Bonnie Franklin and the tonys

[wiggum2]

Posted: 11/21/03 at 4:47pm

recently someone posted that the concept to the 78 tonys was Bonnie Franklin's idea. What was the concept? Hopefully I got the year correct

Thanks

[magruder]

Posted: 11/21/03 at 5:01pm

It was 1978, and the concept was something about "the mind of an actor". So, the Tonys came to you live from Bonnie Franklin's brain. Swear to god.

[magruder]

Posted: 11/21/03 at 5:08pm

Here's some info from BroadwayStars.com about that broadcast, in a piece written by Ellis Nassour. As it turns out, the Tonys were through the eyes of Bonnie Franklin, not her mind. But you get the idea...

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"For theater writer/author Ken Mandelbaum, two Tony moments to forget came in 1978, when the awards were nicknamed "The Bonnie Franklin Tonys" because they were "seen" through the eyes of the actress -- who had made a splash in 1970's Applause and gone on to become a TV sitcom star -- from her prime orchestra seats..."

[Hank]

Posted: 11/21/03 at 6:38pm

Thanks for reminding me. That was one of my favorite Tony shows ever.