The Tonys

[Dixon Carter Lee]

I'm sure I'm only one of four people here who watched it last night (or did I miss a big real-time party in Chat?), but I thought the show(s) was(were) pretty good, particularly the first show that was shown only on PBS ("The First 10 Awards").

The only spot I didn't like was Gregory Hines providing the "music" for Bernadette Peters' rendition of "Broadway Baby" with his tap shoes. He's a wonderful dancer, but why do tap dancers constantly want to educate us on how taps can be just like instruments in laying out melody? They can, of course, but so what? Calculus can also lay out melody, but you don't see Elaine Strich belting out "I'm Still Here" while Steven Hawking charts the orbit of Pluto.

And I missed seeing scenes from the nominated plays, but otherwise it was a pretty good couple of shows.

 

[seXieleXie]

I'm sure I'm only one of four people here who watched it last night (or did I miss a big real-time party in Chat?)

god i love it when you're snotty now tell us you're a member of mensa.

 

[JennyOmanHill]

Watched the show in the neighborhood hangout right in the theatre district which always adds a little excitement, since so many of my neighbors are directly affected by the outcomes. (For example: friends of mine might be employed longer now that "THE GOAT" won for best play.)

I thought on the whole the show was pretty good, but, as usual, CBS kept to their two-hour time limit. As a result, the TV audience missed out two very major Lifetime Achievement Awards to Julie Harris and Robert Whitehead. And after working a lifetime for the honor, Elaine Stritch was uncerimoniously cut off with her heartfelt thank you's.

I realize only "four" of us may have been interested in the show, but it's hard for me to see other award ceremonies (on and off the other major networks) allow their "winners" to properly thank and enjoy the honor of winning such an award.

*end of rant*

A special YAY to John Lithgow for this Leading Actor in a Musical Tony!

 

[sunstruck]

Are you telling me I slept through the Tonys.

Shit.

I had to get up at 4am for the AIDS walk Boston and I kept thinking there was something I wanted to watch that night but I was such a zombie by the time we got home we just passed out.

Damn. Not like you can catch the re-run either. Anyone have a link to the winners?

 

[Dixon Carter Lee]

now tell us you're a member of mensa.

I would, except it's MENSA, all caps. Like LEGO. And I'm pretty sure knowing that is one of the tests to get in.

 

[Dixon Carter Lee]

Watched the show in the neighborhood hangout right in the theatre district which always adds a little excitement

Yup. Had a party every year in one of my several Hell's Kitchen apartments. And then we'd head out to Jimmy Ray's or Barrymore's or McHales later for drinks.

 

[seXieleXie]

I would, except it's MENSA, all caps. Like LEGO. And I'm pretty sure knowing that is one of the tests to get in.

knowledge of the shift key shows true intelligence

anyway, it's hard to get into the tonys when i have never seen any of the shows.

 

[Dixon Carter Lee]

The performances are still fun to watch, and a hell of a lot better staged, sung and danced than most of the crappy Oscar production numbers.

 

[JennyOmanHill]

Yup. Had a party every year in one of my several Hell's Kitchen apartments. And then we'd head out to Jimmy Ray's or Barrymore's or McHales later for drinks.

Alas, Jimmy Ray's is long gone! This, however, was the quietest Tony gathering at the other places. Despite any rumors to the contrary, business has NOT picked up much since 9/11, especially for the local hangouts. It's another good reason the community wants to see shows STAY open!

 

[Dixon Carter Lee]

Oh, I know about Jimmy Rays. I saw it burn. I was pissed, it was my favorite Broadway dive. Great juke box, an enormous old bar, and those great movie theatre seats in the corner by the window. We'd hang there all night. After the fire management moved everything over to "JRs", but it was never the same.

 

[JennyOmanHill]

Oh, I know about Jimmy Rays. I saw it burn. I was pissed, it was my favorite Broadway dive. Great juke box, an enormous old bar, and those great movie theatre seats in the corner by the window. We'd hang there all night. After the fire management moved everything over to "JRs", but it was never the same.

"JRs" is nice, but not at all the comfy atmosphere anymore.

It was fun, however, seeing some of the tuxes and gowns coming into the bar last night. I've never actually been to the awards, but they said the party was great this year, and they each received a gigantic tote bag full of promotional goodies!

Back to the show... I enjoyed the way the plays and musicals were presented too. I only saw "THE GOAT", so I was glad it won. I thought the nominees were all well deserved this year too, although I felt Bill Pullman should have gotten a nod, yet Best Actor category was just too crowded!

 

[Marxist]

Why are they called The Tonys?

Are only plays that run on Broadway considered? Why or Why not?

Is Liza's husband not the gayest thing since Giorgio Brutini shoes and International Male?

 

[seXieleXie]

The performances are still fun to watch, and a hell of a lot better staged, sung and danced than most of the crappy Oscar production numbers.

i don't watch those either

 

[phrodeau]

Why are they called The Tonys?

Are only plays that run on Broadway considered? Why or Why not?

Is Liza's husband not the gayest thing since Giorgio Brutini shoes and International Male?

The Tony is named after Antoinette Perry, one of the founders of the American Theatre Wing.

Only shows that run in certain Broadway theatres are eligible. I don't know why.

Here is the complete list of winners.

I watched what I could, between one performance and another rehearsal scheduled last night. I have yet to watch the video I made of the remainder.
Why was it rated PG? For the Urinetown references?

 

[Dixon Carter Lee]

Perry wasn't a founder, but she was very important to the organization.

Broadway shows are determined by their Equity contracts more than which theatre they're renting, although it's true that a particular theatre is usually given only one kind of Equity contract. So you can say that certain theatres are "Broadway" theatres.

Off Broadway productions do not take the same financial risks as Broadway, and generally cannot compete with Broadway in terms of talent and production (though many of them can). Also, many Off Broadway plays hope to "move uptown" to Broadway after they've had a run to work out certain problems. An Off Broadway show (determined, again, by contract more than venue) often does not want to compete on a Broadway level, since they're hoping to make the show better first.

Off Broadway and Off Off Broadway have their own awards, by the way.

 

[Problem Child]

The Tonys are to entertainment what the Stanley cup is to sports.

 

[JennyOmanHill]

"Power" of the Tonys

Despite John Lithgow winning the Best Actor in a Musical Tony, his show "Sweet Smell of Success" will close on June 15th. I think the producers were hoping for the best musical award, which "Thoroughly Modern Millie" won.

Two more empty theatres ("Elephant Man" closed on Tony day).

 

[Dixon Carter Lee]

I heard "Sweet Smell of Success'" reviews were awful so that's no suprise. (And from what I saw on CBS the other night, the show deserves to close. Not that the musical number wasn't good, but it certainly wasn't Clifford Odet.)

 

[JennyOmanHill]

I heard "Sweet Smell of Success'" reviews were awful so that's no suprise. (And from what I saw on CBS the other night, the show deserves to close. Not that the musical number wasn't good, but it certainly wasn't Clifford Odet.)

The reviews were horrible, yet the brave folks who ventured anyway were rather fascinated by it, and especially raved about the performances.

Talking about jumping in someone's grave! It was also just announced that a revival of "Man of La Mancha", starring Brian Stokes Mitchell, will be at the Martin Beck this fall.

 

[Dixon Carter Lee]

That's appropriate, since Lithgow did a bad TV "La Mancha" a while back.