TOD
And here is my rather long rant but I believe it rings true why I don't care for the Tony awards show anymore
Tony's past glory is when they paid tributes during the show.
1) Tribute to the Gershwin from the Uris Theater which was then renamed the Gershwin
2) All the shows that played the Imperial theater
3) The year Sondheim, Herman and Kander/Ebb were nominated and the evening was filled with excerpts from their shows
4) Another year Cy Coleman, Jule Styne and Lloyd Webber. At the end the composers came out and number from a future show were performed. Don't remember what Lloyd Webber did, but Coleman did Hey You In The Back Row from 13 Weeks To Broadwhich (closed on the road) Jule Styne show was Treasure Island called I believe Rainbow High or something like that. George Hearn sang and that show play somewhere in Canada and disappeared basically after that.
5) Fifty years of the Tony Awards where every year was represented even if it was just for a moment
6) 25 years of the Tonys. With many of the original performers singing show from their shows.
7) The wonderful tribute to the late Robert Preston where Barbar Cook and Bernadette Peters sang and Mary Martin talked songs from the shows they did together.
Jennifer Holiday and I'm Am Telling You I'm Not Going for me one of the greatest moments
9) The years that Angela Lansbury was the host. For me the last time the show had class. a great moment was her and Beatrice Arthur did Bosom Buddies together with the original choreography!
10) The years where they attempted to do moments from the Best Play nominees. It didn't always work seeing the moments taken out of context but their were valiant tries and sometimes the only chance to see something from those plays.
11) When the shows were done from Broadway house. The last show I remember was done on The Sunset Blvd mansion set. Highlights Michele Lee and Robert Morse singing a song (really a moment) from How To Succeed before presenting an award. Carol Burnett presenting an award and telling the audience that the producers wouldn't allow her to come down the staircase for her entrance.
12) The year from the Shubert theater and A Chorus Line won. They did the opening and closing number from the show which was also the opening closing number from the Broadcast.
13) The year where the 5 best musicals that were still running running on Broadway at the same time presented musical numbers. (A Chorus Line, Annie, Ain't Misbehavin, Sweeney Todd and Evita. (The last time something like this happened)
14) Any time Dorothy Loudon was on the show. (Loved her)
15) Despite being a terrible show I liked that MERLIN was represented by their opening number and I believe Merlin is the only musical nominee (for the longest time) never to receive a cast album recording. BK recorded one song from the show Beyond My Wildest Dreams (With the late and wonderful Michelle Nicastro
2004 was the last time I sat watched the show, although have little memory of (And I went on line to check) the years that Titanic, Fosse, Contact and Hairspray won.
And all those wonderful performers who are actual performers. With great actors and singers who were some of the best there every where. No jukebox musicals. No visible microphones. No performers to gear to the 20 something demographics.
