The Silver Screen Oasis

I've never watched a Tony show before because I never have, and never will get to NY to see a Broadway show. I've seen many shows at Chicago's Shubert, several terrific ones in Vegas, and lots of college performances in tents and all over when Mr L and I traveled - our favorites were the college shows. However, something made me watch it the other night, and I was surprised to see so many transplanted Hollywoodites. I guess that's where you go when they quit writing for anyone over 40 nowadays. But talk about writing - ha, ha, ha. Apparently Broadway has the same problem California has . . . no writers. Sounds like 42nd Street is lined with revivals - - Everythings from Nine to Five, to Hair, and whatever falls in between. The musicals are all 20, 30, and 40 years old, so it must be kind of hard to find something to vote for as 'new', like Song, Soundtrack, theme, etc. But newcomer, - now that's an easy one. I guess they figure if they can't act in a movie, the audience won't notice on a big stage. Now I could easily be wrong, and if so, I'm sorry, but it was quite unusual to see Liza Minelli, and Angela Lansbury, sitting alongside Anne Hathaway, and others. I have to give kudos where they are due though. Liza sounds more like her Mom every day, she even talks with that hesitation that Judy developed. And who ever thought Doogie Howser (Neil Patrick Harris), could sing the way he does! He really belted out Tonight from West Side Story.

I didn't think it was that bad of a show. A little long but still rather nice to see some of those numbers you'll never get to see anywhere else.

Did anyone else watch?

Anne

Anne,

Mr C and I tuned in about a half hour after it started. I, too, was surprised by all the musical revivals but I really enjoyed the one from Guys and Dolls and just thinking of Oliver Platt as Nathan made us both wish we could see that one.

Loved that Angela Lansbury won and really enjoyed the tribute to Jerry Herman. I was surprised to see that the two best songs from Mack and Mabel were referenced. I never saw the musical but I love the score.

The quick clips of the best dramas were not enough to make me wish to see any of the plays but the cast of God of Carnage, Marcia Gay Harden, Jeff Daniels, James Gandolfini and Hope Davis, got my attention.

Loved the cast of Hair and their audience participation. Did not get Rock of Ages at all. Is it a musical based on Journey's music or on 80's metal bands.

Loved Liza. She is really channeling her mom these days.

But who dressed the majority of the female presenters and winners (yes, Carrie Fisher, I mean you and the other 95% who never looked in the mirror and went, "this is not what I had in mind".

And Neil Patrick Harris was a great host.

It's all too true about Liza. I think I've mentioned, when I talked about seeing her show Liza's At The Palace, that with her new face work she even looks much more like her mother in person (and don't we all, eventually, face work or not). Her Tony was well deserved -- she gave her usual 125% on stage, and the show was creative and terrific.

I watched only a smidge of the Tony awards -- I really can't stand these things any more; the pervasive aura of self-congratulation and subtext that theater (or film) is a quasi-religious calling make me gag. Why don't they include the drug-addled insecurities, tantrums, hissy fits, back stabbing and hysterical ambition that make up the real Show Biz? The current generation of TV watchers, raised on "reality" programming, would probably like it.

I'd much rather see a program of excerpts from Broadway shows (as was done on Ed Sullivan's TV shows) without the smug back-patting.

We had another of our "Kansas Spring Nights" on Sunday, and most of the show was pre-empted for weather coverage. The show was going to be re-run at 12:15 am on Monday, so I don't think too many around here saw it. I get hugely embarrassed for the people on these award shows, with all the

the pervasive aura of self-congratulation and subtext that theater (or film) is a quasi-religious calling

. When some of the recipients or presenters open their mouths, the words that come out simply tarnish their image.
I've always thought of Liza Minnelli as "Poor Liza", never have enjoyed her work, and her personal life is such a mess, or at least was, but then I don't keep up with her. Judith says she is a terrific performer, and I'm sure she is, but she's just one of those who make my teeth itch.

I used to feel the same way about Liza, and resisted seeing any of her Broadway shows or cabaret performances. I always thought that watching her younger self was like witnessing a nervous breakdown in process. However, I was completely won over the first time I saw her in live performance a few years ago -- she's uncanny (and I'm a pretty experienced and somewhat jaded theatergoer).

Now I'm hooked, and I'll try to see her whenever I can. There are very few like her any more. It's hard to explain if you've never seen a solo performer who can so completely dominate the proceedings not only with magnetic talent and personality, but radiant good will. There is such obvious pleasure in performing coming from the stage and it's so infectious. To my mind, all that positive energy is what her audiences keep coming back for. Like I said, uncanny. I only wish I had seen Judy Garland on stage.

I'd much rather see a program of excerpts from Broadway shows (as was done on Ed Sullivan's TV shows) without the smug back-patting.

I'm not big on any award shows, which are a snoozefest unless you can find stuff to make fun of, and frankly, everything is far too tasteful most of the time anymore. Bring on some chaos. I saw the opening act of the Tonys, (including the part when Bret Michaels got pollaxed by the scenery and thought to myself, uncharitably--"Good! He deserves it!" and, of course, immediately felt guilty!). I like Neil Patrick Harris quite a bit, but the venue at Radio City Music Hall is just too huge for any sort of intimacy of performance. My interest also faded quickly when I realized that someone (probably Disney, seeking a family crowd), thinks that Shrek and such are Broadway material? Yeah, I know. It sells.

I go to plays (on those rare occasions when I do go) to get away from modern pop culture. And I never need to see Hair again in this lifetime, either. It wasn't all that 'fresh and new' and 'cutting-edge' back in the '60s either, as I recall my older hippie siblings making fun of its faux-hipness. Jeez, if I'm going to be nostalgic, I'd probably enjoy seeing Angela Lansbury as Madame Arcati in a well written play like Blithe Spirit, but not Hair again!

As to Liza Minnelli, I'm not a huge fan, but like her in small doses, and I'm really glad that she seems to be alive and alert and able to move around. Though the odds were against her survival, she's still making people happy and doing more than showing up from the looks of things. Seeing her at 64, it occurred to me that her mother was only 47 when she died.

Wish that the Ed Sullivan style of presenting the public with portions of shows would be revived, (I think that both dramatic and musical shows used to be featured. I seem to recall seeing Lee J. Cobb in a scene from the revival of "The Death of a Salesman" on that program once, as well as Jerry Orbach singing something from "Promises, Promises" too).

When I saw poor Bret go down, I thought, 'Now that's theater!" Has anybody heard how he's doing? Not that I care that much, except I laughed so loud I kind of feel bad.

I enjoyed it as a sort of live variety show, which I wish they'd bring back. All these celebrities will do anything on tv, couldn't they sing or dance a little? I'd rather see bad singing than airtime and film wasted on them braving wasp attacks and ziplines. (Not that I watch!)

I though Neil P.H. was a hoot - couldn't he host this imaginary variety show of mine?
Speaking of variety, did anyone see SNL? Will Farrell in the Ode to 'Nam bit was a riot.
But I digress. Sorry to have hijacked - or at least sidetracked.
B

Birdy wrote:When I saw poor Bret go down, I thought, 'Now that's theater!" Has anybody heard how he's doing? Not that I care that much, except I laughed so loud I kind of feel bad.

I read that Bret Michael is okay, but that he reportedly felt that it was a bit surreal after being knocked down to have both Shrek and Liza Minnelli rushing over to tend to his wounds.

Birdy wrote:I though Neil P.H. was a hoot - couldn't he host this imaginary variety show of mine?

It's funny that you should mention that, since just the other day I started a week's worth of silliness here with the gifted Neil Patrick Harris and assorted other familiar faces. This is probably as close as we're going to get to a variety show in the 21st century, Birdy. Enjoy!

For 2014.

I know this is old but I couldn't see starting a new thread for this comment.

I'm not a fan of the Tony's since I don't go to Broadway but a big round of applause for Hugh Jackman for his bouncing opening number. With verification of a clip in a monitor as he went by I thought I had seen this bit somewhere before. Bobby Van did it in "Small Town Girl." (And that was a clever idea.)

While the Van clip showed two cuts over almost 2 and a half minutes I think Jackman's only respite was a short elevator ride. To keep it up for nearly 4 minutes, without a cut, is a testament to his conditioning and talent. (A short and crazy jump rope interlude only added to his exhaustion.)

I bailed out right after but I thought it was pretty clever and very well done.

I watched some of the broadcast, but missed the beginning - I'll have to peruse YTB to find the bouncing Hugh Jackman opening number - he was terrific in the rest of what I saw of the program. Kind of sorry to see Audra McDonald pass by Angela Lansbury in total number of awards, even though I admire her talent. I was amazed (again) at how many shows are being based upon movies. I was sitting there wondering why "A Gentlemans Guide to Love and Murder" which I had never heard of seemed familiar, when I realized it is a musical version of KIND HEARTS AND CORONETS! Have to add my jaw dropped when I saw Neil Patrick Harris perform - barely recognized him.

Below is the opening "hopping" number by Hugh Jackman in homage to Bobby Van's turn in Small Town Girl (1953). Impressive, but why was this relevant to a celebration of theatrical performances?

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Way too many adaptations of movies to musicals for me, though it would have been wonderful to see more time during the awards devoted to dramas too, but I understand that is not sound marketing. Glad about Audra MacDonald, would love to see Bryan Cranston as LBJ, and the revivals of The Glass Menagerie and A Raisin in the Sun--but I could never afford it. Hey, at least I can probably get the upcoming original cast album for Audra as Billie Holiday out of the library!

When was the last Tony award show without more than one reference to Andrew Lloyd Webber? "Oy," as the ghost of Giacomo Puccini might say.

The song in the movie was "Take Me To Broadway." (and this is a slightly different one than I saw earlier.)

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Really enjoyed this year's show. Much more entertainment and less talking than the Oscars. As usual, I recorded it, so that I could skip through the commercials and bring the total time down to a bearable limit.

Yes, too many movies-into-shows for me. But that's because it means so many fewer shows-into-movies are possible. Nice to learn from Clint Eastwood that one classic is scheduled, at last, for filming.

Wish the'd spent less time on the revivals and more time on the new additions. Surely there were at least some new plays worth mentioning.

Certainly hope Brian Cranston gets to film his LBJ.