I had the chance to watch my recording of the Tony Awards when I got home late last night - because I was too wound up to sleep. It actually broadcast better than I expected. A bit.
There had been times throughout the evening when I would turn to Moony and say: "Well, there go the ratings" or "My mom just changed the channel"... it just felt flat. Enjoyable, but... flat. (And that's being there - which always has an air of excitement).
It was a terrible shame that they didn't air some of the special awards, but, Tink is absolutely correct. It's a TV show in addition to an awards ceremony, so we'll continue to see performances and choices which reflect the need to fund the program. (That said, I'd rather sit through a product placement like Hairspray at Sea than not be able to view it at all).
In thinking about the In Memoriam section - I honestly can't remember if they included Arthur Laurents or not. They very well may have, but, I don't remember seeing his name. (Could they have done that on purpose??) And I don't remember much applause throughout the segment. It's a shame they didn't air it (the segment)- but - there weren't many 'big names' this year (odd thing to say, but true), so am guessing the segment wouldn't have interest to the great majority of the tv viewing public. Again, it's a shame it wasn't shared. (But an Arthur Laurents shut out? Would they have dared? nah, it must have been there and I missed it...)
At the end of that section I turned to Moony and said: "and Iflit - a BWW Icon" We both gave our own little applause to her.
The final song was so much fun. I thought NPH did a great job. I loved the Spiderman gag with his dangling from a rope while the speech about the Theatre Wing was going on. Well done. (Yes, there was a bit of nervous laughter for a bit, but it became clear pretty quickly that it was an act)
I was thrilled, thrilled, thrilled for ONCE winning Best Musical and Steve Kazee winning Best Actor in a Musical. I was also absolutely delighted with all of the PATSC getting so many awards and recognition. Roger Rees is a dear friend of my Chorale, so I have a personal 'connection' to it, as he invited us to enjoy it from the beginning at NYTW. We were seated in the row right in front of him, so it was fun to be in the midst of their joy.
Oh, and for everyone thinking you wish you had been there: be glad you were home in comfort. The theatre was SO HOT. Absolutely no air moving. Everyone was sweating and we were all fanning ourselves with our programs. One of the recipients even made a comment about it. Honestly, it was very uncomfortable. Maybe next year they can find an air conditioning sponsor.
Ok, off to a meeting. Happy day to all. (Happy Friday, Somms)
"Two drifters off to see the world. There's such a lot of world to see. . ."
Updated On: 6/12/12 at 08:08 AM
Although I love Audra, I wanted Jan to win that award. As far as best musical I really didn't give a rat a$$ who won this year. 
As we slowly shuffled up the aisle, we kept smiling on your behalf. 
