The 69th Tony Awards have been distributed. The medallions have been spun. Producers are already starting to think about their shows for the 70th ceremony in June 2016. And actors are auditioning for the next jobs.
While Little Rock’s Will Trice did not personally pick up another Tony this year, two of the Tony winners were for shows he produced. Annaleigh Ashford won the Tony for Featured Actress in a Play for her performance in You Can’t Take It with You. Christopher Oram won the Tony for Costume Design of a Play for Wolf Hall, Part One and Two. Catherine Zuber, who won a Tony for her costume design of The King and I will be working with Trice next season on a production of Fiddler on the Roof.
One of the Tony Awards went to Bob Crowley and 59 Productions for Scenic Design of a Musical for An American in Paris. Ben Pearcy is the American representative of 59 Productions. Ben’s father grew up in Little Rock, and his grandmother Janet Pearcy was a longtime supporter of Wildwood, the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra and the Arkansas Rep. One of Ben’s first Broadway projects was on the lighting design team of the Broadway revival of Chicago which earned him a mention from Ken Billington in his Tony acceptance speech.
Time will tell, but undoubtedly some of the titles nominated for Tonys will eventually be performed in Little Rock either at the Rep, on tour courtesy of Celebrity Attractions, or as part of one of the seasons of one of the volunteer theatre seasons. This month, on stage in Little Rock are 2008 Tony winning Best Play August: Osage County at the Rep, 2009 Tony nominee 9 to 5 at Community Theatre of Little Rock and 2010 Tony nominee The Addams Family.
A couple of more Little Rock connections to Sunday’s ceremony. Nick Jonas, who appeared at the Clinton Center 10th anniversary concert, was one of the presenters at the ceremony. Darren Criss, who attended the Clinton Center 10th anniversary events, hosted a red-carpet preview program.
I went 19 for 24 in my predictions.
The ones I got right:
Play – The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, Simon Stephens
Revival of a Play – Skylight
Revival of a Musical – The King and I
Actor, Play – Alex Sharp, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Actress, Play – Helen Mirren, The Audience
Actor, Musical – Michael Cerveris, Fun Home
Featured Actress, Play – Annaleigh Ashford, You Can’t Take It with You
Direction, Play – Marianne Elliott, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Direction, Musical – Sam Gold, Fun Home
Choreography – Christopher Wheeldon, An American in Paris
Book of a Musical – Lisa Kron, Fun Home
Original Score – Jeanine Tesori & Lisa Kron, Fun Home
Orchestrations – Christopher Austin, Don Sebesky, Bill Elliott, An American in Paris
Scenic Design, Play – Bunny Christie & Finn Ross, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Scenic Design, Musical – Bob Crowley & 59 Productions, An American in Paris
Costume Design, Play – Christopher Oram, Wolf Hall Parts One & Two
Costume Design, Musical – Catherine Zuber, The King and I
Lighting Design, Play – Paule Constable, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time
Lighting Design, Musical – Natasha Katz, An American in Paris
I missed:
Musical – Fun Home (I picked An American in Paris)
Actress, Musical – Kelli O’Hara, The King and I (I picked Kristen Chenoweth, On the Twentieth Century)
Featured Actor, Play – Richard McCabe, The Audience (I picked Nathaniel Parker, Wolf Hall, Parts One and Two)
Featured Actor, Musical – Christian Borle, Something Rotten! (I picked Andy Karl, On the Twentieth Century)
Featured Actress, Musical – Ruthie Ann Miles, The King and I (I picked Judy Kuhn, Fun Home)
Cue the finger snaps and help the Weekend Theater kick off their 2015-2016 season with the ghoulishly fun Tony nominated musical The Addams Family. Based on the Charles Addams cartoons and incorporating aspects of the 1960s TV series, this original musical is by the authors of Jersey Boys and The Wild Party.
Little Rock Culture Vulture 