Merman performing on 1972 Tony Awards — Page 2

The Merman tribute was magnificent.

I wish the Tonys would go back to giving us such memorable performances, of course still featuring all of the nominated shows, but with more tributes and medleys and legends. I understand that the marketing aspect plays a huge part in the broadcasting of the ceremony, but there's still plenty of room for iconic performances. Even the performances from the nominated shows leave a lot to be desired, they might as well just play the production highlights clips.

The omission of a FOLLIES number always struck me as odd. The only rationalization I can conjur up is that the two obvious choices would have been either "Could I Leave You?" or "Losing My Mind", a sticky situation with both performers up for the same award (and both numbers staged without any real movement, in any case). Who gets the TV spot? Easy- neither.
"Who's That Woman?" would have been completely diminished on a flat stage without the severe rake and levels and lighting plot involved. Michael Bennett would have nixed the idea. (At that point, they probably couldn't DO the number on a flat stage.)

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As co-director of the show, he probably would have said no to a less than optimal presentation he couldn't control (as might co-director/producer Prince). They still had Los Angeles ticket sales to look to. Bennett's control of the Tony presentation of A CHORUS LINE a few years later was both obvious and brilliant.

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Updated On: 8/1/13 at 09:54 PM

The notion really didn't seem to have been developed yet, through the mid-1970s, that it would be nice to have a number from each of the nominated musicals. They didn't even try to do it as a general thing. And the weirdest thing about No, No, Nanette getting so much time on this telecast is that it wasn't even in contention: it had been running for a year and had won its awards (choreography, Helen Gallagher, Patsy Kelly) in the previous Tony awards (against Company, if we're keeping track). So it was shown at such length in 1972 just because... somebody in charge liked it.

It's funny that in the late 1960s, each nominated show got a performance, but after the 1971 "Special Anniversary" edition, things didn't get back on track until 1976.

I often thought that perhaps because "the old tin ear farts" (as I like to call them) didn't like them, Sondheim's first three Hal Prince shows weren't given a chance to perform. Perhaps my thinking is wrong. Perhaps we'll never know.

I know that there were politics involved in the cutoff date of the season that HAIR opened in. It was a weak season, and since HAIR was popular, and well-recieved, it would have likely won over HALLELUJAH, BABY or THE HAPPY TIME. But Isabelle Stevenson and Alex Cohen said, "No, no..."

There was a time when this was an actual award show, not one long commercial for COME TO BROADWAY!!! It should revert to a quiet supper-celebration at the Waldorf Astoria. More class/less crass.

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