Theatre Lover's Journal for June 2002
The 2002 Tony Awards:
Thoroughly Gol'dern Silly!
by John Kenrick
I'm glad I was not in any Tony lotteries this year! With so many surprises, I missed my guess in more categories than ever. The 2002 Tony broadcast had its full share of bests and worsts. Some of the highlights and lowlights –
- Overall, the chatter scripted for the presenters was even worse than usual. Taking classic showtune lyrics out of context just made everyone involved sound idiotic. (And someone needs to be informed that the musical was called Seesaw, not Two for the Seesaw.)
- The legendary John Raitt, in his eighties, came out and kicked butt with "My Boy Bill" from R&H's Carousel one more time.
- What the hell was that semi-illiterate clod from Top Dog singing during the Richard Rodgers tribute? What a no-class plug for his show!
- Mary Zimmerman of Metamorphosis proved that being a college professor can help you win a Tony – especially when the college is Northwestern, with so many faithful alumni among the Tony voters.
- Harriet Harris proved she has class as well as dazzling talent when she mentioned the late, great Bea Lillie – cinematic creatrix of the hilarious Mrs. Meers. Harris, and the superb choreographer Rob Ashford, were two Millie nominees I was delighted to see win.
- The gifted Frank Langella, who has over the title billing, rates as a "Featured Actor"? Puh-lease . . . the fact that his glorious co-star Alan Bates won the Tony for Best Actor proves Langella's nomination in the lesser category was just a lousy ploy.
- Mamma Mia is a musical? Puh-lease . . . how Vegas floor show can you get?
- It seems Isabelle Stevenson retains her death grip on the American Theater Wing. More power to her, but will she ever let her baby go, grow, and find a new life of its own?
- Glad to see dear Manny Azenberg win for producing the luscious Private Lives, but sad to see that here, as at the Drama Desk, he did not deign to thank the playwright who made his wins possible – a little guy named Noel Coward.
- Musical moment to remember – Bernadette Peters and co-host Greg Hines singing and tapping their way through a sizzling and mostly a capella rendition of "Broadway Baby."
- Much as I adore John Lithgow, it is a disgrace that he was given a Tony over the brilliant performances of John Cullum and Patrick Wilson. Sweet Smell stinks, despite Lithgow's best efforts. I only hope this Tony does not help to keep that appalling show open much longer.
- To the anonymous person who turned off Elaine Stritch's microphone in the middle of her acceptance speech – you are a sub-human piece of shit. And spare us the old Nazi "I was only following orders" excuse. Stritch waited over 40 years to give that speech. All you'll ever be remembered for is for being the scumbag who cut her off. Do us all a favor – get cancer.
- If the uninspired stock costumes Sutton Foster and her co-stars wear in Millie rate a Tony, I guess so does she. I applaud her pluck, but if she's a star then stardom doesn't mean what it used to.
- The Goat! Yes! Three cheers for Edward Albee!! Praise be that this legendary playwright and his ballsy new play beat the odds and won!
- Thoroughly Modern Millie! And in the garden with no birds, the croaking frog is crowned queen of song. Cute yes, but a great musical, NO!
- It is an insult to our intelligence to suggest that the result of the award votes is really a secret – like having Millie film star Mary Tyler Moore give the awards for Best Musical was an accident? Come on!
For the record, here are the Tony categories for 2001-02, with winners noted by an asterisk (*) –
BEST MUSICAL:
Mamma Mia!
Sweet Smell of Success
Thoroughly Modern Millie*
Urinetown
BEST REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL:
Into the Woods*
Oklahoma!
SPECIAL THEATRICAL EVENT:
Bea Arthur on Broadway: Just Between Friends
Elaine Stritch at Liberty*
Barbara Cook: Mostly Sondheim
Sexaholix....A Love Story
BEST DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL:
James Lapine, Into the Woods
Michael Mayer, Thoroughly Modern Millie
Trevor Nunn, Oklahoma!
John Rando, Urinetown*
BEST BOOK OF A MUSICAL:
John Guare, Sweet Smell of Success
Catherine Johnson, Mamma Mia
Greg Kotis, Urinetown*
Richard Morris & Dick Scanlan, Thoroughly Modern Millie
BEST ORIGINAL SCORE:
Harry Connick, Jr., Thou Shalt Not
Marvin Hamlisch, Craig Carnelia, Sweet Smell of Success
Mark Hollman & Greg Kotis, Urinetown*
Jeanine Tesori & Dick Scanlan, Thoroughly Modern Millie
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL:
Gavin Creel, Thoroughly Modern Millie
John Cullum, Urinetown
John Lithgow, Sweet Smell of Success*
John McMartin, Into the Woods
Patrick Wilson, Oklahoma!
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL:
Sutton Foster, Thoroughly Modern Millie*
Nancy Opel, Urinetown
Louise Pitre, Mamma Mia!
Jennifer Laura Thompson, Urinetown
Vanessa Williams, Into the Woods
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTOR IN A MUSICAL:
Norbert Leo Butz, Thou Shalt Not
Gregg Edelman, Into the Woods
Shuler Hensley, Oklahoma!*
Brian d'Arcy James, Sweet Smell of Success
Marc Kudisch, Thoroughly Modern Millie
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL:
Laura Benanti, Into the Woods
Harriet Harris, Thoroughly Modern Millie*
Spencer Kayden, Urinetown
Judy Kaye, Mamma Mia!
Andrea Martin, Oklahoma!
BEST SCENIC DESIGN:
John Lee Beatty, Morning's at Seven
Tim Hatley, Private Lives*
Daniel Ostling, Metamorphoses
Douglas W. Schmidt, Into the Woods
BEST COSTUME DESIGN:
Jenny Beaven, Private Lives
Jane Greenwood, Morning's at Seven
Susan Hilferty, Into the Woods
Martin Pakledinaz, Thoroughly Modern Millie*
BEST LIGHTING DESIGN:
Paul Gallo, The Crucible
David Hersey, Oklahoma!
Natasha Katz, Sweet Smell of Success
Brian MacDevitt, Into the Woods*
BEST CHOREOGRAPHY:
Rob Ashford, Thoroughly Modern Millie*
John Carrafa, Into the Woods
John Carrafa, Urinetown
Susan Stroman, Oklahoma!
BEST ORCHESTRATIONS:
Benny Andersson, Bjorn Ulvaeus & Martin Koch, Mamma Mia!
Douglas Besterman/Ralph Burns, Thoroughly Modern Millie*
Bruce Coughlin, Urinetown
William David Brohn, Sweet Smell of Success
BEST PLAY:
Fortune's Fool by Ivan Turgenev, adapted by Mike Poulton
The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia? by Edward Albee*
Metamorphoses by Mary Zimmerman
Topdog/Underdog by Suzan-Lori Parks
BEST REVIVAL OF A PLAY:
The Crucible by Arthur Miller
Morning's at Seven by Paul Osborn
Noises Off by Michael Frayn
Private Lives by Noel Coward* (Manny Azenberg, Prod.)
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTOR IN A PLAY:
Alan Bates, Fortune's Fool*
Billy Crudup, The Elephant Man
Liam Neeson, The Crucible
Alan Rickman, Private Lives
Jeffrey Wright, Topdog/Underdog
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTRESS IN A PLAY:
Kate Burton, Hedda Gabler
Lindsay Duncan, Private Lives*
Laura Linney, The Crucible
Helen Mirren, Dance of Death
Mercedes Ruehl, The Goat
BEST DIRECTION OF A PLAY:
Howard Davies, Private Lives
Richard Eyre, The Crucible
Daniel Sullivan, Morning's at Seven
Mary Zimmerman, Metamorphoses*
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTOR IN A PLAY:
Frank Langella, Fortune's Fool*
William Biff McGuire, Morning's at Seven
Brian Murray, The Crucible
Sam Robards, The Man Who Had All the Luck
Stephen Tobolowsky, Morning's at Seven
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTRESS IN A PLAY:
Kate Burton, The Elephant Man
Katie Finneran, Noises Off*
Elizabeth Franz, Morning's at Seven
Estelle Parsons, Morning's at Seven
Frances Sternhagen, Morning's at Seven
SPECIAL TONY AWARDS:
Robert Whitehead, producer*
Julie Harris, actress*
Williamstown Theatre Festival*