Yes, it has been a lifelong dream to attend “Broadway’s biggest night.” I remember my first television Tony-watching experiences back in the 80’s when EVITA, 42ND STREET, NINE, CATS, EDWIN DROOD, PHANTOM, LES MIZ, etc. were top dogs (or cats). At the time I thought the TV screen was as close as I would come to actually attending one of these sacred events.
This year was different – I got a ticket! Thanks to a dear friend, I was able to obtain a ticket and actually score a wonderful seat. I was in the room! I had been inside Radio City Music Hall once before – back in 1983 at a summertime Rockets show while on vacation with my parents. It was then I was hooked. Not only was I infatuated with Radio City itself… who couldn’t be, with its stately demeanor and art deco grandeur… but I was ready for my closeup. The closeup part never happened (we can be thankful for that), however, I was determined to get closer to theatre. And I did.
As if seeing the Tony Awards on the Radio City marquee wasn’t amazing enough, walking into the massive lobby and seeing the 3-story Tony banners hanging above the bar caused chills. I had arrived. Say what you will about the commercialization and incorporation of modern theatre, this was still the Tonys, and the special air that surrounds the theatre community – worldwide – still exists. The closeness and camaraderie could be felt throughout the audience. They say that you are celebrating with 6,000 of your closest friends. There may be some truth to that.
I really appreciated the opportunity to actually view the presentation of the creative arts awards, presented by past winners Billy Porter and Karen Ziemba, most of which are not shown on television. The TV audience gets to view short clips of the winners’ speeches; however, the experience is never as complete as watching the entire presentation contiguously.
And then there was Hugh Jackman. OK. Let me interject here. I am not writing a review of the show, other than to say that sitting in the room is a very different experience than watching on TV. That said, I’m still trying to figure out what was happening during that opening number. In my opinion, watching Hugh Jackman bouncing around on stage, after having watched three minutes of him hopping down the street, just didn’t do anything for me. Actually, just to be frank, I felt it was a waste of talent. My goodness, you have Hugh Jackman under lock and key for three hours. Can’t you think of something better for him to do? Ok, hopping down from the soapbox now. I DID enjoy Hugh’s snippets throughout the show and felt he did a good job making the show flow for the audience, even during the breaks.
Regardless what you thought of the telecast, and really, regardless of what I thought about being at there live, there were some really memorable moments during this year’s show. To begin with, this has to have been one of the more competitive seasons on Broadway in recent memory, in many categories. And I have to say, in my opinion, most winners were very deserving candidates. I do, however, hold some biases, but will refrain.
Carol King, Fantasia, Gladys Knight, Patti LaBelle, Jennifer Hudson, Idina Menzel and Audra McDonald – making history by winning her sixth Tony – and many more. Whew! What a list of divas! Seeing them live and in person was beyond amazing.
I think what was most memorable for me, having been at the show, was simply the energy. I’ve attended other award shows, both the LA and Vegas varieties, and not much happens during the commercial breaks. The Tonys are different. Other than the occasional countdown returning to live, there were very few interruptions. At times the show flowed so well I didn’t realize we had gone to commercial. A few tech glitches occasionally; however, pretty darn smooth.
As any award show attendee can attest, these events truly are events. I think Jessie Mueller said it best during her acceptance speech, “I’ll be quick. I know everyone wants to drink,” or something to that effect. And she was right. It didn’t take long for those 6,000 people to
empty out onto Avenue of the Americas and filter off to the after parties at 30 Rock.
I was privileged enough to be invited to attend the GENTLEMAN’S GUIDE TO LOVE AND MURDER (GGLAM) party under the stars (with the stars) at Rockefeller Center’s Summer Garden (the summer name of the ice rink). I’m sure this party would have been the event of the season regardless; however, the shows’ winning the Tony for best musical certainly didn’t harm the mood.
And there I ate, drank and danced with the cast, crew, producers, and thousands of their closest friends until the wee hours of the morning when I returned to my hotel, changed my clothes, grabbed my luggage, got in a taxi to LaGuardia, and headed home to California. No time to sleep for this Broadway baby. NYC… I’ll be back!
I want to thank my very dear friend Lori Florio for her blog post about my visit to the Tonys. Check it out at www.mysliceoftheapple.com. Just skip past the horrible selfie of me. Lori is a true New Yorker, a foodie and a great writer. If it’s NYC you want to know about, she’s got it!
One of the best places to see complete official coverage of the Tony Awards is www.tonyawards.com. And yes, you can view the In Memoriam segment that was omitted from the telecast. Don’t ask me why, but that’s a rant for another time.
