Sunday, June 8, 2003
Tonight's Tony's - THE COMMENTARY
By Joseph Planta
VANCOUVER – Tonight, at Radio City Music Hall, Hugh Jackman will take the stage as master of ceremonies at the annual presentation of the Tony Awards on CBS. The Tony's honour the finest achievements in Broadway theatre, both for straight plays and musicals. It has limited appeal frankly. Theatre is far less accessible to the masses than popular music, movies or television. Theatre in New York is far more limited, and of course Broadway is a far more narrow and subjective an avenue. Each year, at incredible expense, CBS broadcasts the Tony's. The cost comes in the form of a lack of advertisers, as the audience's demographic is much older – and even though educated, if not in a higher earning bracket, network executives rarely go after them. And of course, ratings aren't exactly a bonanza. Those honoured with the Tony – a far more prestigious award than the Oscar, by most objective accounts – are largely unknown outside of the theatre community in Manhattan. Also the stuff nominated are shows which have just opened on Broadway, thus middle America will be at least a year away from the requisite touring companies. Yet besides all of this CBS goes all out to attract less than wonderful ratings. Remember a few years ago when Rosie O'Donnell began championing the Tonys? Ratings spiked, but soon enough like her appeal, quick was the descent in ratings and morale at the program – all thanks to Ms. O'Donnell's difficult nature.
This year, opposite an NBA championship game, CBS hopes folks will tune into the three-hour telecast. Usually two-hours, CBS is to be commended for showcasing theatre for an hour more. With Jackman, performances from big names like Bernadette Peters, Harvey Fierstein, Antonio Banderes, Billy Joel and Jane Krakowski among others; as well as appearances by Mike Wallace and Barbara Walters, CBS is going for broke.
I enjoy watching the Tonys because of its immensely high production value. The quality of the performances they showcase is worth tuning in for. Like the Kennedy Center Honors, the Tonys are a far better telecast than the Oscars or the Emmys. The Tonys are the epitome of high culture, and are unabashedly sophisticated. Then again, audiences have never been known to flock to high culture as they would inane shlock like American Idol. Remember this is much the same audience that know who the hell Clay Aiken and Ruben Studdard are, yet will fail to name at least one of the number of candidates running for the Democratic nomination for the presidency.
Hugh Jackman's turn as host this year is interesting. He's fresh off of his role in the X-Men sequel, and about to star in his own Broadway vehicle this fall – The Boy From Oz – a musical based on the life of flamboyant stage performer and fellow Australian, the late Peter Allen. Allen, who was gay, was also a husband to Liza Minnelli. Jackman's musical skill is well known around the world, except oddly enough in the United States. This year, in a real, big time, Broadway show, Jackman will show off. Like good old Jason Alexander, George Costanza of Seinfeld fame. Alexander, with Martin Short, will appear tonight from Los Angeles where they're both starring in the west coast production of The Producers. Alexander, more well-known for playing a loser on televison, is an accomplished singer and dancer, and we should be so lucky if we see him vamp tonight.
Bernadette Peters, a major nominee for her role in the revival of Gypsy, will turn in a performance. Gypsy was revived this season under the direction of Sam Mendes, the gifted filmmaker who helmed American Beauty and Road To Perdition. Mendes also helmed, with Rob Marshall, the smash revival of Cabaret nearly five seasons ago. Antonio Banderes, the actor the New York Times claimed audiences wish to undress with their eyes (the same Times by the way that promoted well-known pretender Jayson Blair), will perform with the ladies from his show Nine, a revival of the musical that is based on Federico Fellini's classic 8 ½. Among the women Banderes will perform with include Jane Krakowski, who was a secretary on Ally McBeal, and theatre legend Chita Rivera. Banderes is so good in the musical that he's made audiences forget of the great Raul Julia who originated the role in the 1980s. Banderes faces tough competition though from Brian Stokes Mitchell, who is one of the real darlings on Broadway now. He won a Tony a couple years back for Kiss Me Kate, where he also shocked theatregoers with their own tolerance of seeing he, a black man, in the role that Alfred Drake originated. Now, Mitchell is nominated for his performance in the revival of Man of La Mancha. Both Mitchell and Banderes pale in comparison to the colourful performance of Harvey Fierstein in Hairspray. Perhaps the biggest hit of the season, Hairspray, is a musical version of the John Waters film. Fierstein dons drag eight times a week, and for that he could win the Tony.
Thanks to the success of Chicago at the Oscars this past spring, look for a tribute to the still-running revival. Show business as it is, there'll be some aggrandising showboating of one of its more recent contributions to the film world. Then again, it'll be fun, so do not miss the Tony Awards, at 8:00 pm tonight, on CBS.
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An archive of Joseph Planta's previous columns can be found by clicking HERE .