room Where it Happens", Hamilton
1.) "Satisfied", Hamilton

Totals                                            Wins   Nominations
Hamilton -                                        8               16
The Humans -                                   5                7
Long Day's Journey Into Night -      4                9
Spring Awakening -                          3                6
She Loves Me                                   1                9
Noises Off                                         1               6
Shuffle Along                                    1               6
American Psycho                              1               6
The Color Purple                               1               4
Therese Raquin                                 1                3
The Father                                         1               2

"The Sammys" 2016: If I Was an Oscar Voter

After sifting through as many movies as I could, and listening to an awards race that hasn't always represented my own personal tastes, I've whittled down my own personal picks for who should be the nominees and winners this year.

The hardest category by far was Cinematography. It has been a banner year for the craft and I could have easily filled out ten nomination slots. I'm still not happy with my lineup because I was forced to leave out stunning photography from the likes of Carol, Brooklyn, and Black Mass. But I forced myself to make some Sophie's choices and get to five nominees.

As for best picture, the year in film came down to two defining movie-going experiences. Brooklyn and Mad Max: Fury Road. It is a crime that neither has much hope at an actual Oscar win for Best Picture.

One one hand is George Miller's magnum opus. The director revisits his crown jewel franchise after nearly four decades, brings a celebrated cinematographer out of retirement, suffers an unprecedented amount of production woes and setbacks, and rockets his cast through the desert on actual tricked out rigs. The result is a nearly wordless action-opera raging with adrenaline, that has a surprising amount to say about survival, women, greed, and humanity. And it does so through wondrous visual storytelling that creates a world so fully realized, it seems to have existed even before Miller set foot there. After the dust settles on this awards season, Mad Max will be long remembered as the year's crowning achievement.

In the other hand sits Brooklyn. Detractors have jabbed the film for being too "classic" or predictable in its story. I would argue that crafting a classic romance such as this in toady's attention deficit society is a near impossible feat. The story is rather straightforward, but skillfully adapted to bring each character to life and has the audience hanging on every moment. Saoirse Ronan proves herself to be one of the most captivating actors of her generation. As Eilis, her eyes soak in as much emotion as they give back, and through subtle shifts in voice and physicality, she transforms into a new woman before our eyes.

I oscillated between these two stunning films over and over. But eventually, the emotional gut punch of Brooklyn cemented the film as my winner. I may not have traveled across the Atlantic, but the film's conception of new beginnings and "home" struck a chord. A year after graduating college, I hopped on a bus with nothing but two large bags and an address, and moved to New York. The mixed feelings of excitement and liberation, coupled with dread and anxiety, that this sort of "starting over" brings has never been so perfectly captured on film. Rarely has a film made me feel as emotionally full as Brooklyn. It deserves its spot at the top.

Now to the good stuff: The 2016 "Sammys"

Best Picture
10.) Spy
9.) Carol
8.) The Martian
7.) Room
6.) Star Wars: The Force Awakens
5.) Ex Machina
4.) Spotlight
3.) Inside Out
2.) Mad Max: Fury Road
1.) Brooklyn

Best Director
John Crowley Brooklyn
Pete Docter, Inside Out
Tom McCarthy, Spotlight
George Miller, Mad Max: Fury Road (winner)
Ridley Scott, The Martian (runner-up)

Best Actor
Tom Courtenay, 45 Years
Matt Damon, The Martian (runner-up)
Leonardo Dicaprio, The Revenant
Michael Fassbender, Steve Jobs
Jacob Tremblay, Room (winner)

Best Actress
Cate Blanchett, Carol
Marion Cotillard, Macbeth
Brie Larson, Room (runner-up)
Saoirse Ronan, Brooklyn (winner)
Charlotte Rampling, 45 Years

Best Supporting Actor
Emory Cohen, Brooklyn
Idris Elba, Beasts of No Nation (runner-up)
Harrison Ford, Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Oscar Isaac, Ex Machina (winner)
Mark Rylance, Bridge of Spies

Best Supporting Actress
Rose Byrne, Spy
Jennifer Jason Leigh, The Hateful Eight
Sarah Paulson, Carol
Alicia Vikander, Ex Machina (winner)
Kate Winslet, Steve Jobs (runner-up)

Best Original Screenplay
Ex Machina
The Hateful Eight
Inside Out (runner-up)
Spotlight (winner)
Spy

Best Adapted Screenplay
45 Years
Brooklyn (winner)
The Martian
Room
Steve Jobs (runner-up)

Best Animated Film
Anomalisa
The Good Dinosaur
Inside Out (winner)
The Prophet
When Marnie Was There (runner-up)

Best Film Editing
The Big Short
Mad Max: Fury Road (winner)
Sicario (runner-up)
Spotlight
Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Best Cinematography
It Follows
The Revenant (winner)
Macbeth
Mad Max: Fury Road (runner-up)
Sicario

Best Production Design
Bridge of Spies
Crimson Peak (winner)
Ex Machina
Mad Max: Fury Road (runner-up)
Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Best Costume Design
Brooklyn (winner)
Carol (runner-up)
Cinderella
Crimson Peak
Mad Max: Fury Road

Best Makeup and Hairstyling
Black Mass
Carol
Macbeth (runner-up)
Mad Max: Fury Road (winner)
Mr. Holmes

Best Visual Effects
Ant-Man
Avengers: Age of Ultron
Mad Max: Fury Road (runner-up)
The Martian
Star Wars: The Force Awakens (winner)

Best Score
The Hateful Eight
It Follows (winner)
The Revenant
Spotlight
Star Wars: The Force Awakens (runner-up)

Best Sound Editing
Jurassic World
Mad Max: Fury Road (winner)
The Martian
Sicario (runner-up)
Star Wars: The Force Awakens

Sound Mixing
Love and Mercy
Mad Max: Fury Road (winner)
The Revenant
Star Wars: The Force Awakens (runner-up)
Straight Outta Compton

Best Ensemble
Dope (runner-up)
The Martian
Spotlight (winner)
Star Wars: The Force Awakens
Straight Outta Compton

Best Breakthrough Performer
Abraham Attah
John Boyega
Daisy Ridley (runner-up)
Jacob Tremblay
Alicia Vikander (winner)

Biggest Disappointment of the Year
The Danish Girl

Entertainer of the Year
Cate Blanchett
Michael Fassbender
Harrison Ford
Domhnall Gleeson
Tom Hardy
Jennifer Lawrence
Pixar Animation Studios (winner)
Chris Pratt
Amy Schumer
Charlize Theron
Alicia Vikander


WINS
Mad Max: Fury Road - 5
Brooklyn - 4
Ex Machina - 2
Spotlight - 2
Crimson Peak  - 1
Inside Out - 1
It Follows - 1
Room - 1
The Revenant  - 1
Star Wars: The Force Awakens - 1

The Sammys (Or, If I Was a Tony Voter)

The 2015 Tony season comes to an end tomorrow night, but not before one import final precursor award: my own! I do my best to take in as much theatre as possible every year, and though I didn't make it to everything (sorry The Country House...well, not really) I caught over two dozen Broadway productions this season. I marveled at legends like Chita Rivera and Carol Burnett, laughed and cried at revivals that went too soon (Side Show) or not soon enough (The Real Thing), and I even saw a Tupac musical on Tupac's birthday and had better seats than Madonna (but she definitely had the better outfit). The following list of nominations and winners is the best of the best, in one blogger's humble opinion.

I have stuck to the Tony rulings on eligibility with one exception: The ladies from Side Show are nominated together. If you're mad about it: take it up with the Tony administration who broke their own precedent. Together, they gave one of the fiercest performances of any gender this season. Tonys also grant the use of additional nominees in certain categories, so I have increased a few categories by one where I felt it necessary.

Finally, I also forced myself to avoid ties this year. No copping out, even in Lead Actress in a Musical (where a four way tie would have me ecstatic) or Featured Actress in a Musical (with "Ring of Keys" and "I Can Cook Too" being the two best performed numbers of the season). I made several Sophie's Choices and will have to live with them.

THE 2015 SAMMYS

Best Musical
*Fun Home (winner)
Honeymoon in Vegas
The Last Ship
Something Rotten! (runner-up)
The Visit

Best Play
Constellations
*The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (winner)
Hand to God (runner-up)
Wolf Hall, Parts One and Two

Revival of a Musical
*The King and I (winner)
On the Town (runner-up)
On the Twentieth Century
Side Show

Best Revival of a Play
A Delicate Balance
The Elephant Man (runner-up)
The Heidi Chronicles
*You Can't Take it with You (winner)

Best Lead Actor in a Play
*Steven Boyer, Hand to God (winner)
Bradley Cooper, The Elephant Man
Kieran Culkin, This is Our Youth
Jake Gyllenhaal, Constellations
Alex Sharp, Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (runner-up)

Best Lead Actress in a Play
Geneva Carr, Hand to God (runner-up)
Glenn Close, A Delicate Balance
Helen Mirren, The Audience
Elizabeth Moss, The Heidi Chronicles
*Ruth Wilson, Constellations (winner)

Best Lead Actor in a Musical
Michael Cerveris, Fun Home (runner-up)
Robert Fairchild, An American in Paris
*Brian d'Arcy James, Something Rotten! (winner)
Rob McClure, Honeymoon in Vegas
Tony Yazbeck, On the Town

Best Lead Actress in a Musical
*Kristin Chenoweth, On the Twentieth Century (winner)
Erin Davie & Emily Padgett, Side Show (runner-up)
Beth Malone, Fun Home
Kelli O'Hara, The King and I
Chita Rivera, The Visit

Best Featured Actor in a Play
Ian Barford, Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Alessandro Nivola, The Elephant Man (runner-up)
Michael Oberholtzer, Hand to God
*Nathaniel Parker, Wolf Hall, Parts One and Two (winner)
Bryce Pinkham, The Heidi Chronicles
Micah Stock, It's Only a Play

Best Featured Actress in a Play
*Annaleigh Ashford, You Can't Take it With You (winner)
Lucy Briers, Wolf Hall, Parts One and Two
Enid Graham, Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time
Lydia Leonard, Wolf Hall, Parts One and Two (runner-up)
Kristine Nielsen, You Can't Take it With You
Julie White, Airline Highway

Best Featured Actor in a Musical
*Fred Applegate, The Last Ship (winner)
Brooks Ashmanskas, Something Rotten!
Christian Borle, Something Rotten!
Andy Karl, On the Twentieth Century (runner-up)
Brad Oscar, Something Rotten!

Best Featured Actress in a Musical
Judy Kuhn, Fun Home
*Syndey Lucas, Fun Home (winner)
Ashley Park, The King and I
Emily Skeggs, Fun Home
Alysha Umphress, On the Town (runner-up)

Best Director of a Musical
Bill Condon, Side Show
*Sam Gold, Fun Home (winner)
Casey Nicholaw, Something Rotten!
John Rando, On the Town
Bartlett Sher, The King and I (runner-up)

Best Director of a Play
*Marianne Elliot, Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (winner)
Scott Ellis, The Elephant Man
Scott Ellis, You Can't Take it With You (runner-up)
Jeremy Herrin, Wolf Hall, Parts One and Two
Moritz von Stuelpnagel, Hand to God

Best Original Score
*Fun Home (Jeanine Tesori and Lisa Kron) (winner)
The Last Ship (Sting) (runner-up)
Something Rotten! (Karey and Wayne Kirkpatrick)
The Visit (John Kander and Fred Ebb)

Best Book of a Musical
*Fun Home (Lisa Kron) (winner)
Honeymoon in Vegas (Andrew Bergman)
Something Rotten! (Karey Kirkpatrick and John O'Farrell) (runner-up)
The Visit (Terrence McNally) 

Best Choreography
An American in Paris (Christopher Wheeldon) (runner-up)
Finding Neverland (Mia Michaels)
The King and I (Christopher Gattelli)
*On the Town (Joshua Bergasse) (winner)
Something Rotten! (Casey Nicholaw)

Best Orchestrations
*An American in Paris (winner)
Fun Home (runner-up) 
Honeymoon in Vegas
The Visit

Best Scenic Design of a Musical
*An American in Paris (winner)
The King and I
Something Rotten!
The Visit (runner-up)

Best Scenic Design of a Play
Airline Highway (runner-up)
*Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (winner)
Wolf Hall, Parts One and Two
You Can't Take it With You

Best Costume Design of a Musical
An American in Paris (runner-up)
*The King and I (winner)
On the Twentieth Century
Side Show

Best Costume Design of a Play
A Delicate Balance
The Audience (runner-up)
*Wolf Hall, Parts One and Two (winner)
You Can't Take it With You

Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Fun Home
The King and I
The Last Ship (runner-up)
*The Visit (winner)

Best Lighting Design of a Play
Constellations
*Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (winner)
Skylight
Wolf Hall, Parts One and Two (runner-up)

Best Sound Design of a Musical
Finding Neverland
*Fun Home (winner)
The Last Ship (runner-up)
Something Rotten!

Best Sound Design of a Play
Constellations
*Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (winner)
Skylight (runner-up)
Wolf Hall, Parts One and Two

Top Ten New Songs
10. 'We Got Now't Else', The Last Ship
9. 'Days and Days', Fun Home
8. 'I Love Betsy', Honeymoon in Vegas
7. 'The Last Ship', The Last Ship
6. 'Welcome to the Renaissance', Something Rotten!
5. 'A Musical', Something Rotten!
4. 'Changing My Major', Fun Home
3. 'Love and Love Alone', The Visit
2. 'Telephone Wire', Fun Home
1. 'Ring of Keys', Fun Home



WINS
Fun Home: 6
Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time: 5
An American in Paris: 2
The King and I: 2
Wolf Hall, Parts One and Two: 2
You Can't Take it With You: 2
Constellations: 1
Hand to God: 1
On the Town: 1
On the Twentieth Century: 1
Something Rotten!: 1
The Visit: 1

The Sammys (If I Was an Oscar Voter)

We all know The Oscars get things wrong. That's why I am making my own list of nominees and winners: The Sammys. These awards have no bias against genre movies and aren't swayed by campaigning or screeners. And based on The Hollywood Reporters' Anonymous Oscar Ballot series, I think I've seen more films this year than most Academy members.

The list is just for fun, and I tried to stick with the Academy's rulings on placement. I managed this except in two areas.  1.) "Whiplash" is an original screenplay. If we are going to knock filmmakers for making shorts to get producers interested (often a necessity in today's filmmaking world) then the definition of "adapted" will change dramatically. 2.) "Birdman" is eligible for Score. It's the best score of the year and the music branch was foolish to reject it. 3.) Sadly, I've only seen two foreign films this year so I omitted a Foreign Feature category.

Out of everything I've seen this year, the top three movies in my Best Picture lineup registered the most. I waffled back and forth on which would win my personal award. In a previous post I mentioned that "The LEGO Movie" would take the honor. And while I will probably re-watch that joyous film more than any of the others, I can't shake my experience with "Boyhood". It has seeped into my psyche and thoughts and resonates long after the viewing experience is finished. Its the most stunning accomplishment in film this year, in this blogger's humble opinion. It deserves its place at the top.

Best Picture
10. Wild
9. The Grand Budapest Hotel
8. Guardians of the Galaxy
7. Nightcrawler
6. Snowpiercer
5. Gone Girl
4. Birdman
3. Whiplash
2. The LEGO Movie
1. Boyhood

Best Director
Wes Anderson, The Grand Budapest Hotel
David Fincher, Gone Girl
Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Birdman (runner-up)
Bong Joon-ho, Snowpiercer
Richard Linklater, Boyhood (winner)

Best Actor
Benedict Cumberbatch, The Imitation Game
Jake Gyllenhaal, Nightcrawler
Michael Keaton, Birdman (winner)
David Oyelowo, Selma (runner-up)
Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything

Best Actress
Emily Blunt, Into the Woods
GuGu Mbatha-Raw, Belle (runner-up)
Julianne Moore, Still Alice (winner)
Rosamund Pike, Gone Girl
Reese Witherspoon, Wild

Best Supporting Actor
Ethan Hawke, Boyhood (runner-up)
Edward Norton, Birdman
Chris Pine, Into the Woods
Mark Ruffalo, Foxcatcher
J.K. Simmons, Whiplash (winner)

Best Supporting Actress
Patricia Arquette, Boyhood (winner)
Laura Dern, Wild
Rene Russo, Nightcrawler
Meryl Streep, Into the Woods
Tilda Swinton, Snowpiercer (runner-up)

Best Film Editing
Birdman
Boyhood (runner-up)
Edge of Tomorrow
Gone Girl
Whiplash (winner)

Best Original Screenplay
Birdman
Boyhood
The LEGO Movie (winner)
Nightcrawler (runner-up)
Whiplash

Best Adapted Screenplay
American Sniper
Gone Girl (winner)
Guardians of the Galaxy
The Imitation Game
Wild (runner-up)

Best Cinematography
Birdman (winner)
Gone Girl
Mr. Turner (runner-up)
Nightcrawler
Unbroken

Best Production Design
The Grand Budapest Hotel (runner-up)
Interstellar
Into the Woods
Mr. Turner
Snowpiercer (winner)

Best Costume Design
Belle
The Grand Budapest Hotel (winner-tie)
The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1
Into the Woods (winner-tie)
Maleficent

Best Makeup/Hairstyling
Belle
Guardians of the Galaxy (winner)
Into the Woods (runner-up)
Maleficent
Mr. Turner

Best Score
Birdman (winner)
Gone Girl (runner up)
The Grand Budapest Hotel
How to Train Your Dragon 2
The Imitation Game

Best Song
'Everything is Awesome' from "The LEGO Movie" (winner)
'Glory' from "Selma"
'Grateful' from "Beyond the Lights" (runner-up)
'Mercy Is' from "Noah"
'The Last Goodbye' from "The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies"

Best Visual Effects
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (winner)
Edge of Tomorrow
Guardians of the Galaxy
Interstellar (runner-up)
X-Men: Days of Future Past

Best Sound Editing
American Sniper (runner-up)
Captain America: The Winter Soldier
Edge of Tomorrow (winner)
Godzilla
The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies

Best Sound Mixing
American Sniper
Guardians of the Galaxy (runner up)
Into the Woods
Unbroken
Whiplash (winner)

Best Documentary Feature
The Case Against 8 (runner up)
Citizenfour
Elaine Stritch: Shoot Me
Last Days in Vietnam
Virunga (winner)

Best Animated Feature
Big Hero 6
How to Train Your Dragon 2 (runner up)
The LEGO Movie (winner)
Song of the Sea
The Tale of Princess Kaguya

WINS
Boyhood: 3
The LEGO Movie: 3
Whiplash: 3
Birdman: 2
Dawn of the Planet of the Apes: 1
Edge of Tomorrow: 1
Gone Girl: 1
The Grand Budapest Hotel: 1
Guardians of the Galaxy: 1
Into the Woods: 1
Snowpiercer: 1
Still Alice: 1
Virunga: 1

MULTIPLE NOMINATIONS
Birdman - 8
Boyhood - 6
Gone Girl - 6
Into the Woods - 6
The Grand Budapest Hotel - 5
Nightcrawler - 5
Whiplash - 5
The LEGO Movie - 4
Guardians of the Galaxy - 4
Snowpiercer - 4
Wild - 4
American Sniper - 3
Belle - 3
Edge of Tomorrow - 3
The Imitation Game - 3
Mr. Turner - 3
The Hobbit: Battle of the Five Armies - 2
How to Train Your Dragon 2 - 2
Interstellar - 2
Maleficent - 2
Selma - 2
Unbroken - 2