I did very well predicting the last minute swing towards Boeing-Boeing (they ended up snagging Best Revival and Best Actor) when most others were still putting money on Macbeth wins. I misread, however, the Paulo Szot win (which everyone and their brother predicted). I just love the Lin-Manuel Miranda and thought he was going to get to make a second speech. I also bet against Deanna Dunagan, but that was total heart over head (note to self - always go with the drug addict). I just have a soft spot for Amy Morton's performance in August: Osage County and had hoped she would win (not disrespect to the lovely and talented Dunagan). I also miscalculated the desire to award Cry-Baby's Rob Ashford with one gong for choreography - I should have known that In The Heights would take this one as a part of their big night (sorry Cry-Baby). All in all - I got some of the big upsets but lost out on a few easy ones. I will do better next year. I promise! How did you do? Anyone get them all right?
Tony Gossip
I wanted to make sure to highlight a few bits of gossip that came out while I was backstage at the Tonys. I mentioned them during my coverage on Sunday night, but there was soooo much going on that you may have missed it.
August in London
Tony winning Director Anna D. Shapiro un-officially confirmed that August: Osage County will have a run at the National Theater in London with the original cast. No dates have been announced, but it seemed like it would happen this year - perhaps in the Fall.
County Changes
It was also announced that several members of August: Osage County were leaving the show on Sunday night. The show must be incredibly grueling to perform 8 shows a week and the cast has been doing it for a very long time. Rightly so, many of them need a nice long vacation.
Deanna Dunagan and Rondi Reed are going to take their Tony Awards and go back to Chicago where they came from! Also taking their last bows were Ian Barford, Francis Guinan and Jeff Perry. Academy Award winner Estelle Parsons succeeds Dunagan as pill-addicted matriarch Violet Weston; Molly Regan succeeds Reed as Violet's sister, Aunt Mattie Fae. Jim True-Frost is the new Little Charles (Mattie Fae's son), Tony winner Frank Wood (Side Man), is Bill, Violet's son-in-law, who is married to daughter Barbara, played by Tony nominee Amy Morton, who will stay with the show; and Robert Foxworth (Falcon Crest) takes on the role of Charlie. It might be fun to see the show with a brand new cast and find out how it changes the dynamic of this dynamite show. I am a big Frank Wood fan and I am excited to see him work with Amy Morton - I need to get me some tickets!
Movies Movies Movies
Backstage at the Tonys both Lin-Manuel Miranda and Stew hinted about big screen transfers for their shows. Stew sounded as if things were very concrete and in final stages of negotiations. Miranda seemed more guarded when discussing the idea; he indicated that "his people" were discussing it with other people, but he hadn't gotten very involved yet. I, for one, would love to see both projects turned into movies. Let the star stunt casting begin. Actually, you would have to imagine that both Stew and Miranda would be in the movie versions, but if they weren't - who would Hollywood cast? Suggestions in the comments below...
Life After the Tonys
It is now time to turn our attention to other matters. We will just have to wait until next year to celebrate the Tonys again. However, there is a whole brand new year of theater ahead of us. And heck, we don't have to be sad that the Tonys are over; we can celebrate plays, musicals, acting, dancing and the creation of theater EVERYDAY - not just one Sunday a year. Now - in other news...
Pretty on B'way
Neil LaBute (macho playwright) will be bringing his latest hit show reasons to be pretty, to "The Broadway". It has just been announced that the producers of August: Osage County, Jeffrey Richards, Jerry Frankel and Steve Traxler, will be bring the new play to Broadway in 2009. The play is currently receiving a production at MCC Theater downtown. The comic drama is described as thus in press notes: "Greg's tight-knit social circle is thrown into turmoil when his offhanded remarks about a female coworker's pretty face (and his girlfriend's lack thereof) get back to said girlfriend." It explores America's obsession with physical beauty (as well as LaBute's fascination with the topic). reasons to be pretty features Piper Perabo, Alison Pill, Thomas Sadoski and Pablo Schreiber who will all make the trip up town to Broadway. This will be LaBute's B'way debut.
[TOS]
Is it time to kick my [title of show] obsession into high gear. The show is set to debut on Broadway in a few weeks and I am beside myself. I am sooooo excited (that is 5 o's in "so"). Today the [title of show] box office opens today and the folks at [TOS] are celebrating today from 11:00am EST - 1:00pm EST. There will be a meet-and-greet with the cast, ½ tixs available, a chance to win prizes and get free cd's. They are calling it a "ticketganza". I am not sure what that means? But I like it!
FYI - the producer of [title of show] is Kevin McCollum - who produced this year's Tony winner In The Heights. Is it possible that he will pick up another trophy for [title of show] next year? We can only hope!
That's it for me today. I will see you on Friday. Until then, I will...
~ See You On The Aisle
Reader Comments
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first of all I am not sure what I am going to do every tuesday and thursday now that I cannot read your blog. I guess I will get by. I wish I was in NYC today to go to the [tos] ticketganza, I sent them a msg on myspace and Hunter wrote back and let me know that they would let it slide this time. Sucks being in Canada and not NYC.
I suspect you were speaking tongue-in-cheek when you said you weren't sure what "ticketganza" means but then it occurred to me that perhaps you are young enough that you really don't know where the word comes from so... from the old fogy's corner, it is a contraction of "ticket extravaganza".
You came out above average on your Tony predictions. For various reasons (out of town voters?) the voting seemed little skewed this year. I still think Whoopi's clown shirt was haute couture compared to the oversized man's white shirt that we usually see her in. BTW, maybe by this time next year you will have had a chance to see a show called "Gershwin's An American in Paris" which began previews in April at the Alley Theater in Houston. It's been a big hit with audiences here & is still running. The dancing is nothing short of fantastic. I have friends who are not even musical theater fans & they went back to see it a second time. Keep an eye out for it.
wish i could go to the [tos] ticketganza or to NYC for that matter
We need a Tues/Thurs "We miss Bixby's blog support group"....Bix, could you arrange????
Bix,
I do enjoy your blog, it brings a little Broadway to me in Texas! 17 out of 26...You did better than most of the polls on many of the "other" Broadway websites! Most of them only got 13 out of 26! I almost wish that they would not make a movie of "In The Heights". There is something about the enegry coming from that cast on stage that is missed in a film. Though, I do agree that "Passing Strange" would be a great movie, the stories would read better with location shots. I saw that "Cry-Baby" was closing, but, there is a rumor about a touring company. Have you heard anything about a cast cd? Thanks for the press room blog on Tony night!
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