Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter Washington Heights, a neighborhood in northern Manhattan that’s best known to theater lovers as the setting of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s first hit show, played host to thousands in the Broadway community on Sunday night. The 76th annual Tony Awards moved uptown to the United Palace Theater, the third venue change in three years for Broadway’s biggest night. This one surprised even Miranda, who excitedly dolled out high-fives to those camped outside the venue as he walked to the red carpet. Once he was inside the lavishly decorated theater (“It looks like Beyonce’s screening room,” Nathan Lane later observed while presenting an award with his “Producers” partner-in-crime Matthew Broderick), Miranda jokingly thanked everyone for coming all the way to 176th Street. “Never in my wildest dreams…” he said before presenting a life achievement award to “Cabaret” composer John Kander during the non-televised portion of the Tonys.
Ariana DeBose Goes 'Unscripted' in Support of Writers' Strike During 2023 Tony Awards Opening Monologue
12.06.2023 - 01:04 / etonline.com
76th annual Tony Awards, returning host Ariana DeBose addressed the ongoing Writers Guild of America (WGA) strike with studios during what normally would have been a traditional song-and-dance-filled opening monologue. Instead, a planned performance written by Lin-Manuel Miranda was scrapped while the ceremony was allowed to go forward with live performances of nominated musicals and the handing out of awards, but with no scripted material.DeBose opened the show by opening up a blank script, which appeared to be no problem for the seasoned performer who danced her way on-stage to a jazzy medley of pre-existing Broadway hits, reimagined and newly orchestrated, thus not crossing the picket line of script writing, or rather, lyric writing.Macy Schmidt and Benjamin Rauhala constructed and arranged the medley after Miranda pulled the song he was working on for the opening number, in solidarity with the WGA strike.The dance and music-forward number was met with a standing ovation from the crowd, which proved that no words were needed to kick off the big night.After kicking off her dancing shoes, DeBose addressed the audience, «Well, well, well, DeBose began.
„Welcome to the 76th annual Tony Awards. And we are coming to you live from this gorgeous theater, the United Palace, uptown, baby, in Washington Heights.
By the way, happy Puerto Rican Day!“She continued, „That was very special to me to be able to open tonight with dance forward and music forward and the number choreographed by Carlo Garcia. Very special. Thank you.
All right. So, I'm sure some of you caught that I opened the number by opening the script blank pages.
Very good reason for that. Our siblings over at the WGA are currently on strike in pursuit of the fair
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Sleepy 2023 Tony Awards fail to showcase Broadway at its best
Against all odds, the show went on.On Sunday night, the 76th Annual Tony Awards was performed without a script due to the ongoing writers’ strike and was staged far, far away from its usual Midtown venue of Radio City Music Hall. Instead, the ceremony honoring Broadway plays and musicals was put on at the United Palace in Washington Heights way up on 176th Street.And with no lines professionally written, there were none of the usual skits or banter that make award shows chug along. Well, almost none.At one cringeworthy point, host Ariana DeBose ripped off Ellen DeGeneres’ celebrity selfie bit from the Oscars but lost her train of thought.“I don’t know what these notes stand for,” the “West Side Story” Oscar winner said awkwardly.
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