Thursday, March 28, 2024
Miles from the Mainstream
D. R. ZUKERMAN, proprietor
The Tonys

The 56th Annual Tony Awards


JUNE 6, 2004 --

LPR joined several hundred people on 51st Street to watch the celebrities arrive for "The 58th Annual Tony Awards hosted by Hugh Jackman" – as the Radio City Music Hall marquee announced. When that part of the June 6 proceedings were completed, LPR caught part of Lonnie Rathie's Bitter End performance and left (liking what was heard) to join several hundred people to watch the Tony winners rush across 50th Street to meet the media in the Rainbow Room.

LPR began by photographing a group of knowledgeable theatregoers, on 50th Street, who were at the head of the line to attend the Tony awards. They thought that Hugh Jackman would get the Tony for his role as Peter Allen in "The Boy from Oz," and mentioned that they saw Peter Allen perform at the Music Hall (which is one of the scenes in the musical.) LPR then went to 51st Street and got photos of Broadway theatergoers who did not have tickets for the Tonys. This group included people from Houston, Texas and Kansas City, Missouri. LPR also met people from Virginia, Colorado, New Jersey, Kentucky, and Montana on 51st and 50th Streets, viewing outside this event.

The view on 51st Street was not completely blocked by cameras and women in strapless gowns, but it was not a clear view for the people penned-in across the street. (A pen was also set aside for press people without Tony credentials. This pen prevented press without Tony credentials from meeting people who were not pressed against the press pen. (Try saying that ten times, fast.) And, of course, plain press IDs could not yield clear opportunities to photograph the arriving celebrities, including Nicole Kidman, Sean Combs, Sarah Jessica Parker, among others. LPR did get Frank Langella, standing the other side of a strapless gown, and Kristin Chinoweth, starring in "Wicked," lifted up by Mr. Langella to see the people across 51st Street.

LPR also caught a steel-helmted policeman on 51st Street, with automatic weapon that, thankfully, was not waved. (What was THAT all about?)

What was THAT all about?


The second half of Viewing Outside The Event takes place on 50th Street and the entrance to the GE Building, leading to the Rainbow Room. On this side of the Music Hall there was no area set aside for press IDs without Tony credentials. The kind intervention of officers representing the Police Department's
Deputy Commissioner, Public Information made it possible for LPR to stand on the sidewalk, outside the pens for viewers, and take pictures of winners and celebrities striding to the GE Building and the media in the Rainbow Room above.

Chita Rivera was caught waving to the people. Helen Mirren stopped to sign autographs for people in two pens flanking this GE Building entrance.


Helen Mirren.


John Rubinstein stopped to sign autographs below the Rainbow Room NBC Studios canopy, as did Jerry Stiller and Joel Gray (starring in Wicked, not here shown). Carol Channing was caught waving to the people. While Stiller was signing autographs, his wife Anne Meara was waiting across the street at the side entrance to the Music Hall. Some people shouted at Anne to come back over. She stayed at the entrance, but expressed sympathy for the people standing outside on a chilly evening.

There was no contact between Tony show staffers and the viewers outside the event. A member of the cast of "Assassins" was kind to tell us that her show had won (to that point) four Tonys.


4 Tonys.


Close to 11 P.M., perhaps, two young women, (not shown) each holding what appeared to be very thick looseleaf binders, emerged from the Music Hall, and, dressed in gowns and wearing high heels, scurried east on 50th Street, shouting that Avenue Q got the Tony for best musical. Very shortly after, people began leaving the Music Hall, also to head east on 50th, perhaps for the after-Tony parties.

LPR headed to the LPRmobile on Sixth Avenue and suddenly saw that Martin Short was standing close by. Mr. Short stopped for this photo and took LPR's card. Others LPR photographed, heading to Sixth, included Gerald Schoenfeld, head of the Shubert Organization and Rocco Landesman, president of Jujamcyn (no typos), and also pitcher on "The Producers" softball team. LPR spotted noted director George Wolfe (not shown) among those heading east on 50th and itself was spotted by Carol Fineman, theatrical publicist. Ms. Fineman was kind to ask about Shana, who likes to view outside the Delacorte Theater in Central Park during the summer Shakespeare season. (The Delacorte is at the southern rim of the Great Lawn, incidentally.)

It was reported that Broadway had its best money-making season ever, this season of 2003-2004. From the people LPR could meet viewing outside this event, Broadway is very popular.

It was also reported that the TV ratings for the Tonys reached a record low, and notwithstanding the fact that Hugh Jackman was host. He was also host last year, but was not mentioned on the 2003 Tony marquee. He was, as the accompanying photo indicates, prominently mentioned this time, with the League of American Theatres and Producers removed from the marquee, perhaps in response to controversy set off when Daniel Okrent, in the New York Times, wrote some harsh things about the Tony awards. Jed Bernstein, president of the league, is a graduate of the Fieldston School. Mr. Okrent is, LPR believes a Fieldston parent. This writer graduated Fieldston 15 years before Mr. Bernstein, but does not know him, other than to take his picture.

If LPR were acquainted with Mr. Bernstein, it would have pressed him to reach out to the theater-going public that travels to New York City from across the land, and stands outside the Music Hall for a glimpse of favorite actors and actresses. Is it, for example, not possible to put up TV monitors for those viewing outside the event? At the very least, can't the Tony people keep the people in the pens informed who won the Tonys.

And can't the celebrities, moving down the line of TV interviews on 51st Street wave at the people across the street? Some did, but not that many. Who pays to see these talented actors and actresses-- the interviewers, or all those people across the street.

LPR concludes that the Tony people aren't concerned whether people are watching on television -- or standing across the streets. (Whether CBS, which televises the Tonys, is similarly unconcerned is another matter.) The Tony people seem to look no higher than the box office bottom line. At risk of eventually alienating those theater-goers who will stand on 50th Street to be in the presence of ... actors and an awards show who ignore them.

Straining to see from inside the pen.


 

Hosted by Hugh Jackman at RCMH.


Tony's media headquarters.


At the head of the line.


Viewing Outside The Event


More devoted Broadway fans.


They came from all over the country.


Frank Langella.


Kristin Chinoweth lifted by Frank Langella.


John Rubinstein.


Jerry Stiller.


"Anne Meara-ites" out in the chilly evening.


Carol Channing.


Martin Short.


Gerald Schoenfeld.


Rocco Landesman.


View partially obscured by strapless person.


Irina Menzel after signing autographs following her first performance after winning the Tony for her role in "Wicked."


Looking at LPR.


Tony-goers leaving Radio City.