Posted by bk @ 06/02/2002 10:36 AM PST

The Tony's are at least entertaining and far better than any Oscar broadcast has been for at least 20 years.

Even Tony broadcasts from some years ago that I didn't think were that great (and I stupidly erased the tapes) now seem quite good in retrospect.

The line "IF Troy Donahue could be a movie star, then I could be a movie star." form "Hello Twelve, Hello Thirteen" has been going through my head. Without dredging up too many unhappy memories, what line (either new line or actual line from the song) would capture your adolescence?

I think this stems from seeing Robert Goulet (Bob Goulet out, Steve McQueen in !)

So, fellow posters (you too Bruce), Post away!

Posted by Kerry @ 06/02/2002 10:56 AM PST

BK's mention of the People's Choice Awards reminded me of a wonderful TV show from the 50s/60s (?) called "People's Choice."

Anybody remember it? It starred Jackie Cooper, but it was narrated by a basset hound named "Cleo.

Posted by Ron Pulliam @ 06/02/2002 11:46 AM PST

Yes.. tell us on a sunday and tonight we can put on our sunday clothes and taken in a Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte. Tony, Tony, Tony, Maria!

A favorite comedian of mine closed his show one night with a great question. It went thus:
"I have always LOVED the movie West Side Story, but one thing always bothered me. At a pivotal point, Tony is running down spanish harlem crying out 'maria! maria!' and only one comes to the fire escape"

Is that unseemly or what?

Ok, since I'm on the subject of WSS, I will share this humdinger of a story. That's a curious word, huh? HUMDINGER. Very musical to say the least! I love to hum. Oh, where was I- right, thank you, I was about to tell you of one night at a dinner theater performance of WSS in Orlando. Here's the scenario. It's a matinee. Most of the audience is made up of bus tours (you know.. the ones that also go to Branson?) OK.. it's the scene where (warning..spoiler) Riff gets killed. He's lying there. Very quiet moment..intense, not a sound in the theater for a beat. It is then interrupted by a woman in the front row talking loudly to her friend "He's not really dead.. I can see him breathing".

The actor (he told me later) was so tempted (and this would have been VERY wrong) to just look over and go -- "Hey lady -- it's called a-c-t-i-n-g. What? you think that they get a new Riff to play this every performance?"

Ok.. that was my story. Since it's a free for all, and many of us have been involved in theater or performing - I ask you to post your favorite (or not so favorite) theater anecdote. A flubbed line, a practical joke, an inpromptu adlib from a performer or audience member...

more later...

Posted by Craig @ 06/02/2002 11:53 AM PST

Favorite audience participation
moment:

A good friend of mine was
singing "L-U-M-B-E-R-E-D"
from Stop the World... When
he got to the line "I shall take
his book of poems and I'll
shove them up his...throat," a
young girl (probably about 7 or
8 years old) turned wide-eyed
to her father and proclaimed,
"He almost said a bad word!!!"

Posted by Jed @ 06/02/2002 12:14 PM PST

Let me tell you about the Tony Awards. I've been watching the telecast since the 1960's (they started on TV in 1967) and I have a theory about them. Here it is ...

The Tony Awards shows started going downhill the minute the powers-that-be unceremoniously ousted its longtime Producer Alexander Cohen and his writer-wife Hildy Parks. They were in on the productions from the beginning and the shows (to my recollection) were ALWAYS great! They were big productions, like a Broadway show, and practically everybody in the theatre participated. I understand Mr. Cohen was a hands-on producer who really knew the business and ran a tight ship (no prima donnas got the upper hand). The way the shows were written included a lot of theater history and provided plenty of opportunity for performances -- not just musicals but whole scenes from plays. I agree with Bruce about the theater change. I remember the shows being telecast from the different Broadway theatres and loved the ambience of each and the obvious intimacy of them.

When the change took place, I could see the thinking behind it -- the new producers wanted to appeal to the television audience. A mistake! A mistake! As far as the PBS pre-show goes: I do not like the slick packaging of the documentaries. It drives me nuts when all you get are little snippets of conversation and bits and pieces of scenes or dances, etc. Again, I think the producers are trying to appeal to a television audience. It's a mistake, I tell you! A mistake! The theater should be purely the theater and not an amalgamation of pseudo parts.

The Cohens also produced three "Night of 100 Stars" -- one of which I've got on tape and play over and over again. It's just terrific! Mr. Cohen passed away in 2000, three days before David Merrick. Here's a link to a very good ariticle about them on Theatermania http://www.theatermania.com/news/feature/index.cfm?story=573&cid=1

Note to Freedunit:
Bea Arthur and Elaine Stritch ARE nominated for a Tony this year. They, as well as Barbara Cook, are listed under Best Special Theatrical Event. Click on this link to confirm http://tonys.org/nominees/

Posted by Donna - Cabaret West @ 06/02/2002 12:21 PM PST

Another audience exclamation
(I'll probably be posting these
all day...):

At the end of the Harry Beaton
chase in Brigadoon, our Harry
did a fantastic twisting fall off
the front of the stage, giving
the appearance that he
whacked his head on stage
edge (really tremendous
physical move...especially
from a youthful-looking actor
actually in his mid-40's!!!).
One night, this stunt was
greeted by a hearty "Holy
shit!!!" from a middle-aged
male audience member.

Posted by Jed @ 06/02/2002 12:22 PM PST

But the Tony awards aren't presented "live" all over the country, are they? I think we get a tape-delayed version here in Arizona

Posted by Laura @ 06/02/2002 12:34 PM PST

Maybe someone can clarify this story, as my anecdote book is currently in storage, but I believe this is the story (and one of my faves)

Sir Laurence Olivier and another actor was on stage. The scene took place in Sir Larry's house and the phone rang when it was not supposed to. Sir Larry, not missing a beat, picked up the phone and said to the other performer, "It's for you"

Posted by Craig @ 06/02/2002 12:51 PM PST

The problem with the Tonys is that they no longer honor excellence. They are a tool for touring producers to drum up business in their areas. The Dodgers produced URINETOWN and INTO THE WOODS and the touring producers hate The Dodgers because they send out non-Equity tours, so these shows will automatically not get as many votes as they would if quality was what was being voted on. This should be like the Oscars... let actors vote for actors, directors vote for directors, etc. This way they will be about quality again, not just a publicity tool.

Posted by William E. Lurie @ 06/02/2002 01:28 PM PST

Donna - Cabaret West: They are not nominated. Their shows are nominated. The award goes to the show's producers of which they are not.

Posted by Mr. Mark Bakalor @ 06/02/2002 01:36 PM PST

To Mark Bakalor:
You're right of course. My mistake. Don't you think there should be a separate category for these one-person shows where the performers could be nominated? Maybe - Best One-Person Show Performance by a Female, etc?

Posted by Donna - Cabaret West @ 06/02/2002 01:45 PM PST

BK:

I recall that at least once Oskar Werner was on the Oscar show.

If his middle name were Meyer, we could all sing, "I wish I was an Oskar Meyer Wernter."

Posted by William F. Orr @ 06/02/2002 01:50 PM PST

Donna—Cabaret West:
I am glad you realized I did not err. Mister Mark Bakalor is correct with regard to the category “Special Theatrical Event.” I consider the nomination of Elaine Stritch: At Liberty in the category to be condescending and insulting, and the omission of Elaine Stritch from the category of actress in a musical to be as stupid as Stupid gets—and Stupid can be very stupid.

I worry whether there will be enough Stritch on the Tony Awards telecast. I worry that the only Stritch may be during The First Ten Awards: Tonys 2002, and that would be CBS’s loss and oversight—Elizabeth McCann’s, too—but we shall see. A Stritch in time saves nine—the nine other awards of the PBS hour.

Alexander H. Cohen was the man responsible for the Antoinette Perry Awards being broadcast on television—and he was savvy enough to retain the copyrights of all the telecasts he produced, which is why there still have not been video and DVD releases. The awards shows that Cohen did with wife Hildy Parks were the best of any awards shows. When Cohen was replaced circa 1987, the drop in quality was instantly obvious, and the awards have never recovered, merely gone further downhill. What a shame. The Tonys could be the best of the best, but instead they are bad television and even worse theatre.

Thinking of Alexander H. Cohen reminds me of his one-man show Alexander H. Cohen in Star Billing. I saw the show twice—first in its by-invitation-only tryout at the Promenade Theatre and then in its limited engagement at the Douglas Fairbanks Theatre. His life story and anecdotes were quite interesting and amusing. His death was a loss to the theatre.

Posted by freedunit @ 06/02/2002 02:25 PM PST

BK-
Could you parry Perry for the vessel with the pestle which has the brew that is true, or would you prefer to parry Perry for the pestle with the poison?

or something like that :)

Posted by Craig @ 06/02/2002 02:27 PM PST

William E. Lurie, it seems very much the case that the Tony Awards are at the mercy of seemingly increasingly stupid nominators and have become only a marketing tool of the League and its road constituency. Look at Thoroughly Modern Millie and its plethora road-presenter producers. No longer based on merit, at least not as much as they once seemed, the Tonys are less fun. Elaine Stritch says she would have loved to have won a Tony award, but when they meant something—when they were presented in a hotel ballroom or theatre and the votes signaled excellence, not now.

Posted by freedunit @ 06/02/2002 02:40 PM PST

Mr. Lurie, it is only for nominations that actors vote for actors, writers vote for writers, cinematographers vote for...etc.,etc.

When final voting takes place, each Academy member votes one vote for every category (unless he or she failed to attend the documentary screenings -- only those who saw all documentaries get to vote on them).

Posted by Ron Pulliam @ 06/02/2002 02:51 PM PST

While in college, I was cast was the Wayne of Morse in the comedy "MacBird."

My character carried a huge lance and I was given a rather nice one for rehearsals fashioned from wood and papier-machet.

My first entrance was to be big, according to the director, and everytime I entered, it was to the thrilling strains of the William Tell Overture. While I had a lance for rehearsals, our sound man kept telling me my sound cue would be ready "next week." This went on for several weeks. At the start of a new week, the director wanted to start with my entrance. I called out to the sound man and asked if my sound cue was ready. It was not.

For the first time, I decided I'd do it myself -- venting frustration. I mentally recalled "The Lone Ranger" and then yelped out the opening notes. As I stormed onto stage, I tripped just before I reached the curtain.

What the rehearsal audience saw was the tip of my lance pierce the void and then hit the stage floor, where it promptly bent.

Pandemonium ensued.

Some 30 minutes or so later, I made my entrance again, without sound cue and with a bent-tipped lance.

Posted by Ron Pulliam @ 06/02/2002 02:58 PM PST

Yes, it helps to have a real producer producing things. The quality is almost instantly evident. But then again, everyone thinks they're a producer - one quickly finds out,however, that while people can call themselves whatever they wish, the good ones are both obvious and rare.

Alexander Cohen was a good one. He understood the milieu, he understood Broadway. You get these television people who do variety shows in there, and it's over, it's done, it cannot be good. Funnily, those same nincompoops let the Oscar show run four hours and have no pace -whereas the Tonys are expected to shoehorn themselves into two hours exactly. Well, tut and phut to them I say and say loudly. I merely say to any naysayers, watch the very first Tony broadcast from 1967 and tell me there's ever been a more exciting or better-produced televised awards show. There hasn't.

Posted by bk @ 06/02/2002 03:07 PM PST

Oh, and I keep forgetting to mention that Donald's Tony Award show tribute should be up and running by end of day. Do take a listen whilst you lounge. Also, don't forget to run to your computers at the commercial breaks - however, those on the East Coast do need to be aware of those on the West Coast - or do we all end up getting it at the same time? I can never remember how these things work. But if we don't, watch out for spoilers. I shall barely be getting back from attending a birthday dinner in time, but hopefully I will see it from the beginning. While I was shopping this morning all anyone in the market was talking about was the Lakers. I guess this is a big event, this Lakers. So big, in fact, that these cretins had reduced Gelson's supply of Diet Coke to but a shadow of its former self. Oh, and by the way (BTW, in Internet lingo), has anyone here tried the brand spanking new Vanilla Coke? I bought one today, but haven't had it yet.

Here's my funny theater story: I was appearing in a play of my own authoring, entitled The Good One. One of my leading ladies, Penny Peyser, had brought her son, who was, I think, around four or five at the time, to see the show. At some point, we have a little kissing scene - I move towards her (it's a funny scene and the audience is usually chuckling at my ineptitude), we do our little "awkward" business just prior to the kiss, and then we share a lovely romantic kiss. Just as our lips come together and we are kissing, we hear from the audience, quite loudly, her son saying, "Yuck!" Well, the audience began to howl with laughter, and all Penny and I could do was hold the kiss and wait for the laughter to stop - this, of course, only made the laugh grow, and then we started to break up, too. Some five minutes later we were finally able to carry on.

Posted by bk @ 06/02/2002 03:16 PM PST

BK-
so do tell us.. whatever happened to Mrs. Penny Peyser?

Posted by Craig @ 06/02/2002 03:41 PM PST

well, the Tony Awards special Broadway Radio Show is up, but I keep getting an error message when I try and play it....I'm hoping it's just my computer.

Has anyone tried to listen yet and are you even able to?

Posted by Donald @ 06/02/2002 04:10 PM PST

Penny helped Gordon Hunt and I cast my recording of Beyond Therapy. She's healthy, her son just graduated from college, and she's about to marry once again (third time's the charm).

Posted by bk @ 06/02/2002 04:14 PM PST

Donald -

I'm getting a "cannot connect to server" problem.. Where for art thou, Mr. Bakalor?

Posted by Craig @ 06/02/2002 04:20 PM PST

that's the same problem I'm getting, but last time it happened it was just my computer....this time I guess it is a server problem

Posted by Donald @ 06/02/2002 04:26 PM PST

Well, as usual, that unmitigated piece of mutton, Mr. Mark Bakalor, is nowhere to be found when you need him. According to my Buddy List, he is online, but he most certainly has not answered my IM, and I have also sent him an e-mail. Hopefully, he'll have it fixed in short order, otherwise he will be in for quite a bitch-slapping festival.

Posted by bk @ 06/02/2002 04:37 PM PST

Ever eager to point up connections about which no one cares: Oscar Homolka's American film debut was with, yes, Frances Farmer, in the 1937 Paramount epic "Ebb Tide," based on the Robert Louis Stevenson story. It was only the second Technicolor feature ever filmed by Paramount. It is a strange, strange film indeed--Homolka is largely indecipherable throughout much of the picture. The supporting cast is amazing, including Barry Fitzgerald, Ray Milland and Lloyd Nolan. This was Farmer's only color film, sadly.

Posted by JMK @ 06/02/2002 04:39 PM PST

The RealMedia server burped but seems to have fixed itself and should be running fine now...

(...and I did get your instant message, dear Bruce, but I was driving down the freeway and didn't want to risk life and limb or limb and life.)

Posted by Mr. Mark Bakalor @ 06/02/2002 05:05 PM PST

BK-

What do you say to someone who says I LIKE TO RECOGNIZE THE TUNE and really means it???

Posted by Arnold M. Brockman @ 06/02/2002 05:24 PM PST

Hello all. I felt as though I should have posted something during the awards, but now that I arrive here and see that no one has, I don't feel so mad. Or maybe I feel worse. Woe is me. Anyway, I didn't want to post something and ruin it for someone way out on the west coast. So probably the major discussions will happen tomorrow. Let's say that I am mostly happy and a bit not, but it's really only an award show, right?

Goodnight everyone, I'm off to bed.

Posted by Lolita @ 06/02/2002 08:13 PM PST

BK-
I know your love for Li'l Abner is honest and true (and also true and honest) - but what is your detailed assessment of the movie Seven Brides for Seven Brothers? That and Li'l are 2 of my faves...

Posted by Craig @ 06/02/2002 08:22 PM PST

The ONLY comment I will make about the TONY'S is -- they should have had Bruce producing for at least one simple reason.
The mic'ing for all the performances were REALLLLLY bad and lacked any power. None of the numbers seem to have any OOOmpf (Urinetown coming the closest to any energy) -- I am not talking about the performances.. just the sound design for both the orchestra and the performers...

Posted by Craig @ 06/02/2002 08:28 PM PST

My mother always told me that if you have nothing nice to say, say nothing. Therefore, about the Tony Awards telecast tonight I will say nothing—for now. I rarely listen to my mother.

Posted by freedunit @ 06/02/2002 08:53 PM PST

So did Elaine Stritch win the Tony?
She accepted it with all her producers accepting it. They cut her off. How pissy that was.

Posted by Michael Shayne @ 06/02/2002 09:02 PM PST

I could post now, oh, yes, I could post now, right after the opening number, but I shan't. I shall have plenty to say tomorrow, you can be sure. Oh, yes, I shall have plenty to say tomorrow. Unless I say something tonight, because I can't hold bac. Oh, yes, I shall say something tonight if I can't hold back.

Posted by bk @ 06/02/2002 09:08 PM PST

Here's a link to read what the incomperable Stritch had to say about CBS and getting cut off...
Stritch

Posted by Craig @ 06/02/2002 09:18 PM PST

I think the less I say the better. It's enough my dog had to listen to me rant tonight! I'll have to give her an extra treat.

Posted by Kerry @ 06/02/2002 09:22 PM PST

Kerry, kiss your dog and bitch-slap the T.V.

I don’t want you to riot. I don’t want you to protest. I don’t want you to write your congressmen. Because I wouldn’t know what to tell you to write. I don’t know what to do about the depression and the inflation and the defense budget and the Russians and crime in the street. All I know is first you got to get mad. You’ve got to say, ‘I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take this any more. I’m a human being, goddammit. My life has value.’ So I want you to get up now. I want you to get out of your chairs and go to the window. Right now. I want you to go to the window, open it, and stick your head out and yell. I want you to yell, ‘I’m mad as hell and I’m not going to take this any more!’

Posted by freedunit @ 06/02/2002 09:44 PM PST

Freedunit-
I followed your suggestion and feel much better now.

And craig-
thanks for the link.

Normally, I seem to be the bitch-slappee, but I'm ready to be the bitch-slapper tonight! My apologies to Canada.

Posted by Kerry @ 06/02/2002 10:27 PM PST

Am I wrong, or was the number from "Urine Town" a sideways
rendition of "Gonna Build a Mountain"?

Posted by mark rothman @ 06/03/2002 12:06 AM PST

No overt spoilers, but this is about the Tonys…
I can, but will not, write what I really think, so: With regard to the Tony Awards of 2 June 2002, Gary Smith, Glenn Weiss, and Elizabeth Ireland McCann are idiots. Idiots! Idiots! Idiots! Idiots! And very, very, very, very rude, and possessing nothing resembling good taste. Shame on them! Furthermore, there are low primates that can and would photograph awards shows and musical numbers better. The Tonys approach seems to be shot-by-accident. If they were smart, they would be embarrassed. Shame on them for the aforementioned crimes and others I will not mention at this time so as not to reveal broadcast particulars. I may never watch the Tonys again, which is what I have said every year since Alexander H. Cohen stopped producing them… I am so disgusted that I am not even in the mood to bitch-slap anyone.

Postscript: There was a glaringly huge script error in the presentation of the award for revival of a musical play.

Mark Rothman, it is not you but Urinetown and the Tony Awards that are wrong.

Posted by freedunit @ 06/03/2002 06:50 AM PST

Congress should have passed a law long ago making it a Federal Offense to interrupt Elaine Stritch--ever.

Posted by William F. Orr @ 06/03/2002 07:05 AM PST

Am I the only Tony viewer who was outraged that some rapper tried to turn the Richard Rodgers tribute into a tribute for George C. Wolfe?

Posted by William E. Lurie @ 06/03/2002 07:13 AM PST

Well, no, you're not. And while we're on the subject, is never tucking in his shirt or wearing a tie a political statement by Savion Glover or what?

Posted by William F. Orr @ 06/03/2002 07:19 AM PST

Misters Lurie and Orr, I'm glad to see that you were also bothered by Mos Def's attempt (probably at the last minute as he walked on stage) to re-write Richard Rodgers. We (my pals at a small Tony party) all looked at each other with dropping jaws that he would do that. I know that the R & H office has very tight control over the R & H canon and this is a reason why! I didn't hate the Tonys this year but I certainly was disappointed with much of it. Argh! The only awards show that I really care about and it is treated with such disrespect by the higher ups. Julia Roberts can go on and on when she wins an Oscar but let Ms. Stritch drift into 1 minute and .01 seconds and the world falls apart.

Posted by Ben @ 06/03/2002 08:20 AM PST

I was prepared for the worst with regard to Mos Def’s participation in the opening Richard Rodgers medley. To my surprise—for like Nancy Wilson I do not consider rap to be music—I believe all rap should be relegated to one low-wattage radio station west of the Mississippi, K-RAP—I was surprised that Mos Def could sing and his nominal ad-lib/rap did not offend me, although I found it forced and ill-thought. By the way, as Jamie Hammerstein was so fond of pointing out, it was Oscar Hammerstein 2d’s lyric, not Richard Rodgers', that was rewritten.

Speaking of Rodgers & Hammerstein errors last night, in the presentation of the award for revival of a musical, the script erroneously described the original production of Oklahoma! as having played the Majestic Theatre, home of South Pacific, not the St. James Theatre.

Savion Glover did his Savion-Glover-thing and he was fine. He is attractive and talented. If only he would expand his repertoire and wardrobe…

What is with the parade of post-Alexander-H.-Cohen Tony Awards show producers who each insist he, or in the case of last night, she, can do a better job than predecessors, and then deliver a bland, boring, rude, insulting, offensive, tedious, unprofessional show? Discuss.

Memo to Elaine Stritch (and John Lahr):
Write the book, appear on The View, perform a number, have a bigger audience on ABC than CBS. Then guest on the Letterman show, perform “Zip,” and bitch about CBS together.

Posted by freedunit @ 06/03/2002 09:26 AM PST

freedunit, you are absolutely right. My error in thinking/typing too fast. Indeed, it is Hammerstein's lyric which was changed. I went with the Rodgers reference because they kept talking about a tribute to Rodgers.

Posted by Ben @ 06/03/2002 10:19 AM PST

Ben, I was certain you knew, and the Rodgers focus makes sense, since it was he whose centenary was being observed. I fear the Tonys— I could have stopped writing right there, but in full the thought is: I fear the Tonys have left me in a disgusted mood. It will take a few days and then I will get over it.

Posted by freedunit @ 06/03/2002 11:26 AM PST