Tony

Last night was the first time I've watched the Tony Awards in a couple of years. I know I missed it last year when Whoopi hosted. I have to say that I enjoyed Neil Patrick Harris as a host, if only because he's cute as a bug's ear. I mean, seriously cute here, people.

But other than that, and a few moments here and there which mostly involved some hot men (Will Swenson from Hair and the dude playing Tony in West Side Story; uh, yowza!), the show felt kinda flat. I know they had technical issues with sound, and some of the camera work left a lot to be desired, but they didn't conjure up the same feelings they once did.

When Marcia Gay Harden accepted her Tony last night, I remembered watching in 1993 when she was nominated for Angels in America: Millenium Approaches. At that time, the Tony Awards were a glimpse into a world I could only dream of experiencing. That being said, the previous year, on a band trip in 1992, I had revelled in the sight of Gregory Hines in Jelly's Last Jam on Broadway. I don't know. I really didn't care for the musical numbers this year, especially the ones from the touring companies. Maybe in years past, the numbers were more my cup of tea. Maybe they don't hold such mysticism any longer because I don't feel like they're out of my grasp. But I do have to say, there is nothing like seing a live show on Broadway, and I am WAY overdue. Perhaps Big Mama and I will have to see something whilst there on the trip to Rockefeller Center next holiday season.

In any event, I loved watching Angela Lansbury win her fifth Tony Award. I found the memoriam sequence quite touching. And when Liza first came on stage during the opening number, I kept thinking about the episode of Ab Fab when they describe the way Liza moves around the room, as seen below (at about 8:20).