Happy Grammy Sunday! Or as we’re calling it here, the “The Walking Dead” mid-season premiere with musical interludes.
We’ll be the first to admit we’re not the most informed Grammy viewers. Outside of who’s hosting (James Corden) and an idea of some of the nominees (we’re pretty sure Beyoncé and Adele are up for a few), we don’t know that much going in. But that’s the wonderful thing about the Grammys and music in general. You don’t have to be an expert to enjoy and appreciate it.
Our own ignorance aside, when it comes to award shows, we like to make predictions. Specifically, we like to make informed predictions, which means we’re really only qualified to pick one category — BEST MUSICAL THEATER ALBUM.
So without further ado, here are the nominees for Best Musical Theater Album, and our picks:
Nominees:
Bright Star — (Original Broadway Cast)
The Color Purple — (New Broadway Cast)
Fiddler On The Roof — (2016 Broadway Cast)
Kinky Boots — (Original West End Cast)
Waitress — (Original Broadway Cast)
Our Picks for BEST MUSICAL THEATER ALBUM:
Zer: “Waitress” — Without “Hamilton” in the mix (they won last year), this is a tougher category to call. After all, the two new musicals “Bright Star” and “Waitress” didn’t win the Tony this year, and the remaining nominees are all revivals or new casts of the same show. Basically, it’s hard to say who’s more likely to win. That being said, I’m going with “Waitress.” This peppy, feel-good musical features amazing vocals by Jessie Mueller and the rest of the original Broadway cast, plus it features original tunes by Sara Bareilles…and it never hurts to have an industry insider on your team. While “Kinky Boots” also features music written by a pop star turned Broadway composer – Cyndi Lauper – I think “Waitress” has the edge since it hasn’t previously been nominated.
Stephanie: “The Color Purple”— This is an interesting year for this category. Generally the award goes to whoever won best new musical at the Tony Awards, but “Hamilton” was in last year’s Grammy Awards. So, I’m going with the winner of best revival of a musical which boasts some incredible performances from Cynthia Erivo and Jennifer Hudson. But as always, this is a category full of incredible music. So I wouldn’t be surprised if Sara Bareilles’ “Waitress” or Steve Martin’s “Bright Star” went home with this honor.
…just for fun:
