As the Tony Awards approach, making their way to Radio City Music Hall this Sunday June 10th, many are making their bets on who will win the covetted award. Sara Bareilles and Josh Groban will host and look for to appear.
Best Musical: The Band’s Visit
It’s going to be rather odd having this little show that could, win. It will not win best director, best book, best choreography or best orchestrations. Though the theatre community has not shown much love to SpongeBob SquarePants, it is the most creative, imaginative and entertaining show I have seen in awhile.
Best Play: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
Hands down this should and will win. I expect this show to be the forerunner in taking home the most Tony’s and it is well deserved.
Best Revival Of A Musical: My Fair Lady
This is an industry favorite. It is well done, but I honestly I think Once On This Island is the better revival this year.
Best Revival Of A Play: Angels in America
This is the sentimental favorite. Three Tall Women is the better of the two, but Angels is the heart of this community.
Best Actress In A Musical: Katrina Lenk (The Band’s Visit)
Lenk, breaths life into this show and makes you follow her where ever she goes. She was amazing in last year’s Indecent, but this is her year to take home the award.
Best Actor In A Musical: Ethan Slater (SpongeBob SquarePants)
If Ethan Slater does not take home this award, it will be criminal. He is the Ben Platt of this season, blowing us away with his layered and physical performance, but it would not surrprise me if Joshua Henry took this, as the Tony’s have no love for SpongeBob SquarePants, and sadly might take this out on Ethan. Henry is a wonderful singer, but he has no chemistry with Mueller.
Best Actress In A Play: Glenda Jackson (Three Tall Women)
This is by far the most exquisite performance this year. Jackson performance is a masterclass in acting. There is no competition here.
Best Actor In A Play: Andrew Garfield (Angels in America)
The Tony’s love stars and Garfield is young. he has won every other award this season and this will just be the cherry on the cake. I personally think Mark Rylances performance in Farinelli and The King, was much more layered.
Best Featured Actress In A Musical: Lindsay Mendez (Carousel)
Lindsay Mendez makes Carousel her own and has won every other award, but I think Ashley Parks performance in Mean Girls takes much larger risks.
Best Featured Actor In A Musical: Norbert Leo Butz (My Fair Lady)
The Tony’s love Norbert Leo Butz and so do I, but Gavin Lee’s eight legged tap dance in SpongeBob SquarePants, is spectacular. There could be an upset here, but I doubt it because a lot of the awards are so predicatble this year.
Best Featured Actress In a Play: Denise Gough (Angels in America)
Laurie Metcalf ‘s performance is riveting and she holds her own with the incredible Glenda Jackson. Also with the Roseann debacle Metcalf, might have the edge. However Denise Gough’s performance is complexed and well performed. Both of these actress are deserving, so a win for either is a good choice.
Best Featured Actor In A Play: Nathan Lane (Angels in America)
It’s Nathan Lane at the top of his game, in a role that is larger than life.
Best Original Score: Music & Lyrics: David Yazbeck (The Band’s Visit)
In all honesty, nobody deserves this award. David Friedman (Music) and Peter Kellogg (Lyrics) deserve this for Desperate Measures, but unfortunately that is off-Broadway. Where is Sondheim, Jason Robert Brown, Michael John LaChiusa, Adam Guetel or Pasek and Paul, when you need them? They will have to justify why this show is the Best Musical.
Best Book Of A Musical: Tina Fey (Mean Girls)
Tina Fey is the darling of the New York community. The show has heart and soul, so hand Fey the gold.
Best Direction Of A Musical: Tina Landau (SpongeBob SquarePants)
If Tina Landau does not win this, it means Broadway has lost their way. This is the most creative show to hit the boards and it is all thanks to Ms. Landau.
Best Direction Of A Play: John Tiffany (Harry Potter And The Cursed Child)
And another well dserved award for this magical show. What John Tiffinay does is pure joy filled with childhood delight. Just when you think he can’t top this, he does.
Best Orchestrations: Jonathan Tunick (Carousel)
This show has never sounded more glorious. It is the music and orchestrations that make Carousel sound so spectacular.
Best Choreography: Justin Peck (Carousel)
Peck is hands down the favorite, but these dances look like they came out of Oklahoma, not Cape Cod. Personally, I would give the award to Christopher Gattelli for making sea creatures come to life and a octopus tap dance in SpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical.
Best Scenic Design In A Play: Christine Jones (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child)
Now Harry Potter will sweep the design awards and should.
Best Scenic Design In A Musical: David Zinn (SpongeBob SquarePants)
David Zinn’s scenic design is exquisite. He makes found objects come to life and the result is again magical.
Best Costume Design In A Play: Katrina Lindsay (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child)
From their regular characters, to a completely different person, with just the wave of a hand. Poof this award is yours.
Best Costume Design In A Musical: Catherine Zuber (My Fair Lady)
By jove I think she’s got it, though I think David Zinn’s work on SpongeBob SquarePants, is the better, more creative choice.
Best Lighting Design In A Play: Neil Austin (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child)
As Neil told me, it is in the shadows not the lighting, that will win him yet another award.
Best Lighting Design In A Musical: Kevin Adams (SpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical)
Like Harry Potter, SpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical creates remarkable visuals and hands down I am giving them every design award.
Best Sound Design In A Play: Gareth Fry (Harry Potter and the Cursed Child)
Subtle, then frightening this sound design is like sitting in a surround a sound movie.
Best Sound Design In A Musical: Walter Trarbach and Mike Dobson (SpongeBob SquarePants)
How can you not give this show this award? Anyone with musicality will know what they are doing is breaking ground and so far ahead of what we heard.
Broadway’s newest show Appropriate starring Sarah Paulson, at Second Stage’s Hayes Theatre nearly sold out their first week. The play, written by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins and co-starring Elle Fanning and Corey Stoll, opens December 18th.
Paulson has received an Emmy, Golden Globe, and SAG Awards in her three-decade career. She made her Broadway debut in 1994 as an understudy in Wendy Wasserstein’s The Sisters Rosensweig. She later took on the role of Tess Goode in the production. She returned to the stage in two other Broadway productions: 2005’s The Glass Menagerie (as Amanda Wingfield) and 2010’s Collected Stories (originating the role of Lisa Morrison). She also appeared in six Off-Broadway productions between 1994 and 2013, including Crimes of the Heart, Still Life,Colder Than Hereat the Lucille Lortel Theatre, Killer Joeat SoHo Playhouse, Talking Picturesat Signature Theatre andthe Pulitzer-nominated Talley’s Folly with Roundabout Theatre Company.
Paulson is perhaps best known for starring in nine seasons of Murphy’s American Horror Story, first appearing on the show in 2011. Her performances collectively earned nine Emmy Award nominations.
In 2023, after 10 years away from the New York stage, Paulson returns to Broadway as Toni in Appropriate, the Broadway-debut play of Branden Jacobs-Jenkins.
As we head into the holiday season, The Algonquin Hotel’s December event lineup is open to both hotel guests and New York City locals. The hotel will spread holiday cheer with a variety of festive performances, cocktails, and experiences including:
- Cocoa and Carols Happy Hour: Daily, 5-8PM, Every evening this December, all are invited to enjoy Specialty Cocoa while Christmas carols chime at the Blue Bar. Drinks will include Mexican Hot Chocolate spiked with mezcal
- KT Sullivan Cabaret: December 5th, 12th and 19th, Sullivan will perform her iconic Christmas Cabaret. As noted by The New York Times, Sullivan is a thrilling Off-Broadway performer with over eight published albums
- Rocco Dellaneve’s Rat Pack Christmas: December 7th, 14th and 21st, Rocco Dellaneve will perform iconic songs from the Rat Pack Christmas album with special inclusions of Santa with Sinatra, Rocco of the Snow, Rudolph and the Rat pack
- The Serafina’s and Broadway Vocalists: December 8th, 15th and 22nd, enjoy the high kicking – precision line dancing Christmas tradition around The Algonquin tree. The Serafina’s will be available for pictures and autographs from 6pm to 7pm, followed by special Broadway vocalists
A portion of proceeds from all events will be donated to Toys for Tots.
Beyond the December events, The Algonquin Hotel is located in a prime position nestled in the heart of Times Square and Fifth Avenue, making it the perfect launchpad for a New York City holiday experience. The hotel is a historical jewel that emphasizes the importance of making unique, storied experiences. Since its opening in 1902, The Algonquin Hotel is famous for its timeless style and desire to honor the literary and cultural elite. The distinguished Round Table Restaurant and Blue Bar offer tasteful dining inclusions and curated cocktails that are sure to excite everyone.
Photo credit: The Algonquin Hotel, Autograph Collection
2o days to go! Every year people panic to find the perfect gift. We at T2C have been collecting idea’s all year long to bring you the perfect gift guide at all price levels. When you’re at the end of your rope trying to find the perfect Christmas present this year, come to this guide for some great suggestions.
Chita & Patrick Pacheco at Drama Book Shop event May 15, 2023 Photo by Merle Frimark
There are a lot of books out there this year but we highly recommend Chita: A Memoir , the critically-acclaimed book is written by the legendary Broadway icon Chita Rivera with arts journalist Patrick Pacheco. Chita takes fans behind-the-scenes of all her shows and cabaret acts, she shares candid stories of her many colleagues, friends, and lovers. She speaks with empathy and hindsight of her deep associations with complicated geniuses like Fosse and Robbins, as well as with the mega-talent Liza Minnelli, with whom she co-starred in The Rink. She openly discusses her affair with Sammy Davis, Jr. as well as her marriage to Tony Mordente and her subsequent off-the-radar relationships. Chita revisits the terrible car accident that threatened to end her career as a dancer forever. Center stage to Chita’s story are John Kander and Fred Ebb, the songwriters and dear friends indelibly tied to her career through some of her most enduring work: Chicago, The Rink, Kiss of the Spider Woman, and The Visit.
Chita’s love of performing began as a child in Washington, D.C., when her mother enrolled her in a local ballet school to channel her boundless energy. Still a teenager, she moved to New York to attend the School of American Ballet after an audition for George Balanchine himself and winning a scholarship. But Broadway beckoned, and by twenty she was appearing in the choruses of Golden Age shows like Guys and Dolls and Can-Can. In the latter, she received special encouragement from its star Gwen Verdon, forging a personal and professional friendship that would help shape her career. The groundbreaking West Side Story brought her into the orbit of Leonard Bernstein, Jerome Robbins, Arthur Laurents, Hal Prince, and Stephen Sondheim. After Bye Bye Birdie further burnished her rising star, she reunited with Verdon and her then-husband Bob Fosse to work on the film version of Sweet Charity and the celebrated original Broadway production of Chicago.
Chita: A Memoir was published in English and Spanish and the English audio version of the Memoir was recorded by Chita. A Spanish audio version is also available.
“Chita Rivera blazed a trail where none existed so the rest of us could see a path forward. She has been part of some of the greatest musicals in the history of the form, from Anita in the trailblazing West Side Story through Claire Zachanassian in the underrated masterpiece The Visit, over 60 years later. She is a Puerto Rican Broadway icon and the original ‘triple threat.’ We’re so lucky to be alive in the same timeline as Chita Rivera.” — Lin-Manuel Miranda.
“A frank and fascinating memoir from one of the truly great artists of the American Theater. Lots of stories … Lots of insight … and quite a few caustic statements from Chita’s alter ego, Dolores. An illuminating history and a guaranteed pleasure!” — John Kander
Broadway legend and national treasure Chita Rivera, multi-Tony Award winner, Kennedy Center honoree, and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom – has taken no prisoners on stage or screen for seven decades. From her trailblazing performance as the original Anita in West Side Story—for which she tapped her own Puerto Rican roots—to her haunting 2015 star turn in The Visit. Chita has proven to be much more than just a captivating dancer, singer, and actress beloved by audiences and casts alike. In her equally captivating and one-of-a-kind memoir, Written with Patrick Pacheco, the woman born Dolores Conchita Figueroa del Rivero shares an incomparable life, both on stage and behind the curtain.
By the way this Memoir has won a Gold Medal for “Best Autobiography – English” at the 2023 International Latino Book Awards. https://www.latinobookawards.org/
Click here to buy your copy.
Here is the amazing cast of Spamalot. Christopher Fitzgerald as Patsy, James Monroe Iglehart as King Arthur, Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer as The Lady of the Lake, Ethan Slater as The Historian/Prince Herbert, Jimmy Smagula as Sir Bedevere, Michael Urie as Sir Robin, Nik Walker as Sir Galahad andTaran Killam as Lancelot.
I was so inspired I drew the whole cast.
To read T2C’s review click here.
Art
Ahead of the Broadway Opening of Lempicka The Longacre Theatre Is Showcasing Art Work By Tamara de Lempicka
The Longacre Theatre (220 W 48th St.), soon-to-be home of the sweeping new musical, Lempicka, is showcasing a curated selection of renowned artist Tamara de Lempicka’s most famous works. Eschewing traditional theatrical front-of-house advertising, the Longacre’s façade now boasts prints, creating a museum-quality exhibition right in the heart of Times Square. The musical opens on Broadway on April 14, 2024 at the same venue.
The Longacre’s outdoor exhibition includes works of Self Portrait (Tamara in a Green Bugatti) (1929), Young Girl in Green (1927), Nu Adossé I (1925), The Red Tunic (1927), The Blue Scarf (1930), The Green Turban (1930), Portrait of Marjorie Ferry (1932), Portrait of Ira P. (1930), Portrait of Romana de la Salle (1928), and Adam and Eve (1932).
Starring Eden Espinosa and directed by Tony Award winner Rachel Chavkin, Lempicka features book, lyrics, and original concept by Carson Kreitzer, book and music by Matt Gould, and choreography by Raja Feather Kelly.
Spanning decades of political and personal turmoil and told through a thrilling, pop-infused score, Lempicka boldly explores the contradictions of a world in crisis, a woman ahead of her era, and an artist whose time has finally come.
Young Girl in Green painted by Tamara de Lempicka (1927). Oil on plywood.