Spotlight on the Arts: The Tony Awards: Everything You Don’t Need to Know
MIDDLETOWN - Did you watch the Tony Awards on TV last month? Of course you didn’t. Very few people do, in fact I hear it’s one of the lowest rated shows on television. But yet every June, there it is, for people like me who write about theater, for theater critics all over the country, and for people who are nominated for an award, those that may have won in the past or those who want to win one in the future. Wait a minute, that’s a lot of people. So it’s no wonder the Tony Awards, named after Antoinette Perry, co-founder of the American Theater Wing, and first given out in 1947, are televised every June. I watch it so I know what’s what in the theater world and can write this column with a modicum of knowledge to share to all who read it. And if you’ve read this far, you’re one of those people.

       Okay. The Tony Awards. Like the Academy Awards (Oscar) for motion pictures, like the Emmys for television, like the Grammys for the music business (what is it called today, a CD, an album, what?) and not to mention the MTV awards, the Country Music Awards, etc., the Tony Awards are for theater! Now wasn’t that easy? Best play, best musical, best actor in a play or musical, best actress, well you get the point.

       But aside from who won is the ever-disturbing fact of who didn’t win.

       Here’s a few shockers for you in the did not win category. Wicked, the Broadway phenomenal blockbuster, did not win best musical the year it was nominated. Avenue Q won that year. Perhaps the Avenue Q song, â€"I’m Not Wearing Any Underwear Today,” tipped the scales for it. Much better than â€"For Good,” or any of the memorable songs in Wicked. Go figure.

       And Barbra Streisand did not win as best actress for Funny Girl. That year, the honor went to Carol Channing for her role in Hello, Dolly. But in all fairness Ms. Streisand did receive an honorary Tony only a few years later and did get the Academy Award for playing Fanny Brice in Funny Girl on the screen.

       But back to the Tony’s. This year it seemed like there just wasn’t a bumper crop to choose from. I was hoping Les Mis would win best revival, but then I hope Les Mis wins anything and everything it can get. But that honor went to Hedwig and the Angry Inch, a fun and very odd show I saw at Hartford Stage many years ago. That definitely is for another column.

       Let me throw some positive figures out, like which play/musical has won the most Tony Awards. Pretty simple once you rule out West Side Story, which I thought would be the easy win here, but far from it with only getting three awards and one of them was not best musical. The musical that won the most Tony Awards was The Producers in 2001, which won 12 awards. And, in case you want to know the person with the most Tony Awards, again 12, is Harold Prince, producer extraordinaire of probably the most recognized musical in history, The Phantom of the Opera. And by the way, Phantom won seven Tony Awards.

       A couple last-minute facts: Play with the worst luck was 2011’s The Scottsboro Boys, nominated for 12 but won none. I never heard of that show and now I know why. And finally, speaking of Barbra Streisand--were we?--let’s talk about EGOTS. Only a few performers have EGOTS (winners of the entertainment industry’s top honors: Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and the Tony.) Only superstars in every facet of the industry, like Audrey Hepburn, Helen Hayes, Mike Nichols, Mel Brooks, Whoopie Goldberg and Streisand. See, I knew we’d be talking about her! Add to that distinguished group Liza Minnelli and James Earl Jones and we can wrap up Tony Awards 101. There won’t be a quiz any time soon, but I carry around all this trivia in my head and now maybe you will, too. Enjoy the weather--see a show.

      

       Jeffrey LaGrange can be reached at jefflagrange@yahoo.com .
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