It May Not Be a Soprano, but this Tony Hits the High Notes

The 2007 Tony Awards

For that scant handful of us who watched the Tony Awards instead of Tony Soprano last Sunday, there was much to celebrate.

Could Broadway be recovering from its all-time low in 2006 with "Jersey Boys," a show without ONE original song, taking top prize? Perhaps. This year, by contrast, two edgy and experimental musicals, plus one return to Broadway's Golden Age, took the big honors.

The big winner, "Spring Awakening" is a rock musical, an inferior genre that people keep trying to legitimize. Come on - everyone loves the Who, but please! Who in their right mind puts "Pinball Wizard" in the same category as melodies by Richard Rogers or Stephen Sondheim? Still, "Spring Awakening" is dark, psychological and complex with a tough, 1890's Germany setting and wildly innovative choreography. It is a far cry from the jukebox schlock and musicalizations of mediocre movies that have dominated the Great White Way for the last few years. A spring awakening for Broadway? Let's hope.

"Grey Gardens" was my favorite. It received several big awards, including best actress in a musical for Christina Ebersole (perfect casting for Rachael in you-know-what). When I heard months ago that the haunting 1971 documentary about Jackie O's shrieking, reclusive cousins languishing in squalor in a formerly grand East Hampton mansion was the basis of a new musical, I was elated. "Mamma Mia," it's not. Christine Ebersole's Tony number was quirky, hilarious, disturbing, and - unlike anything I have heard from "Spring Awakening" - musically memorable.

"Curtains," by Kandor and Ebb (who gave us "Cabaret," "Chicago," and"All that Jazz"), represented a return to the classic, mid-century book musical (at last) and received very favorable notice, including best actor in a musical for David Hyde Pierce (Niles from Frazier).

"Legally Blonde, The Musical" and "Mary Poppins" were mostly ignored. I understand that there were excellent individual break-out performances in both shows, and I am genuinely sorry for the troopers who were overlooked last Sunday. I take their lack of awards as an overdue rejection of a tired musical theatre sub-genre, not an indictment of the performances.

The return of standards to the Tony's marks a turning point, I believe, and one that may be butressed by John Travolta's coming star-turn this summer in the movie version of "Hairspray, The Musical." So - this means good times ahead for my shows. But far more importantly, good times may be ahead for a unique American artform that has suffered greatly for the last few years -- AND for the legions of ultra-talented people who make less money than they could and work harder than have to in order to keep it alive. Bravissimi! Encore!!

As to the Tony's telecast itself, when will they ever learn? The broadcast needs a charismatic, dynamic host with Broadway cred. The rotating hosts of the last two years did not give a single voice or coherent style to the proceedings. Hugh Jackman, while handsome and talented, cannot sustain the ceremony in terms of humor and verve. Nathan Lane, Jason Alexander, and Christine Baransky would be better choices. Each has a respectable level of Broadway experience AND enough cross-over (read "television") appeal to reel in a larger audience.

And how could CBS have been in the business this long without realizing that the West Coast awards shows bring in numbers by broadcasting fashion moments on the red-carpet? Unlike other major awards shows, the Tony's are presented in one of the fashion capitals of the universe. Please bring Isaac Mizrahi in to schmooze with the arrivals and ask them, "Who are you wearing?" Isaac has done costumes for a number of shows and has a big enough personality to make this a real event. The de rigeur post-broadcast debriefing of fashions would make the show pay off again by showing people what they missed while they were watching that other, lesser Tony. More to the point, the post-mortem would prompt viewers to watch next year - and maybe even go to a show.