Why Watch the Tonys? (Example #6)

Here, from the 60th Tony Awards, we have Huntington native Michael Cerveris and the amazing Patti LuPone performing a snippet (hah!) from that cheerful story of death, mayhem and awesome music, Sweeney Todd.

It's impressive to note, by the way, that the actors also serve as the band for the musical.

Why Watch the Tonys? (Example #5)

I started to title this one, "Something Wicked This Way Comes," but decided that was just too cute.

Here's Kristin Chenoweth again and Idina Menzel at the Tony Awards singing "Defying Gravity" from the smash hit musical Wicked.

Why Watch the Tonys? (Example #4)

Here's one of my favorites - the fantastic Kristin Chenoweth in a scene from You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown as performed on the 53rd Annual Tony Awards.

By the way, the amazing thing about this - as soon as this number ended, they gave the award for Best Actress in a Musical, and Kristin won. She walked out on stage about 40 seconds after this video ends - and was wearing a glamorous outfit and had her hair completely different. Now that's a quick change! Anyway, on with the clip:

Why Watch the Tonys? (Example #3)

Here's a show that will be part of Sunday night's Tony Awards show, as The Lion King celebrates its 10th Anniversary.

Here's the clip from the 52nd Annual Tonys:

Why Watch the Tonys? (Example #2)

Here's another great performance from the 2006 Tony Awards, as the cast from Jersey Boys shows why their show has been such a huge success.

Why Watch the Tonys?

So here's an great example of why you should watch the Tony Awards: it gives you a chance to see some of the world's best stage performers in action, live, on stage.

I'll post some great examples from past shows over the next few days (courtesy YouTube, natch), beginning with this clip from the 2006 Tonys - it features the terrific Sutton Foster trying not to be too shy in a scene from The Drowsy Chaperone.

A Friendly Reminder

There's still time to tell us your choices for the Tony Awards! (See the post a few steps down for more info and some excellent choices by my pals Denise and Mark.)

(Update: And now Nick has joined in the fun!)

And don't feel like you have to name a winner in every category - no one really knows what they're looking for in sound design, for example - just pick a few and have fun with it.

Also, a reminder that I'll be live-blogging the Tonys on Sunday night - hope you'll stop by and join the fun!

That's all I have for now - film at 11:00!

On Stage This Weekend - "Love" and "Honky Tonk"

Here are the shows to watch for this weekend:

- The Word Is Love is presented by CYAC and "Rubber Soul" June 13 and 14 at 8 p.m. at the WVSU Capitol Center Theater at 123 Summers Street in Charleston. For tickets and more information call 304-342-5716.

- Jenny Wiley Theatre presents Honky Tonk Angels June 13, 14, 15 at the Wilkinson-Stumbo Convention Center.

Check ‘em out!

The Search for Elle - Part 2

I finally got a chance to watch the second episode of the reality show Legally Blonde: The Musical: The Search for Elle, which airs every Monday night on MTV (thank you, Tivo).

It follows the tale of 10 young women auditioning to fill the lead role in the Broadway musical.

I'm still enjoying the show, although it seems to be trying awfully hard to focus on the competition part of the audition process. The funny thing about auditioning is, you're not really competing against the others who are trying out - it's more of a competition between your abilities and what the judges are looking for. If they see you in the part, then you'll get it - and if they don't, you won't. It doesn't matter what anyone else does - all you can do is give it your best shot and hope you hit the right marks.

In the second episode of the "Elle" series the focus is on acting auditions. The women go through a mini-acting audition, which included a vulgar tongue-twister and a brief scene with another actor. The one who most impressed the acting coach was Bailey (that's her on the left in this photo from MTV), so she and another auditioner (yes, they made her choose one) got to meet Nikki Snelson, one of the stars of the musical.

The next day each auditioner did a longer scene on stage with Nikki, but the judges threw in a curve - they had Nikki deliberately drop a line to see how the hopefuls would react. That's a really dirty trick and it was painful to watch. Those things do happen on the stage, but after enough rehearsal, it's a bit easier to cover for another actor's flub. To put them on the spot in their first reading seemed a bit much - but it is something any actor has to face.

Once the auditions were finished, the bottom three had to face the judges, where they learned why they were chosen for possible elimination. That was interesting, because (as one of the judges pointed out) usually when you don't get cast after an audition you have no idea why you weren't chosen. In this show, the judges explain their choices.

If you want to be surprised, stop reading now, because I'm about to tell you that Cassie O. got eliminated (probably because they only wanted one Cassie on the show). So far, the show continues to be interesting and shines a spotlight on the fun - and incredible stress - brought on by auditioning. So far, so good.

(Oh, and you have several more chances to catch the show - it'll air Wednesday, June 11 at 2:30 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. and Thursday, June 12 at 6:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. on MTV.)

My Tony Predictions

Now I get to show how little I know about Broadway by offering my predictions for the Tony Awards (although I should probably say that I'm offering my "wild guesses" - "prediction" implies I know what I'm talking about).

My choices:

Best Play - August: Osage County

Best Musical - Cry-Baby (mostly because the headlines will be great - "No Tony Tears for Cry-Baby")

Best Book of a Musical - In The Heights

Best Original Score Written for the Theatre - The Little Mermaid (they have to give this one something)

Best Revival of a Play - Boeing-Boeing (because I like the poster)

Best Revival of a Musical - Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific (I was never that crazy about this show, but apparently I'm the only one)

Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play - Laurence Fishburne, Thurgood (much as I hate to go against Patrick Stewart, who will probably win)

Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play - S. Epatha Merkerson, Come Back, Little Sheba (because she has the best name)

Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical - Daniel Evans, Sunday in the Park with George

Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical - Patti LuPone, Gypsy (a virtual shoe-in)

Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play - Raul Esparza, The Homecoming (a shot in the dark here)

Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play - Rondi Reed, August: Osage County (when in doubt, go with alliteration)

Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical - Christopher Fitzgerald, The New Mel Brooks Musical Young Frankenstein ('cause he deserves it and the show was largely snubbed)

Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical - Loretta Ables Sayre, Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific (yet another wild guess)

Best Scenic Design of a Play - August: Osage County

Best Scenic Design of a Musical - Young Frankenstein

Best Costume Design of a Play - Cyrano de Bergerac (always vote for the guy with the biggest nose)

Best Costume Design of a Musical - Gypsy

Best Lighting Design of a Play - Macbeth

Best Lighting Design of a Musical - The Little Mermaid

Best Sound Design of a Play - Rock 'n' Roll

Best Sound Design of a Musical - Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific

Best Direction of a Play - Anna D. Shapiro, August: Osage County

Best Direction of a Musical - Bartlett Sher, Rodgers & Hammerstein's South Pacific

Best Choreography - Dan Knechtges, Xanadu

Best Orchestrations - Alex Lacamoire & Bill Sherman, In The Heights


And that's it! Since these are almost all wild guesses, don't be surprised if I miss 'em all - but we'll see how it shakes out Sunday night!

Be sure to vote by 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, and I'll tally the results and we'll see which of you wins the non-existent title of "Best Tony Predictor!" Break a leg!

Six Days to the Tonys!

As we count down the days, be sure to cast your vote for the shows you predict will walk away with a Tony Award this year.

In the next post down we already have two great lists from my pals Denise (who suggested it in the first place) and Mark (who adds some funny commentary to his list) - feel free to add your votes!

I'll have my list tomorrow (hopefully) - and remember to tune in right here on Sunday evening when I'll be live-blogging the Tonys! Last year, it took two days for my typing fingers to recover!

Wish me luck!

Name the Tony Winners

My pal Denise sent in an excellent suggestion - let's post it here so everyone can join in the fun:

She asked:

Would you consider posting predictions of the outcome before next Sunday?

What an excellent suggestion - I wish I'd thought of it!

I'll make my predictions this week (although that might be the kiss of death for any show). Readers, feel free to play along - send in your comments with your predictions. There's no prize, other than the admiration of your peers - and it should be fun to play along when I'm live-blogging the show next Sunday.

The complete list of nominees is right here. So what shows will win?

On Stage Tonight - "Morrie" and "Love"

There are two shows tonight you can choose from:

- Tuesdays With Morrie, presented by the Kanawha Players.
Tonight at 8 p.m. at the KP Theatre at 309 Beauregard Street on Charleston’s Historic East End. Tickets are available online at www.kanawhaplayers.org; $16 (adults) and $10 (students).

- The Word Is Love, presented by CYAC and "Rubber Soul". Shows run tonight (and June 13 and 14) at 8 p.m. at the WVSU Capitol Center Theater at 123 Summers Street in Charleston. For tickets and more info, call 304-342-5716.

Nine Days to the Tonys!

The Tony Awards are just around the corner, and (since I apparently didn't learn my lesson last year) I plan to live blog the results and performances, so be sure to tune in and follow along at home.

They're making some effort to spice up the show by adding a couple of special performances. Here's the info:

The Tony Award-Winning productions Rent and The Lion King will make rare encore performances on the 2008 Tony Awards telecast.

The original principal cast members of Rent are scheduled to appear alongside the current Broadway cast to celebrate the show’s run, which comes to an end on September 7. The current cast of The Lion King will be doing a special performance to commemorate the show’s 10 year anniversary on Broadway.

The Tony Awards will be broadcast live from Radio City Music Hall on CBS, Sunday, June 15th at 8:00 p.m.

The 2008 Tony Awards are presented by the Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing.

The presenters include: Alec Baldwin, Kristin Chenoweth, Glenn Close, Richard Griffiths, Laura Linney, John Lithgow, Liza Minnelli, Mary-Louise Parker, Daniel Radcliffe, Brooke Shields, Marisa Tomei, Gabriel Byrne, Julie Chen, Harry Connick, Jr., Laurence Fishburne, Mandy Patinkin, David Hyde Pierce, Lily Tomlin and John Waters.

The Antoinette Perry “Tony” Awards are bestowed annually on theatre professionals for distinguished achievement. The Tony is one of the most coveted awards in the entertainment industry and the annual telecast is considered one of the most prestigious programs on television.

At the Tone, the Time Will Be...

Hey, thanks to my pal and editor Andrea, the clocks on this site are now on Eastern Time! (My pal Len tried to talk me through it, but Andrea got the job done before he had the chance!)

That means it'll actually match up when I live blog the Tony Awards on June 15!

As always, timing is everything. Thanks, Andrea!

Another "Lovely" Show for June

Here's another one I missed:

The Word Is Love features a cast consisting of "The Beatles," their wives / girlfriends circa 1965, and a Beatles tribute band, "Rubber Soul," with a chorus of singers and a five-piece horn section.

The show is presented by CYAC and "Rubber Soul" - this piece of original musical theatre has something for everyone.

Performance Dates: June 6, 7, 13 and 14 at 8 p.m.
Place: WVSU Capitol Center Theater at 123 Summers Street in Charleston
Tickets and more info: 304-342-5716

So How Was "The Search for Elle?"

Perhaps it's because I was expecting the worst - but I was shocked to find that I actually enjoyed the MTV show, Legally Blonde: The Search for Elle.

Even the host of the show, Haylie Duff, did a fine job (and usually the host is the most annoying part of any reality show).

The show succeeds because it was produced like a documentary and not a reality show. The show began with 30 women on the stage, running through a dance routine for the director of the show, Jerry Mitchell. One at a time he eliminated dancers until there were only 15 left. He then turned it over to three judges - casting director Bernard Telsey, the writer of the book for the stage version of "Blonde," Heather Hach, and one of the performers from the show, Paul Canaan. But the director made it clear that he was going to be choosing the next "Elle."

The show actually offered a fascinating look at the intense audition process. The 15 candidates were taught a complicated and challenging dance routine during an intensive training session, and then performed it for the three judges. Then they were taught one of the songs (and a challenging one at that) and performed it for the judges. (The photo above is from that practice session, and is courtesy MTV.)

Then the judges rendered their verdict, telling 10 performers they were moving on to the next stage, and telling five they were cut, adding, "We just don't see you as the next Elle Woods." And that goes right to the heart of the casting process - the director can see 15 actors who can all handle the role, but must find that indefinable "something" that says, "This person is the best one for this particular role."

At the end of the show the 10 finalists met the actress who originated the part (and is playing it now on Broadway), Laura Bell Bundy. She told them, basically "I know you're tired right now - but it's nothing compared to what you're going to be facing."

And the teases for upcoming shows promise lots of drama, as the intensity increases and the competition becomes more difficult. All the women will be living under the same roof, so there's lots of Real World potential for conflict.

And that's where they may lose me. The audition process is intense enough that the soap opera antics are unnecessary - but we'll have to wait and see how it plays out. So far, it's less a reality show than it is a real event. Hopefully they can keep the quality high and the schmaltz low. We'll see.

One More Show for June

Whoops! Here's one I missed:

Clay Center and FestivALL present
Savion Glover in Bare Soundz
Wednesday, June 25, 7:30 p.m.

A Tony Award-winner and tap dancer extraordinaire, Glover wows audiences with
his explosive choreography and jaw-dropping talent.

Tickets start at $15; Group discounts available, call 304-561-3536.

The "Legally Blonde" Search Begins

Not to tread on my pal Angela's excellent Stay Tuned blog, but I neglected to mention a stage-related show that MTV started tonight. It's a new reality show that plans to fill some talented shoes.

The show is called Legally Blonde the Musical: The Search for Elle Woods. Yep, similar to the Grease: You're the One That I Want show, this show has 10 aspiring actresses competing to fill the Broadway role played by Kentucky's Laura Bell Bundy - and that's a heck of a tall order.

Actress Haylie Duff (sister to Hilary Duff, of course) serves as host.

Since we're talking MTV here, the show will no doubt air again and again. We'll have to wait and see if it's anywhere near as annoying at the Grease show was.

The show Legally Blonde deserves better because, frankly, it's a great show (I know, it surprised me, too).

Shows On Stage in June

June is usually a quiet month (or maybe I wasn't paying attention before). At any rate, there are several shows in the offing - as always, if I've missed any, let me know. Here's the list so far:

Kanawha Players
Tuesdays With Morrie
June 6, 7 at 8 p.m. at the KP Theatre at 309 Beauregard Street on Charleston’s Historic East End. Tickets are available online at www.kanawhaplayers.org ; $16 (adults) and $10 (students).

ARTS
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum
at the Renaissance Theater (the old Huntington High School)
June 20, 21, 22, 27, 28, 29, 2008

Jenny Wiley Theatre
Honky Tonk Angels
Performances in the Wilkinson-Stumbo Convention Center (Rated PG)
June 13, 14, 15, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 26

Little Red: Life in the Hood
Performances on the Amphitheatre Main Stage (Rated G)
June 22, 26

The Wizard of Oz
Performances on the Amphitheatre Main Stage (Rated G)
June 28, 29