Worst Speech of the Night?- Page 2

Posted: 6/12/06 at 1:19am

to me, the julia thing sounded like:
"dang, ya'll take yer work seriously!
like, ya'll learn yer lines 'n' stuff!"

[FoscasBohemianDream]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 1:21am

Actually, I found LaChanze's speech rather bland and uninspired as well as Hal Prince's, he was getting an award for being a pivotal figure in Broadway history, I'd have expected more enthusiasm.
I though Julia Roberts was merely acknowledging her respect for stage actors now she realizes how difficult being on stage can be.

[C is for Company]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 1:21am

Julia probably felt embarrassed to be a "center of attention" considering she must think that everyone thinks she sucks. Plus, I found it funny how she said everyone there was so talented because maybe she knows she really isn't in Three Days. Like kind of an in-joke perhaps to the fellow actors who all kind of know the sad truth? I found it to be flattering to the others

[Lamc16]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 1:26am

YES... Young's speech was so flat, boring, and self-gratifying. I can't stand it when people feel that their win is a pivotal moment in history and they therefore have the right to ramble on like that.... I had to mute it.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 1:26am

"Why? Actors not nominated for Tonys don't go to the Tonys."

Dixie Carter was there (she was only the spouse of a presenter) and she was gracious enough to give an interview on the red carpet.

[hushpuppy]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 1:28am

I was at Radio City tonight (3rd balcony) and there were more than a few grown men wiping away tears after both JLY and Christian Hoff's speeches.

Would you rather hear someone like Kathleen Marshall rattle off a plethora of names nobody else cares about or learn something about the performer who just won the award?

During the commercial breaks, to keep the audience interested, they showed various clips on the large monitors. One past speech was Michael Jeter's acceptance speech where he looked into the camera and spoke directly to anyone who had a substance abuse problem and had given up hope. He wanted them to know that he was living proof that you can overcome your demons and succeed.

Maybe there is one young boy or girl out there tonight who lost a parent at a very young age, who wants to be an actor, and whose surviving parent doesn't want them to. Maybe they feel that life is hopeless. Maybe JLY or Christian's speech will touch them in a way that will allow them to live their dream. In person, both speeches felt genuine and heartfelt. Congratulations to them both.

[I<3bway]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 1:29am

"John thanked everyone including Alison at the Drama Desk and Outer Critic Circle awards. I think he was choked up.
Can you blame him. I am so happy for him and Alison."


I agree with you Corine. Jersey Boys is actually John and Daniel's first major broadway show. His speach didn't seemed rehearsed at all to me!! I mean he has done plays in the past, but not as huge as Jersey Boys is. I guess I wasn't the only one who noticed that he was getting teary-eyed when they were performing!! I almost lost it too when he ended with his speach. I am so happy for him!!

Posted: 6/12/06 at 1:33am

oh & that "she has my baby in her womb!" line creeped me out.

[MTVMANN]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 1:34am

I vote for Beth Leavel.

[JustAGuy]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 1:34am

"Dixie Carter was there (she was only the spouse of a presenter) and she was gracious enough to give an interview on the red carpet."

Now, the standard for Award Show Etiquette is what Dixie Carter does? What next the Bebe Neuwirth red carpet walk? I hope you put all these things in bold in the next edition of your TONYS' do's and don'ts guide.

Updated On: 6/12/06 at 01:34 AM

[Jesus]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 1:36am

Michael Jeter's speech was directed at anyone in the same situation he experienced, in an effort to affirm that it's possible to escape and succeed. JLD's speech was a self gratifying attempt to show the whole world what he has overcome. To me, it was a "Look at me and all I've been through" moment, rather than a "You can do this too" deal. Plus the blandness with which he delieved his "speech" would do little to help inspire any child anywhere in any situation.

In response to : Maybe there is one young boy or girl out there tonight who lost a parent at a very young age, who wants to be an actor, and whose surviving parent doesn't want them to. Maybe they feel that life is hopeless. Maybe JLY or Christian's speech will touch them in a way that will allow them to live their dream.

Jesus

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 1:36am

John's speech was boring and it wasn't very coherent. It's a shame it came after Christian's speech because they were both similar. I found Beth's speech rather boring and I turned the chanel. LaChanze's speech was okay. It wasn't moving, but it wasn't horrible either. I thought it was cool when she thanked her mom for giving up her seat tonight to stay at home and watch the kids. And thanking Oprah...she kind of has to. Without Oprah this show might have already closed on Broadway.

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 1:37am

I think Beth Leavel won for playing herself, she is REALLY the Drowsy Chaperone!

[TheatreDiva612]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 1:38am

You guys stink. I'm going to be up all night reading posts on BWW! hahaha.

[I<3bway]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 1:41am

Um, I'm sure being in front of a television isn't the only place where John can express his gratitude and thankfullness towards his loved ones and to his fans.

[little_sally]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 1:48am

I rather disliked John's speech. I was so disgusted with Patti losing that I turned off LaChanze.

Um...did anyone catch Bob Crowley's little snippet? He said something along the lines of, "Between me and you, I should've won for the other show." What was going on there? I hope there was more to it and that remark was just taken out of context.

[mabel]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 2:03am

Is that what he said, Sally? I thought he said something about "glad I voted for myself rather than some other show" but I honestly could be 100% off as I was too busy going WTF?!?! As I saw him walking down the aisle. As much as I love History Boys, I really can't believe it won Best Sets!

ETA: Back on topic...I thought The Jersey Boys' speeches were fairly nauseating. There's such a fine line with these "I had such a hard life, but look at me now" weep-fests, and for me, both of them were safely on the obnoxious side of that line. That whole show has accomplished quite the feat of turning me completely off over the past couple of weeks. I loved the show and the performers, but the more I see of them, the more ill they make me. BLECH!

Updated On: 6/12/06 at 02:03 AM

[little_sally]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 2:08am

Yeah, I'm a little shocked it won sets myself. But I love the play so I'm glad it won all those Tonys.

I'm not sure what he said but to me, that's what it sounded like. For his sake, I hope I was mistaken. I remember the "Between you and me part..." but I could be wrong.

[ethanbrat]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 2:12am

I liked Beth's speech, it was cute and funny.

JLY's speech was so not rehearsed.

And didn't Mano say in his interview with BWW yesterday that at the lunch for Tony nominees the people told them to not rattle off a list of names? They wanted them to make it personal for the actor and memorable for the people watching. If you noticed, when they showed the "from the past" stuff they showed speeches that were either funny or meaningful. No one ever remembers speeches that are a list of names. The best Oscar speeches are the ones where people cry and thank very few people.

[mabel]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 2:12am

Yeah, I'll have to watch the tape back when I get it from my folks (in a hotel now, so alas, I'm stuck with my foggy memory).

While I think the sets are interesting for History Boys, like I said, I can't see how a design that obstructs 5th row orchestra seats (even those that aren't just the last couple seats in the row) can be awarded. Did anyone sit in the house to see how the set fit and worked at the Broadhurst?!?! Was there any real reason that piano couldn't have been pushed back so it didn't obstruct 1/3 of the stage house right?!? It may have been fine in London, but they definitely had issues a-plenty here!

[HamletWasBipolar]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 2:21am

They entertain 8 shows a week. They are not there for our pleasure at the awards. The thousands of hours they work on a show, and the years it takes them to get there basically gives them the right to say whatever the hell they want in their OWN undirected and unscripted minutes on stage. BTW, the republican puppet line was priceless!

[Gothampc]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 2:24am

"There's such a fine line with these "I had such a hard life, but look at me now" weep-fests"

You can always tell who the strong and courageous are. Nobody has had a harder time of it than La Chanze. She lost her husband on 9/11, and her thanking her mother for staying with the kids was very poignant. She didn't need to go down the "hard life" road because she is surrounded by love.

[muscle23ftl]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 2:25am

phillyactor: what line did the puppet say?

[HamletWasBipolar]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 2:28am

oh when John Tartaglia told Ebersole that it was a republican puppet, and she said something like.." that seems familiar" or something like that...

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 6/12/06 at 2:29am

I want to say that Julia's thing was very nice.

Many Hollywood people have less talent than a chorus boy in a Broadway show yet make it big. Her comment sounded like she was surprised at how talented Broadway actors are - and yet the general public has no idea who they are.

At least, she sounded very gracious to me. Who cares.

But all I have to say is - LaChanze's face when she won was amazing!