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And The Tony Goes To
Not surprisingly, "Hairspray" dominated last nights' 57th Annual Tony Awards, Broadway's yearly opportunity to show the other arts media that it's just as capable as boring TV audiences as they are. Actually, with the exception of the very odd tapping of Hugh "Wolverine" Jackman to host (What, Billy Crystal was busy? Heck even Letterman would have been a better choice), it was all-in-all a fairly entertaining, if not altogether surprising telecast. There were even some genuinely moving performances, particularly Bernadette Peter's stunningly poignant rendition of "Rose's Turn" from "Gypsy" and Brian Stokes Mitchell's dynamic "The Impossible Dream" from "Man Of La Mancha". And even though I'm not really a "musical theatre type", I still think the finale from "Hairspray", "You Can't Stop The Beat" is one of the most fun, most infectious and frankly most rocking musical anthems ever written for the theatre. I'm not big on dancing, but even I can't help wiggling my toes whenever I hear it! Also nods to the group from "Def Poetry Jam", which won for Best Special Theatrical Event. It was unique (for mainstream Broadway fare at least), engaging and topical.
The Tony's have always been the redheaded stepchild of the major awards shows, for the simple reason that being 100% NYC based, the odds are always better than average that most people haven't even heard of a majority of the shows in the running (not to mention the fact that in the past few years, a goodly number have closed long before the American Theatre Wing, the organization the runs the Tony's gets around to announcing their nominations). You basically have to be in the profession, a total theatre geek or possibly gay to either know or care about most of the nominees. Still, for those of us in the theatre, it's our one night to sit around the tube and wallow in pools of self-congratulation.
"Hairspray"'s domination of this year's awards does have a bit of a personal resonance for me since the show was tried out here in Seattle at The 5th Avenue, where I actually held down a staff position about 10 years ago. Since they have a minority producing interest in the show, it means that at least a small chunk of the statuette belongs to them, and thus it represents probably the closest I'll ever get in my career to having one of the little things myself. Call it, "award-by-distant-association"; closer than six-degrees to be sure, but still an awful long way from standing on the stage of Radio City in-person.
Still, I've got my acceptance speech ready, just in case.
Posted byCOMTE
on 5:08 PM
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