New List of Tony Performances

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 6/4/05 at 7:36am

As Per tonyawards.com

Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
"Great Big Stuff"
Norbert Leo Butz, Gregory Jbara, John Lithgow and ensemble

The Light in the Piazza
"Statues and Stories"
Michael Berresse, Sarah Uriarte Berry, Victoria Clark, Mark Harelik, Matthew Morrison, Kelli O'Hara and ensemble

Sweet Charity
"Big Spender," "If My Friends Could See Me Now," and "I'm A Brass Band"
Christina Applegate, Kyra DaCosta, Janine LaManna and company

La Cage aux Folles
"We Are What We Are" and "I Am What I Am"
Robert Goulet, Gary Beach and Les Cagelles

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
"Opening Number" and "Serenity Prayer"
Derrick Baskin, Deborah S. Craig, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Dan Fogler, Lisa Howard, Celia Keenan-Bolger, Jose Llana, Jay Reiss, and Sarah Saltzberg

Monty Python's Spamalot
"Find Your Grail"
David Hyde Pierce, Tim Curry, Hank Azaria, Christopher Sieber, Michael McGrath, Steve Rosen, Sara Ramirez and ensemble

Looks as though La Cage is going the same way as the original production....

[Theatreboy33]

Posted: 6/4/05 at 10:30am

Can someone tell me how "Great Big Stuff" features Lithgow or Jbara? As I recall, the entire thing start to finish is all freddy. Or are they just onstage watching, because that would be a supreme waste of talent.

[bwaysinger]

Posted: 6/4/05 at 10:35am

Same thing with Statues and Stories, it's not as if Berresse, Harelik or Morrison sing during that either.
Perhaps they rewrote some lyrics.

[Justice]

Posted: 6/4/05 at 10:37am

Not impressed with the line-up.
"Love is My Legs" would have probably been better for DRS. They'll have to edit "Great Big Stuff".

[Theatreboy33]

Posted: 6/4/05 at 10:43am

Agreed. And if im correct, DRS's biggest knock was that is was crass and tasteless--the one thing this number fully embodies. I understand it is a character song of a crass character, but there are many far better melodies and lyrics throughout this musical than the pseudo-rap Freddy anthem here. And I just hate to see Lithgow AND Jbara wasted on stage! I know he wont win the tony, but i dont think people realize that if Lithgow wasnt so strong a stage opponent to Butz's Freddy, i think most of Butz's reviews would accuse him of overplaying and trying to steal the show. Just my opinion. Time to pay Lith and Gbara their dues for this show as well.
Updated On: 6/4/05 at 10:43 AM

[Justice]

Posted: 6/4/05 at 10:47am

Theatreboy, have you been reading the Post?

[Theatreboy33]

Posted: 6/4/05 at 10:52am

Yes, Reidel's article said the thing about crass and tasteless, but i also read the reviews that claimed that as well when it opened. BUt i dont think the post ever knocked butz. I dont recall.

Posted: 6/4/05 at 11:17am

crass and tasteless work well for TV.

[LaCageAuxFollesFan2]

Posted: 6/4/05 at 11:24am

Most certainly does!

Surprised LA CAGE has changed to WE ARE WHAT WE ARE/I AM WHAT I AM combo...maybe theyll be doing LA CAGE AUX FOLLES durring the opening. I knew they were going to get Goulet on that stage somehow...and Gary gets to sing...YAY!

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 6/4/05 at 11:25am

Lithgow and Jbara are on stage during Great Big Stuff, and have dialogue, i believe, that leads Butz into the number.

[grizzabella]

Posted: 6/4/05 at 1:18pm

Who makes these choices? They're terrible. There are much better and representative numbers from each show. Sort of looking forward to seeing Goulet's Georges to satisfy my perverse curiosity. But all things considered, is it a smart move? Or don't they have anything left to lose?

[bjivie2]

Posted: 6/4/05 at 1:25pm

Stop complaining, people! All these choices are just fine. Most of the shows will be performing a second song, whatever that may be, in an opening montage or something like that.

I'm more interested in what Bernadette Peters, Aretha Franklin and Jesse L Martin are singing. Maybe Aretha will sing "I Know Where I've Been" and make the announcement that she's in the Hairspray movie.

[little_sally]

Posted: 6/4/05 at 1:26pm

I agree grizzabella. I think these shows have much better numbers they could perform (like "Spamalot" and "LITP" for example).

[everythingtaboo]

Posted: 6/4/05 at 1:28pm

My only hope is that with a 3-hour show with the design awards not being presented live, that these production numbers and "medleys" will have the time to be performed their original length. That way the shows will be a tremendous amount of extended exposure, and the show won't slow down to a crawl full of other filler.

[TheaterBaby]

Posted: 6/4/05 at 3:55pm

Does anyone know yet what Songs the special performances will be? Like, Bernadette, Hugh, etc.?

[Dirty Rotten Scoundrel]

Posted: 6/4/05 at 4:01pm

in response to people saying how Great Big Stuff involves Greg and John, greg told me that they will be "contributing to the performance on stage in silence" lol.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 6/4/05 at 4:01pm

Jesse L Martin will be performing a tribute to those we've lost this year

[MTVMANN]

Posted: 6/4/05 at 4:06pm

Of course the actor is excited to be participating in this year's Tony Awards and mentions that the cast of THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA would be performing the opening number, "Statues and Stories" during the telecast. Additionally, he will perform a brief excerpt of "Passeggiata" in a montage of all the musicals that were produced on Broadway this season. This is something that audiences across America should find enjoyable.


When does this come into play??????

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 6/4/05 at 4:10pm

it doesnt....just the nominated musicals will perform....except pacific overtures, which will not be performing due to its closure

Posted: 6/4/05 at 4:51pm

I think everyone should also bear in mind that Tony performances draw viewers in to see shows as well as give a representation of that show. You don't want to give away too much with a Tony performance. For example, before I moved to New York, the only reason I wanted to see Millie was because I had seen Forget About the Boy on the Tonys. And, yes, maybe Statues and Stories isn't the best representation of Piazza, or Great Big Stuff of DRS, but GBS might entice people to the theater, and anything besides S&S might give away things about the plot. I agree with the unfairness of having only Butz featured on the Tonys, and I do think that Dirty Rotten Number would have been better overall, but perhaps the producers thought that the last number would give things away too much. Huh. I dunno.

[thespian geek]

Posted: 6/4/05 at 5:54pm

In response to the "crass and tasteless" comment, not only is that good for TV as someone said above, but DRS loves to mock itself and other things. I just think it'll be amusing that when Norbert wins the Tony, that one advertisement logo they had of "Broadway's Hottest Leading Man .... sent us a telegram from Australia" won't be useable anymore. Ha.

[justthefacts2]

Posted: 6/4/05 at 10:00pm

Oooooh, grizzabella - your claws are showing. Atta girl!

[TheColorOfFlame]

Posted: 6/4/05 at 10:12pm

Who else would have wanted to see "Here I Am" from DRS and "Say It Somehow" from LITP?

[Fan2]

Posted: 6/4/05 at 10:22pm

I read on another message board that Hugh sang "You're Nothing Without Me" from City of Angels in rehearsals. He apparently is also doing "Somewhere" with Aretha Franklin.
Updated On: 6/4/05 at 10:22 PM