In case you were, like, on Mars or maybe at Radio City Music Hall last Sunday, you might've missed the Tony Awards simulcast in Duffy Square (a.k.a. North Times Square, or right by the TKTS Booth). Below is some footage of the simulcast of the Creative Arts Tony Awards featuring Laura Benanti and Brian Stokes Mitchell. Apologies for the audio degradation. Sound! Sound! Can I have someone on sound?
Also: Here's some kinetic footage of the Jersey Boys simulcast from the latter part of the ceremony.
Video by David Marc Fischer (2:35)
Showing posts with label Tony Awards. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tony Awards. Show all posts
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Sunday, June 07, 2009
Liveblogging the Tony Awards 2009
Welcome to the 63rd Annual Tony Awards—also known as the 19th Annual Law & Order Reunion!
The Tony people dispensed with a bunch of "tech" awards between 7 and 8, with a crowd watching near the TKTS booth in Duffy Square.
The CBS Broadcast started with Elton John performing a song that must be from his show Billy Elliott. Only after that did my prediction come true: West Side Story's ensemble Tonight was performed. What I didn't expect was that "Luck Be A Lady (Tonight—get it?)" from Guys and Dolls would be worked into the number. Nice touch.
And now it's some excerpt from Rock of Ages. Time for a break!
UPDATE Of course, I missed something: Bret Michaels getting conked on his head while the show went on. I hope he's okay!
The opening medley continues with Stockard Channing doing "Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered" from Pal Joey paired with excellent but snubbed Aaron Tveit doing "I'm Alive" from Next to Normal.
And now it's "Let Your Freak Flag Fly" from Shrek. So you know it's the Tony Awards.
And what's this? Hello, Dolly! Parton kicks off 9 to 5.
What can top that? Good ol' Liza Minnelli gamely belting out "The World Goes 'Round" by her friends John Kander and Fred Ebb.
It figures that the follow-up to Liza is the chorus...from Hair: "Let the Sunshine In." Can't be too soon. (This one's for Debbie, of course.)
A good start, with the crowd pretty worked up!
And now for the drinking game: a drink for every mention of sushi or mercury poisoning.
And here's our host Doogie, getting applause from Niles. Wow—dirty joke about head-banging! [UPDATE This turned out to be a joke about Bret Michaels's injury. So I guess all the naughtiness was in my own head.] Followed by self-deprecating joke having to do with the show's budget! I just checked: He has been on Broadway.
And here's Jane Fonda, entering to the Gershwins' "Someone to Watch Over Me." This continues a trend (from the tech awards) of playing standards.
Best Featured Actor in a Play: Roger Robinson, Joe Turner's Come and Gone! Barack Obama gets a mention in his speech—Could the Prez do something that, maybe, only James Darth Vader Earl Jones could also do: Fill the house for a substantial stretch of an August Wilson play? That would be nice.
Now that there's an intermission—oops, "commercial"— here's one of the tech awards:
Best Sound Design of a Musical: Paul Arditti of Billy Elliott.
We're back with an excerpt from Shrek. How many times will they say Fuckwad...I mean Farquaad? You know, admidst all the "size" jokes? I think we're up to 4. Hm. 5 now. And now here he is: Paul Lynde! Maybe 6? It's hard to count and blog at the same time!
Doogie mentions Obama, too. Another drinking game? And jokes: Barack of Ages, The Phantom of the Oprah, Obammammia!
Presenters Jeff Daniels and James Gandolfini, who makes a self-deprecating Shrek joke. Crowd cheers suggest Lansbury.
Best Featured Actress in a Play: Yes, Angela Lansbury for Blithe Spirit. She's awesome. Standing O, well-deserved. Box office boost for Blithe Spirit? She congrats the other nominees, saying "It wasn't fair." I'll give her the benefit of the doubt and take that in the best possible sense!
Cutaway to Hathaway. And now on with the show. Touring talk. Oh no. Oh no. An excerpt from Mamma Mia! Break!
And now there's another "commercial"...so:
Best Sound Design of a Play: Gerald Clarke for Equus.
Doogie's back with a Smell-O-Vision joke. I was just joking about that the other day at Pure Confidence, a play about horseracing. Wouldn't onstage manure be great?? Anyway, good jokes about Doogie liking the scent of Mary Poppins [UPDATE A blog visitor seemed to want to figure this out. I think it's an "Of course a gay guy would like Mary Poppins" joke, but I welcome alternate intepretations.] but not wanting to scratch Billy Elliott [UPDATE Meaning he's a gay guy—not a pedarest!].
Play excerpt time: 33 Variations. I'm glad I mentioned this, just in case you blinked.
Now up: Will Ferrell, back from his TV talk show tour. Good Godot joke.
Best Book: Lee Hall for Billy Elliott.
Best Score: Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey for Next to Normal. The comment about keeping on going with creating a fresh musical, no matter what it takes refers to the famously long workshopping of the show. And these guys get played over by the orchestra. Ironic? Do the musicians have no respect??
Excerpt from West Side Story: The dance at the gym. Some of the best music ever on Broadway. Note the competing dance styles. I think Josefina Scaglione might have missed a note, but don't let that confuse you: She's got a genuinely pretty voice.
"Commercial time" again, so...
Best Lighting Design of a Musical: Rick Fisher (no relation) for Billy Elliott.
Best Lighting Design of a Play: Brian MacDevitt for Joe Turner's Come and Gone.
Best Costume Design of a Musical: Tim Hatley for Shrek.
And here's Janet Weiss, joking about the two director noms for Matthew Warchus.
Best Direction of a Play: Matthew Warchus for God of Carnage. Great Warchus quip: "I was hoping for another tie, actually." It's sort of amazing that he got the prize for the short play, not the three-plays-in-one-play. He gives lots of praise for the playwright, Yasmina Reza. And he gives props to The Norman Conquests company.
Explanation of the "tie" remark:
Best Orchestration: TIE between Martin Koch for Billy Elliott and Michael Starobin and Tom Kitt for Next to Normal.
Best Direction of a Musical: Stephen Daldry for Billy Elliott. He made two lit adaptations for film that I admire—The Hours and The Reader—and coming up is The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay.
Rock of Ages. Break time...but wait! Joking with Liza! Freak machine remark! Funny! But now, it's back to Rock of Ages...so...break time!
Another "commercial," so...
Best Costume Design of a Play goes to Anthony Ward for Mary Stuart. It's a blend of Elizabethan garb and snappy modern suits for men. (Hm...is it Elizabethan garb for the women and the modern suits for the men? I think it is! Must muse over this....)
Best Scenic Design of a Musical: Ian MacNeil for Billy Elliott.
And here's Judy Berlin, presenting
Best Special Theatrical Event: Liza Minnelli for Liza's at the Palace. And yes, I wrote that out before the award was announced. John Scher is talking, but we all want Liza, Liza, and more Liza! And here she is. Will the band dare to play over her???? Heh—now she's saying she didn't think she was gonna win? She gives shout outs to Jim Caruso and Billy Stritch of Monday night's Cast Party and Birdland. And she keeps talking. And finally the band starts playing as she thanks her parents and Kay Thompson (her godmother, if memory serves, and the "inspiration" for the show). But really, it's really something that the band was really really reluctant to play over Liza. Unless I'm grossly mistaken, that did not happen with songwriters Kitt and Yorkey.
Excerpt from God of Carnage. Really: With plays you can't afford to blink.
Excerpt from Guys and Dolls with cracklin' bad audio transmission. (Did someone just run on stage to replace the mic? It's hard to blog and supervise sound design at the same time!)
It's a "commercial," so...
Best Scenic Design of a Play goes to Derek McLane for 33 Variations—something Ellen will really appreciate!
Best Choreography goes to Peter Darling for Peter P...oops, Billy Elliott.
American Theatre Wing promotion.
John Stamos presents...
Best Featured Actor in a Musical is Gregory Jbarra for Billy Elliott He brings his wife onstage for his speech. And his wife is female!
Best Featured Actress in a Musical is Karen Olivo for West Side Story. I didn't realize she didn't win for In the Heights; otherwise I think I would have picked her in The BAT Challenge, just like Myra did.
Princess Leia introduces Next to Normal and mugs about it being about manic depression and its impact on a family. And Princess Leia should know a thing or two about that! Uh-oh—the mixing isn't flattering for this. Sound alert! Sound alert! Hey, don't judge this musical by this broadcast performance—expect something better on stage! Ah, and here comes Aaron again, heading for big things despite his Tony snub! Of course, if this were a play excerpt, it would've been over after 1 minute, tops—making a strong case for plays to include at least one song each. Also, by the way, I'm not sure Alice Ripley is coming across that well in this excerpt either—and she's really great in the show. Which might well be borne out by the upcoming Tony for Best Actress in a Musical.
Time for a "commercial" break. Time to ask: Where are the sushi jokes??
Ah—this segments starts with a sushi joke! L'chaim!!
And the segment also started with a number from a current musical (a revival, I think), but I already forgot which one. D'oh!
Jessica Lange is up. Oooo—audience applause suggests that it's Raul Esparza's night. And?
Best Leading Actor in a Play is Geoffrey Rush for Exit the King—as widely expected. He held up a little lightbulb and said something to the effect that it's great to be a little light among the many on Broadway. He's cracking wise about it being a good year for French existentialist absurdist drama on Broadway, Frenchifying the names of other plays this season. This qualifies him for the Julie White Award for Outstanding Acceptance Speech.
Awww. Hallie Foote gets to co-present her late father's play Dividing the Estate. Yeah, about a minute's worth of excerpt.
And here's Lilith, dressed for the Addams Family...and introducing the death roll! A little tacky?? Boo-hoo—bye-bye, Natasha Richardson! Other names include Harold Pinter, Gerald Schoenfeld, Estelle Getty, Dale Wasserman, Edie Adams, Horton Foote, James Whitmore, sydney Chaplin, Clive Barnes, Bea Arthur gets the big applause blast, Robert Silver, Robert Prosky, Pat Hingle, George Furth, Eartha Kitt (sob), Rodger McFarlane, Paul Sills, Paul Newman...and lights dim&at Radio City and Broadway Theaters. Nice touch, all to "What I Did For Love."
And how else would you follow a death role than with a "commercial" for Actonel?
Frank Langella jokes about being snubbed for A Man for All Seasons, which ran during the wrong part of the season. He brandishes the full-page ad pushing him for a nom. Best Leading Actress appplause-o-meter is very hard to read—and the same technique didn't work for Best Leading Actor....
Best Leading Actress in a Play is Marcia Gay Harden for God of Carnage, as widely expected. She thanks her husband—a man! And even thanks the plays translator!
Pay attention, now: Here comes a play excerpt for reasons to be pretty.... The quickie excerpt might remind you of a sitcom featuring Ray Romano...it's actually part of an outstanding, intense, dialogue.
Billy Elliott excerpt featuring a cameo from Elton John. Maybe Myra can explain the choice for Billy here. Anyway, tap is back! Or did it ever really go away? Oh wait: Could it be that all of the Billy Elliotts are in this one, subtly changing places with each other over the course of the routine? If so, amazing!
Time for an Advair breather...because what else could possibly follow Billy Elliott?
Gina Gershon says this is the highest grossing season in the history of the League. She introduces Legally Blonde. Break time!
And here's Harvey. Fierstein, not Weinstein. And not Lichtenstein.
Best Revival of a Face...I mean, a Play is The Norman Conquests. It's a really charming, worthwhile play/set of plays, but so far I have to say I favor Mary Stuart. Onstage is a huge mob of people connected to the six-character play. It's funny to see Amelia Bullmore sort of being in character as Ruth....
Best Play is God of Carnage. No surprise. Another shout-out to Yasmina Reza, also winner of Best Revival of an Accent. She also gives a nod to translator Christopher Hampton as well as director Warchus and her mother, who flew in for this.
And the medication of the moment is: Reclast!
Hmmmm. Familiar theme music? Angela Lansbury presenting? Yes, it's time for Jerry Herman time. What a crazy career Jerry's had. From Maim to Hello, Dalí to that kinky French women's prison S&M musical La Cage aux Femmes, Jerry's made his indelible mark on the Great White Way. But seriously, the use of "Put on Your Sunday Clothes" in Wall-E is an amazing moment redeeming a movie version of the song . But Holy Shit! The band played over him!
And here comes Anne Hathaway! Did you see her playing guitar on late night TV last week? Could it be a sign that she's readying herself for Promises, Promises? The Encores revival had a guitar-accompanied performance of "Never Fall in Love Again"....
Just sayin'....
Musical excerpt from Hair. The guys are messing with the audience. Have I mentioned that I ate sushi next to Wolf on Friday night? (At least that what Myra sez.) You know who else was at the resto? Jennifer Damiano from Next to Normal! (At least that's what Myra tells me.)
This telecast should be great for Hair.
And now here's Amy S...I mean, Kristin Chenoweth.
Best Revival of a Musical is Hair. Like I was saying.... Anyway, it's another mob scene on stage—just like Norman, but much hairier. Even without Norman's Stephen Mangan. Hey—shout out to the Public Theater. Yay!
Medication of the moment is...KIA???? Followed by Quilted Northern Ultra Plush...and Metamucil—nice pairing, people. Followed by Applebee's and the Palm Pre and Purex Complete 3-in-1 Sheets—someone ought to tell the folks from Next to Normal and Distracted about that!
News preview talks about pipe bombs in New Jersey. Perfect lead-in for the road show of Jersey Boys. Break time! But wait?
Niles is introducing...
Best Actress in a Musical is Alice Ripley for Next to Normal. OMG—she's hollering out a quotation of John F. Kennedy talking about art: I AM CERTAIN THAT AFTER THE DUST OF CENTURIES HAS PASSED OVER OUR CITIES, WE, TOO, WILL BE REMEMBERED NOT FOR VICTORIES OR DEFEATS IN BATTLE OR IN POLITICS, BUT FOR OUR CONTRIBUTION TO THE HUMAN SPIRIT. It's sort of like Rebecca Sealfon spelling E-U-O-N-Y-M. She gives thanks you and gets back to art. "Musical theater is a fine art, and so it needs constant tuning...constant adjusting." Yup, Next to Normal famously went through long workshopping.
Audra McDonald is presenting.
Best Actor in a Musical is/are those crazy kids from Billy Elliott. It's the first time a Tony acting award has been shared by three people—not sure it's the first time any Tony has been shared by three, as the announcer sez. Oh, they're a hit, looking sharp in their dark suits. Myra, feel free to help me tell them apart. They're all Billy to me. Should they/did they shout out to the other Billy Elliott(s)? Oh, they're good. Gotta get the video—more Julie White material here! Oh—shout out to Long Island. Hey, where's the band? They're going over.... Ah, there's the music. And you dancing kids out there? "Never give up!"
UPDATE Here's video.
Source (3:18)
And now it's Jersey Boys. Break time!
Did you know this was sponsored by Caduet and Cadillac? Break time!
Liza is back! And (surprisingly!!) she goes straight to the award with one minute to go!!!
Best Musical is Billy Elliott. And yes, I wrote that in advance. Another mob on stage—skewing even younger than Hair! Elton comes up and singles out Next to Normal for encouragement—nice. And then Liza gives Elton the ol' glittery hug and kiss.
11:03 number: A Tony-customized Tonight from Dr. Horrible. Or is it Dr. Howser? When was this written, I wonder? Very dirty joke about getting down on your knees to win a Golden Globe. Oh, this song is good. Golden. This really must be Dr. Horrible. Must get the video. And lyrics. Very naughty!
Okay...now for the news...and seeing how I did in The Bat Challenge!
UPDATE Here's video of the funny closing number. Marc Shaiman and Scott Whitman get credit for the arrangement and lyrics. They're working on the musical Catch Me If You Can.
Source (2:10)
The Tony people dispensed with a bunch of "tech" awards between 7 and 8, with a crowd watching near the TKTS booth in Duffy Square.
The CBS Broadcast started with Elton John performing a song that must be from his show Billy Elliott. Only after that did my prediction come true: West Side Story's ensemble Tonight was performed. What I didn't expect was that "Luck Be A Lady (Tonight—get it?)" from Guys and Dolls would be worked into the number. Nice touch.
And now it's some excerpt from Rock of Ages. Time for a break!
UPDATE Of course, I missed something: Bret Michaels getting conked on his head while the show went on. I hope he's okay!
The opening medley continues with Stockard Channing doing "Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered" from Pal Joey paired with excellent but snubbed Aaron Tveit doing "I'm Alive" from Next to Normal.
And now it's "Let Your Freak Flag Fly" from Shrek. So you know it's the Tony Awards.
And what's this? Hello, Dolly! Parton kicks off 9 to 5.
What can top that? Good ol' Liza Minnelli gamely belting out "The World Goes 'Round" by her friends John Kander and Fred Ebb.
It figures that the follow-up to Liza is the chorus...from Hair: "Let the Sunshine In." Can't be too soon. (This one's for Debbie, of course.)
A good start, with the crowd pretty worked up!
And now for the drinking game: a drink for every mention of sushi or mercury poisoning.
And here's our host Doogie, getting applause from Niles. Wow—dirty joke about head-banging! [UPDATE This turned out to be a joke about Bret Michaels's injury. So I guess all the naughtiness was in my own head.] Followed by self-deprecating joke having to do with the show's budget! I just checked: He has been on Broadway.
And here's Jane Fonda, entering to the Gershwins' "Someone to Watch Over Me." This continues a trend (from the tech awards) of playing standards.
Best Featured Actor in a Play: Roger Robinson, Joe Turner's Come and Gone! Barack Obama gets a mention in his speech—Could the Prez do something that, maybe, only James Darth Vader Earl Jones could also do: Fill the house for a substantial stretch of an August Wilson play? That would be nice.
Now that there's an intermission—oops, "commercial"— here's one of the tech awards:
Best Sound Design of a Musical: Paul Arditti of Billy Elliott.
We're back with an excerpt from Shrek. How many times will they say Fuckwad...I mean Farquaad? You know, admidst all the "size" jokes? I think we're up to 4. Hm. 5 now. And now here he is: Paul Lynde! Maybe 6? It's hard to count and blog at the same time!
Doogie mentions Obama, too. Another drinking game? And jokes: Barack of Ages, The Phantom of the Oprah, Obammammia!
Presenters Jeff Daniels and James Gandolfini, who makes a self-deprecating Shrek joke. Crowd cheers suggest Lansbury.
Best Featured Actress in a Play: Yes, Angela Lansbury for Blithe Spirit. She's awesome. Standing O, well-deserved. Box office boost for Blithe Spirit? She congrats the other nominees, saying "It wasn't fair." I'll give her the benefit of the doubt and take that in the best possible sense!
Cutaway to Hathaway. And now on with the show. Touring talk. Oh no. Oh no. An excerpt from Mamma Mia! Break!
And now there's another "commercial"...so:
Best Sound Design of a Play: Gerald Clarke for Equus.
Doogie's back with a Smell-O-Vision joke. I was just joking about that the other day at Pure Confidence, a play about horseracing. Wouldn't onstage manure be great?? Anyway, good jokes about Doogie liking the scent of Mary Poppins [UPDATE A blog visitor seemed to want to figure this out. I think it's an "Of course a gay guy would like Mary Poppins" joke, but I welcome alternate intepretations.] but not wanting to scratch Billy Elliott [UPDATE Meaning he's a gay guy—not a pedarest!].
Play excerpt time: 33 Variations. I'm glad I mentioned this, just in case you blinked.
Now up: Will Ferrell, back from his TV talk show tour. Good Godot joke.
Best Book: Lee Hall for Billy Elliott.
Best Score: Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey for Next to Normal. The comment about keeping on going with creating a fresh musical, no matter what it takes refers to the famously long workshopping of the show. And these guys get played over by the orchestra. Ironic? Do the musicians have no respect??
Excerpt from West Side Story: The dance at the gym. Some of the best music ever on Broadway. Note the competing dance styles. I think Josefina Scaglione might have missed a note, but don't let that confuse you: She's got a genuinely pretty voice.
"Commercial time" again, so...
Best Lighting Design of a Musical: Rick Fisher (no relation) for Billy Elliott.
Best Lighting Design of a Play: Brian MacDevitt for Joe Turner's Come and Gone.
Best Costume Design of a Musical: Tim Hatley for Shrek.
And here's Janet Weiss, joking about the two director noms for Matthew Warchus.
Best Direction of a Play: Matthew Warchus for God of Carnage. Great Warchus quip: "I was hoping for another tie, actually." It's sort of amazing that he got the prize for the short play, not the three-plays-in-one-play. He gives lots of praise for the playwright, Yasmina Reza. And he gives props to The Norman Conquests company.
Explanation of the "tie" remark:
Best Orchestration: TIE between Martin Koch for Billy Elliott and Michael Starobin and Tom Kitt for Next to Normal.
Best Direction of a Musical: Stephen Daldry for Billy Elliott. He made two lit adaptations for film that I admire—The Hours and The Reader—and coming up is The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay.
Rock of Ages. Break time...but wait! Joking with Liza! Freak machine remark! Funny! But now, it's back to Rock of Ages...so...break time!
Another "commercial," so...
Best Costume Design of a Play goes to Anthony Ward for Mary Stuart. It's a blend of Elizabethan garb and snappy modern suits for men. (Hm...is it Elizabethan garb for the women and the modern suits for the men? I think it is! Must muse over this....)
Best Scenic Design of a Musical: Ian MacNeil for Billy Elliott.
And here's Judy Berlin, presenting
Best Special Theatrical Event: Liza Minnelli for Liza's at the Palace. And yes, I wrote that out before the award was announced. John Scher is talking, but we all want Liza, Liza, and more Liza! And here she is. Will the band dare to play over her???? Heh—now she's saying she didn't think she was gonna win? She gives shout outs to Jim Caruso and Billy Stritch of Monday night's Cast Party and Birdland. And she keeps talking. And finally the band starts playing as she thanks her parents and Kay Thompson (her godmother, if memory serves, and the "inspiration" for the show). But really, it's really something that the band was really really reluctant to play over Liza. Unless I'm grossly mistaken, that did not happen with songwriters Kitt and Yorkey.
Excerpt from God of Carnage. Really: With plays you can't afford to blink.
Excerpt from Guys and Dolls with cracklin' bad audio transmission. (Did someone just run on stage to replace the mic? It's hard to blog and supervise sound design at the same time!)
It's a "commercial," so...
Best Scenic Design of a Play goes to Derek McLane for 33 Variations—something Ellen will really appreciate!
Best Choreography goes to Peter Darling for Peter P...oops, Billy Elliott.
American Theatre Wing promotion.
John Stamos presents...
Best Featured Actor in a Musical is Gregory Jbarra for Billy Elliott He brings his wife onstage for his speech. And his wife is female!
Best Featured Actress in a Musical is Karen Olivo for West Side Story. I didn't realize she didn't win for In the Heights; otherwise I think I would have picked her in The BAT Challenge, just like Myra did.
Princess Leia introduces Next to Normal and mugs about it being about manic depression and its impact on a family. And Princess Leia should know a thing or two about that! Uh-oh—the mixing isn't flattering for this. Sound alert! Sound alert! Hey, don't judge this musical by this broadcast performance—expect something better on stage! Ah, and here comes Aaron again, heading for big things despite his Tony snub! Of course, if this were a play excerpt, it would've been over after 1 minute, tops—making a strong case for plays to include at least one song each. Also, by the way, I'm not sure Alice Ripley is coming across that well in this excerpt either—and she's really great in the show. Which might well be borne out by the upcoming Tony for Best Actress in a Musical.
Time for a "commercial" break. Time to ask: Where are the sushi jokes??
Ah—this segments starts with a sushi joke! L'chaim!!
And the segment also started with a number from a current musical (a revival, I think), but I already forgot which one. D'oh!
Jessica Lange is up. Oooo—audience applause suggests that it's Raul Esparza's night. And?
Best Leading Actor in a Play is Geoffrey Rush for Exit the King—as widely expected. He held up a little lightbulb and said something to the effect that it's great to be a little light among the many on Broadway. He's cracking wise about it being a good year for French existentialist absurdist drama on Broadway, Frenchifying the names of other plays this season. This qualifies him for the Julie White Award for Outstanding Acceptance Speech.
Awww. Hallie Foote gets to co-present her late father's play Dividing the Estate. Yeah, about a minute's worth of excerpt.
And here's Lilith, dressed for the Addams Family...and introducing the death roll! A little tacky?? Boo-hoo—bye-bye, Natasha Richardson! Other names include Harold Pinter, Gerald Schoenfeld, Estelle Getty, Dale Wasserman, Edie Adams, Horton Foote, James Whitmore, sydney Chaplin, Clive Barnes, Bea Arthur gets the big applause blast, Robert Silver, Robert Prosky, Pat Hingle, George Furth, Eartha Kitt (sob), Rodger McFarlane, Paul Sills, Paul Newman...and lights dim&at Radio City and Broadway Theaters. Nice touch, all to "What I Did For Love."
And how else would you follow a death role than with a "commercial" for Actonel?
Frank Langella jokes about being snubbed for A Man for All Seasons, which ran during the wrong part of the season. He brandishes the full-page ad pushing him for a nom. Best Leading Actress appplause-o-meter is very hard to read—and the same technique didn't work for Best Leading Actor....
Best Leading Actress in a Play is Marcia Gay Harden for God of Carnage, as widely expected. She thanks her husband—a man! And even thanks the plays translator!
Pay attention, now: Here comes a play excerpt for reasons to be pretty.... The quickie excerpt might remind you of a sitcom featuring Ray Romano...it's actually part of an outstanding, intense, dialogue.
Billy Elliott excerpt featuring a cameo from Elton John. Maybe Myra can explain the choice for Billy here. Anyway, tap is back! Or did it ever really go away? Oh wait: Could it be that all of the Billy Elliotts are in this one, subtly changing places with each other over the course of the routine? If so, amazing!
Time for an Advair breather...because what else could possibly follow Billy Elliott?
Gina Gershon says this is the highest grossing season in the history of the League. She introduces Legally Blonde. Break time!
And here's Harvey. Fierstein, not Weinstein. And not Lichtenstein.
Best Revival of a Face...I mean, a Play is The Norman Conquests. It's a really charming, worthwhile play/set of plays, but so far I have to say I favor Mary Stuart. Onstage is a huge mob of people connected to the six-character play. It's funny to see Amelia Bullmore sort of being in character as Ruth....
Best Play is God of Carnage. No surprise. Another shout-out to Yasmina Reza, also winner of Best Revival of an Accent. She also gives a nod to translator Christopher Hampton as well as director Warchus and her mother, who flew in for this.
And the medication of the moment is: Reclast!
Hmmmm. Familiar theme music? Angela Lansbury presenting? Yes, it's time for Jerry Herman time. What a crazy career Jerry's had. From Maim to Hello, Dalí to that kinky French women's prison S&M musical La Cage aux Femmes, Jerry's made his indelible mark on the Great White Way. But seriously, the use of "Put on Your Sunday Clothes" in Wall-E is an amazing moment redeeming a movie version of the song . But Holy Shit! The band played over him!
And here comes Anne Hathaway! Did you see her playing guitar on late night TV last week? Could it be a sign that she's readying herself for Promises, Promises? The Encores revival had a guitar-accompanied performance of "Never Fall in Love Again"....
Just sayin'....
Musical excerpt from Hair. The guys are messing with the audience. Have I mentioned that I ate sushi next to Wolf on Friday night? (At least that what Myra sez.) You know who else was at the resto? Jennifer Damiano from Next to Normal! (At least that's what Myra tells me.)
This telecast should be great for Hair.
And now here's Amy S...I mean, Kristin Chenoweth.
Best Revival of a Musical is Hair. Like I was saying.... Anyway, it's another mob scene on stage—just like Norman, but much hairier. Even without Norman's Stephen Mangan. Hey—shout out to the Public Theater. Yay!
Medication of the moment is...KIA???? Followed by Quilted Northern Ultra Plush...and Metamucil—nice pairing, people. Followed by Applebee's and the Palm Pre and Purex Complete 3-in-1 Sheets—someone ought to tell the folks from Next to Normal and Distracted about that!
News preview talks about pipe bombs in New Jersey. Perfect lead-in for the road show of Jersey Boys. Break time! But wait?
Niles is introducing...
Best Actress in a Musical is Alice Ripley for Next to Normal. OMG—she's hollering out a quotation of John F. Kennedy talking about art: I AM CERTAIN THAT AFTER THE DUST OF CENTURIES HAS PASSED OVER OUR CITIES, WE, TOO, WILL BE REMEMBERED NOT FOR VICTORIES OR DEFEATS IN BATTLE OR IN POLITICS, BUT FOR OUR CONTRIBUTION TO THE HUMAN SPIRIT. It's sort of like Rebecca Sealfon spelling E-U-O-N-Y-M. She gives thanks you and gets back to art. "Musical theater is a fine art, and so it needs constant tuning...constant adjusting." Yup, Next to Normal famously went through long workshopping.
Audra McDonald is presenting.
Best Actor in a Musical is/are those crazy kids from Billy Elliott. It's the first time a Tony acting award has been shared by three people—not sure it's the first time any Tony has been shared by three, as the announcer sez. Oh, they're a hit, looking sharp in their dark suits. Myra, feel free to help me tell them apart. They're all Billy to me. Should they/did they shout out to the other Billy Elliott(s)? Oh, they're good. Gotta get the video—more Julie White material here! Oh—shout out to Long Island. Hey, where's the band? They're going over.... Ah, there's the music. And you dancing kids out there? "Never give up!"
UPDATE Here's video.
Source (3:18)
And now it's Jersey Boys. Break time!
Did you know this was sponsored by Caduet and Cadillac? Break time!
Liza is back! And (surprisingly!!) she goes straight to the award with one minute to go!!!
Best Musical is Billy Elliott. And yes, I wrote that in advance. Another mob on stage—skewing even younger than Hair! Elton comes up and singles out Next to Normal for encouragement—nice. And then Liza gives Elton the ol' glittery hug and kiss.
11:03 number: A Tony-customized Tonight from Dr. Horrible. Or is it Dr. Howser? When was this written, I wonder? Very dirty joke about getting down on your knees to win a Golden Globe. Oh, this song is good. Golden. This really must be Dr. Horrible. Must get the video. And lyrics. Very naughty!
Okay...now for the news...and seeing how I did in The Bat Challenge!
UPDATE Here's video of the funny closing number. Marc Shaiman and Scott Whitman get credit for the arrangement and lyrics. They're working on the musical Catch Me If You Can.
Source (2:10)
Wednesday, June 03, 2009
The BAT Challenge: The Tony Belmont Stakes, Part II
For this second part of The Tony Belmont Stakes, see how many Tony winners you can predict. As usual, anyone can play—just leave your guesses in the comments section and use the ol' distinct moniker so we can tell you apart from the rest of the competitors.
To select the winners, feel free to copy, paste, and delete your way through this list. Cut-off time for your selections will be 5pm EST on Sunday, June 7, 2009.
Oh—and here's a BAT tip for Tony evening: Hang out in the theater district after the matinees end to get a taste of the community. Some will arrive at Radio City Music Hall by limo, but many will just stroll over from their theaters.
To select the winners, feel free to copy, paste, and delete your way through this list. Cut-off time for your selections will be 5pm EST on Sunday, June 7, 2009.
Oh—and here's a BAT tip for Tony evening: Hang out in the theater district after the matinees end to get a taste of the community. Some will arrive at Radio City Music Hall by limo, but many will just stroll over from their theaters.
Wednesday, May 06, 2009
Marquee Marketing
One day after the announcement of the 2009 Tony Award nominations, I noticed new Tony-related signs outside Broadway theaters.
Here's a "6 TONY AWARD NOMINATIONS" sign for hot play God of Carnage!
Here's a "11 TONY NOMINATIONS!" sign for hot musical Next to Normal.
But what of Impressionism, the un-nominated play situated between God of Carnage and Next to Normal, starring Jeremy "The Real Thing" Irons and Joan "Burn This" Allen? Not to worry: It boasts "TWO TONY AWARD-WINNING STARS"!
Photos: David Marc Fischer
Here's a "6 TONY AWARD NOMINATIONS" sign for hot play God of Carnage!
Here's a "11 TONY NOMINATIONS!" sign for hot musical Next to Normal.
But what of Impressionism, the un-nominated play situated between God of Carnage and Next to Normal, starring Jeremy "The Real Thing" Irons and Joan "Burn This" Allen? Not to worry: It boasts "TWO TONY AWARD-WINNING STARS"!
Photos: David Marc Fischer
Tuesday, May 05, 2009
2009 Tony Nominees Announced
That's the Year 2009, Not the Number of Nominees
It's been a relatively busy year on Broadway, especially in terms of plays (perhaps due to budgeting concerns). But I'm not sure the quantity and quality come across fully in the nominations, which went to, I think, 27 productions out of a possible 43.
Lifetime Achievement goes to Jerry Herman, whose musicals include Milk and Honey, Hello, Dolly!, Mame, and La Cage aux Folles. The first Isabelle Stevenson Award (for humanitarian work) goes to Phyllis Newman, founder of The Phyllis Newman Women's Health Initiative of The Actors' Fund of America. Honors for Excellence in Theatre go to publicist Shirley Herz. Virginia's Signature Theatre gets the Regional Theatre Award.
Among the top nominees, there's a big British presence. Billy Elliot, The Musical leads with a stupendous 15, including the three-for-one nomination of David Alvarez/Trent Kowalik/Kiril Kulish, who alternate in the title role (Billy Elliot, not The Musical). That apparently ties the show with The Producers for most nominations in a season. Play-wise, Mary Stuart and the three-for-one comedy of manners The Norman Conquests are tied for most nominations, with 7 each.
Originating on this side of the Atlantic, Next to Normal is the second-most-nominated musical (11) while Joe Turner's Come and Gone boasts 6 nominations. (Originally produced in Switzerland and then in England, God of Carnage also tallied 6 noms.)
I haven't seen many of the nominees yet, so I don't have all that much to say about them. But I was glad to see Alice Ripley and songwriters Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey nominated for Next to Normal and Matthew Warchus nominated for directing The Norman Conquests, and I was also glad to see four of the Norman actors nominated, though it's too bad there was no room for Amelia Bullmore as Ruth. Another noteworthy omission was Aaron Tveit in Next to Normal. And somehow it would've been nice to give some recognition to the kids of 13, a show with a lot of heart and spunk.
Michael Musto points out that The Seagull and [title of show] were pretty much screwed. (Note that [title of show] did not get one of the four Best Musical nominations.) He also questions the absence of Aaron Tveit as well as a set design nom for nom-less Desire Under the Elms and recognition for some guys named Bill Irwin and Nathan Lane for their performances in something called Waiting for Godot. David Cote at the fittingly named Time Out New York (you know, TONY) misses All My Sons.
Want more carping about omissions? Matt Wolf misses All My Sons, Norman's Ben Miles and Amelia Bullmore (as well as a Best Ensemble category), Kristin Scott Thomas for The Seagull, and Carla Gugino for Desire Under the Elms....
Perhaps, one way or another, I can coax Musical Maven Myra to offer her perspective on all this. In the meantime, consider the following nominees.
BEST PLAY
Dividing the Estate (Horton Foote)
God of Carnage (Yasmina Reza)
Reasons to Be Pretty (Neil LaBute)
33 Variations (Moisés Kaufman)
BEST MUSICAL
Billy Elliot, The Musical
Next to Normal
Rock of Ages
Shrek The Musical
BEST BOOK OF A MUSICAL
Billy Elliot, The Musical (Lee Hall)
Next to Normal (Brian Yorkey)
Shrek The Musical (David Lindsay-Abaire)
[Title of Show] (Hunter Bell)
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Billy Elliot, The Musical (Elton John/Lee Hall)
Next to Normal (Tom Kitt/Brian Yorkey)
9 to 5: The Musical (Dolly Parton)
Shrek The Musical (Jeanine Tesori/David Lindsay-Abaire)
BEST REVIVAL OF A PLAY
Joe Turner's Come and Gone
Mary Stuart
The Norman Conquests
Waiting for Godot
BEST REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL
Guys and Dolls
Hair
Pal Joey
West Side Story
BEST SPECIAL THEATRICAL EVENT
Liza's at The Palace
Slava's Snowshow
Soul of Shaolin
You're Welcome America. A Final Night with George W. Bush
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTOR IN A PLAY
Jeff Daniels, God of Carnage
Raúl Esparza, Speed-the-Plow
James Gandolfini, God of Carnage
Geoffrey Rush, Exit the King
Thomas Sadoski, Reasons to Be Pretty
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTRESS IN A PLAY
Hope Davis, God of Carnage
Jane Fonda, 33 Variations
Marcia Gay Harden, God of Carnage
Janet McTeer, Mary Stuart
Harriet Walter, Mary Stuart
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
David Alvarez/Trent Kowalik/Kiril Kulish, Billy Elliot, The Musical
Gavin Creel, Hair
Brian d’Arcy James, Shrek The Musical
Constantine Maroulis, Rock of Ages
J. Robert Spencer, Next to Normal
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Stockard Channing, Pal Joey
Sutton Foster, Shrek The Musical
Allison Janney, 9 to 5: The Musical
Alice Ripley, Next to Normal
Josefina Scaglione, West Side Story
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTOR IN A PLAY
John Glover, Waiting for Godot
Zach Grenier, 33 Variations
Stephen Mangan, The Norman Conquests
Paul Ritter, The Norman Conquests
Roger Robinson, Joe Turner's Come and Gone
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTRESS IN A PLAY
Hallie Foote, Dividing the Estate
Jessica Hynes, The Norman Conquests
Marin Ireland, Reasons to Be Pretty
Angela Lansbury, Blithe Spirit
Amanda Root, The Norman Conquests
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
David Bologna, Billy Elliot, The Musical
Gregory Jbara, Billy Elliot, The Musical
Marc Kudisch, 9 to 5: The Musical
Christopher Sieber, Shrek The Musical
Will Swenson, Hair
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Jennifer Damiano, Next to Normal
Haydn Gwynne, Billy Elliot, The Musical
Karen Olivo, West Side Story
Martha Plimpton, Pal Joey
Carole Shelley, Billy Elliot, The Musical
BEST DIRECTION OF A PLAY
Phyllida Lloyd, Mary Stuart
Bartlett Sher, Joe Turner's Come and Gone
Matthew Warchus, God of Carnage
Matthew Warchus, The Norman Conquests
BEST DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL
Stephen Daldry, Billy Elliot, The Musical
Michael Greif, Next to Normal
Kristin Hanggi, Rock of Ages
Diane Paulus, Hair
BEST CHOREOGRAPHY
Karole Armitage, Hair
Andy Blankenbuehler, 9 to 5: The Musical
Peter Darling, Billy Elliot, The Musical
Randy Skinner, Irving Berlin's White Christmas
BEST ORCHESTRATIONS
Martin Koch, Billy Elliot, The Musical
Michael Starobin and Tom Kitt, Next to Normal
Danny Troob and John Clancy, Shrek The Musical
BEST SCENIC DESIGN OF A PLAY
Dale Ferguson, Exit the King
Rob Howell, The Norman Conquests
Derek McLane, 33 Variations
Michael Yeargan, Joe Turner's Come and Gone
BEST SCENIC DESIGN OF A MUSICAL
Robert Brill, Guys and Dolls
Ian MacNeil, Billy Elliot, The Musical
Scott Pask, Pal Joey
Mark Wendland, Next to Normal
BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A PLAY
Dale Ferguson, Exit the King
Jane Greenwood, Waiting for Godot
Martin Pakledinaz, Blithe Spirit
Anthony Ward, Mary Stuart
BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A MUSICAL
Gregory Gale, Rock of Ages
Nicky Gillibrand, Billy Elliot, The Musical
Tim Hatley, Shrek The Musical
Michael McDonald, Hair
BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A PLAY
David Hersey, Equus
David Lander, 33 Variations
Brian MacDevitt, Joe Turner's Come and Gone
Hugh Vanstone, Mary Stuart
BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A MUSICAL
Kevin Adams, Hair
Kevin Adams, Next to Normal
Howell Binkley, West Side Story
Rick Fisher, Billy Elliot, The Musical
BEST SOUND DESIGN OF A PLAY
Paul Arditti, Mary Stuart
Gregory Clarke, Equus
Russell Goldsmith, Exit the King
Scott Lehrer and Leon Rothenberg, Joe Turner's Come and Gone
BEST SOUND DESIGN OF A MUSICAL
Acme Sound Partners, Hair
Paul Arditti, Billy Elliot, The Musical
Peter Hylenski, Rock of Ages
Brian Ronan, Next to Normal
It's been a relatively busy year on Broadway, especially in terms of plays (perhaps due to budgeting concerns). But I'm not sure the quantity and quality come across fully in the nominations, which went to, I think, 27 productions out of a possible 43.
Lifetime Achievement goes to Jerry Herman, whose musicals include Milk and Honey, Hello, Dolly!, Mame, and La Cage aux Folles. The first Isabelle Stevenson Award (for humanitarian work) goes to Phyllis Newman, founder of The Phyllis Newman Women's Health Initiative of The Actors' Fund of America. Honors for Excellence in Theatre go to publicist Shirley Herz. Virginia's Signature Theatre gets the Regional Theatre Award.
Among the top nominees, there's a big British presence. Billy Elliot, The Musical leads with a stupendous 15, including the three-for-one nomination of David Alvarez/Trent Kowalik/Kiril Kulish, who alternate in the title role (Billy Elliot, not The Musical). That apparently ties the show with The Producers for most nominations in a season. Play-wise, Mary Stuart and the three-for-one comedy of manners The Norman Conquests are tied for most nominations, with 7 each.
Originating on this side of the Atlantic, Next to Normal is the second-most-nominated musical (11) while Joe Turner's Come and Gone boasts 6 nominations. (Originally produced in Switzerland and then in England, God of Carnage also tallied 6 noms.)
I haven't seen many of the nominees yet, so I don't have all that much to say about them. But I was glad to see Alice Ripley and songwriters Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey nominated for Next to Normal and Matthew Warchus nominated for directing The Norman Conquests, and I was also glad to see four of the Norman actors nominated, though it's too bad there was no room for Amelia Bullmore as Ruth. Another noteworthy omission was Aaron Tveit in Next to Normal. And somehow it would've been nice to give some recognition to the kids of 13, a show with a lot of heart and spunk.
Michael Musto points out that The Seagull and [title of show] were pretty much screwed. (Note that [title of show] did not get one of the four Best Musical nominations.) He also questions the absence of Aaron Tveit as well as a set design nom for nom-less Desire Under the Elms and recognition for some guys named Bill Irwin and Nathan Lane for their performances in something called Waiting for Godot. David Cote at the fittingly named Time Out New York (you know, TONY) misses All My Sons.
Want more carping about omissions? Matt Wolf misses All My Sons, Norman's Ben Miles and Amelia Bullmore (as well as a Best Ensemble category), Kristin Scott Thomas for The Seagull, and Carla Gugino for Desire Under the Elms....
Perhaps, one way or another, I can coax Musical Maven Myra to offer her perspective on all this. In the meantime, consider the following nominees.
BEST PLAY
Dividing the Estate (Horton Foote)
God of Carnage (Yasmina Reza)
Reasons to Be Pretty (Neil LaBute)
33 Variations (Moisés Kaufman)
BEST MUSICAL
Billy Elliot, The Musical
Next to Normal
Rock of Ages
Shrek The Musical
BEST BOOK OF A MUSICAL
Billy Elliot, The Musical (Lee Hall)
Next to Normal (Brian Yorkey)
Shrek The Musical (David Lindsay-Abaire)
[Title of Show] (Hunter Bell)
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Billy Elliot, The Musical (Elton John/Lee Hall)
Next to Normal (Tom Kitt/Brian Yorkey)
9 to 5: The Musical (Dolly Parton)
Shrek The Musical (Jeanine Tesori/David Lindsay-Abaire)
BEST REVIVAL OF A PLAY
Joe Turner's Come and Gone
Mary Stuart
The Norman Conquests
Waiting for Godot
BEST REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL
Guys and Dolls
Hair
Pal Joey
West Side Story
BEST SPECIAL THEATRICAL EVENT
Liza's at The Palace
Slava's Snowshow
Soul of Shaolin
You're Welcome America. A Final Night with George W. Bush
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTOR IN A PLAY
Jeff Daniels, God of Carnage
Raúl Esparza, Speed-the-Plow
James Gandolfini, God of Carnage
Geoffrey Rush, Exit the King
Thomas Sadoski, Reasons to Be Pretty
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTRESS IN A PLAY
Hope Davis, God of Carnage
Jane Fonda, 33 Variations
Marcia Gay Harden, God of Carnage
Janet McTeer, Mary Stuart
Harriet Walter, Mary Stuart
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
David Alvarez/Trent Kowalik/Kiril Kulish, Billy Elliot, The Musical
Gavin Creel, Hair
Brian d’Arcy James, Shrek The Musical
Constantine Maroulis, Rock of Ages
J. Robert Spencer, Next to Normal
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Stockard Channing, Pal Joey
Sutton Foster, Shrek The Musical
Allison Janney, 9 to 5: The Musical
Alice Ripley, Next to Normal
Josefina Scaglione, West Side Story
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTOR IN A PLAY
John Glover, Waiting for Godot
Zach Grenier, 33 Variations
Stephen Mangan, The Norman Conquests
Paul Ritter, The Norman Conquests
Roger Robinson, Joe Turner's Come and Gone
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTRESS IN A PLAY
Hallie Foote, Dividing the Estate
Jessica Hynes, The Norman Conquests
Marin Ireland, Reasons to Be Pretty
Angela Lansbury, Blithe Spirit
Amanda Root, The Norman Conquests
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
David Bologna, Billy Elliot, The Musical
Gregory Jbara, Billy Elliot, The Musical
Marc Kudisch, 9 to 5: The Musical
Christopher Sieber, Shrek The Musical
Will Swenson, Hair
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Jennifer Damiano, Next to Normal
Haydn Gwynne, Billy Elliot, The Musical
Karen Olivo, West Side Story
Martha Plimpton, Pal Joey
Carole Shelley, Billy Elliot, The Musical
BEST DIRECTION OF A PLAY
Phyllida Lloyd, Mary Stuart
Bartlett Sher, Joe Turner's Come and Gone
Matthew Warchus, God of Carnage
Matthew Warchus, The Norman Conquests
BEST DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL
Stephen Daldry, Billy Elliot, The Musical
Michael Greif, Next to Normal
Kristin Hanggi, Rock of Ages
Diane Paulus, Hair
BEST CHOREOGRAPHY
Karole Armitage, Hair
Andy Blankenbuehler, 9 to 5: The Musical
Peter Darling, Billy Elliot, The Musical
Randy Skinner, Irving Berlin's White Christmas
BEST ORCHESTRATIONS
Martin Koch, Billy Elliot, The Musical
Michael Starobin and Tom Kitt, Next to Normal
Danny Troob and John Clancy, Shrek The Musical
BEST SCENIC DESIGN OF A PLAY
Dale Ferguson, Exit the King
Rob Howell, The Norman Conquests
Derek McLane, 33 Variations
Michael Yeargan, Joe Turner's Come and Gone
BEST SCENIC DESIGN OF A MUSICAL
Robert Brill, Guys and Dolls
Ian MacNeil, Billy Elliot, The Musical
Scott Pask, Pal Joey
Mark Wendland, Next to Normal
BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A PLAY
Dale Ferguson, Exit the King
Jane Greenwood, Waiting for Godot
Martin Pakledinaz, Blithe Spirit
Anthony Ward, Mary Stuart
BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A MUSICAL
Gregory Gale, Rock of Ages
Nicky Gillibrand, Billy Elliot, The Musical
Tim Hatley, Shrek The Musical
Michael McDonald, Hair
BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A PLAY
David Hersey, Equus
David Lander, 33 Variations
Brian MacDevitt, Joe Turner's Come and Gone
Hugh Vanstone, Mary Stuart
BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A MUSICAL
Kevin Adams, Hair
Kevin Adams, Next to Normal
Howell Binkley, West Side Story
Rick Fisher, Billy Elliot, The Musical
BEST SOUND DESIGN OF A PLAY
Paul Arditti, Mary Stuart
Gregory Clarke, Equus
Russell Goldsmith, Exit the King
Scott Lehrer and Leon Rothenberg, Joe Turner's Come and Gone
BEST SOUND DESIGN OF A MUSICAL
Acme Sound Partners, Hair
Paul Arditti, Billy Elliot, The Musical
Peter Hylenski, Rock of Ages
Brian Ronan, Next to Normal
Saturday, June 21, 2008
AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY
Deborah recently asked about the play August: Osage County, so now that I've finally written up some productions that are on the verge of closing I suppose it's a perfect time to turn to this much-lauded play by Tracy Letts, which promises to run for a decent stretch past Tony season.
August: Osage County, a three-act play that basically portrays a dysfunctional family, received some extremely positive reviews, including raves from Charles Isherwood of The New York Times, who called it "the most exciting new American play Broadway has seen in years." Then came the cavalcade of awards, including the Pulitzer and many Tony honors. But if you listen closely enough, you might hear some less enthusiastic appraisals amidst the chorus of praise. Friends of BAT have left the theater wondering "What's the big deal?" or gasping, "We couldn't believe how hammy it was!"
My feelings: The play is good and substantial, though not nearly as swell as you might think from all those honors. As has been noted in the Times and elsewhere, the family drama is rich with strains of Eugene O'Neill and Sam Shepard, among others. These are so apparent that one might suspect that the playwright said things like, "Okay, this is my O'Neill section" when working on the script. Even the play's characters recognize when they're playing out a truth-telling or secret-revealing scene.
I don't really have complaints about this type of grafting—and it was great to hear virtually the entire audience gasping together at the appropriate moments—but based on my one viewing of the play my main concern is that Letts just seems to stop at the hommagelevel. He doesn't seem to add much more, which leaves me feeling that the play, while accomplished, doesn't go far enough beyond evocation of the masters to announce the playwright as a master in his own right. So I'm actually less enthusiastic thinking about what Letts has accomplished with August: Osage County than I am about what he might do next. (And I do wonder whether this play is just one in a planned series of play, perhaps arranged by months.)
Something that did impress me about this production was how well it played to the rafters. When The Other Dave and I came to our half-price seats, located three rows from the back of the theater and quite far from the stage, we were downcast at the prospect of spending a few hours straining to hear what the actors were saying. But we were pleasantly surprised to find that nearly every word was intelligible where we were perched. And though I can understand why some attendees felt that the widely lauded star Deanna Dunagan did go over-the-top in imbuing her character with the characteristics of a venomous snake, I can attest that the characterization, while less than subtle, came through clearly in the nosebleed section. That is a sign of a top-notch and considerate technical production—and it's the kind of thing that helps many audience members leave the theater feeling that they've gotten their money's worth. In contrast, I can think of at least two recent productions that fell short of that level. As mentioned previously, the sound produced by the musicians in Sunday in the Park with George was too strong for many audience members in the upper level. And in the Manhattan Theatre Club's production of Top Girls, many lines were hard to discern in the upper level. (And I'm not just talking about the overlapping dialogue.) Critics including Ben Brantley of The New York Times liked Top Girls, but I think audience reaction would have been much more favorable if the words had been easier to follow.
Deborah recently asked about the play August: Osage County, so now that I've finally written up some productions that are on the verge of closing I suppose it's a perfect time to turn to this much-lauded play by Tracy Letts, which promises to run for a decent stretch past Tony season.
August: Osage County, a three-act play that basically portrays a dysfunctional family, received some extremely positive reviews, including raves from Charles Isherwood of The New York Times, who called it "the most exciting new American play Broadway has seen in years." Then came the cavalcade of awards, including the Pulitzer and many Tony honors. But if you listen closely enough, you might hear some less enthusiastic appraisals amidst the chorus of praise. Friends of BAT have left the theater wondering "What's the big deal?" or gasping, "We couldn't believe how hammy it was!"
My feelings: The play is good and substantial, though not nearly as swell as you might think from all those honors. As has been noted in the Times and elsewhere, the family drama is rich with strains of Eugene O'Neill and Sam Shepard, among others. These are so apparent that one might suspect that the playwright said things like, "Okay, this is my O'Neill section" when working on the script. Even the play's characters recognize when they're playing out a truth-telling or secret-revealing scene.
I don't really have complaints about this type of grafting—and it was great to hear virtually the entire audience gasping together at the appropriate moments—but based on my one viewing of the play my main concern is that Letts just seems to stop at the hommagelevel. He doesn't seem to add much more, which leaves me feeling that the play, while accomplished, doesn't go far enough beyond evocation of the masters to announce the playwright as a master in his own right. So I'm actually less enthusiastic thinking about what Letts has accomplished with August: Osage County than I am about what he might do next. (And I do wonder whether this play is just one in a planned series of play, perhaps arranged by months.)
Something that did impress me about this production was how well it played to the rafters. When The Other Dave and I came to our half-price seats, located three rows from the back of the theater and quite far from the stage, we were downcast at the prospect of spending a few hours straining to hear what the actors were saying. But we were pleasantly surprised to find that nearly every word was intelligible where we were perched. And though I can understand why some attendees felt that the widely lauded star Deanna Dunagan did go over-the-top in imbuing her character with the characteristics of a venomous snake, I can attest that the characterization, while less than subtle, came through clearly in the nosebleed section. That is a sign of a top-notch and considerate technical production—and it's the kind of thing that helps many audience members leave the theater feeling that they've gotten their money's worth. In contrast, I can think of at least two recent productions that fell short of that level. As mentioned previously, the sound produced by the musicians in Sunday in the Park with George was too strong for many audience members in the upper level. And in the Manhattan Theatre Club's production of Top Girls, many lines were hard to discern in the upper level. (And I'm not just talking about the overlapping dialogue.) Critics including Ben Brantley of The New York Times liked Top Girls, but I think audience reaction would have been much more favorable if the words had been easier to follow.
Friday, June 20, 2008
SUNDAY IN THE PARK WITH GEORGE
I was rooting for Broadway veteran (and all-around lighting design big shot) Ken Billington and Sunday in the Park with George to receive a Tony for Lighting Design because the lighting is so dang impressive, eliciting gasps from audience members from the very beginning. Not merely a technical feat, the creative lighting is like a character in the musical—very fitting, considering the extreme importance of light for the artists (George Seurat included) who are the musical's central characters.
As you might already know, Sunday in the Park will end its run on June 29, 2008. The production itself is very good, marrying Stephen Sondheim's trademark intelligence to strong performances from the likes of Daniel Evans, Jenna Russell, and good ol' Michael Cumpsty.
Discounted tickets (including rush tickets) have been available for a while, but go for centrally located seats and certainly be wary of upper-level seats on audience right. The sound of the musicians, who sit in a balcony on audience right, can be overwhelming in that zone, so in this case (having learned from Myra's advice) I'd recommend seats toward the back, not the front, of the section.
As of yesterday on Talkin' Broadway, the General Rush ticket policy is as follows:
Source (3:45)
I was rooting for Broadway veteran (and all-around lighting design big shot) Ken Billington and Sunday in the Park with George to receive a Tony for Lighting Design because the lighting is so dang impressive, eliciting gasps from audience members from the very beginning. Not merely a technical feat, the creative lighting is like a character in the musical—very fitting, considering the extreme importance of light for the artists (George Seurat included) who are the musical's central characters.
As you might already know, Sunday in the Park will end its run on June 29, 2008. The production itself is very good, marrying Stephen Sondheim's trademark intelligence to strong performances from the likes of Daniel Evans, Jenna Russell, and good ol' Michael Cumpsty.
Discounted tickets (including rush tickets) have been available for a while, but go for centrally located seats and certainly be wary of upper-level seats on audience right. The sound of the musicians, who sit in a balcony on audience right, can be overwhelming in that zone, so in this case (having learned from Myra's advice) I'd recommend seats toward the back, not the front, of the section.
As of yesterday on Talkin' Broadway, the General Rush ticket policy is as follows:
Subject to availability, a limited number of tickets are sold at the box office, when it opens, on the day of the performance. The tickets are $26.25 each and 2 tickets are sold per person. The seats are usually located in the rear mezzanine.
Source (3:45)
Sunday, June 15, 2008
BEHIND THE SCENES OF A TONY CAMPAIGN
The Tony Awards might seem totally inscrutable to the majority of you living outside Broadway. You might well wonder, "What really makes a winner?"—especially when even a Tony voter writes, "voting for the Tonys is a dangerously haphazard affair."
At least this year you have the rare opportunity to peek behind the scenes of a major Tony campaign. Who is it but Cubby Bernstein—the James Carville of the show business set—putting the "camp" in campaign on behalf of the long-running musical Xanadu?
Click here for the whole video exposé, complete with footage of Nathan Lane, Patti LuPone, Cynthia Nixon, Duncan Sheik, and Julie White, among many other luminaries of the Great White Way. These videos have turned Broadway on its head, with the more recent episodes being especially revealing.
And your own Tony predictions are welcome here—by 6pm EST.
Source (1:31)
The Tony Awards might seem totally inscrutable to the majority of you living outside Broadway. You might well wonder, "What really makes a winner?"—especially when even a Tony voter writes, "voting for the Tonys is a dangerously haphazard affair."
At least this year you have the rare opportunity to peek behind the scenes of a major Tony campaign. Who is it but Cubby Bernstein—the James Carville of the show business set—putting the "camp" in campaign on behalf of the long-running musical Xanadu?
Click here for the whole video exposé, complete with footage of Nathan Lane, Patti LuPone, Cynthia Nixon, Duncan Sheik, and Julie White, among many other luminaries of the Great White Way. These videos have turned Broadway on its head, with the more recent episodes being especially revealing.
And your own Tony predictions are welcome here—by 6pm EST.
Source (1:31)
Friday, June 13, 2008
WHERE WAS I? TONY 2008 SPECIAL EDITION
Once again, there's no need to locate me. Just take a shot at predicting the 2008 Tony winners!
As usual, anyone can play, leaving their guesses in the comments section, using a distinct moniker so nobody can be confused with the other players. Please post your final guesses by 6 pm EST on Sunday evening, June 15, 2008, and help me out by self-scoring.
A point goes to the best overall guesser(s); and a point goes to anyone who outscores me. I thought I was at a disadvantage because I hadn't seen a lot of the nominees, but it seems that many of the official voters have not done much better. Outrageous!
BEST PLAY
August: Osage County
Rock 'n' Roll
The Seafarer
The 39 Steps
BEST MUSICAL
Cry-Baby
In The Heights
Passing Strange
Xanadu
BEST BOOK OF A MUSICAL
Cry-Baby
In The Heights
Passing Strange
Xanadu
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Cry-Baby
In The Heights
The Little Mermaid
Passing Strange
BEST REVIVAL OF A PLAY
Boeing-Boeing
The Homecoming
Les Liaisons Dangereuses
Macbeth
BEST REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL
Grease
Gypsy
Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific
Sunday in the Park with George
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTOR IN A PLAY
Ben Daniels, Les Liaisons Dangereuses
Laurence Fishburne, Thurgood
Mark Rylance, Boeing-Boeing
Rufus Sewell, Rock 'n' Roll
Patrick Stewart, Macbeth
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTRESS IN A PLAY
Eve Best, The Homecoming
Deanna Dunagan, August: Osage County
Kate Fleetwood, Macbeth
S. Epatha Merkerson, Come Back, Little Sheba
Amy Morton, August: Osage County
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Daniel Evans, Sunday in the Park with George
Lin-Manuel Miranda, In The Heights
Stew, Passing Strange
Paulo Szot, Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific
Tom Wopat, A Catered Affair
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Kerry Butler, Xanadu
Patti LuPone, Gypsy
Kelli O'Hara, Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific
Faith Prince, A Catered Affair
Jenna Russell, Sunday in the Park with George
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTOR IN A PLAY
Bobby Cannavale, Mauritius
Raúl Esparza, The Homecoming
Conleth Hill, The Seafarer
Jim Norton, The Seafarer
David Pittu, Is He Dead?
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTRESS IN A PLAY
Sinead Cusack, Rock 'n' Roll
Mary McCormack, Boeing-Boeing
Laurie Metcalf, November
Martha Plimpton, Top Girls
Rondi Reed, August: Osage County
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Daniel Breaker, Passing Strange
Danny Burstein, Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific
Robin De Jesús, In The Heights
Christopher Fitzgerald, The New Mel Brooks Musical Young Frankenstein
Boyd Gaines, Gypsy
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
de'Adre Aziza, Passing Strange
Laura Benanti, Gypsy
Andrea Martin, The New Mel Brooks Musical Young Frankenstein
Olga Merediz, In The Heights
Loretta Ables Sayre, Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific
BEST SCENIC DESIGN OF A PLAY
The 39 Steps
Les Liaisons Dangereuses
August: Osage County
Macbeth
BEST SCENIC DESIGN OF A MUSICAL
Sunday in the Park with George
In The Heights
The New Mel Brooks Musical Young Frankenstein
Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific
BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A PLAY
Cyrano de Bergerac
Boeing-Boeing
Les Liaisons Dangereuses
The 39 Steps
BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A MUSICAL
Sunday in the Park with George
Gypsy
In The Heights
Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific
BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A PLAY
The 39 Steps
Macbeth
Les Liaisons Dangereuses
August: Osage County
BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A MUSICAL
Sunday in the Park with George
In The Heights
Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific
The Little Mermaid
BEST SOUND DESIGN OF A PLAY
Boeing-Boeing
Macbeth
Rock 'n' Roll
The 39 Steps
BEST SOUND DESIGN OF A MUSICAL
In The Heights
Sunday in the Park with George
Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific
Gypsy
BEST DIRECTION OF A PLAY
Maria Aitken, The 39 Steps
Conor McPherson, The Seafarer
Anna D. Shapiro, August: Osage County
Matthew Warchus, Boeing-Boeing
BEST DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL
Sam Buntrock, Sunday in the Park with George
Thomas Kail, In The Heights
Arthur Laurents, Gypsy
Bartlett Sher, Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific
BEST CHOREOGRAPHY
Rob Ashford, Cry-Baby
Andy Blankenbuehler, In The Heights
Christopher Gattelli, Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific
Dan Knechtges, Xanadu
BEST ORCHESTRATIONS
Jason Carr, Sunday in the Park with George
Alex Lacamoire & Bill Sherman, In The Heights
Stew & Heidi Rodewald, Passing Strange
Jonathan Tunick, A Catered Affair
Once again, there's no need to locate me. Just take a shot at predicting the 2008 Tony winners!
As usual, anyone can play, leaving their guesses in the comments section, using a distinct moniker so nobody can be confused with the other players. Please post your final guesses by 6 pm EST on Sunday evening, June 15, 2008, and help me out by self-scoring.
A point goes to the best overall guesser(s); and a point goes to anyone who outscores me. I thought I was at a disadvantage because I hadn't seen a lot of the nominees, but it seems that many of the official voters have not done much better. Outrageous!
BEST PLAY
August: Osage County
Rock 'n' Roll
The Seafarer
The 39 Steps
BEST MUSICAL
Cry-Baby
In The Heights
Passing Strange
Xanadu
BEST BOOK OF A MUSICAL
Cry-Baby
In The Heights
Passing Strange
Xanadu
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE
Cry-Baby
In The Heights
The Little Mermaid
Passing Strange
BEST REVIVAL OF A PLAY
Boeing-Boeing
The Homecoming
Les Liaisons Dangereuses
Macbeth
BEST REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL
Grease
Gypsy
Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific
Sunday in the Park with George
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTOR IN A PLAY
Ben Daniels, Les Liaisons Dangereuses
Laurence Fishburne, Thurgood
Mark Rylance, Boeing-Boeing
Rufus Sewell, Rock 'n' Roll
Patrick Stewart, Macbeth
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTRESS IN A PLAY
Eve Best, The Homecoming
Deanna Dunagan, August: Osage County
Kate Fleetwood, Macbeth
S. Epatha Merkerson, Come Back, Little Sheba
Amy Morton, August: Osage County
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Daniel Evans, Sunday in the Park with George
Lin-Manuel Miranda, In The Heights
Stew, Passing Strange
Paulo Szot, Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific
Tom Wopat, A Catered Affair
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Kerry Butler, Xanadu
Patti LuPone, Gypsy
Kelli O'Hara, Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific
Faith Prince, A Catered Affair
Jenna Russell, Sunday in the Park with George
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTOR IN A PLAY
Bobby Cannavale, Mauritius
Raúl Esparza, The Homecoming
Conleth Hill, The Seafarer
Jim Norton, The Seafarer
David Pittu, Is He Dead?
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTRESS IN A PLAY
Sinead Cusack, Rock 'n' Roll
Mary McCormack, Boeing-Boeing
Laurie Metcalf, November
Martha Plimpton, Top Girls
Rondi Reed, August: Osage County
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Daniel Breaker, Passing Strange
Danny Burstein, Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific
Robin De Jesús, In The Heights
Christopher Fitzgerald, The New Mel Brooks Musical Young Frankenstein
Boyd Gaines, Gypsy
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
de'Adre Aziza, Passing Strange
Laura Benanti, Gypsy
Andrea Martin, The New Mel Brooks Musical Young Frankenstein
Olga Merediz, In The Heights
Loretta Ables Sayre, Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific
BEST SCENIC DESIGN OF A PLAY
The 39 Steps
Les Liaisons Dangereuses
August: Osage County
Macbeth
BEST SCENIC DESIGN OF A MUSICAL
Sunday in the Park with George
In The Heights
The New Mel Brooks Musical Young Frankenstein
Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific
BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A PLAY
Cyrano de Bergerac
Boeing-Boeing
Les Liaisons Dangereuses
The 39 Steps
BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A MUSICAL
Sunday in the Park with George
Gypsy
In The Heights
Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific
BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A PLAY
The 39 Steps
Macbeth
Les Liaisons Dangereuses
August: Osage County
BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A MUSICAL
Sunday in the Park with George
In The Heights
Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific
The Little Mermaid
BEST SOUND DESIGN OF A PLAY
Boeing-Boeing
Macbeth
Rock 'n' Roll
The 39 Steps
BEST SOUND DESIGN OF A MUSICAL
In The Heights
Sunday in the Park with George
Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific
Gypsy
BEST DIRECTION OF A PLAY
Maria Aitken, The 39 Steps
Conor McPherson, The Seafarer
Anna D. Shapiro, August: Osage County
Matthew Warchus, Boeing-Boeing
BEST DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL
Sam Buntrock, Sunday in the Park with George
Thomas Kail, In The Heights
Arthur Laurents, Gypsy
Bartlett Sher, Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific
BEST CHOREOGRAPHY
Rob Ashford, Cry-Baby
Andy Blankenbuehler, In The Heights
Christopher Gattelli, Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific
Dan Knechtges, Xanadu
BEST ORCHESTRATIONS
Jason Carr, Sunday in the Park with George
Alex Lacamoire & Bill Sherman, In The Heights
Stew & Heidi Rodewald, Passing Strange
Jonathan Tunick, A Catered Affair
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
TONY NOMINEES 2008
From what I could tell from NY1, it seems that the Tony nominees were posted online before they were announced live, in a very subdued, almost grim, fashion, by David Hyde Pierce and Sara Ramirez. (They were at the Lincoln Center Library for Performing Arts, so maybe scads of scary librarians were shooshing them the whole time.)
Perhaps because I've yet to see a bunch of productions (and I missed the opportunity to see a bunch of others), I'm most excited that Stephen Sondheim will be the recipient of the Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre. He's had at least a hand in creating such shows as Gypsy, Follies, Sweeney Todd, West Side Story, and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum—and revivals of his work remain Broadway staples to this day, with Gypsy and Sunday in the Park with George running and West Side Story on the way.
Sunday... is one of the big nominees of this season; garnering even more nominations than Sunday (9) are In the Heights (the leader at 13) and South Pacific (11)...oops, I mean Rodgers and Hammerstein's South Pacific. I believe that August: Osage County is the top-nominated play, with strong showings from Macbeth (by William Shakespeare, another staple of Broadway programming), Boeing, Boeing, and The 39 Steps.
As you might imagine based on my recent coverage, I'm sorry that Alli Mauzey of Cry-Baby didn't score a nomination. Also among the missing: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Not nominated for Best Musical: Young Frankenstein. Oops, I mean The New Mel Brooks Musical Young Frankenstein. Grease managed to score one nomination, for Best Musical Revival.
Here's a newly posted video of yet another side of Mauzey: in character as Galinda/Glinda in Wicked.
Source (3:28)
From what I could tell from NY1, it seems that the Tony nominees were posted online before they were announced live, in a very subdued, almost grim, fashion, by David Hyde Pierce and Sara Ramirez. (They were at the Lincoln Center Library for Performing Arts, so maybe scads of scary librarians were shooshing them the whole time.)
Perhaps because I've yet to see a bunch of productions (and I missed the opportunity to see a bunch of others), I'm most excited that Stephen Sondheim will be the recipient of the Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre. He's had at least a hand in creating such shows as Gypsy, Follies, Sweeney Todd, West Side Story, and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum—and revivals of his work remain Broadway staples to this day, with Gypsy and Sunday in the Park with George running and West Side Story on the way.
Sunday... is one of the big nominees of this season; garnering even more nominations than Sunday (9) are In the Heights (the leader at 13) and South Pacific (11)...oops, I mean Rodgers and Hammerstein's South Pacific. I believe that August: Osage County is the top-nominated play, with strong showings from Macbeth (by William Shakespeare, another staple of Broadway programming), Boeing, Boeing, and The 39 Steps.
As you might imagine based on my recent coverage, I'm sorry that Alli Mauzey of Cry-Baby didn't score a nomination. Also among the missing: Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. Not nominated for Best Musical: Young Frankenstein. Oops, I mean The New Mel Brooks Musical Young Frankenstein. Grease managed to score one nomination, for Best Musical Revival.
Here's a newly posted video of yet another side of Mauzey: in character as Galinda/Glinda in Wicked.
Source (3:28)
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
POST-TONY OVATIONS
It can be a real treat to go to a Tony-winning production right after the Tony Awards. Musical maven Myra reports that last night she returned to Spring Awakening and enjoyed an "awesome" sold-out performance enhanced by lots of audience love including three curtain calls, with Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater appearing onstage for the final one.
If I'm not mistaken, tonight will the first post-Tony performance of Grey Gardens and most of the other award winners that are still running. Could be fun!
I like this snap of Christine Ebersole--sharp focus isn't everything, right?
Photo: David Marc Fischer
It can be a real treat to go to a Tony-winning production right after the Tony Awards. Musical maven Myra reports that last night she returned to Spring Awakening and enjoyed an "awesome" sold-out performance enhanced by lots of audience love including three curtain calls, with Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater appearing onstage for the final one.
If I'm not mistaken, tonight will the first post-Tony performance of Grey Gardens and most of the other award winners that are still running. Could be fun!
I like this snap of Christine Ebersole--sharp focus isn't everything, right?
Photo: David Marc Fischer
TONY FOLLOW-UP: JULIE WHITE'S ACCEPTANCE SPEECH
Thanks to the Tony website, here's a transcript of Julie White's acceptance speech. The links are mine.
Julie White was raised in Austin.
Thanks to the Tony website, here's a transcript of Julie White's acceptance speech. The links are mine.
Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh my goodness, you Tony voters, what a bunch of wacky, crazy kids! I thank you so much! Just to be nominated with those extraordinary list of women. I never imagined I would even be on a list like this, unless it was for dinner reservations at Angus. I mean, and then to get the tchochke!I thought it'd be on YouTube by now...but all I get when I search for recent "Julie White Tony" hits is...a lot of porn!?!
Oh my God! I can't feel my hands -- is that a bad thing? I share this with Doug Carter Beane, the playwright who gave me this great part. And with Scott Ellis and everyone at Second Stage for convincing Doug Carter Beane that I should play the role, which apparently took a lot of arm twisting.
I share it with my cast: Neal Huff, Tom Everett Scott, Ari Graynor, my baby, Johnny Galecki, and my baby, baby, Zoe Lister-Jones.
Oh my God, our genius producers. I played a hideous agent and my agents have never been hideous -- to my face. I thank everyone at Paradigm, especially my own personal care bear, Tim Sage. Thank you my darling. My manager, Steve Himber, my family at home -- my sister Terri-Lynn has not breathed since this happened. Take a breath, Terri. And finally I want to thank my daughter, Alex, who gives us all hope for the future. Thanks, darling.
Julie White was raised in Austin.
Monday, June 11, 2007
WHERE WAS I? SPECIAL EDITION: FROM BELMONT TO BROADWAY AND BEYOND!
For this week's contest I was in a generous state of mind.
The highest possible total of correct guesses in this week's special edition would have been 27. My score was 17--and nearly all of the tip sheets that I cited did well enough Tony-wise that going with their predictions would have ensured a score better than mine.
So this was a golden point-scoring opportunity--answers were there for the taking--but somehow I couldn't get anyone but Debbie and Myra to play along...and Myra's impressive votes didn't get through! I had asked everyone to post their totals to spare me the effort of figuring them out, but that's not necessary since I can easily see that Debbie got four out of five and no commenter did better.
So, invoking Rule Number One of this game--You Gotta Be In It To Win It--the win goes to Debbie. In addition, Debbie gets an Attendance Award--another point. And Myra gets tons of respect for knowing the Tony score. She seems to have done at least as well as many if not all of the pros.
I hope everyone will be rested, refreshed, and ready to participate in the next challenge!
For this week's contest I was in a generous state of mind.
The highest possible total of correct guesses in this week's special edition would have been 27. My score was 17--and nearly all of the tip sheets that I cited did well enough Tony-wise that going with their predictions would have ensured a score better than mine.
So this was a golden point-scoring opportunity--answers were there for the taking--but somehow I couldn't get anyone but Debbie and Myra to play along...and Myra's impressive votes didn't get through! I had asked everyone to post their totals to spare me the effort of figuring them out, but that's not necessary since I can easily see that Debbie got four out of five and no commenter did better.
So, invoking Rule Number One of this game--You Gotta Be In It To Win It--the win goes to Debbie. In addition, Debbie gets an Attendance Award--another point. And Myra gets tons of respect for knowing the Tony score. She seems to have done at least as well as many if not all of the pros.
I hope everyone will be rested, refreshed, and ready to participate in the next challenge!
10 Scott (Gold Medal plus one unredeemed WWI? credit)
9 Gary (plus one unredeemed WWI? Silver credit)
8 Debbie (includes Attendance Award and Gold Medal plus one unredeemed WWI? Silver credit)
3 David (Bronze Medal)
1 Dolph (plus one unredeemed WWI? Bronze credit)
1 Myra
1 Myron
1 Trapezia
Sunday, June 10, 2007
LIVEBLOGGING THE TONY AWARDS
Oh what the heck...here goes!
Leave it to the Tony Awards to start with the opening of a musical from the 1970s that captures how desperate performers can be just to get a job on Broadway, let alone any award. The music's great (and that's composer Marvin Hamlisch at the keyboard), but the message?
Starting the presentation is the great Angela Lansbury, who muffs up her teleprompter lines...possibly because she's looking for cue cards. Whatever. She's great...and a lovable part of the Tony Awards is how unslick they are. That really came through during the NY1 red carpet interviews, when Donna Karger and Roma Torre messed up again and again. And I wince and love that kind of thing...at the same time!
Doogie Howser [okay, Myra: Neil Patrick Harris] is one of the two presenters for the first award. I'm happy for my friend Anne, who's there.
The prize for Best Actor in a Featured Musical [Myra, by "Musical" I mean "Play"] goes to Billy Crudup, which means that Debbie and I both get a point! Congrats, Debbie!! Crudup [who said he was happy that his name was pronounced correctly] pronounces Stoppard close to STOP-pard, as opposed to one of the guys on WNYC, who's been saying Stop-PARD. I'm glad Crudup gave a shout out to Ethan Hawke, who was terrific in Coast--the third of Coast of Utopia that I saw.
And look at that--one of the co-presenters for Featured Actor in a Musical is Robert Sean Leonard--I'm happy for Claire, who's there, because RSL is the guy who was in Long Day's Journey... I was trying to think of when we were at Moon for the Misbegotten.
The Tony for Best Featured Actor in a Musical goes to John Gallagher, Jr. I'm happy for Myra, who's there, and I'm happy for me because I just got another point. Spring Awakening is clearly the audience fave--you can hear it in the applause, which is being produced by Anne, Claire, Cullen, Myra, and some other people at Radio City Music Hall, which is not a Broadway theater. Gallagher, like his co-star Lauren Pritchard, sounds a lot like his character.
And Steven Sater takes Best Book for Spring Awakening--my first setback, and I feel sorry for Grey Gardens....
And now Sater returns to share Best Score with Duncan Sheik. Sater is hogging the mike. Give Sheik a chance!!! Wait...it turns out Sheik already won Orchestration earlier--that must be one of those technical awards. And now he's talking about all the lives that he's ruined on his path to success. What a bastard he must be--kidding! Oh wait: He's saying "Musical theater rocks!" A sound bite for the ages. Ben and the rest of the Tony crowd must be kvelling.
Best Featured Actress in a musical? Mary Louise Wilson. Phew--Grey Gardens gets some props...and MLW is a-whooping and a-hollering over it. No apologies from that broad.
Sometime before that John Kander got a big hand. Cabaret...Chicago...just amazing. Then came the Curtains dance number. David Hyde Pierce. Debra Monk. Why isn't she cast in more--or any?--Ethel Merman roles?
Man, that Mary Poppins is scary....
Okay...got some time to catch up with those "not ready for prime time" tech awards.
It's a good night for Bob Crowley, who got Best Scenic Design for a Musical for Mary Poppins and shared Best Scenic Design for a Play with Scott Pask for Coast of Utopia.
Best Costume Design for a Play goes to Catherine Zuber of Coast of Utopia.
Best Costume Design of a Musical goes to Grey Gardens costumer William Ivey Long--and I hope he thanked Little Edie in his speech.
Best Lighting Design of a Musical? Kevin Adams of Spring Awakening.
Best Lighting Design of a Play goes to Brian MacDevitt, Kenneth Posner, and Natasha Katz for The Coast of Utopia.
And, for the record, the Regional Theatre Tony award goes to the Alliance Theatre of Atlanta, Georgia, in the former Soviet Union.
Oh, it's a Frasier reunion (Bebe and David Hyde Pierce) for the Best Choreographer: Bill T. Jones, for Spring Awakening. He's prancing his way up to the stage--makes it all worthwhile. Oh, he's saluting people who aren't there--like Arnie Zane [Jones named no one]--and also his partner...who's a guy! Who knew??? Heh.
You know, I haven't heard a Paris Hilton joke yet. What kind of award show is this?
Best Featured Actress in a play is Jennifer Ehle--point for Blog About Town! I can't believe it!! I don't know what to say!!! I'm so proud and grateful. And she slips in a plug for O'Neill's or whatever that place is called.
The musical number from Mary Poppins--something about a chimney--seems oddly familiar. And that Mary Poppins--she looks so full of herself! On second thought, maybe it's not that familiar.
So let's see...Spring has 6, Coast has 5, Grey has 2, and Mary has 1.
Best Direction of a Play goes to Coast of Utopia's Jack O'Brien, who earned the award by getting a large company of actors to holler in the acoustically flat center of the Vivian Beaumont for three plays straight. Oooo--he just mentioned that there ought to be an award for Score for Play. I've been thinking along similar lines...but on a grander scale.
Eddie Izzard presents Special Event--in drag, if you count men's clothing as drag clothing because women wear it too. Heh. Kiki and Herb. But it goes to Jay, depriving us of the chance to see K&H's speech. I wish I'd seen Jay Johnson's show, even if he's accepting without a dummy on his arm. You know that pin on his jacket? It's a Charlie McCarthy--with a tiny movable jaw! (I know that from the red carpet interview on NY1.)
Anyway, I'd hoped for a tie in the Special Event category. So no point for me. Another miss: Best Lighting for a Musical (my pick was 110 in the Shade, which I haven't seen--I figured pulling off the 110/Shade thing must've been quite a feat).
Hey--there was a kind of Pythonesque/Phantomesque moment when a chandelier "dropped" on the rule reciters. And they're replaced by John Mahoney and the wonderful Jane Krakowski, may she forever be well-employed. Another one of those endearing and clumsy Tony routines.
OMG--I think there might be a tiny moment when a musical act from Legally Blonde goes on air. Let's see...the Grinch, Les Mis, that Dylan/Tharp thing...with none of the music, The Pirate Queen, High Fidelity...yes--Legally Blonde made it on the show! Hm. I hope I didn't miss anything in that montage....
Harry Connick presents Best Direction of a Musical. Goes to Michael Mayer for Spring Awakening, averting a riot. Yay--his first mention was my music director crush, Kim Grigsby. He also said there should be some other category, but I missed what it is. I'm sure I've been thinking along those lines...but on a grander scale. And he squeezed in some remarks about sexual oppression, which he's against. Which is good.
And there's Patti LuPone, who's gonna be in the Encores! Gypsy. See you soon, Patti!!
And now Harry Connick plays a selection from Company. No...wait...that's Raúl Esparza, who's actually nominated for his leading role in the musical. Accompanying him is Patti LuPone on tuba. No...wait...that was last season. But a blown opportunity, as far as I'm concerned. A funny thing about this is that he's got orchestral backup--even though part of the point of his Company is that there isn't orchestral accompaniment. Oh, the irony.
Maybe that's why John Doyle wasn't exactly grinning ear-to-ear.
Psst. At least one of the presenters for Best Play is a Gay. That's right: Marcia Gay Harden! Hah hah. Wow--Judd Hirsch is rocking some serious shades. Did I say that right? Hm. The Little Dog Laughed is very telegenic. I smell cable/film rights. Maybe that's happened already.
OMG, some sort of bait-and-switch took place. Suddenly it's time for Best Play Revival, and Hirsch and Harden have become Waterston and...Huffman? It goes to Journey's End, a very fine production that was poorly attended despite my recommendations on this very blog. Good for them. And OMG OMG--one of the guys on stage is wearing plaid pants. WTF? Of course, in true Tony fashion, the acceptor made a crack about the money. And now he's saying that the play has never [ever] made money. Well, I'm glad I saw it, so thank you. And thanks for the plea for a better way than war when it comes to solving conflicts.
Tall Tommy Tune gets to do the goodbyes. Waah. He says goodbye to Betty Comden. Waah. And now we get to hear him singing her lyrics. Bye Jay Harnick! Bye Roscoe Lee Browne! Bye Lloyd Richards! I miss you all.
The camera caught Tune from a low angle that emphasized his height. Would it have been in bad taste for him to be dressed like an old-fashioned undertaker, with a high top hat? Don't answer that.
Jane Krakowski's back! Yay!! Hey--she was in Starlight Express!!! I might've seen her in that. She's with Kevin Spacey. And they're presenting Best Revival of a Musical. For real. No switch-and-bait here. I can feel it coming. Kevin says he played a dog on Broadway. So did Sarah Jessica Parker. [Actually, maybe that was just Off-Broadway.] Anyway, Company takes the Tony.
Hm. I think this is going to go past 10.
And the Company producers get drowned out by the orchestra. That wouldn't happen with Patti LuPone on tuba. At least I don't think so.
Did Santo Loquasto give Brian Dennehy his haircut? Aren't there union rules against that?
Anyway, it's Best Actress time--and no jokes about Eve Best being the Best Actress. It sounded like it was going to go to Julie White--and it did! Good for her. She's really on right now. Will she thank the real-life, now deceased, agent who inspired her character? She's very funny and fun to watch. Real YouTube potential. Oy--she's calling her character "hideous." But she's fun and full of life and I want to see her again and again on Broadway.
Here's an ad for the movie musical Hairspray starring John Travolta. I miss you, Divine.
So...is The Sopranos over, well underway, or just beginning? It's 10:06 and I'm clueless.
Okay, this is where the show might lose me. It's a Jersey Boys cover. So I think I'll refresh my tally.
For Best Actor, Frank Langella seemed to get the most applause, but it was close. But not close enough. It's Frank Langella--as widely predicted. I look forward to seeing Frost/Nixon.
Patrick Wilson intros Grey Gardens by saying that everyone has one eccentric relative, but Jackie O had two. At least, I'm sure. Christine Ebersole's getting the audience love. And I can't wait for her hum. Here it comes. It's coming. It's coming. Da da da da dahhhhh. Love it! And she gets to make that nasty Republican comment on national TV. She also did it at a performance for Laura Bush and her daughters--I learned that from the NY1 pre-show.
The Tony for Costuming for Musicals went to Grey Gardens via William Ivey Long, who thanked the Tony powers for recognizing both Grey Gardens and Spring Awakening. Interesting, don't you think?
And yeah...Da da da da dahhhhh. isn't exactly humming. I know. That's liveblogging for ya.
Hm. I think I'll do some boldfacing.
Presenter Christopher Plummer misses Vincent Sardi. Waah.
Best Play goes to Coast of Utopia. Accepting is Tom STOP-pard. Real greatness. Thank you, Tom, for Arcadia, too. Man, I'm glad Stoppard didn't get cut off. And André Bishop also says STOP-pard. During Bernard Gersten's thank you I heard a mazel tov off camera. Heh.
And here's Zach Braff confessing that he loves musical theater. Has he been on Broadway? Not according to IBDB. Will he be on Broadway? I hope so.
And here's the number from Spring Awakening. With Kim Grigsby's graceful arm movements! And here's some of Bill T. Jones's YouTube -inspired choreography--the bit with the chairs that really looks like an Ok GO! routine. And there's Kim again, rocking out in the background. And shit--they were allowed to say "bitch" but not "ass"? Chickenshit! Excellent--but not enough Lauren Pritchard. Can't get enough Lauren Pritchard.
Time for Best Actor in a Musical--Jonathan Groff got a lot of applause, but so did David Hyde Pierce and Raúl Esparza, whose companion looked very confident. And it goes to David Hyde Pierce, surprising the world and vindicating the prediction in The New York Times! And hey--he recognizes his partner, Brian, too.
Best Actress in a Musical goes to...could it be Audra McDonald, who got a lot of applause? No, in this case it's the fore-ordained winner, Christine Ebersole. You've come a long way from Saturday Night Live, baby--in a speech that could be from A Chorus Line: The Sequel. And she thanks the Edies, if not the Maysles.
So is there anything left? It's almost 11! Oh yeah: Best Musical. Ya think it's gonna be Spring Awakening? It is indeed. There will not be enough room on the stage, but I think Mozart will get a chance to speak. Wow--he looks more like P.D.Q. Bach these days. And I mean that in the best possible sense. And he said Kimberly Grigsby. He did!
Oh what the heck...here goes!
Leave it to the Tony Awards to start with the opening of a musical from the 1970s that captures how desperate performers can be just to get a job on Broadway, let alone any award. The music's great (and that's composer Marvin Hamlisch at the keyboard), but the message?
Starting the presentation is the great Angela Lansbury, who muffs up her teleprompter lines...possibly because she's looking for cue cards. Whatever. She's great...and a lovable part of the Tony Awards is how unslick they are. That really came through during the NY1 red carpet interviews, when Donna Karger and Roma Torre messed up again and again. And I wince and love that kind of thing...at the same time!
Doogie Howser [okay, Myra: Neil Patrick Harris] is one of the two presenters for the first award. I'm happy for my friend Anne, who's there.
The prize for Best Actor in a Featured Musical [Myra, by "Musical" I mean "Play"] goes to Billy Crudup, which means that Debbie and I both get a point! Congrats, Debbie!! Crudup [who said he was happy that his name was pronounced correctly] pronounces Stoppard close to STOP-pard, as opposed to one of the guys on WNYC, who's been saying Stop-PARD. I'm glad Crudup gave a shout out to Ethan Hawke, who was terrific in Coast--the third of Coast of Utopia that I saw.
And look at that--one of the co-presenters for Featured Actor in a Musical is Robert Sean Leonard--I'm happy for Claire, who's there, because RSL is the guy who was in Long Day's Journey... I was trying to think of when we were at Moon for the Misbegotten.
The Tony for Best Featured Actor in a Musical goes to John Gallagher, Jr. I'm happy for Myra, who's there, and I'm happy for me because I just got another point. Spring Awakening is clearly the audience fave--you can hear it in the applause, which is being produced by Anne, Claire, Cullen, Myra, and some other people at Radio City Music Hall, which is not a Broadway theater. Gallagher, like his co-star Lauren Pritchard, sounds a lot like his character.
And Steven Sater takes Best Book for Spring Awakening--my first setback, and I feel sorry for Grey Gardens....
And now Sater returns to share Best Score with Duncan Sheik. Sater is hogging the mike. Give Sheik a chance!!! Wait...it turns out Sheik already won Orchestration earlier--that must be one of those technical awards. And now he's talking about all the lives that he's ruined on his path to success. What a bastard he must be--kidding! Oh wait: He's saying "Musical theater rocks!" A sound bite for the ages. Ben and the rest of the Tony crowd must be kvelling.
Best Featured Actress in a musical? Mary Louise Wilson. Phew--Grey Gardens gets some props...and MLW is a-whooping and a-hollering over it. No apologies from that broad.
Sometime before that John Kander got a big hand. Cabaret...Chicago...just amazing. Then came the Curtains dance number. David Hyde Pierce. Debra Monk. Why isn't she cast in more--or any?--Ethel Merman roles?
Man, that Mary Poppins is scary....
Okay...got some time to catch up with those "not ready for prime time" tech awards.
It's a good night for Bob Crowley, who got Best Scenic Design for a Musical for Mary Poppins and shared Best Scenic Design for a Play with Scott Pask for Coast of Utopia.
Best Costume Design for a Play goes to Catherine Zuber of Coast of Utopia.
Best Costume Design of a Musical goes to Grey Gardens costumer William Ivey Long--and I hope he thanked Little Edie in his speech.
Best Lighting Design of a Musical? Kevin Adams of Spring Awakening.
Best Lighting Design of a Play goes to Brian MacDevitt, Kenneth Posner, and Natasha Katz for The Coast of Utopia.
And, for the record, the Regional Theatre Tony award goes to the Alliance Theatre of Atlanta, Georgia, in the former Soviet Union.
Oh, it's a Frasier reunion (Bebe and David Hyde Pierce) for the Best Choreographer: Bill T. Jones, for Spring Awakening. He's prancing his way up to the stage--makes it all worthwhile. Oh, he's saluting people who aren't there--like Arnie Zane [Jones named no one]--and also his partner...who's a guy! Who knew??? Heh.
You know, I haven't heard a Paris Hilton joke yet. What kind of award show is this?
Best Featured Actress in a play is Jennifer Ehle--point for Blog About Town! I can't believe it!! I don't know what to say!!! I'm so proud and grateful. And she slips in a plug for O'Neill's or whatever that place is called.
The musical number from Mary Poppins--something about a chimney--seems oddly familiar. And that Mary Poppins--she looks so full of herself! On second thought, maybe it's not that familiar.
So let's see...Spring has 6, Coast has 5, Grey has 2, and Mary has 1.
Best Direction of a Play goes to Coast of Utopia's Jack O'Brien, who earned the award by getting a large company of actors to holler in the acoustically flat center of the Vivian Beaumont for three plays straight. Oooo--he just mentioned that there ought to be an award for Score for Play. I've been thinking along similar lines...but on a grander scale.
Eddie Izzard presents Special Event--in drag, if you count men's clothing as drag clothing because women wear it too. Heh. Kiki and Herb. But it goes to Jay, depriving us of the chance to see K&H's speech. I wish I'd seen Jay Johnson's show, even if he's accepting without a dummy on his arm. You know that pin on his jacket? It's a Charlie McCarthy--with a tiny movable jaw! (I know that from the red carpet interview on NY1.)
Anyway, I'd hoped for a tie in the Special Event category. So no point for me. Another miss: Best Lighting for a Musical (my pick was 110 in the Shade, which I haven't seen--I figured pulling off the 110/Shade thing must've been quite a feat).
Hey--there was a kind of Pythonesque/Phantomesque moment when a chandelier "dropped" on the rule reciters. And they're replaced by John Mahoney and the wonderful Jane Krakowski, may she forever be well-employed. Another one of those endearing and clumsy Tony routines.
OMG--I think there might be a tiny moment when a musical act from Legally Blonde goes on air. Let's see...the Grinch, Les Mis, that Dylan/Tharp thing...with none of the music, The Pirate Queen, High Fidelity...yes--Legally Blonde made it on the show! Hm. I hope I didn't miss anything in that montage....
Harry Connick presents Best Direction of a Musical. Goes to Michael Mayer for Spring Awakening, averting a riot. Yay--his first mention was my music director crush, Kim Grigsby. He also said there should be some other category, but I missed what it is. I'm sure I've been thinking along those lines...but on a grander scale. And he squeezed in some remarks about sexual oppression, which he's against. Which is good.
And there's Patti LuPone, who's gonna be in the Encores! Gypsy. See you soon, Patti!!
And now Harry Connick plays a selection from Company. No...wait...that's Raúl Esparza, who's actually nominated for his leading role in the musical. Accompanying him is Patti LuPone on tuba. No...wait...that was last season. But a blown opportunity, as far as I'm concerned. A funny thing about this is that he's got orchestral backup--even though part of the point of his Company is that there isn't orchestral accompaniment. Oh, the irony.
Maybe that's why John Doyle wasn't exactly grinning ear-to-ear.
Psst. At least one of the presenters for Best Play is a Gay. That's right: Marcia Gay Harden! Hah hah. Wow--Judd Hirsch is rocking some serious shades. Did I say that right? Hm. The Little Dog Laughed is very telegenic. I smell cable/film rights. Maybe that's happened already.
OMG, some sort of bait-and-switch took place. Suddenly it's time for Best Play Revival, and Hirsch and Harden have become Waterston and...Huffman? It goes to Journey's End, a very fine production that was poorly attended despite my recommendations on this very blog. Good for them. And OMG OMG--one of the guys on stage is wearing plaid pants. WTF? Of course, in true Tony fashion, the acceptor made a crack about the money. And now he's saying that the play has never [ever] made money. Well, I'm glad I saw it, so thank you. And thanks for the plea for a better way than war when it comes to solving conflicts.
Tall Tommy Tune gets to do the goodbyes. Waah. He says goodbye to Betty Comden. Waah. And now we get to hear him singing her lyrics. Bye Jay Harnick! Bye Roscoe Lee Browne! Bye Lloyd Richards! I miss you all.
The camera caught Tune from a low angle that emphasized his height. Would it have been in bad taste for him to be dressed like an old-fashioned undertaker, with a high top hat? Don't answer that.
Jane Krakowski's back! Yay!! Hey--she was in Starlight Express!!! I might've seen her in that. She's with Kevin Spacey. And they're presenting Best Revival of a Musical. For real. No switch-and-bait here. I can feel it coming. Kevin says he played a dog on Broadway. So did Sarah Jessica Parker. [Actually, maybe that was just Off-Broadway.] Anyway, Company takes the Tony.
Hm. I think this is going to go past 10.
And the Company producers get drowned out by the orchestra. That wouldn't happen with Patti LuPone on tuba. At least I don't think so.
Did Santo Loquasto give Brian Dennehy his haircut? Aren't there union rules against that?
Anyway, it's Best Actress time--and no jokes about Eve Best being the Best Actress. It sounded like it was going to go to Julie White--and it did! Good for her. She's really on right now. Will she thank the real-life, now deceased, agent who inspired her character? She's very funny and fun to watch. Real YouTube potential. Oy--she's calling her character "hideous." But she's fun and full of life and I want to see her again and again on Broadway.
Here's an ad for the movie musical Hairspray starring John Travolta. I miss you, Divine.
So...is The Sopranos over, well underway, or just beginning? It's 10:06 and I'm clueless.
Okay, this is where the show might lose me. It's a Jersey Boys cover. So I think I'll refresh my tally.
7 SpringI hope that's right.
6 Coast
2 Grey
1 Mary
1 Company
1 Jay Johnson
1 Journey's End
1 The Little Dog Laughed
For Best Actor, Frank Langella seemed to get the most applause, but it was close. But not close enough. It's Frank Langella--as widely predicted. I look forward to seeing Frost/Nixon.
Patrick Wilson intros Grey Gardens by saying that everyone has one eccentric relative, but Jackie O had two. At least, I'm sure. Christine Ebersole's getting the audience love. And I can't wait for her hum. Here it comes. It's coming. It's coming. Da da da da dahhhhh. Love it! And she gets to make that nasty Republican comment on national TV. She also did it at a performance for Laura Bush and her daughters--I learned that from the NY1 pre-show.
The Tony for Costuming for Musicals went to Grey Gardens via William Ivey Long, who thanked the Tony powers for recognizing both Grey Gardens and Spring Awakening. Interesting, don't you think?
And yeah...Da da da da dahhhhh. isn't exactly humming. I know. That's liveblogging for ya.
Hm. I think I'll do some boldfacing.
Presenter Christopher Plummer misses Vincent Sardi. Waah.
Best Play goes to Coast of Utopia. Accepting is Tom STOP-pard. Real greatness. Thank you, Tom, for Arcadia, too. Man, I'm glad Stoppard didn't get cut off. And André Bishop also says STOP-pard. During Bernard Gersten's thank you I heard a mazel tov off camera. Heh.
And here's Zach Braff confessing that he loves musical theater. Has he been on Broadway? Not according to IBDB. Will he be on Broadway? I hope so.
And here's the number from Spring Awakening. With Kim Grigsby's graceful arm movements! And here's some of Bill T. Jones's YouTube -inspired choreography--the bit with the chairs that really looks like an Ok GO! routine. And there's Kim again, rocking out in the background. And shit--they were allowed to say "bitch" but not "ass"? Chickenshit! Excellent--but not enough Lauren Pritchard. Can't get enough Lauren Pritchard.
Time for Best Actor in a Musical--Jonathan Groff got a lot of applause, but so did David Hyde Pierce and Raúl Esparza, whose companion looked very confident. And it goes to David Hyde Pierce, surprising the world and vindicating the prediction in The New York Times! And hey--he recognizes his partner, Brian, too.
Best Actress in a Musical goes to...could it be Audra McDonald, who got a lot of applause? No, in this case it's the fore-ordained winner, Christine Ebersole. You've come a long way from Saturday Night Live, baby--in a speech that could be from A Chorus Line: The Sequel. And she thanks the Edies, if not the Maysles.
So is there anything left? It's almost 11! Oh yeah: Best Musical. Ya think it's gonna be Spring Awakening? It is indeed. There will not be enough room on the stage, but I think Mozart will get a chance to speak. Wow--he looks more like P.D.Q. Bach these days. And I mean that in the best possible sense. And he said Kimberly Grigsby. He did!
8 Spring AwakeningThat's a record for Coast of Utopia.
7 The Coast of Utopia [closed]
3 Grey Gardens
1 Company
1 Curtains
1 Frost/Nixon
1 Jay Johnson: The Two and Only [closed]
1 Journey's End [closed]
1 The Little Dog Laughed [closed]
1 Mary Poppins
WHERE WAS I? SPECIAL EDITION: FROM BELMONT TO BROADWAY AND BEYOND!
So far Debbie and I are neck and neck, thanks to a certain filly named Rags to Riches--the first female to win the Belmont in more than 100 years! The race itself turned out to be neck and neck too in the final stretch, with Curlin surging slightly ahead at times but not being able to sustain a winning pace. Street Sense was completely out of the running, having been pulled out well in advance of the race--but you might see him at Saratoga come August.
So now we await tonight's two Tony events--the Broadway awards as well as The Sopranos. Feel free to add your picks here by 4:44 pm Broadway time today.
So far Debbie and I are neck and neck, thanks to a certain filly named Rags to Riches--the first female to win the Belmont in more than 100 years! The race itself turned out to be neck and neck too in the final stretch, with Curlin surging slightly ahead at times but not being able to sustain a winning pace. Street Sense was completely out of the running, having been pulled out well in advance of the race--but you might see him at Saratoga come August.
So now we await tonight's two Tony events--the Broadway awards as well as The Sopranos. Feel free to add your picks here by 4:44 pm Broadway time today.
Saturday, June 09, 2007
WHERE WAS I? SPECIAL EDITION: FROM BELMONT TO BROADWAY AND BEYOND!
Thanks to Debbie for taking the plunge, or at least wading in. She still has time to enter more Tony predictions--and so do you!
More tip sheets continue to appear, including the survey-based predictions of New York Times. And here's one from The Seventh Sense and another from The Lunar Gemini.
So add your own guesses here--you have until 4:44 pm Belmont time today. (Though if you beg me, I might consider creating a second deadline of 4:44 pm Broadway time tomorrow, with the loss of a chance to predict the Belmont.)
Thanks to Debbie for taking the plunge, or at least wading in. She still has time to enter more Tony predictions--and so do you!
More tip sheets continue to appear, including the survey-based predictions of New York Times. And here's one from The Seventh Sense and another from The Lunar Gemini.
So add your own guesses here--you have until 4:44 pm Belmont time today. (Though if you beg me, I might consider creating a second deadline of 4:44 pm Broadway time tomorrow, with the loss of a chance to predict the Belmont.)
Friday, June 08, 2007
WHERE WAS I? SPECIAL EDITION: FROM BELMONT TO BROADWAY AND BEYOND!
Hm. So far it looks like there's even less competition than there'll be in the Belmont!
For another tip sheet on the Tony Awards, try Manhattan User's Guide.
And add your guesses here.
Hm. So far it looks like there's even less competition than there'll be in the Belmont!
For another tip sheet on the Tony Awards, try Manhattan User's Guide.
And add your guesses here.
Thursday, June 07, 2007
WHERE WAS I? SPECIAL EDITION: FROM BELMONT TO BROADWAY AND BEYOND!
You know how WWI? usually works: You've got to guess where I was in the five boroughs. But this week we take a break from the routine and try something different. And, as usual, anyone can play (using a distinct player name).
So guess the winner of Saturday's Belmont Stakes and the winners of Sunday's Tony Awards. (You'll see I've also created a special Tony category.) Post your guesses in the comments section by Saturday at 4:44 pm.
Anyone can participate. All participants will be responsible for reporting their own scores by 11:59 pm Broadway Time on Monday. Anyone who guesses better than I do (and I'm no expert on any of this) will get a point. If no one guesses better than I do, the point(s) will go to the best guesser(s) among the participants.
Following are my guesses. For other perspectives, you might want to consider AM New York, Entertainment Weekly, little voice, Someone in a Tree, and Time Out New York, or another of the many options out there.
You know how WWI? usually works: You've got to guess where I was in the five boroughs. But this week we take a break from the routine and try something different. And, as usual, anyone can play (using a distinct player name).
So guess the winner of Saturday's Belmont Stakes and the winners of Sunday's Tony Awards. (You'll see I've also created a special Tony category.) Post your guesses in the comments section by Saturday at 4:44 pm.
Anyone can participate. All participants will be responsible for reporting their own scores by 11:59 pm Broadway Time on Monday. Anyone who guesses better than I do (and I'm no expert on any of this) will get a point. If no one guesses better than I do, the point(s) will go to the best guesser(s) among the participants.
Following are my guesses. For other perspectives, you might want to consider AM New York, Entertainment Weekly, little voice, Someone in a Tree, and Time Out New York, or another of the many options out there.
Winner of 2007 The Belmont StakesThis is not an endorsement of horse racing or awards shows or series finales.
Curlin
Best Play
The Coast of Utopia
Best Musical
Spring Awakening
Best Book of a Musical
Grey Gardens
Best Original Score
Spring Awakening
Best Revival of a Play
Inherit the Wind
Best Revival of a Musical
Company
Best Special Theatrical Event
A tie
Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play
Christopher Plummer, Inherit the Wind
Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play
Eve Best, A Moon for the Misbegotten
Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical
Raúl Esparza, Company
Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical
Christine Ebersole, Grey Gardens
Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play
Billy Crudup, The Coast of Utopia
Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play
Jennifer Ehle, The Coast of Utopia
Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical
John Gallagher, Jr., Spring Awakening
Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical
Mary Louise Wilson, Grey Gardens
Best Direction of a Play
Jack O'Brien, The Coast of Utopia
Best Direction of a Musical
Michael Mayer, Spring Awakening
Best Choreography
Matthew Bourne and Stephen Mear, Mary Poppins
Best Orchestrations
Duncan Sheik, Spring Awakening
Best Scenic Design of a Play
Bob Crowley & Scott Pask, The Coast of Utopia
Best Scenic Design of a Musical
Anna Louizos, High Fidelity
Best Costume Design of a Play
Catherine Zuber, The Coast of Utopia
Best Costume Design of a Musical
William Ivey Long, Grey Gardens
Best Lighting Design in a Play
Brian MacDevitt, Kenneth Posner, and Natasha Katz, The Coast of Utopia
Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Christopher Akerlind, 110 in the Shade
(Tony) Soprano: Lives or Dies?
Lives
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
