This year I was thrilled to see Elaine May, at 87!, win a Tony for her role in "The Waverly Gallery." She graciously attributed part of her success in playing the family matriarch to "My family was played by everyone you've ever wanted to be on stage with."
Before Ali Stroker won the Tony for her role as Ado Annie in "Oklahoma" (the girl who cain't say no) she performed and brought down the house. No wonder she won! Never mind that she's in a wheelchair.
And I was delighted to see "The Ferryman"--the story of a family during The Troubles--which I remember Lucy had gone to see and raved about! "Hadestown" (best musical) is now on top of my list to see next time we're in NY.
As much as I love the theater, it's weird that a recurring nightmare I have is that I am IN a play and don't have a clue what my lines are.
LUCY BURDETTE: We've seen several of these shows, though I did not watch the Tonys--The Waverly Gallery, The Ferryman, and Tootsie.
Broadway is an incredible splurge, but we love it enough to justify. The talent, the music, the costumes! I am still raving about THE FERRYMAN--want all of you to see it! It's intense and dark, but brings the Irish troubles to life and all the actors were incredible. Elaine May was terrific in The Waverly Gallery, but it was a difficult play--not "fun." At all, though she had some funny lines. Alzheimer's=not fun. Tootsie: I was crazy about this movie, can remember lines and scenes so clearly. I worried that the show couldn't do as well. But the lead was fantastic--he transformed himself into a totally believable woman. Great music, great costumes, great dancing. Next up for us will be Ain't Too Proud this fall.
About being IN a play, only if I can stop and say "oh I forgot, give me a minute and it will come to me."
JENN McKINLAY: When I lived on the east coast, I went to see Broadway shows all the time. Fabulous! Like you, Hallie, I am completely under the spell of the performance. I love, love, love live theater. Being in AZ, we catch a lot of the touring shows when they come to ASU's Gammage theater. Hub and I try to go a couple of times a year. Our most recent favorite was Something Rotten. It really spoke to the writer in me and was witty and funny and smart. Delightful!
HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: LOVE live theater. And such fun to see the Tonys. Jenn, Something Rotten is first on my list, even though it's oldish. I love the songs, --"It's hard to be the Bard!" We should all just sing that every day.
(We just saw the pre-Broadway preview of the new Moulin Rouge--first act awesome, second act, not so much.)
Random thoughts: I wanted to be an actor in high school and college. Loved it. I sang I Cain't Say No in a big audition once, and every time I hear it, it brings back that memory. (I always got the role of the character's best friend or the Rosalind Russell type.)
And for YEARS I had that "oh, no I don't know the lines" dream. Often. And then, a about a year ago, I started to have it, and then in the dream, I said to myself--this is a dream. And it doesn't matter. And anyway, you can figure the lines out as you go, no problem. I never had the dream again.
DEBORAH CROMBIE: I love the Tonys, watched most of the show but had to record the end as I was drooping. I thought it was a good show--why do the critics always have to complain about the awards shows? And Ali Stroker was fabulous.
I have to admit, however, that I have never seen a Broadway show. The West End, yes, although not as many as I'd like. I'm always so busy doing book research and trying to squeeze everything in when I'm in London (or writing frantically) but next trip I'm determined to see something. The last thing I saw was one of the final shows of the final run of Billy Elliott--so glad I did! Live shows really are magical--and I loved James Corden's opening number on the Tony's!
No dreams about forgetting my lines on stage--I have enough trouble in real life!
HALLIE: Have you had a transporting theater experience? Ever been IN a play? And what about nightmares about unlearned lines?
