The Tony Awards liked Once more than any other movie-based Broadway musical
Compared to last year's widely predicted sweep by The Book Of Mormon, there was far more uncertainty going into this year's Tony Awards, save for the fact that mocking Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark would account for approximately 50 percent of the banter, host Neil Patrick Harris would do some big, vibrant opening number offering charming testimony to the vitality of Broadway before handing out awards to shows based on movies. But which movie was the most pressing question, and last night it was a far-and-away triumph for Once, with the relatively intimate stage version of the shaggy indie romance picking up eight Tonys—including Best Musical—to beat out both an adaptation of the Steve Martin comedy Leap Of Faith and its most obvious competition, Newsies. Of course, the latter will continue to rake in cash via touring companies, official Disney-licensed merchandise, and seemingly inevitably, a movie version of the Broadway version of the movie, so it can probably live with only getting awards for its score and choreography.