Category Archives: Tony Awards

ROCKing the TONY AWARDS: Katharine Hepburn

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Rock the Tonyskatharine-hepburn-old-ladyKATHARINE HEPBURN

Little Rock connection: Appeared at Robinson Auditorium in 1941.

Tony Awards connection: Received a Tony nomination for Actress in a Musical in 1970 for Coco and a Tony nomination for Actress in a Play in 1982 for The West Side Waltz.  Hepburn famously eschewed awards programs, making only one Oscar appearance in her lifetime (not to accept an award, but to present the Irving G. Thalberg Memorial Award to Lawrence Weingarten).  Not only did she not skip the Tony Awards, with the cast of Coco she performed on the 1970 Tony telecast. That segment ran for over 15 minutes and is the longest excerpt from a show to ever appear in a Tony ceremony.

Today marks the anniversary of her birth.  She was born on May 12, 1907.

ROCKing the TONY AWARDS – Liza Minnelli

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Rock the Tonyslizatony2009LIZA MINNELLI

Little Rock connection: Appeared with the Arkansas Symphony Orchestra in 2004. During that visit she was made an honorary Little Rock citizen.

Tony Awards connection: Won first Tony in 1965 for Flora, The Red Menace; received a Special Tony in 1974; and won a Tony in 1978 for The Act. She was also nominated in 1984 for The Rink. Her show Liza’s at the Palace… won the 2009 Tony for Special Theatrical Event. She has appeared as a presenter and performer for several Tony ceremonies. She hosted the 1993 ceremony.

ROCKing the TONY AWARDS – Christopher J. Hanke

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Rock the TonysChrisHankeyHeadshotCHRISTOPHER J. HANKE

Little Rock connection: A native of Central Arkansas, he starred in the Arkansas Rep production of Damn Yankees.

Tony Award connection: Performed on the Tony Awards ceremonies with casts of Cry-Baby and How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying. Currently he is starring Off Broadway in Buyer and Cellar playing a fictional employee of double Tony nominee Barbra Streisand.

ROCKing the TONY AWARDS – Billy Joel and Elton John

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Rock the Tonys

Joel and John in photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage.com

Joel and John in photo by Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImage.com

BILLY JOEL and ELTON JOHN

Little Rock Connection: Both have performed in Little Rock over the years.  In 1995, they played a joint concert at War Memorial Stadium which brought in $1.6 million. An additional Little Rock connection for Joel – who’s birthday is today – is in his song “We Didn’t Start the Fire” there are references to South Pacific (which had a fictional Little Rock heroine), Little Rock resident Winthrop Rockefeller, and the 1957 integration crisis at Little Rock Central High.

Tony Awards Connection: Billy Joel won a Tony Award for his orchestrations of Movin’ Out which featured his songs as a backdrop of dances choreographed by Twyla Tharp.  Elton John won a Tony Award for his score to Aida.  He has received additional Tony nominations for The Lion King and Billy Elliot for Best Score.  He additionally was a producer of Best Play nominee Next Fall.

ROCKing the TONY AWARDS – Mercedes McCambridge

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Rock the TonysMercedes-McCambridgeMERCEDES MCCAMBRIDGE

Little Rock connection: Lived in Little Rock for a few years in the 1980s.  In 1986, she starred in ‘night, Mother at the Arkansas Repertory Theatre.

Tony Awards connection: She was nominated for a Tony for Featured Actress in a Play for her performance in The Love Suicide at Schofield Barracks. She also was a replacement cast member in the Tony winning Best Plays Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? and Lost in Yonkers (succeeding actresses who had received Tony Awards for their performances).

ROCKing the TONY AWARDS – Austin Pendleton

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Rock the Tonysaupendleton200AUSTIN PENDLETON

Little Rock connection: Directed Arkansas Repertory Theatre production of William Inge’s A Loss of Roses. While in Little Rock appeared on a panel at the Clinton School which can be viewed here.

Tony Awards connection:Was nominated for the Director of a Play Tony Award for his production of The Little Foxes which starred Elizabeth Taylor and Maureen Stapleton.  Starred in the Tony winning original production of Fiddler on the Roof.

ROCKing the Tonys – Case Dillard

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Photo by Deen Van Meer

Photo by Deen Van Meer

Case Dillard

Little Rock connection – Little Rock native; grew up appearing at Arkansas Arts Center Children’s Theatre and Weekend Theater

 Tony Awards connection – Was in original Broadway cast of Mary Poppins and appeared on Tony Awards segment

Case has appeared on Broadway and the national tour of Mary Poppins as well as dancing with Ballet Arkansas and acting at the Arkansas Repertory Theatre.  He is currently back in Little Rock. He has recently appeared in Baby at Community Theatre of Little Rock and The Water Children at Weekend Theater.