Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Jrand73]

Actually the book was called Squad Helps Dog Bite Victim.  Highly recommended by the likes of me.

Last week we had an article that called Officer Clemons a detective in the police farce.  We would like to correct that error, and say that Officer Clemons is a defective in the police force.

[Jrand73]

Page Four Proofreading Dance.

[Ben]

Here is a news story from the 1985 AP Archives

Tony Nominees 1985

It says in the story that there was only 1 eligible nominee for Best Actress in a Musical that year so they decided not to give the award and "The nominating committee Monday declined to give nominations in the leading actor in a musical and choreography categories because they did not consider any of the performances or choreography outstanding or excellent."

[JMK]

Years ago there was a laugh out loud series of corrections in the Oregonian that went on for DAYS about the grave of Chief Joseph.  They kept correcting various items, probably 8-10 times over a week or two, until the last correction finally stated that the original article had been in error and Chief Joseph wasn't the actual body buried in the grave.  I wish I would have saved them--Betsy and were holding our sides from laughing so hard.

[John G.]

For better or worse, I haven't had any interest in LOVE NEVER DIES.

That's two of us. I've never understood making the monstrous horror of the murderous Phantom into a tragic hero, either. Sure wasn't Gaston Leroux's intention. And, just like sequels to GONE WITH THE WIND, A DOLL'S HOUSE, frankly, my dear, who gives a damn?

"Hello, I'm Dimitri Weissman.  And since there have been a number of lawsuits temporarily delaying this theater from being torn down, welcome to our second annual reunion..."

Songs from FOLLIES II

I'm REALLY still here

Guess i couldn't leave you

Yet another morning

Lord, lord, lord, that woman's still me

You're gonna love the day after tomorrow

Broadway old lady

Not to mention:

One More Tongue

Ahhh, Des Moines

Listen to the Hail on the Roof

In Buddy's Sighs

The Highway You Didn't Take

[Ben]

As I look at the shows that year, most of them did not have a "leading actress" although Mary Beth Piel was nominated as best featured actress in a revival of The King and I (why featured, perhaps she was the one eligible and since they cancelled it that year they must have moved her to featured). Most of the musicals were ensemble pieces or shows with featured roles (Quilters, Big River, Grind).

[John G.]

Great story, JRand.

[Matthew]

As I look at the shows that year, most of them did not have a "leading actress" although Mary Beth Piel was nominated as best featured actress in a revival of The King and I (why featured, perhaps she was the one eligible and since they cancelled it that year they must have moved her to featured). Most of the musicals were ensemble pieces or shows with featured roles (Quilters, Big River, Grind).

What about Annie Golden for "Leader of the Pack"?

[John G.]

Here is a news story from the 1985 AP Archives

Tony Nominees 1985

It says in the story that there was only 1 eligible nominee for Best Actress in a Musical that year so they decided not to give the award and "The nominating committee Monday declined to give nominations in the leading actor in a musical and choreography categories because they did not consider any of the performances or choreography outstanding or excellent."

I liked elements of "Grind" and "Big River" both. Leilani Jones was one of the things I liked and was glad she got a Tony for her efforts.

Choreography on "Grind" was OK, but Larry Fuller (with Bob Fosse supposedly coming in to restage Ben Vereen's numbers) could have done better.

[Jrand73]

Great story, JRand.

Tone is everything.

[Jrand73]

And of course the omission of a letter can cause unexpected hilarity as well:

During the drought, British citizens are asked not to water their lawns or wash their ars.   

[FJL]

For better or worse, I haven't had any interest in LOVE NEVER DIES.

That's two of us. I've never understood making the monstrous horror of the murderous Phantom into a tragic hero, either. Sure wasn't Gaston Leroux's intention. And, just like sequels to GONE WITH THE WIND, A DOLL'S HOUSE, frankly, my dear, who gives a damn?

"Hello, I'm Dimitri Weissman.  And since there have been a number of lawsuits temporarily delaying this theater from being torn down, welcome to our second annual reunion..."

Songs from FOLLIES II

I'm REALLY still here

Guess i couldn't leave you

Yet another morning

Lord, lord, lord, that woman's still me

You're gonna love the day after tomorrow

Broadway old lady

Not to mention:

One More Tongue

Ahhh, Des Moines

Listen to the Hail on the Roof

In Buddy's Sighs

The Highway You Didn't Take

I haven't trotted out I'M STILL QUEER in a while and it is June



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bt40nQGc1I4

[FJL]

As I look at the shows that year, most of them did not have a "leading actress" although Mary Beth Piel was nominated as best featured actress in a revival of The King and I (why featured, perhaps she was the one eligible and since they cancelled it that year they must have moved her to featured). Most of the musicals were ensemble pieces or shows with featured roles (Quilters, Big River, Grind).

And is the role of Huck in BIG RIVER really not a leading role?

[Ben]

I don't know. I'm just the messenger. When I saw the show at the Roundabout I thought Huck was a leading role.

[Matthew]

As I look at the shows that year, most of them did not have a "leading actress" although Mary Beth Piel was nominated as best featured actress in a revival of The King and I (why featured, perhaps she was the one eligible and since they cancelled it that year they must have moved her to featured). Most of the musicals were ensemble pieces or shows with featured roles (Quilters, Big River, Grind).

And is the role of Huck in BIG RIVER really not a leading role?

Oh FJL!!

[FJL]

Trying to keep this light, so I'll put some smilies      

But not to make a big deal of it, but these days, there is no way they would have  just voted no nominations for choreography if the field were

BIG RIVER,
GRIND,
LEADER OF THE PACK.   

Far far far (that's three fars) lesser choreography has been nominated over the years since then. 

[TCB]

THIS is worth the 13 minutes of your time it takes to watch.  And watch the whole thing, you should.

That was pretty amazing.  Thank you, Matthew.

[Ben]

And far lesser performances have been nominated as well.

In 1985 the Tonys were still (even thought they were on national television) a smaller show. They were still done in the Broadway theatres (this is before the move to Radio City) and I don't know if the Road Producers were the big influence that they are now. They could get away with things that wouldn't fly now.

[TCB]

Anyone know the reason behind no Tony nominations for Best Actor and Best Actress in a musical in 1985?  Even now they scrape the bottom to fill the category!!!

Wasn't there a year that they didn't give out a Tony for Best Musical?

[FJL]

As I look at the shows that year, most of them did not have a "leading actress" although Mary Beth Piel was nominated as best featured actress in a revival of The King and I (why featured, perhaps she was the one eligible and since they cancelled it that year they must have moved her to featured). Most of the musicals were ensemble pieces or shows with featured roles (Quilters, Big River, Grind).

And is the role of Huck in BIG RIVER really not a leading role?

Oh FJL!!

What?  What did I say?

I was just questioning the rote category logic of why  Dan Jenkins (as Huck) got nominated as a Featured Actor when Huck is a leading character, not supporting.

[John G.]

As I look at the shows that year, most of them did not have a "leading actress" although Mary Beth Piel was nominated as best featured actress in a revival of The King and I (why featured, perhaps she was the one eligible and since they cancelled it that year they must have moved her to featured). Most of the musicals were ensemble pieces or shows with featured roles (Quilters, Big River, Grind).

And is the role of Huck in BIG RIVER really not a leading role?

Oh FJL!!

What?  What did I say?

I was just questioning the rote category logic of why  Dan Jenkins (as Huck) got nominated as a Supporting Actor when Huck is a leading character, not supporting.

And Jim, who did win.

[FJL]

Oops, it was called Featured then, not Supporting

[Ben]

Anyone know the reason behind no Tony nominations for Best Actor and Best Actress in a musical in 1985?  Even now they scrape the bottom to fill the category!!!

Wasn't there a year that they didn't give out a Tony for Best Musical?

I don't remember about that specifically but the 1995 Tonys had Sunset Blvd up against just one one other nominee, Smokey Joe's Cafe and there were only two nominees for Best Actress in a Musical, Ms. Close and Ms. Luker in Hal Prince's production of Show Boat.

[FJL]

No wonder there were in effect no reasonable qualified 1985 eligible nominees for best Lead Actor and Actress with examples like

Anna in THE KING AND I and

Jim and Huck in BIG RIVER

relegated to Featured Acting categories as a mindset.

[FJL]

Anyone know the reason behind no Tony nominations for Best Actor and Best Actress in a musical in 1985?  Even now they scrape the bottom to fill the category!!!

Wasn't there a year that they didn't give out a Tony for Best Musical?

I don't remember about that specifically but the 1995 Tonys had Sunset Blvd up against just one one other nominee, Smokey Joe's Cafe and there were only two nominees for Best Actress in a Musical, Ms. Close and Ms. Luker in Hal Prince's production of Show Boat.

And best Book and Best Score were given as an automatic award to SUNSET BLVD, basically by proclamation

[Ben]

The funny thing is in 1951 Gertrude Lawrence won the Tony for Best Actress in a Musical for KAI and it was Yul Brynner who was relegated to Supporting/Featured Actor

[Ben]

I looked and every year there has been a Tony for Best Musical.

You might be thinking of the ruckus raised when Contact won for Best Musical at the 2000 Tonys. Many people did not consider that a "Broadway Musical" and were upset that it won. The other nominees that year were James Joyce's The Dead, Swing and Michael John LaChiusa's Wild Party.

[Jrand73]

I thought the categories were also determined by a performer's billing - but that might have come later.....

[Ben]

Billing does (or did) have something to do with it. The Tony committee meets during the year to discuss those kinds of issues.

[FJL]

I thought the categories were also determined by a performer's billing - but that might have come later.....

Yes, that was the thing that caused William Daniels as John Adams to be in supporting/featured for 1776 becuase he wasn't above the title, so he declined the nomination