TONY HONORS COCKTAIL PARTY - AmNews Curtain Raiser

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Thursday, June 13, 2019

TONY HONORS COCKTAIL PARTY

Tony nominee, Lilli Cooper at the 2019 Tony Awards


TONY HONORS COCKTAIL PARTY
PRESENTING THE 2019 TONY HONORS FOR EXCELLENCE IN THE THEATRE 
AND HONORING THE 2019 SPECIAL AWARD RECIPIENTS
by Lapacazo Sandoval and Art Shrian—special to AmNews

Lilli Cooper, photo Lapacazo Sandoval

Just before the 2019 Tony Awards, the best-of-the-best in theater gathered for a special cocktail party. The evening will celebrated Tony Honor recipients Michael McElroy of Broadway Inspirational Voices (2019 Tony Honors recipient), Peter Entin (2019 Tony Honors recipient), Joseph Blakely Forbes (2019 Tony Honors recipient), Jason Danieley on behalf of Marin Mazzie (Special Tony Award), Jason Michael Webb (Special Tony Award), FDNY (2019 Tony Honors recipient), and Sonny Tilders (Special Tony Award).

The guest and nominees that attended were impressive and the red carpet line spilled out of the room at the Sofitel Hotel and wrapped itself in further down the hall.  Catching pieces of conversation between Tony nominees was easy since the mood was light.
At the cocktail party, Broadway Inspirational Voices (2019 Tony Honors recipient) performed two songs: You will be Found from the Broadway show Dear Evan Hansen and Sunday in the Park with George. To say that Broadway Inspirational Voices was good is not really describing their performance.  They tore it up is better or rather “they put their foot” into the songs and the crowd showed their love without hesitation.

Everywhere a head turned you were shoulder-to-shoulder with guests Aaron Glick (Best Play (producer), What the Constitution Means to Me), Andy Grotelueschen (Best Featured Actor in a Musical, Tootsie), Annette Bening (Best Leading Actress in a Play, Arthur Miller’s All My Sons),Barry (Best Play (producer), Choir Boy & Ink),Bartlett Sher (Best Direction of a Play, To Kill a Mockingbird), Bertie Carvel (Best Featured Actor in a Play, Ink), Beth Leavel (Best Leading Actress in a Musical, The Prom), Bob Martin (Best Book of a Musical, The Prom), Bradley King (Best Lighting Design of a Musical, Hadestown), Brooks Ashmanskas (Best Leading Actor in a Musical, The Prom), Camille A. Brown (Best Choreography, Choir Boy), Casey Nicholaw (Best Directon of a Musical, The Prom), Celia Keenan-Bolger (Best Featured Actress in a Play, To Kill a Mockingbird), Chad Beguilin (Best Book of a Musical & Best Original Score, The Prom),Dale Franzen (Best Musical (producer), Hadestown), David Korins (Best Scenic Design of a Musical, Beetlejuice),David Stone ( Best Revival of a Play (producer), The Boys in the Band), Denis Jones (Best Choreography, Tootsie), Derrick Baskin (Best Leading Actor in a Musical, Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations), Des McAnuff (Best Direction of a Musical, Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations), Dominique Morisseau (Best Book of a Musical, Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations), Eddie Perfect (Best Original Score, Beetlejuice), Ephraim Sykes (Best Featured Actor in a Musical, Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations), Eva Price (Best Revival of a Musical (producer), Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!),Fitz Patton (Bets Sound Design of a Play, Choir Boy), George C. Wolfe (Best Direction of a Play, Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus), Gideon Glick (Best Featured Actor in a Play, To Kill a Mockingbird),Harold Wheeler (Best Orchestrations, Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre, Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations), Jeff Daniels (Best Leading Actor in a Play, To Kill a Mockingbird), Jennifer Tipton (Best Lighting Design of a Play, To Kill a Mockingbird), Judith Light (2019 Isabelle Stevenson Tony Award Recipient), Jules Fisher (Best Lighting Design of a Play, Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus),Julie White (Best Featured Actress in a Play, Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus), Kenneth Posner (Best Lighting Design of a Musical, Beetlejuice), Kristine Nielsen (Best Featured Actress in a Play, Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus),Larry Hochman (Best Orchestrations, Kiss Me, Kate), Laura Jellinek (Best Scenic Design of a Musical, Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Oklahoma!), Lilli Cooper (Best Featured Actress in a Musical, Tootsie), Mark Kaufman (Best Musical (producer), Beetlejuice,Mart Crowley (Best Revival of a Play (playwright), The Boys in the Band), Matthew Sklar (Best Original Score, The Prom),Peggy Eisenhauer (Best Lighting Design of a Play, Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus),Peter Hylenski (Bets Sound Design of a Musical, Beetlejuice King Kong), Peter Nigrini (Best Scenic Design of a Musical, Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations), Rachel Chavkin (Best Direction of a Musical, Hadestown), Richie Jackson (Best Revival of a Play (producer), Torch Song), Robert Horn (Best Book of a Musical, Tootsie), Robert Kelley of TheatreWorks Silicon Valley (Regional Theatre Award), Roy Furman (Lead Producer, King Kong), Ruth Wilson (Best Fatured Actress in a Play, King Lear), Sam Mendes (Best Direction of a Play, The Ferryman),Santo Loquasto (Best Scenic Design of a Play, Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus),Scott Brown (Best Book of a Musical, Beetlejuice),Scott Ellis (Best Direction of a Musical, Tootsie), Stephanie J. Block (Best Leading Actress in a Musical, The Cher Show), Tal Yarden (Best Lighting Design of a Play, Network), Taylor Mac (Best Play (playwright), Gary: A Sequel to Titus Andronicus),Warren Carlyle (Best Choreography, Kiss Me, Kate), William Ivey Long (Best Costume Design of a Musical, Beetlejuice). 

On the press line, Lilli Cooper summed up her nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical for Tootsie like this; “it’s surreal.”

Standing next to the sushi station the great AndrĂ© De Shields (Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical) and I made eye contact. I placed my hand above my heart and I bowed; he returned the gesture. Later in the evening while munching on classic dishes like creamed spinach, roast beef, and mashed potatoes I watched Tony nominee Amber Gray (Hadestown, Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical) hugs fellow nominee De Shields in an embrace that lasted more than one minute, I know because I made a note of the time on my phone. You could feel the love flowing between these two people and looking around the room the assembled artists seemed to soak up those very vibes. 

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