Well, that was a tough act to follow!
Last year, the Tony Awards were the hottest ticket in town. Broadway’s biggest night boasted “Hamilton,” James “Carpool Karaoke” Corden and the boffo celebrity attention that clung, barnacle-like, to both.
This time, however, the show had far less to work with: A confused Kevin Spacey and eight plays and musicals that Maribeth in Oshkosh, Wisconsin has never even heard of. Jimmy Fallon sure ain’t howlin’ about “Indecent.”
Then, to make things worse, word came a week ago that the night’s biggest name, Bette Midler of “Hello, Dolly!,” who won Best Actress, wouldn’t even perform. Instead her co-star David Hyde Pierce was set to sing a muted number called “Penny In My Pocket.” Not even “It Takes a Woman.” The outlook for the 2017 ceremony was pretty bleak.
But, despite an uphill climb, the Tonys weren’t a total flop. Here are the best and worst moments of the evening.
Bette Midler’s amazing speech
She wouldn’t let the parade pass her by! Any ill will the audience had toward Bette Midler for not descending Harmonia Gardens’ iconic staircase melted away during her epic Best Actress acceptance speech, filled with old-school gusto and unceasing hilarity. “I can’t remember ever having so much smoke blown up my ass,” she said, adding: “There’s no more room!” She thanked almost every living human being: Scott Rudin, Jerry Zaks, individual cast members, designers, Carol Channing; She even defined the word “revival.” As instructed, the musical director started to play her off with “There’s No Business Like Show Business,” but Bette wasn’t having it. “Shut that crap off!” she hollered, before talking for another two minutes. Bette, did you ever know that you’re my hero?
It was a real horserace
2016’s ceremony wasn’t exactly a nail-biter. “Hamilton” was predicted to win Best Musical nearly a year before it was even nominated. But Sunday night there were fewer certainties. That “who knows?!” energy became palpable when the directing awards were handed out. First, an incredulous Rebecca Taichman took to the stage to accept the prize for Best Director of a Play for “Indecent.” Then, even more surprisingly, “Come From Away”‘s Christopher Ashley nabbed the Director of a Musical award. These are often indicators of who will win the top trophies — but neither show was favored. Pundits have screeched “Dear Evan Hansen!” as Best Musical as “Oslo!” for Best Play for weeks. And, sure, “Dear Evan Hansen” and “Oslo” both won. But, for a while, it felt like they might not.
The numbers were mostly let-downs
The Tonys aren’t about celebrating the theater community or heralding the healing powers of art. They’re about selling tickets, plain and simple. And whether a show is likely to win or lose doesn’t really matter. Once it has a nomination, it has a slot on the telecast, and therefore a chance to hawk its wares to 7 million potential ticket-buyers. Sunday, audiences watched agape as show after show threw away their shot. The wonderfully weird “Groundhog Day” decided on a brooding requiem, and the emotional powerhouse “Come From Away” performed their just-revving-up intro. The musicals that will get the biggest box office bump are “Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812,” who paired Josh Groban with boundless fun, and “Miss Saigon,” which paired “Miss” with “Saigon.”
John Mulaney and Nick Kroll should’ve been the hosts!
John Mulaney and Nick Kroll were responsible for the funniest show of the Broadway season — “Oh, Hello” — and, as it happens, the funniest bit of the Tonys’ entire three hours. “I don’t care what anybody says,” began Kroll, about to introduce the beloved Radio City Rockettes. “New York City is the greatest city . . . in New York State!” Added Mulaney: “New York City: home of that cemetery you see on the way to La Guardia!” Sure, they don’t have the star wattage of Tina Fey, but they’d make terrific co-hosts next year.
This fantastic comment off-stage from Gavin Creel
Gavin Creel, who won the Tony for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for his adorable performance in “Hello, Dolly!,” told reporters later about the destructive power of Twitter and Facebook. “If you want to be in musical theater, get off of social media,” he advised young people everywhere, adding that he doesn’t touch the stuff. “To be a theater actor in this business isn’t to look at yourself, it’s to look outward . . . Get off of your phones and onstage!”
Ben Platt rocked it
Platt, who won the Best Actor award for playing the title role in “Dear Evan Hansen,” came back from a two-day doctor-mandated vocal rest, which forced him to miss three performances this weekend, and gave his best televised performance so far. And there have been a lot. Platt’s Nixonian brow-sweat and awkward body language were charming as ever, while he poured emotion into the music. And he was just as vulnerable when he picked up his prize. “This is a Tony!” said the 23-year-old, shocked.
There was a Michael Riedel shout-out!
The Post’s Broadway columnist Michael Riedel got a big shout-out from host Kevin Spacey during the opening of show — twice! Lampooning the song “You Will Be Found” from Best Musical winner “Dear Evan Hansen,” Spacey sang about the very low expectations for his high-profile gig: “Even when mean tweets come crashing though; Michael Riedel says that I just blew,” he said. “I will be Broadway bound!”
But . . .
While I can’t speak for my colleague, Michael, Spacey really blew. Even worse than Hugh Jackman hopping along for five minutes. Spacey’s opening number was downbeat and overly niche — Not inside-baseball, but inside-polo. The host made the nominated musicals — truly a strong crop of popular shows — come off stiff and cold, like a total eclipse of the heart. His intermittent banter was similarly stodgy. He leaned on stale impressions from the back of the cupboard: Johnny Carson and Bill Clinton. As he rehashed Clinton jokes, the polite audience stifled their groans and remained almost entirely silent.