THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, June 2, 1996 TAG: 9605310055
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E2 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MAL VINCENT, ENTERTAINMENT WRITER
LENGTH: 105 lines
THE DRAMA behind the scenes of the 50th annual Tony Awards (airing live at 9 tonight on CBS), the top honors for theater, is as compelling as anything put on stage before Broadway audiences this year.
One nominee (Julie Andrews) has refused to participate. Another (George C. Scott) has fled the city, claiming he was near death but also avoiding a sexual harassment charge. The author of the most likely musical winner (``Rent'') dropped dead on the night of the final rehearsal for his show. The year's two biggest commercial hits (``Big'' and ``Victor/Victoria'') weren't even nominated.
In what has been Broadway's best season in at least a decade, the grumbling surrounding the nominations has been loud enough to almost drown out the celebration.
The initial shocker came when the 14-member nominating committee snubbed both ``Big'' (a musical based on the Tom Hanks movie) and ``Victor/Victoria'' (a musical based on the Julie Andrews movie). In fact, ``Victor/Victoria'' received only one nomination - for its leading lady.
Claiming that her colleagues had been ``egregiously overlooked,'' Andrews announced that she would take no part in the Tony event. A New York newspaper screamed, ``Mary Poppins Hoppin' Mad.''
Andrews, although the darling of Broadway in ``My Fair Lady'' and ``Camelot,'' has never won a Tony. In a show of solidarity, the producers of ``Victor/Victoria'' even refused to allow a number from the show to be aired, claiming that too little time was allotted for it.
The producers of ``Big'' and ``V/V'' claimed that the nominating committee, in an ``anything but'' mood, went out of their way not to choose those commercial hits, naming instead ``Chronicle of a Death Foretold'' and ``Swinging on a Star,'' two flop short-runners.
Scott, who refused to accept his Oscar for ``Patton'' some two decades ago, is nominated for ``Inherit the Wind.'' He was charged with sexual harassment by his personal secretary, a young woman from Eden, N.C.
And there's more. David Merrick, producer of ``State Fair,'' is suing the Tony Awards because the nominating committee asked the voters to consider only four songs from his show in the ``best original score'' category. He mailed cotton balls to all the voters as ``selective hearing devices'' when his efforts to halt the voting failed.
Charles Durning's representatives pushed a plan to have him named in the ``supporting'' or ``featured'' category for ``Inherit the Wind,'' even though he was billed as a star. He wasn't nominated in either category. Jackie Mason was in a huff because his one-man comedy show was out of contention.
Meanwhile, ``Buried Child,'' a Sam Shepard play from the 1970s, was nominated in the best new play category because the committee felt it was substantially rewritten (and had only played Off-Broadway in previous seasons).
In the midst of all the hullabaloo, several Virginia and North Carolina nominees have a chance to get into the winners' circle tonight. Playwright Shepard is a resident of Charlottesville. Veanne Cox, a veteran of both Virginia Ballet Theater and Norfolk Little Theater, is nominated in the ``best featured actress in a musical'' category for her performance in ``Company.'' (See story, Page E1.)
George Grizzard, a native of Roanoke Rapids, N.C., 90 miles south of Norfolk, is a strong contender in the ``best actor in a play'' category for his performance in Edward Albee's play ``A Delicate Balance.'' His co-star in that play, Rosemary Harris, is also nominated. She's a resident of Winston-Salem, N.C., when she isn't acting in either London or New York.
Here is a rundown on the main categories, along with fearless predictions on the winners.
Best Play
``Buried Child,'' ``Master Class,'' ``Racing Demon,'' ``Seven Guitars''
``Master Class,'' the biggest dramatic hit since ``A Man for All Seasons,'' is the likely winner.
Best Musical
``Bring in 'Da Noise, Bring in 'Da Funk,'' ``Chronicle of a Death Foretold,'' ``Rent,'' ``Swinging on a Star''
``Rent,'' a rock musical based on the opera ``La Boheme'' is a Broadway phenomenon, and the one for which no one can get a ticket. It has 10 nominations and is likely to pull a sweep.
Best Revival of a Play
``A Delicate Balance,'' ``A Midsummer Night's Dream,'' ``An Ideal Husband,'' ``Inherit the Wind''
``A Delicate Balance'' is the favorite.
Best Revival of a Musical
``A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,'' ``Company,'' ``Hello, Dolly!'' ``The King and I''
``The King and I,'' but who would have ever thought Lou Diamond Phillips would sit on Yul Brynner's throne?
Best Actor in a Play
George Grizzard in ``A Delicate Balance,'' Phillip Bosco in ``Moon Over Buffalo,'' George C. Scott in ``Inherit the Wind,'' Martin Shaw in Oscar Wilde's ``An Ideal Husband''
Voters may think it is their last chance to honor George C. Scott.
Best Actress in a Play
Carol Burnett in ``Moon Over Buffalo,'' Zoe Caldwell in ``Master Class,'' Rosemary Harris and Elaine Stritch in ``A Delicate Balance''
Rosemary Harris is one of the classiest, most economical actresses anywhere but no one could beat Zoe Caldwell's bravura etching of Maria Callas.
Best Actor in a Musical
Savion Glover in ``Bring in 'Da Noise, Bring in 'Da Funk,'' Nathan Lane in ``A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,'' Adam Pascal in ``Rent,'' Lou Diamond Phillips in ``The King and I''
Nathan Lane is a sure bet, particularly since he wasn't even nominated for ``Love! Valor! Compassion!'' and he's now a movie star, too, via ``The Birdcage.''
Best Featured Actress in a Musical
Veanne Cox in ``Company,'' Joohee Choi in ``The King and I,'' Ann Duquesnay in ``Bring in 'Da Noise. . . '' Idina Menzel in ``Rent''
Cox is the local favorite, but Duquesnay has the edge. by CNB