The Tonys. No script. Zero pre-written. Stars could burp, flail, cough, sputter, stutter, lose their drawers or screw up. Starts Sunday. Could stretch till Thursday.
Sure winner? Alex Newell in “Shucked” — Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical. Category’s bigger than the statuette.
Same category, co-star Kevin Cahoon. Could-bes: Same musical Best Scenic Design, Scott Pask. Sound Design, John Shivers. Direction of a Musical, Jack O’Brien. Orchestrations, Jason Howland. Music and Lyrics, Brandy Clark, Shane McAnally. Book of a Musical, Robert Horn. Up for nine awards.
“Shucked” nominees omitted only the matron in the can.
Last year’s host Ariana DeBose, front and center this year, is “nervous.” Why? “No teleprompter.” Sunday the Drama winner will be “Leopoldstadt.” Best Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical? Bonnie Milligan for “Kimberly Akimbo.”
Can’t sit through the whole thing? Try Frank DiLella’s NY1 pre-show. Starts 5 p.m., runs only 90 minutes. You won’t even need to go potty.
Lost legends
These Antoinette Perry Awards got born 1947. Biggies walked those stages — Sir Laurence Olivier, Orson Welles, Ingrid Bergman, Tallulah Bankhead, even Lunt and Fontanne and Helen Hayes who are only aging theaters today. Instead, now, it’s earphones, face masks, cellphones, drinks between acts and patrons in shorts, tees, sneakers and backpacks.
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Stars who love a redo, renew and reprise
More showbiz: Mark Hamill’s Luke Skywalker days are done, he says. Walking away from skywalking, he says. Others bleating they’d never redo a role: Sean Connery finished with Bond, came back for “Never Say Never Again.” Daniel Craig wanted his kill license revoked after “Spectre.” Then came his paycheck for “No Time To Die.” “Karate Kid” kidding? Ralph Macchio returned for “Cobra Kai.” Kim Cattrall — oy! — never ever ever working with Sarah Jessica Parker??! Ever?!
Andrew Garfield: No getting into “Spider-Man” get-up again. Then he got up for “Spider-Man: No Way Home.” Michael Keaton: No more “Batman.” He’s back. Ditto Ben Affleck. Up at bat with two more Bats.
Channing Tatum said never another “G.I. Joe” movie. He did another. Sherlock Holmes 14 times — did Basil Rathbone love it? Go ask Dr. Watson. Robert Englund — Freddy Krueger eight times. Says he won’t come back after being replaced.
Christopher Lee was Dracula 10 times. Johnny Weissmuller — Tarzan 12 times. Must’ve gone ape because he was also Jungle Jim 16 times. Mickey Rooney? Andy Hardy for 16 shots. Then he made puberty. Also his eighth wife.
Once on the Great Watt Way Gloria Swanson swanned as the Julia Roberts of her day and Katharine Hepburn was in “The Rugged Path.” Also rehearsals for the heavily scripted Tonys began 9:15 a.m. on that holy day. That was then. Now for the 40th anniversary of the Theater District’s famous Orso restaurant, it opened its doors specially on Monday, Broadway’s day of rest, and in the room Matthew Broderick, Billy Crudup.
Also, in case you care, Tony Sunday happens to be National Corn on the Cob Day.
