Author: Kevin Daly

A Little Bit of This, A Little Bit of That…

Life sometimes manages to get in the way of my writing. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing. About three weeks ago, my 17 month old nephew arrived in the United States for the first time (along with his mom, dad and uncle) so life has certainly taken a different route. Much of June was involved with preparation for their arrival; failed attempts at babyproofing, immense amounts of cleaning and shredding of junk mail and even new carpeting, tile floors, etc. We really seemed to leave no stone unturned getting ready for this arrival.

When Jack arrived, my focus shifted considerably from theatre. I’ve not seen a show since they arrived (though I’m thinking of taking my sister-in-law to her first Broadway show – Jack will have to wait a few years for his turn) and have had very little time to blog, be online and have been having a wonderful vacation from the blogosphere.

I don’t know that I’ve ever felt so exhausted in my life. But it’s a good thing. There’s a lot of running around, feeding, putting to bed, day trips, library visits and shopping. (I don’t do diapers). We’ve been busy practically every day with trips around the Hudson Valley and metropolitan area. So far we’ve done Bear Mountain, my father’s firehouse in Scarsdale (twice), my first trip to Coney Island (we skipped Brighton Beach and stuck to the boardwalk). Jack has even gone to the bank. There was also a family celebration of my father’s 70th birthday which was organized by yours truly (I was born July 7, my father July 8th and my mother July 11th).

It’s been quite a trip; and they’re still here for another two weeks – so my focus has been pulled. Not to mention I’ve also been getting more gigs these days, so there’s been a lot more musical preparation around the house. (This past Saturday, I had a wedding at 3 in Croton-on-Hudson, then a second wedding at 6:30 in Brooklyn. I’m still recovering). On top of that, I’ve been so distracted that I can’t really seem to find anything to write about. I don’t know if anyone else in the blogosphere has had that, but I sit down in a rare quiet moment and I’ve got nothing – and after running after an exceptionally energetic baby all day, I’ve actually been going to bed early…well earlier (hey, 12:30AM is sizable for this nipper).

So what has gone on this month? Bernadette Peters and Elaine Stritch have joined the cast of A Little Night Music. Within an hour of curtain, the first night performance of “Send in the Clowns,” was on youtube and it’s a rendition that ranks high with the likes of Johns, Dench and Cook. Word of mouth; however, says that Stritch has been more problematic as Madame Armfeldt, so it will be interesting to see how she grows into the part (and after her disastrous performance of “I’m Still Here” at the White House this evening, I’m seriously having concerns about her memory – she’s 85 and it’s no crime should she need a prompter or earpiece).

George Steinbrenner, the long-time owner of my beloved NY Yankees died last week of a heart attack. While he was known mostly for his antics as the team’s owner, he was also involved with several Broadway productions including the Tony-winning Best Musical Applause. Working in close association with Jimmy Nederlander, Steinbrenner had his hand in about five other shows, all of them failures. However, Mr. Steinbrenner is a Tony nominee himself, as producer of the 1973 musical Seesaw. (Another Broadway tie-in: when Steinbrenner was banned from running the team in 1990 by the MLB commissioner, Robert Nederlander briefly stepped in to take over the management). The Nederlander Organization paid tribute to Steinbrenner by dimming the lights of its nine theatres for a minute on Thursday evening. The final Steinbrenner show was the notorious 1988 flop Legs Diamond, which helped bring an end to the Mark Hellinger Theatre as a Broadway house.

Cast album news: Bruce Kimmel is releasing a second issue of Promises, Promises- this second edition restores David Merrick’s name to its place above the title (as it was on the LP) and is only one disc – the second disc from the initial release (which involves pitch correction and remixing). Masterworks Broadway will be issuing some obscurities including the 1958 NYCO production of Marc Blitzstein’s Regina, an opera based on The Little Foxes that folded on Broadway after 56 performances in 1949. In the coming months, they will also be releasing a 1959 studio recording of Song of Norway and the original cast album of Make a Wish, remastered on CD for the first time. These three will be available for digital download, or hard copies from ArkivMusic. PS Classics releases Sondheim on Sondheim in August and JAY Records issues the original cast album of The Scottsboro Boys in September. Also, the Tony-winning revival of La Cage Aux Folles is poised for a cast recording, with a label to be announced very soon.

On the bookshelf, I have so many things to get to. Currently on the nightstand – The Letters of Noel Coward. But I’ve also got Stripping Gypsy, The Necessity of Theater, Enchanted Evenings on my plate. Not to mention Gower Champion’s biography Before the Parade Passes By (I’m on a Prettybelle kick and interested in learning all I can about that legendary flop). I’m also very intrigued by the impending release of South Pacific: Paradise Rewritten which takes a look at the genesis from Michener’s short stories to its smash success at the Majestic, looking at how Hammerstein softened the racial intolerance in his libretto to make the show acceptable to mainstream Broadway, and also looks at the themes of gender roles and colonialism in the Rodgers and Hammerstein classic. (Which airs Live from Lincoln Center on August 18, and voila! Hollywood is interested in remaking the film!) Oh, and Patti LuPone wrote a memoir…

Other than that? I baby-sit on Wednesday. It’s all about opening doors. Oh – and one last tidbit. Jack has an obsession with youtube, to the point where he comes in, crawls in my lap if I’m at the computer expecting to be entertained. One time I was watching the famed YouTube clip of Donna McKechnie and the original cast of Promises Promises performing “Turkey Lurkey Time” on the Tonys. Not only did he enjoy it, but he pried himself out of my lap to dance around like a madman. He also heard his first ever Sondheim song: “Have I Got a Girl for You” from the OBCR of Company while we were sharing my ipod on a long trip. I guess Steve didn’t know he could make a baby dance in his carseat!

“Promises, Promises” – The New Broadway Cast Recording

When I received the new Broadway cast recording of Promises, Promises from Sony Masterworks last week, I have to confess I didn’t have high expectations. The reviews for the show were far from raves, and had been led to believe the show was a huge bomb. Much to my surprise, the cast album for this production is quite enjoyable. In fact it is one of the more spirited cast albums I’ve heard in quite some time. Full disclosure – I haven’t seen the revival so I cannot comment on the quality of the production as it plays onstage, but am aware of instances where the cast album can make a production sound better on disc than it played in the theatre.

From start to finish there is much to enjoy. Sean Hayes isn’t as distinctive as either Jerry Orbach or Tony Roberts and while his vibrato is a bit on the reedy side, he is certainly up for the inherent challenge and gives a welcome comic turn. He especially shines in “She Likes Basketball” and the title song. Kristin Chenoweth is somewhat more problematic as Fran. First off – interpolating Bacharach’s pop hits “I Say a Little Prayer” and “A House is Not a Home” make absolutely no sense for her character to be singing. Period. Chenoweth is famed for that seemingly endless coloratura range, and her voice doesn’t translate as well to belt/mix like other sopranos. Also, making “A House is Not a Home” an emotional focal center of the production shows genuine mistrust of the material by the creative team, but that’s a conversation for another time.

Tony-winner Katie Finneran gives it her all as drunken Marge and she makes an interesting impression on “A Fact Can Be a Beautiful,” which has a fantastic dance break. Dick Latessa does well in his duet “A Young, Pretty Girl Like You.” On the other hand, “Turkey Lurkey Time” is a complete dud. You’d be better off with the original Broadway cast recording or that glorious youtube clip. Tony Goldwyn has very little to do on record as the cad boss who leads Fran on, singing “Wanting Things” and duetting with Hayes on “It’s Our Little Secret,” which features its verse on record for the first time).

The sound is crisp, there is extra music as well as the show’s finale with the famed last line  and really makes the rideouts of the songs just really hit home (it’s also easier to hear the pit singers here, too). The set is also blessed with ample liner notes, complete with the lyrics but lacking a thorough plot synopsis. Oh, and naturally there are plenty of photographs from the production.

Another thing about the score and show Promises, Promises. It’s based on the 1960 film The Apartment, but composer Burt Bacharach, lyricist Hal David and librettist Neil Simon created a contemporary musical in 1968 and the music is so much of that era that it genuinely strikes me as odd that the show has been pushed back to 1962. The syncopations, the rhythms and orchestrations are all evocative of the late 60s and it ‘s absurd to try and make it otherwise. The nature of the decade was so turbulent that 1962 is a million light years removed from 1968. It makes absolutely no sense to do that, especially if it’s to capitalize on Mad Men (which is referenced in advertising for the show. Mad Men the Musical is about the last thing I would ever care to see).

So it’s not the perfect reading of the show, but it’s still quite an enjoyable listen nonetheless. The real surprise about this particular album is the way it’s recorded. I’ve felt that a lot of recent revival albums have failed to capture the vibrancy of the onstage experience (Patti’s Gypsy and South Pacific come readily to mind) or the energy of earlier counterparts. This album, warts and all, pops from the overture to finish. Almost everything about this recording is alive and quite engaging (with the exceptions noted above); so much so that though I was wary of seeing the actual show, I’m now quite interesting in going. What can I say? The power of the cast album compels me.

“The Bomb-itty of Errors” @ HVSF

Full disclosure: I don’t know all that much about the hip-hop. (Surprise, surprise). However, I was curious when I heard that the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival would be presenting a show called The Bomb-itty of Errors in its summer lineup. Based on The Comedy of Errors (also the basis for the marvelous Rodgers & Hart musical The Boys from Syracuse, as well as the not-so-marvelous Oh, Brother), the farcical plot revolves around two sets of twins separated at birth and the chaos of mistaken identity that ensues when they end up in the same town, taken from the ancient plays of Plautus. It’s one of Shakespeare’s earliest plays and is a full-out, no holds barred low-brow slapstick comedy.

Shakespearean purists might be affronted, but the rest of the masses will undoubtedly be amused (and I like to think those in the stalls at the Globe would have been amused, too). Utilizing a cast of four, a DJ and a unit set, the high spirited, fast-paced production directed by Chris Edwards produces a fountain of laughs. If some of the shtick falls flat and it’s not as consistently strong or satisfying as last year’s production of The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) (there are bound to be inevitable comparisons between the two), there is enough in Bomb-itty, which is unashamedly bombastic and ribald, to amuse and entertain. The bulk of the show’s success is due to the superlative ensemble, who each play multiple roles in a sort of rapping panto. As a sort of hip-hoperetta, the piece takes some liberties with the storyline and structure (this time both sets of twins are fraternal quadruplets. Don’t ask, just enjoy), but tells the fundamental plot using rap, rhythm and the assistance of the dee-jay.

While the text may be a bit too raw for my taste, the casting is flawless. The four actors play multiple parts, men and women (oh, the drag…) and bring the audience into the action in a way that isn’t quite possible with any other variation of this piece. All four are utterly fearless, unafraid to push the envelope of ribald comedy and completely free to throw caution to the wind. Some of the humor might be a bit too lewd for the kids, but then again it might just sail over their heads. Parents, use your own discretion.

Michael Borrelli scores the biggest laugh of the night channeling a Hasidic Phil Silvers (as jeweler Himmelberg, another creation that I don’t recall from the original), telling a three minute improvised “Yo Momma” joke the show to a crashing halt with its inspired comic brilliance. Christian Jacobs, billed as the Phantom of the Choppera (whom I’ve known since high school and whose worked I have always enjoyed), is the most at ease with the hip-hop form and is a collection of manic energy and frenzy; bold and fearless. Patrick Halley (Wintry Mix) is steadily amusing throughout, but his highlight is an inspired turn as Luciana; strident, stupid and unbelievably vapid Luciana, whose later entrances were enough to induce belly laughs. Wayne T. Carr (Black Light) plays both Antipholus of Ephesus and his wife Adriana, and is so believable and so vibrant you forget how easily he switches from one to the other. Christopher Joshua McCardle is DJ iPhool, who has very little in the way of lines, but provides important support from his sound booth and turntable.

More than any other show that I’ve seen at the festival, the sound and lighting design play a far more substantial part with the proceedings and help to give the theatre the feeling of a night at a club. I must give kudos to whomever was working behind the show’s “curtain” with the props and costume changes. There were changes so fast and so clean I couldn’t help but gasp (the same could be said for those around me). I cannot begin to imagine the frenzy of dresses, wigs and pieces that flew around in that limited backstage area.

I don’t know how artistic director Terry O’Brien feels about the musicals based on Shakespeare plays, but with the success of Bomb-itty I’d be really curious to see if the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival would tackle Your Own Thing or Galt McDermot and John Guare’s Two Gentlemen of Verona. The other shows this season include Troilus and Cressida and The Taming of the Shrew. I’ll be reporting on those soon.

“Promises, Promises” OBCR 3.0

Nowadays, it seems that every time a movie is even moderately successful it’s pretty much a given that it will sooner or later find its way onstage (and almost always as a musical). Back in the 50s and 60s this was far less common, with plays and novels (and the occasional original idea) acting as source material. But that doesn’t mean that there weren’t such adaptations. The 1953 MGM hit Lili became Carnival! in 1961 and the Oscar winning Best Picture of 1960 The Apartment became Promises, Promises in 1968. Incidentally, both of these hit musicals starred the late, great Jerry Orbach and I am a huge fan of both.

The latter is currently receiving its first Broadway revival, while that particular production wasn’t very well received, its been in the headlines due to a controversial Newsweek article, a Tony win for supporting star Katie Finneran and its success in spite of a critical excoriation. They’ve even released a new cast album (more on that CD next time!)

The original production of Promises, Promises was a smash. A no holds barred, full out, critical salvos up the wazoo smash. Jerry Orbach and Jill O’Hara starred in the roles famously created by Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine in the Billy Wilder film. However, Promises was made a contemporary musical – its score and sensibility are reflective of late 60s pop, with a memorable score from pop composer Burt Bacharach and his lyricist Hal David (their only stage score). Robert Moore directed, but it was choreographer Michael Bennett‘s contributions which most remember. His dances permeated scene changes and turned a troubled first act pastiche into a showstopper to end all showstoppers (“Turkey Lurkey Time“).

Jonathan Tunick, our foremost orchestrator, made his first mark on Broadway adopting a style that would be further explored two years later in Sondheim’s Company. The production won Tony Awards for Orbach, Featured Actress Marian Mercer (as Marge MacDougall, in a stunning comic turn at the top of act two) and was a nominee for Best Musical (it lost to 1776, the other nominees were Hair and Zorba!). Promises, Promises closed after 1,281 performances at the Shubert. A London run starring Tony Roberts and Betty Buckley ran for 560 performances (and that cast album, with Buckley’s definitive rendering of “Knowing When to Leave” has never been released digitally, and according to my sources is likely to remain in the vault).

The original Broadway cast album of Promises, Promises has had two CD releases through Rykodisc and Varese Sarabande. I have the former, and never picked up the latter as it seemed to me a mere reissue of the first one. Then I got wind of a very special reissue of the album from Kritzerland, the CA based company run by Bruce Kimmel, who in the past year has issued limited edition cast albums (1,000 copies each) of Anya, Illya Darling, Show Girl, the 1968 House of Flowers and Cry for Us All.

I wouldn’t necessarily think that there would be a reason to purchase another version of the OBC of Promises, Promises except that Mr. Kimmel has worked his magic on the recording to create one of the best sounding cast album reissues I’ve ever heard. You see, the first two CD releases were taken from the edited eight track master tapes, leaving sound quality to be desired. The original LP master tapes were never remixed or used until this particular issue. The first disc is the original LP album in its LP order and the second disc is the remastered, pitch-corrected version which puts the songs in show order for the first time. Kimmel is supplying the listener with the album as originally heard, but also allowing us the opportunity to hear what it would have sounded like with today’s recording technology. (The issue of Jerry Orbach’s shaky pitch on the Promises cast album is something of a sticking point for many in theatre circles). Both discs make the score sound crisper than ever.

Mr. Kimmel wrote the liner notes himself, discussing the show’s history as well as his personal experiences (he was there the night three different Fran Kubeliks went on). There’s no plot synopsis or lyrics, but I don’t think many who will buy this recording will need either. There are some fun photographs (including the Turkey Lurkey girls in what must be out of town tryout – with different costumes), a reversion to the MGM LP cover art and pull quotes from all the major raves. The sad news is that the release is limited to 1,000 copies. If you haven’t picked one up yet, you may be out of luck. Last I heard there were about 125 copies left – and the preorders were shipped only the other day. (But give it a shot!) It’s worth replacing whatever copy of the original you may have.

A Blog of a Thousand Days

Well, another milestone. Theatre Aficionado at Large has been active for exactly 1,000 days today. There are so many interesting things going on this summer, most notably my nephew Jack’s first visit to the United States. My brothers, sister-in-law and nephew have flown in for four weeks so July should prove a bit chaotic. (Lessons learned: babies are enjoyable but exhausting!) But there is also the Hudson Valley Shakespeare Festival, some cast albums to review (including both the revival and reissue editions of Promises, Promises) and perhaps another July shocker like last year’s Tony Awards dropping press voters debacle (we all know what a bum decision that turned out to be…)

I’m still adjusting to the new settings and surroundings with WordPress (I’ve mastered embedding, so huzzah for videos). (And a big shout-out to my web designer and all around IT support, my friend Chris Van Patten). I’m so glad I’m able to share my interests with my good friends in the blogosphere, and am looking forward to what the new season will bring (Driving Miss Daisy, Scottsboro Boys and War Horse!!) There’s nowhere to go but up!

“The Lambeth Walk”

Call me the Ghost of Tony Awards past. I’ve seen a lot written about the lackluster Tony Award telecast that spawned a lot of commentary about the quality of the telecast and the presence of Hollywood actors. As I’ve said, I’m more concerned with the former than the latter. So I’ve been looking at clips from previous awards ceremonies and am in awe of the numbers that used to be shown, in terms of length and quality.

This Tony Award clip comes from Me and My Girl, a 1987 Best Musical nominee. The show was written by Noel Gay in  1937, where it became a huge success after a performance was aired on the BBC (a last minute replacement for a canceled sporting event). The show was a vehicle for British song and dance man Lupino Lane, running 1,646 performances. In 1939, a performance was televised (making it the first British musical comedy to be aired on TV) and film adaptation starring Lane was released (retitled The Lambeth Walk due to the song’s – the show’s major breakout hit –  immense popularity in the days leading into WWII.

The musical was revived in a big way in 1984 at the Leicester Haymarket Theatre , with a new book by Stephen Fry and direction by Mike Ockrent. Tidying up and contemporizing the book, the new production starred Robert Lindsay and Emma Thompson and transferred to the West End in 1985. The production housed the Adelphi Theatre for a whopping eight years and 3,313 performances. Lindsay opened the Broadway production in 1986, opposite Maryann Plunkett, George S. Irving, Jane Connell, Jane Summerhays and Timothy Jerome. Once again, the show was a massive success, running for 1402 performances at the Marquis Theatre.

Plotwise, the show is fairly simple. Bill Snibson, a happy-go-lucky Cockney who is named heir to the Earl of Heresford. In order to inherit the title, Bill must learn to be upper class and pass muster with the elite but faces loses his girl Sally in the interim. The show that ensues is a genial, old-fashioned musical comedy about cultural clash between the British classes.

Lindsay’s performance took both coasts by storm. The classically trained actor had a career triumph, receiving rave reviews that most actors could only dream of. He went on to win practically every theatre award in both London and New York (and repeatedly besting Colm Wilkinson’s Jean Valjean). The London production also won the Olivier for Musical of the Year; the Broadway production received thirteen Tony nominations (including one for Stephen Fry) and winning three for Lindsay, Plunkett (Best Actress in a Musical) and Gillian Gregory (Choreography). Jim Dale replaced Lindsay on Broadway, Tim Curry took the show its national tour.

For the telecast, the original Broadway cast performed  “The Lambeth Walk,” the showstopping act one finale in which Bill’s Cockney friends crash an elite party and get the stuffy upper crust to cut loose. It’s one of the more infectious and endearing numbers I’ve seen on the Tonys. Things to take note of: the running time is a leisurely five minutes, including audience participation, and is allowed to build. The television direction is also much simpler. No flashy edits and camera shots. The number is intimate and looks, feels and sounds like a full-out Broadway showstopper. Not rushed, not constrained but just allowed to be. And notice how the audience in the Mark Hellinger Theatre (oh lost!) laps it up. Enjoy.

%CODE1%

Patti LuPone’s Memoir: a Preview

One of the more interesting books for theatre lovers this year is bound to be Patti LuPone: A Memoir. The two time Tony winning star has never been one to mince words and her book promises to be a blunt, no holds barred look at her career from Juilliard through Gypsy.

Patti made an appearance at BookExpo America 2010 Author Stages to talk about what she had written, and if it’s a sign of what’s to come, we are in for one hell of a page turner.

%CODE1%

Revisiting “A Little Night Music”

I didn’t have plans to revisit the revival of A Little Night Music before Angela Lansbury and Catherine Zeta-Jones’ departures, but much to my surprise I won a contest on BroadwaySpace for a pair of tickets to their final matinee on June 20. I’ve done a lot of final performances, from Bernadette’s Gypsy to The Norman Conquests, so it’s something with which I’m familiar. There is a huge fan base, the cheers are a little louder and longer and the general feeling in the theatre is that of good will. I met up with SarahB and Byrne at Sosa Borella before the show where we dubbed it “Angie Day – Summer Edition” and drank a toast to the star and her day. We headed down to the Walter Kerr, where we met up with fellow ITBA blogger (and Prettybelle enthusiast) Donald from Me2ism. We also had the opportunity to meet our delightful Twitter friend and fellow theatre fan Shari Zeck, who had flown in to see Ms. Lansbury.

Full disclosure: it was a pleasure to be in attendance on this particular performance and in spite of quibbles found myself enjoying the production more the second time, managing to focus on the text and action and mostly forgetting the bland sets, costumes and anemic orchestrations. Getting those quibbles out of the way: Trevor Nunn’s direction is hamfisted, lacking in nuance and full of far too much indicating. Act 1 and Act 2 feel like they were directed by two entirely different people, the former feels like a Lutheran penance, while things pick up considerably in the latter. Erin Davie is still humorless and ineffectual as Charlotte while Leigh Ann Larkin’s accent is still circling the airports of the world.

Catherine Zeta-Jones, fresh off a now notorious Tony performance, is much better than you’d remember based on that telecast but she also never, in my estimation, reached greatness in the part. There are moments when it seems that she’s playing the character of Desiree Armfeldt as the world’s greatest lush, with the idiosyncratic mannerisms of someone secretly taking a nip when no one is looking. Her “Send in the Clowns” stopped the show, but I wasn’t entirely convinced by it (those pregnant pauses – Trevor, how could you?); however, she really shone in the final scene, earning applause when Fredrik and Desiree finally connect (myself included). I think Night Music has one of the most flawless endings in musical theatre history, up there with She Loves Me. Now, mind you I mention these criticisms about her performance, but that’s not to say I didn’t enjoy her this time. At this point, I can only fault the director for the things that didn’t work.

Now onto the good: Hunter Ryan Herdlicka and especially Ramona Mallory have grown in their parts, with more nuance and understanding. Aaron Lazar and Alexander Hanson are still excellent as ever. The Liebeslieders are in excellent voice, and make an impression in spite of the walkography thrust upon them. (What a shame they don’t get to sing the full overture, a glorious piece of music). Keaton Whittaker is still a welcome presence as Fredrika.

And then there’s Angela Lansbury. Lansbury has been the toast of Broadway for so many years and has rightfully earned the status of legend, from Hotel Paradiso onward (to say nothing of her five Tony Awards). I’ve been so fortunate to see her in Deuce and Blithe Spirit, each time amazed that she was returning to Broadway. With her stage renaissance, I had hoped she would play the role of Madame Armfeldt and I am so glad this production made that pipe dream a reality. Out of the three productions, this one outshone the other two. On this last performance, Ms. Lansbury gave the greatest performance I’ve seen from her. On her entrance, which is timed with the applause button for the overture, the ovation grew and grew and lasted what I think must have been between 45 seconds and a full minute. Adulation from everyone in the house; the mere sight of Lansbury in the wheelchair made my heart leap. Her final rendition of “Liaisons” was the most devastating I’ve ever heard in my life, with all respect to Hermione Gingold, Regina Resnik, etc. In the final section of the song, there was unexpected emotion from Ms. Lansbury, as tears came to her eyes. A testament to her unrelenting brilliance: it came from a personal place for her last show, but was also an exceptionally valid acting choice . “Send in the Clowns” got the ovation; but it was “Liaisons” that was the pinnacle of this afternoon’s performance.

At the curtain call, there was a huge ovation as Zeta-Jones and Lansbury stepped forward. It took a couple minutes for Catherine to get the audience to quiet down, finally getting the audience to shut up and sit down. In a moment of pure class, the star dedicated virtually the entire speech to Angela. It was unexpected, honest and a beautiful tribute as those in the house and onstage hopelessly fought back tears. Zeta-Jones got down her knees and bowed down to Angela, who in turn gave a sophisticated curtsy to her co-star. It was a beautiful moment, chock full of emotion. Suffice it to say, I think it was in the back everyone’s minds that this could potentially be the last time Ms. Lansbury, the Queen of Broadway, appears on stage. But the first thing I said to SarahB was “So what do you think Angie will appear in next season?”

Reflections on “Give the Tonys Back to Broadway”

Yesterday, I joined the Facebook group “Give the Tonys Back to Broadway.”

It didn’t take me longer than a split second to click “join” when I saw it. I was deeply disappointed in the quality of the Tony Award telecast on Sunday evening. The opening number, which was a medley dedicated to second hand show music (pop music gone Broadway) was indicative of the weakness of the season and a depressing way to spend the first ten minutes of the show. In fact, were I not at the best party in town I may have turned off the show. When I joined yesterday, I was 776th member. By the time of this writing some 30 hours later, the count is up to 5,000. Hunter Foster, current star of Million Dollar Quartet, is the one who spearheaded this social media movement and has listed the following as the info for the group:

A group for all actors, directors, writers and fans who want to see the Tony awards celebrate the excellence of Broadway by allowing those artists who have made theatre their livelihood to take a more active part in its yearly presentation.

We want the evening to be about Broadway and for the fans of Broadway. This group is about including more of those artists that we admire and look up to, so that it truly becomes an evening to celebrate.

I didn’t join the group in attempt to stop Hollywood actors from returning to the boards or making their stage debuts. I am a little wary of the “come to Broadway for four months and get a Tony trend” but that’s not the crux of this biscuit. So long as the performance is good, it doesn’t matter who is giving it. That’s neither here or there for me. But that seems to be misconstrued as the point of this group.

The reason I joined this group is in relation to the telecast itself, not in reflection to the season or who was featured on Broadway throughout the year. I first started watching the Tonys in 2001; prior to that I was mostly unfamiliar with the telecast but well aware of the award itself. I’ve had issues since my telecast about the direction and pacing of the evening, the distribution of awards (how they are given, not necessarily to whom, though I’m deeply disappointed that Tony voters have yet to give the prize to Jan Maxwell) and overall scope of the awards from beginning to end. Each successive year these issues become more and more pronounced.

In the “olden days” when I started watching, the first hour of the telecast took place on PBS (which also hosted the Drama Desk Awards for a spell), then would switch to CBS for the main portion. As years went by, the telecast of that first hour disappeared, relegating those contending in less glamorous but still important categories to NY1 and a webcast that has yet to be perfected. Costume, set and lighting designers as well as orchestrators and librettists, and in some cases composers and lyricists were now part of this “pre-ceremony” (there’s no getting around the fact that most people tune in to CBS only). Also, depending on the year, those receiving special Tony Awards are also sometimes placed in the earlier slot this year. The greatest example this year is Marian Seldes, who received a Lifetime Achievement Award and gave the most brilliant and memorable acceptance speech of the night.

As for celebrities on Broadway, like I said I have no qualms with that. Let them give Broadway a shot, or let those who’ve found Hollywood success come back home. It’s happened since the dawn of the Tony Awards and there are many great stars who have been nominated for or won Tony Awards since the very first year (Best Actor in a Play Henry Fonda anyone?) It sells tickets, keeps many folks employed and makes most producers salivate with anticipation.

However, the issue I have, and why I think the group was formed, is that when Broadway comes to its year-end celebration of a year’s worth of work – the Tony Awards, those who are actually doing the work seem to get shuffled aside for big names who perform or present. Ratings are the only thing that is really important in television and with a show like the Tony Awards, perennially a ratings loser, seems to be getting more and desperate to draw in audiences, particularly the 18-49 demographic. But it doesn’t sit well with me when Green Day is given five minutes, two songs and the chance to turn Radio City Music Hall into the Grammy Awards while Christiane Noll is relegated to singing half of her big song from Ragtime, for which she is nominated. Kate Baldwin, the effervescent star of Finian’s Rainbow, didn’t even get a moment to shine (even though she was far more movie star gorgeous than half of the Hollywood contingent). I know of a couple of Tony award winning actors who asked to present the following year, but were denied by CBS because they weren’t big enough stars.

That brings about another issue I have with the Tony Awards telecast: the venue. I practically cheered to learn that the Tonys will be unable to be broadcast from Radio City Music Hall next year. Until 1967, the awards were merely a formal dinner ceremony at one of the upscale hotel ballrooms in Manhattan (generally the Waldorf-Astoria) with a local telecast in the NY metropolitan area. It was in 1967 that Alexander Cohen and Hildy Parks nationally televised the awards for the first time on ABC (CBS picked up the Tonys in 1978 and have held onto them ever since), transplanting the ceremony into the Shubert Theatre and showcasing performances from the nominated shows, turning the awards ceremony into a night to celebrate the Broadway season. For the next thirty years, the Tonys were televised in this manner: a Broadway house, performances from nominated shows, performances from theatre legends recreating their signature songs and the presence of immense talent.

In 1997, the Awards moved into Radio City Music Hall, the 6,000 seat landmark entertainment venue on the Avenue of the Americas, adjacent to Rockefeller Center. Watching the performances over the years, I’ve never been quite satisfied with the results. The cavernous auditorium is more than three times the size of the largest Broadway house and the numbers tend to get lost in the space. I was in the front orchestra a few weeks ago for Conan O’Brien’s show and it felt like I was in the back of a Broadway house, relying on the television screens. Put the show back on Broadway – perhaps the Gershwin again (the largest Broadway venue) or as SarahB suggested, the vast but intimate Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center. (I, for one, will now and forever nominate the Mark Hellinger for the venue out of respect to the lost venue).

There have always been stars on the Tony Awards, but there used to be more of a presence of stage stars and pieces from the nominated shows and stars: scenes from nominated plays, musical selections from the nominated musicals. In 1970, Katharine Hepburn and co. performed  a 15 minute segment from Coco. In 1982, the cast of Dreamgirls performed the entire first act finale, lasting 8 minutes. In between there was still chance for novelty performances medleys, tributes – oh, and awards. As the years have gone on, performance times for shows has become more and more limited, a result of increased commercial time and reliance on pop stars to perform. Many shows are required to present abridged songs or medleys that mostly fail to register on TV. Two of the greatest performances I’ve seen since I’ve started watching were Bernadette Peters and Patti LuPone performing numbers from their respective productions of Gypsy. There hasn’t been enough of that caliber on the awards in the last 10 years.

Ultimately, it’s all about the ratings. It’s not that the members of the American Theatre Wing or Broadway League are dismissing the actors on Broadway – that isn’t the case at all. One only has to look at all the work the two organizations do year round for evidence. It’s that the awards telecast isn’t translating well. There are consistent sound issues, unfortunate camera choices and an absence of Broadway. Give me American Idiot, just don’t give me a Green Day concert. By pandering to those who aren’t watching, it’s the loyal viewers whose viewing experience is effectively diminished.

One last point, I don’t think this group was formed as a reaction to stars winning the Tony Award. There was a higher number this year than usual, but it’s not based in sour grapes to their winning.  At least not to me. The reality of the matter in terms of wins remains the subjective result of voting. Keep the stars coming in, just don’t forget those who are already here.