Snarkiest Tony Award acceptance speech?

[morosco]

Posted: 5/30/06 at 6:42pm

Over the years who has given the snarkiest acceptance speech? I vote for an obviously upset John Napier who, while accepting the Tony Award in 1987 for his sets for Les Miserables, commented that he couldn't understand why his sets for Starlight Express "weren't even nominated".

[singinswinga]

Posted: 5/30/06 at 8:22pm

Jerry Herman in 1984 for La Cage Aux Folles when he said "a simple, hummable tune is still alive on Broadway" and was totally sticking it to Sondheim's pointilism-inspired score for Sunday in the Park with George.

[Katurian2]

Posted: 5/30/06 at 8:32pm

And that is one of the many reasons I detest Jerry Herman

btw- I haven't heard the word "snarkiest" in a loooong time. Thank for refreshing my memory.

Updated On: 5/30/06 at 08:32 PM

[Kitzarina]

Posted: 5/30/06 at 8:40pm

You obviously don't talk to Patronus much, do ya?

[singinswinga]

Posted: 5/30/06 at 8:42pm

I know that's why I hate Jerry Herman too! What a jerk.

[CapnHook]

Posted: 5/30/06 at 8:46pm

Idina Menzel - she totally called Kristin Chenoweth a bitch!

[jv92]

Posted: 5/30/06 at 8:52pm

Mr. Herman was in no way criticizing Sondheim. He was simply expressing how happy he was the old fashioned show could still be sucessful. He's said it several times and actually admitted that he admires Sondheim's work. He's far from a jerk.

[ShuQ]

Posted: 5/30/06 at 9:08pm

How did Idina call Kristin a bitch?

[apdarcey]

Posted: 5/30/06 at 9:09pm

sarcasm

[dry2olives]

Posted: 5/30/06 at 9:10pm

When Rita Moreno accepted her best supporting actress Tony for her leading role in The Ritz, she said in her speech, "The only thing I supported was my bra."

Although it wasn't a Tony, I love Tony Randall's speech when he won the best actor in a comedy series Emmy the year his show, The Odd Couple, was canceled. He went on stage, said "I'm very happy that I won. Now if only I had a job.", and walked off.

[WickedGeek28]

Posted: 5/30/06 at 9:11pm

Nice response. lol.

Yeah, Herman lost my fanship, but I still love his shows.

[MarkCohen]

Posted: 5/30/06 at 9:21pm

"Jerry Herman in 1984 for La Cage Aux Folles when he said "a simple, hummable tune is still alive on Broadway" and was totally sticking it to Sondheim's pointilism-inspired score for Sunday in the Park with George. "

I think I would have stabbed him haha.

[apdarcey]

Posted: 5/30/06 at 9:21pm

billy crystal was extremely mad that he was considered a special event rather than a play, but i forget the exact wording of his "snarkiness"

[aspiringactress]

Posted: 5/30/06 at 10:01pm

That Tony Randall speech sounds funny. Unfortunately, my memories with him were the farthest thing from pleasant.

[C is for Company]

Posted: 5/30/06 at 10:03pm

lmao, uh oh sounds like a sad tale you have for us aspiringactress, please tell.

[aspiringactress]

Posted: 5/30/06 at 10:13pm

I worked with him a while back. I was in 3rd or 4th grade, I think. One day in rehearsal, I came in a millisecond later than usual on a line, and he FLIPPED OUT AT ME. It was absolutely terrible. That man is SCARY when he is mad. Of course, a that night's show, I came in with the timing from that rehearsal, and he turned bright red, and I thought he was going to burst a vein. Good times...

[C is for Company]

Posted: 5/30/06 at 10:16pm

awww Thats rather bitchy of him

[Doogie]

Posted: 5/30/06 at 10:17pm

Here's my thing with Jerry Herman, I like his show's and scores as a whole, but as individual songs, I think they are sooo simple and plain (exception being "Ribbons Down My Back"). I think R&H found the happiest medium between hummability and Sondheimesque.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 5/30/06 at 10:22pm

No, Herman wasn't referring to Sondheim at all with that statement. Remember that when Herman won for score and La Cage won for Best Musical, it was the first Tony Herman had won in 20 years since Hello Dolly (his only other win) and it was his first hit show since Mame 18 years before. He had spent all those years producing flop after flop after flop -- Dear World, Mack and Mabel, The Grand Tour -- to the point where had begun to doubt his own talent and believed that he'd never be successful again. Plus, lots of critics and others had told him the American musical theatre had moved on without him and that nobody wanted to hear his old-fshioned style showtunes anymore. Winning for La Cage made him feel vindicated and that's what he was expressing in that speech. He's always been very gracious when talking directly about Sondheim and calls himself a fan of his work (and Sondheim has always had positive things to say about Herman publicly). There was no feud and there was no intentional snarkiness in what Herman said in his speech.

[Sumofallthings]

Posted: 5/30/06 at 10:29pm

Just have to ruin every good bitch fest don't ya Margo?

[Dover]

Posted: 5/30/06 at 10:30pm

I remember when Matthew Bourne won for Best Director for Swan Lake he made reference to the fact that the show was not eligible for Best Musical. Something about "I don't know how you can win Best Direction of a Musical if the show isn't a musical."

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 5/30/06 at 11:29pm

Ms. Tharpe was rather curt.
Does that count as Snarky?
I Love her Anyway.

[Katurian2]

Posted: 5/30/06 at 11:34pm

Way back at the top, I'm confused as to how Idina insluted KC... I thought Idina's acceptance speech was rather eloquent. But then again, aren't most stage actors'?

EDIT: Well excuse my unfailing ability to fail in picking up typed sarcasm.

Updated On: 5/31/06 at 11:34 PM

[MyNameInLights]

Posted: 5/30/06 at 11:44pm

Katurian, it was a joke.

[Kitzarina]

Posted: 5/31/06 at 12:12am

I think the phrase you're searching for is HEADDESK!