Ah, Tony, Tony, Tony. After a night of somewhat lackluster celebration of Broadway’s best, I (guest commentator Rachel, that is) present the good, the bad, and the ugly from the 62nd Annual Tony Awards:

Good

Best Musical nominee Cry-Baby performing the best song and dance number from the show, “A Little Upset.”

Patti LuPone tearing down the house performing “Everything’s Coming Up Roses” from Gypsy. Not that there was any doubt that she would.

Best Direction of a Play winner Anna D. Shapiro’s acceptance speech, which was emotional, sincere, thankful, and even funny.

Richard Griffiths making an off-the-cuff Harry Potter joke while presenting the Best Play award with Daniel Radcliff.

The original cast of Rent joining together to honor the show, which is closing later this year. Love Rent, or hate Rent, there’s no denying the impact it’s had on theater or the chemistry the original cast has together.

Bad

Host Whoopi Goldberg letting Counting Crows’ Adam Duritz introduce the performance from Best Musical nominee Passing Strange because she “had to pee.” Urination humor, at the Tony’s? Show some class!

The cast of Grease giving a performance on par with a high school production of Grease. Yet they continue to charge Broadway ticket prices to go see it.

Ugly

Best Original Score winner Lin-Manuel Miranda performing an obviously well-rehearsed rap as his acceptance speech. Call me old fashioned, but I prefer the obviously humble and grateful weepy speeches from winners who weren’t expecting to win.

Musicals that weren’t good enough to be nominated still get to perform at the ceremony. Perhaps to prove to us that they really weren’t good enough to be nominated? Was anyone even questioning that?

You Decide

Goldberg’s multiple costume changes. I found them amusing and a fun way to liven up what has often been a kind of stuffy ceremony. But others might have found them cheesy and ridiculous (cheesy and ridiculous…at the Tony’s? Never!).

The cast of In the Heights will perform the opening number "In The Heights" live on the Thursday, May 29, telecast of ABC's "The View." I loved In the Heights. It was nominated for 13 Tony Awards including Best Musical, more then any Broadway show this season. "The View" airs from 11 AM till 12 PM on WABC channel 7 in the tri-state area.
Image of the cast of In the Heights.
Photo Credit: © Joan Marcus

My theater company, Irondale Ensemble Project, is currently running a great show, The Great American All-Star Traveling War Machine, through June 15. It's a 90 minute cabaret drawn from "States of War" in Lewis Lapham's popular journal Lapham's Quarterly. It combines songs from the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Civil War, Spanish American War, both World Wars, Viet Nam, and the Iraq War with scenes, sketches and monologues taken from first hand accounts, speeches, poetry and songs related to the machinations of war and the people who either perpetuate or try to stop it.

I can't review the show, since I am biased, but I can offer a 50% discount on tickets. To take advantage of this offer, go to Theatermania and use code ABT. Read the review of The Great American All-Star Traveling War Show from The New York Times and Backstage.
Image of Irondale Ensemble in The Great American All-Star Traveling War Machine.
Photo Credit: © Gerry Goodstein

I heard this great interview with acting coach Susan Batson on NPR the other day. She has worked with Juliette Binoche and Nicole Kidman and had some really interesting things to say. The interview is less than ten minutes and well worth listening to.

NPR Interview with Susan Baston.