Anika Noni Rose's Tony Speech Transcript

That picture makes me want to hug her.

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Yes, she was.

Winner - Anika Noni Rose, Caroline, or Change
Nominees:
Beth Fowler, The Boy from Oz
Isabel Keating, The Boy from Oz
Jennifer Westfeldt, Wonderful Town
Karen Ziemba, Never Gonna Dance


For future reference: http://www.tonyawards.com/en_US/archive/pastwinners/index.html

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Updated On: 7/5/07 at 07:06 PM

I was reading through some old threads from around the time the nominations were about to be announced and very few people on here even had her on the list of possible nominees.
I think once she was nominated though, she became a favorite. I can't get enough of her in the CAROLINE, OR CHANGE cast recording, she is a perfect counter-point to Pinkins' Caroline. Tonya Pinkins said in an interview that she sees Emmie as an improved version of Caroline, and I think Anika truly captured this, particularly her strength in her confrontation with Mr.Stopnick and her own mother. I'd have given her the Tony for the Epilogue alone though:
And I said: "statue, statue, you are through." Statue answer: "well who are YOU" I said: "evil you have to go," evil answer: "who say so?" I said: "Emmie, EMMIE THIBODEAUX!"

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Bump

Anyone?

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I think I have a tape of it for that year, but, if I do, it would be in another state in storage right now. Do you need it by a certain time?

"I have the entire Tony Awards show from that night. Unfortunately, I don't have the time to upload her acceptance speech on YouTube.com nor transcribe it for you."

^...and the point of the was?

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Here’s my best effort at a transcript. No promises that it’s exact or that I transcribed all the names correctly.


"Thank you...Shondra Wilson told me to write a speech--I didn’t do it. My middle name “Noni” means “Gift from God,” and I just want to thank God so much for the gifts I have been given: my voice; this cast of this amazing, amazing show; this opportunity to be here today; the fact that my grandmother is here for me and with me and my brother is sitting next to me--and I am so thankful for all of that.

"Thank you. I just...There are so many people I would like to thank. A.C.T. in San Francisco. I would like to thank our creatives, the trio of geniuses--George, Tony, and Jeanine--for this amazing opportunity for which you wrote for me; thank you so much! I would like...I would like to breathe! I’d like to do that!

"Okay, I would like to thank my Davids: David Robbinson in San Francisco, David Williams my agent...Don Buckwall for allowing me to do this workshop for three years and not getting paid for it. Thank you so much for my cast, for everyone. God bless, and I love you so much. Thank you!" -Anika Noni Rose