HAWAII’S BARE-FOOTED TONY WINNER

There was one notable Tony Award winner from Hawaii, in Broadway’s biggest event last night. And she put her best (bare foot) forward.

Nicole Scherzinger, who’s been performing as fading movie star Norma Desmond in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Sunset Blvd.” revival, won the battle of the divas over Audra McDonald, a nominee for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical. Scherzinger, an island native, delivered a powerful, nuanced “As if We’ve Never Said Goodbye,” a song and role that earlier earned her an Olivier Award in London, before the show made its way to New York. If you watched her last evening, you might have noticed her local-style tradition of a hula dancer: she performed her solo in bare feet. Cool!

However, our  hometown daily, the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, didn’t mention her Hawaii ties (shameful), in the manini Tony coverage this morn; they either didn’t give a hoot or simply didn’t know.

Scherzinger is making her Broadway debut with “Sunset”  – you go, girl! – and acknowledged Lloyd Webber’s support of her trans-Atlantic journey…and her knock-out victory over the winningest Tony trouper  ever – McDonald, who performed “Rosie’s Turn.”  ‘Twas a difficult version to watch, with moments of grotesque moves of seeming desperation and exasperation.  A seventh Tony trophy eluded her…

Unforgivable: The Tonys snubbed one nominee in this category – Jasmine Amy Rogers’ role as Betty Boop in “BOOP! The Musical.” She and the new musical were denied equal screen time…

By the way, there was another  island moment that most viewers likely missed. In his acceptance speech for Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role, winner Francis Jue – in the Asian play that featured Daniel Dae Kim and his nomination–  did a shout-out to his longtime Hawaii friend, Alvin Ing, a pioneering Asian American actor (now deceased) known for “Pacific Overtures” and “Flower Drum Song,” who gifted Jue with a black  bow tie to wear when wins a Tony. He did, wear and win…

Some observations:

• A new dawn beckons, with a new generation of emerging Broadway stars, like Darrin Criss in “Maybe Happy Ending” (Leading Actor in a Musical, Best Musical), Michael Arden of “Maybe Happy Ending (Best Director of a Musical), “Oh Mary!” (Cole Escola, Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play, and the first nonbinary actor; Sam Pinkleton, Best Director).
• That medley from Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “Hamilton”  was nothing short of astounding, marking the 10^th anniversary of the hit show still running at the Richard Rodgers Theatre on Broadway. The tunes —  yes, with such titles as  “The Room Where It Happened,”  “My Shot,” “Alexander Hamilton,” “The Schuyler Sisters” –  were performed by the original cast dressed in formal  attire or black – instead of the usual costumes, with the exception of Jonathan Groff, who donned a kingly red jacket and carried a scepter, on ”You’ll Be Back,” as King George III. But he carried a scepter…

• The aforementioned Groff stunned Keanu Reeves, when the former – singing a medley from  his “Just in Time” musical – leaped onto the latter’s arm rests while the cameras caught the awkward straddling moment, clearly one of the evening’s best impromptu moments.
• Cynthia Ervio,  who hosted the CBS show, is a terrific singer and a efficient host. She dons expensive gowns, but the garments are way out of this world,  which might be fashionable to some, but largely bizarre to many. Is there another designer in the house?
• Is Andrew Lloyd Webber returning to Broadway?  The prolific composer, who herald ed “the ritish invasion” of shows, apparently is shopping sites for a possible revival of “The Phantom of the Opera,”  and a new immersion musical “The Illusionist.” Truly, ALW is a dying breed, the lone creator for decades of theatrical phenoms. Think about it: the likes of Rodgers & Hammerstein are non-existent, with only R&H revivals available. ALW can rehash titles , too, like “Evita,”  “CATS,” “Jesus Christ Superstar,” “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat,” and “Starlight Express.” But only  one –“Phantom” — has had staying power, like 35 years. And he’s got another newbie sooner than later…

• Another opening, another show
• Nothing like announcing your forthcoming new show on the Tonys. Aaron Tviet (last seen in  “Moulin Rouge” and “Sweeney Todd”) and Lea Michele (last seen in “Funny Girl”) will co-star in the revival of “Chess,” a Cold War musical also feauring Nicholas Christopher. No dates were announced on the awards cast, but the show – with tunes by ABBA’s Benny Andersson and Björn Ulvaeus and lyrics by Tim Rice – is expected to be on Broadway at a Shubert theater…

By George, he did it!

• Don’t think that George Clooney, sitting with his wife Amal Clooney at the Radio City Music Hall, expected to be nominated for the Best Actor Tony award (for his role in ‘Good Luck, and Good Night,”) much less with winning the coveted prize, but he had guts and grits to (1) star in the play, (2) get it produced in a theater and (3) earn him a Best Actor nomination, and,  further (1) stage a live performance on CNN for a global audience, (2) sell it to a marketing team and (3) attract a supportive and receptive ticket-buying audience which set gross records exceeding $4 million every week of its run.
  If nothing else, the Tony organization should award Clooney (next year) a special Tony award for this once-in-lifetime achievement, for his commitment to the performing arts, for taking a stand with his timely message of addressing challenges in our world fractured by lies, fears and threats…  
       And that’s Show Biz…

And that’s Show Biz