My Little Tonys

Anna’s sister Isabel joins us once again to finish our discussion of the ‘05 Tonys. We wonder if Adam Guettel will ever guett his act together, dreamcast a one-woman 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and debate whether or not a car is a robot. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram (@mylittletonys) for additional content about this season’s shows!

Works referenced/cited:

Hischak, Thomas S. The Oxford Companion to the American Musical: Theatre, Film, and Television. Oxford University Press, 2008.

Filichia, Peter. Broadway Musicals: The Biggest Hit & the Biggest Flop of the Season 1959 to 2009. Applause Books, 2010.

Patinkin, Sheldon. "No Legs, No Jokes, No Chance": a History of the American Musical Theater. Northwestern University Press, 2008.

Bloom, Ken, and Frank Vlastnik. Broadway Musicals: the 101 Greatest Shows of All Time. Black Dog & Leventhal Pubs., 2010.

Brantley, Ben. “A Nun Who Is Certain, Even If Truth Is Not.” The New York Times, 24 Nov. 2004.

Brantley, Ben. “A Tomboy With Gumption (and Her Sisters).” The New York Times, 24 Jan. 2005.

Brantley, Ben. “A Wise Autumnal American in Florence.” The New York Times, 19 Apr. 2005.

Brantley, Ben. “Excuse Me, Got Any Spare Fame?” The New York Times, 22 Oct. 2004.

Brantley, Ben. “She's a Diva on Wheels of Song.” The New York Times, 29 Apr. 2005.

Finkle, David. “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.” TheaterMania, 2 May 2005.

Finkle, David. “The Light in the Piazza.” TheaterMania, 18 Apr. 2005.

Green, Jesse. “A Complicated Gift.” The New York Times, 6 July 2003.

Heilpern, John. “Soapy Light in the Piazza: This Amoré Is Kind of Creepy.” Observer, 9 May 2005.

“Innocence Abroad.” The New Yorker, 6 July 2017.

Isherwood, Charles. “Six Misfits Test Wits on Bigger Platform.” The New York Times, 3 May 2005.

Isherwood, Charles. “The Will to Win Spelled Out With a Lisp.” The New York Times, 8 Feb. 2005.

Jones, Chris. “The Light in the Piazza.” Variety, 25 Jan. 2004.

McKINLEY, JESSE. “Making Good on Broadway, 'Bee' Earns Back Investment.” The New York Times, 12 Sept. 2005.

Mondello, Bob. “In 'Doubt': Adapting A Parable Proves Problematic.” NPR, 11 Dec. 2008.

Rooney, David. “The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.” Variety, 8 Feb. 2005.

Simon, John. “Everything Is Illuminated.” New York Magazine.

Simon, John. “Faith-Based Initiative.” New York Magazine.

“Were New York Drama Critics Astonished by Little Women?” Broadway.com.

Gans, Andrew. “2004-2005 Tony Nominations Announced; Spamalot Garners 14 Nominations.” Playbill, 10 May 2005.

Light in the Piazza Seattle Premiere news feature

The Light in the Piazza ABC Special

In Rehearsal with Sutton Foster & the Original Cast of the Broadway Musical "Little Women"

Broadway Backstory: The Light in the Piazza

Broadway Backstory: The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.

This episode, we’re serving you two Hulkowers for the price of one. Anna's sister Isabel stops by to reminisce about the time they made their dad drive them to New Jersey to see Elaine Stritch. We also compare everything to The Producers, confess how much we like (Norbert Leo) Butz and we CANNOT lie, and wish Spamalot would spam a little less. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram (@mylittletonys) for additional content about this season’s shows!

Works referenced/cited:

Hischak, Thomas S. The Oxford Companion to the American Musical: Theatre, Film, and Television. Oxford University Press, 2008.

Filichia, Peter. Broadway Musicals: The Biggest Hit & the Biggest Flop of the Season 1959 to 2009. Applause Books, 2010.

Patinkin, Sheldon. "No Legs, No Jokes, No Chance": a History of the American Musical Theater. Northwestern University Press, 2008.

Bloom, Ken, and Frank Vlastnik. Broadway Musicals: the 101 Greatest Shows of All Time. Black Dog & Leventhal Pubs., 2010.

Anderson, Sam. “Why Spamalot Should Never Have Won a Tony.” Slate Magazine, 21 June 2005.

“Best Replacement Tony Award Is No More.” Broadway.com.

Brantley, Ben. “A 'Menagerie' Full of Stars, Silhouettes and Weird Sounds.” The New York Times, 23 Mar. 2005.

Brantley, Ben. “A Quest Beyond the Grail.” The New York Times, 18 Mar. 2005.

Brantley, Ben. “A Weak Erotic Charge Flickers in the New Orleans Heat.” The New York Times, 27 Apr. 2005.

Brantley, Ben. “Family Guys Who Are What They Are.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 10 Dec. 2004.

Brantley, Ben. “Here, Honor Is Profane and Words Do Hurt.” The New York Times, 2 May 2005.

Brantley, Ben. “Repatriating the Japanese Sondheim.” The New York Times, 3 Dec. 2004.

Brantley, Ben. “'Sweet Charity,' After a Rocky Road, Finally Reaches Broadway.” The New York Times, 5 May 2005.

Brantley, Ben. “The Art of the Con, Reprised.” The New York Times, 4 Mar. 2005.

“Did Broadway Critics Find Fun, Laughs, Good Times at Sweet Charity?” Broadway.com.

Gans, Andrew. “2004-2005 Tony Nominations Announced; Spamalot Garners 14 Nominations.” Playbill, 10 May 2005.

Jones, Chris. “Sweet Charity.” Variety, 6 Mar. 2005.

Kachka, Boris. “'Noooooooooooo!' - Christina Applegate.” New York Magazine,.

McKINLEY, JESSE. “'Spamalot' Discovers the Straight White Way.” The New York Times, 10 Apr. 2005.

Riedel, Michael. “BRITNEY MAY BE B'WAY BABE – 'CHARITY' TEAM SWEET ON HOT POP TART.” New York Post, 23 Nov. 2005.

Rooney, David. “La Cage Aux Folles.” Variety, 10 Dec. 2004.

Rooney, David. “Monty Python's Spamalot.” Variety, 18 Mar. 2005.

Rooney, David. “Pacific Overtures.” Variety, 3 Dec. 2004.

Rooney, David. “'Spamalot' Closes on Broadway.” Variety, 18 Oct. 2008.

Shirley, Don. “'Scoundrels' Opens on Broadway.” Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2005.

Simon, John. “Exquisite Corpses.” New York Magazine.

Simon, John. “Medieval Times.” New York Magazine, 28 Mar. 2005.

Simon, John. “Pros and Cons.” New York Magazine.

Simon, John. “The Caged Bird Sings.” New York Magazine, Intelligencer.

“'Spamalot' and 'Doubt' Win Tony Awards.” The New York Times, 5 June 2005.

Top Grossing Broadway Shows of 2005. BroadwayWorld.com.

“Were New York Critics Taken with Dirty Rotten Scoundrels?” Broadway.com.

Viertel, Jack. Secret Life of the American Musical: How Broadway Shows Are Built. Sarah Crichton Books,Farrar, Straus and Grioux, 2017.

Zehme, Bill. “King Mike and The Quest for the Broadway Grail.” New York Magazine, 2005.

Norbert Leo Butz, John Lithgow & Sherie Rene Scott in Rehearsal for "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels"

Production: "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" (Working In The Theatre #332)

Theater Talk - Remembering Mel Gussow & Spamalot (Full Episode)

A conversation with Eric Idle

Tim Curry - Spamalot REHEARSALS !! - Original London Cast

Eric Idle Spamalot documentary 2005

Mike Nichols on Directing, "Spamalot" and Being Funny (April 26, 2005) | Charlie Rose

We wrap up our coverage of the ‘75 Tony awards by discussing how the aftershocks of the Vietnam War were still sending tremors through Broadway via The Lieutenant and Shenandoah, having a pretty okay time with Goodtime Charley, and attempting to (finally) pay some attention to this season’s plays. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram (@mylittletonys) for additional content about this season’s shows!

Works referenced/cited:

Dietz, Dan. The Complete Book of 1970s Broadway Musicals. Rowman & Littlefield, 2017.

Hischak, Thomas S. The Oxford Companion to the American Musical: Theatre, Film, and Television. Oxford University Press, 2008.

Filichia, Peter. Broadway Musicals: The Biggest Hit & the Biggest Flop of the Season 1959 to 2009. Applause Books, 2010.

Mordden, Ethan. One More Kiss: the Broadway Musical in the 1970s. Palgrave MacMillan, 2004.

Bloom, Ken, and Frank Vlastnik. Broadway Musicals: the 101 Greatest Shows of All Time. Black Dog & Leventhal Pubs., 2010.

Mandelbaum, Ken. Not since Carrie: Forty Years of Broadway Musical Flops. St. Martin's Press, 1992.

Barnes, Clive. “A 'Charley' Full of Song and Effort.” The New York Times, 4 Mar. 1975.

Barnes, Clive. “Albee's 'Seascape' Is a Major Event.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 27 Jan. 1975l.

Barnes, Clive. “'Doctor Jazz' Opens at Winter Garden.” The New York Times, 20 Mar. 1975.

Barnes, Clive. “'Equus' a New Success on Broadway.” The New York Times, 25 Oct. 1974.

Barnes, Clive. “'Lieutenant', Musical With Something Worth Singing.” The New York Times, 10 Mar. 1975.

Barnes, Clive. “'Shenandoah' Is Musical of Civil War.” The New York Times, 8 Jan. 1975l.

Bertolini, Diana. “The Lost Musicals: Joel Grey's Star Vehicles, Part One: ‘Goodtime Charley.’” The New York Public Library, 27 Oct. 2015.

Goulding, Susan Christian. “Tustin Woman Aims to Revive Vietnam War-Era Broadway Musical in Honor of Her Late Dad, the Lead Guitarist.” Orange County Register, 18 June 2017.

Gussow, Mel. “Recalling Evolution of 'Seascape' Play, Albee Sees Tale Not of Lizard, but of Life.” The New York Times, 21 Jan. 1975.

Holden, Stephen. “Review/Theater; 'Shenandoah' Is Back, but the Era Has Changed.” The New York Times, 9 Aug. 1989.

Isherwood, Charles. “In South Africa, This Dead Man Does Tell Tales.” The New York Times, 11 Apr. 2008.

Kerr, Walter. “STAGE VIEW.” The New York Times, 4 May 1975.

Klein, Alvin. “THEATER; After 20 Years, Goodspeed Opera's 'Shenandoah' Back Again.” The New York Times 21 Aug. 1994.

Sanford Gifford, M.d. “Psychoanalyst Says Nay To 'Equus'.” The New York Times, 15 Dec. 1974.

“Sizwe Banzi Is Dead by Athol Fugard, John Kani and Winston Ntshona | English Teachers in South Africa.” Scoop.it, 12 Apr. 2013.

The Magic Show.

“Tony‐Award Nominee From Queens.” The New York Times, 6 Apr. 1975.

Wilson, John S. “The 'Shenandoah' Saga.” The New York Times, 16 Feb. 1975.

Winchester, Nick. “Why The Rocky Horror Show Is Still as Popular as Ever.” Newsweek, 13 May 2017.

Athol Fugard: Sizwe Bansi is Dead

In this episode covering the first half of an extremely crowded season, we try to unpack the truly bizarre ceremony for the 1975 Tonys. We also gush over the many talents of Geoffrey Holder, uncover a Wikipedia conspiracy about The Wiz, and separate fact & fiction in Mack & Mabel. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram (@mylittletonys) for additional content about this season’s shows!

Works referenced/cited:

Hischak, Thomas S. The Oxford Companion to the American Musical: Theatre, Film, and Television. Oxford University Press, 2008.

Filichia, Peter. Broadway Musicals: The Biggest Hit & the Biggest Flop of the Season 1959 to 2009. Applause Books, 2010.

Mordden, Ethan. One More Kiss: the Broadway Musical in the 1970s. Palgrave MacMillan, 2004.

Bloom, Ken, and Frank Vlastnik. Broadway Musicals: the 101 Greatest Shows of All Time. Black Dog & Leventhal Pubs., 2010.

Mandelbaum, Ken. Not since Carrie: Forty Years of Broadway Musical Flops. St. Martin's Press, 1992.

Barnes, Clive. “Stage: 'The Wiz' (of Oz).” The New York Times.

Brantley, Ben. “THEATER REVIEW; Pie Fights, Keystone Kops and Pain.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 3 July 1999.

Dietz, Dan. The Complete Book of 1970s Broadway Musicals. Rowman & Littlefield, 2017.

“Ease on Down the Road.” National Museum of African American History and Culture, 30 Jan. 2019.

Gray, Tim. “'The Wiz': How TV Turned a Troubled Stage Show Into a Smash.” Variety, 3 Dec. 2015.

Harris, Hark. “'Mack & Mabel' and Silent Film Era.” The New York Times, 7 Oct. 1974.

Herman, Jerry, and Ken Bloom. Jerry Herman: the Lyrics: a Celebration. Routledge, 2003.

Hirschhorn, Clive. “Will Sondheim Succeed In Being Genuinely Japanese?” The New York Times, The New York Times, 4 Jan. 1976.

Klein, Alvin. “THEATER; 'MACK AND MABEL' IN A REVIVAL.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 9 June 1985.

Klein, Alvin. “THEATER; 'Mack and Mabel' With a New Finale.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 3 July 1988.

Lester, Elenore. “Geoffrey Holder‐The Whiz Who Rescued 'The Wiz'.” The New York Times, 25 May 1975.

McOUISTON, JOHN T. “'The Wiz,' Best Musical, Wins 7 Tonys.” The New York Times, 21 Apr. 1975.

Rollins, Bryant. “Does 'The Wiz' Say Something Extra to Blacks?” The New York Times, 28 Dec. 1975.

Stock, Ellen. “Mack & Mabel: Getting the Show Off the Road.” New York Magazine, 7 Oct. 1974, pp. 49–52.

“'The Wiz' Misses.” The New York Times, 12 Jan. 1975.

Viertel, Jack. Secret Life of the American Musical: How Broadway Shows Are Built. Sarah Crichton Books,Farrar, Straus and Grioux, 2017.

Weinstock, Matt. “Angela Lansbury on Mack & Mabel.” New York City Center, 2 Oct. 2014.

Wilson, John S. “RECORDINGS VIEW.” The New York Times, 1 June 1975.

Longworth, Karina. “Mabel Normand (Fake News: Fact Checking Hollywood Babylon Episode 5).” You Must Remember This, 31 July 2018.

Anger, Kenneth. Hollywood Babylon. Rogner & Bernhard Bei Zweitausendeins, 2011.

Peters, Bernadette, and Véronique Hyland. “Broadway Legend Bernadette Peters on Meditation and Italian Feasts.” The Cut, 3 Mar. 2016.

In this episode, we conclude our discussion of the ‘98 Tony Awards. We pour one out for the dearly departed Natasha Richardson, join our heads together to analyze the reasons Side Show flopped, and wonder where in the world is Frank Wildhorn? (He’s big in Japan). Follow us on Twitter and Instagram (@mylittletonys) for additional content about this season’s shows!

Works referenced/cited:

Patinkin, Sheldon. "No Legs, No Jokes, No Chance": a History of the American Musical Theater. Northwestern University Press, 2008.

Bloom, Ken, and Frank Vlastnik. Broadway Musicals: the 101 Greatest Shows of All Time. Black Dog & Leventhal Pubs., 2010.

Filichia, Peter. Broadway Musicals: The Biggest Hit & the Biggest Flop of the Season 1959 to 2009. Applause Books, 2010.

Als, Hilton. “Freaks on Broadway.” The New Yorker, 20 June 2017.

O'Malley, Sheila. “Fully Realized: On Natasha Richardson in Cabaret.” Slant Magazine, 20 Mar. 2009.

Lyman, Rick. “Defeated, 'Side Show' Is Closing Jan. 3.” The New York Times, 23 Dec. 1997.

Lyman, Rick. “Ideas & Trends: Queasy About Broadway; What the Audience Won't Watch.” The New York Times, 4 Jan. 1998.

Brantley, Ben. “THEATER REVIEW; Desperate Dance at Oblivion's Brink.” The New York Times, 20 Mar. 1998.

Brantley, Ben. “THEATER REVIEW; Recovered, Restuffed, Otherwise Unchanged.” The New York Times, 5 Nov. 1998.

Brantley, Ben. “THEATER REVIEW; Two Faces, And Both In Trouble.” The New York Times, 10 Nov. 1997.

Brookhiser, Richard. “With a Revival Comes a Helping Of Revisionism.” The New York Times, 24 Aug. 1997.

Canby, Vincent. “THEATER; Finally, a Dandy of a 'Pimpernel'.” The New York Times, 15 Nov. 1998.

Canby, Vincent. “THEATER; Reworked for the Stage, 'High Society' Isn't Very.” The New York Times, 3 May 1998.

Considine, J.D. “Facing the Music.” Baltimore Sun, 22 Oct. 2018.

Evans, Greg. “Triumph of Love.” Variety, Variety, 2 Nov. 1997.

Kendrick, Anna. Scrappy Little Nobody. Simon & Schuster, 2017.

Lyman, Rick. “'1776' Will Make It to Broadway.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 30 Oct. 1997.

Lyman, Rick. “After 'Capeman,' A Chill in a Thriving Broadway Season.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 7 Mar. 1998.

Lyman, Rick. “Revival of '1776' Unlikely To Reach Broadway.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 9 Oct. 1997.

Pogrebin, Robin. “Broadway's Critic-Proof Composer Says This Is (Still) His Moment; Like His 'Scarlet Pimpernel,' Frank Wildhorn Keeps on Going.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 6 Oct. 1999.

Suisman, Charlie. “THEATER; Cue the Pop Ballad, Warn the Critics.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 15 Aug. 2004.

Viagas, Robert. “Paul Simon's Capeman Opens to Protests.” Playbill, 30 Jan. 1998.

Frank Wildhorn - on How He Works

The Scarlet Pimpernel Broadway Tour Special, Part 1

Kurtz, Judy. “Rosie O'Donnell to Lead Broadway Stars in Protest Outside White House.” The Hill, 3 Aug. 2018.

Brantley, Ben. “THEATER REVIEW; With Restraint, Illuminating The Freak In Everyone.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 17 Oct. 1997.

Canby, Vincent. “SUNDAY VIEW; 'Side Show' Asks, What Is Normal?” The New York Times, 26 Oct. 1997.

Canby, Vincent. “SUNDAY VIEW; 'Capeman' Doesn't Fly, Despite the Music.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 8 Feb. 1998.

The Capeman on Broadway

For our second episode, we’re tackling the first half of the 1998 Tony Awards. In this episode we explore whether Ragtime is the Show Boat of the 90s, the American Les Miserables, historical fanfiction, or all of the above; scream about the insane alternate second act Julie Taymor pitched for The Lion King; and shout out Seth Rudetsky, the Muppets, and American Girl Magazine. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram (@mylittletonys) for additional content about this season’s shows!

Works referenced/cited:

Brantley, Ben. “THEATER REVIEW; Cub Comes of Age: A Twice-Told Cosmic Tale.” The New York Times, 14 Nov. 1997.

DeVries, Hilary. “Julie Taymor: Giving Theater a Touch of Cross-Cultural Whimsy.” The Christian Science Monitor, 31 Oct. 1986.

Gussow, Mel. “The Looking Glass World of Julie Taymor.” The New York Times, 22 Mar. 1992.

Green, Jesse. “A Web and a Prayer.” New York Magazine, 21 Nov. 2010.

Kantor, Michael, director. Broadway: The American Musical. PBS, 2004.

Lyman, Rick. “Season's Last Hurrah, Live From Radio City.” The New York Times, 5 June 1998.

Martin, Douglas. “Disney Seals Times Square Theater Deal.” The New York Times, 3 Feb. 1994.

Rich, Frank. “Conversations With Sondheim.” The New York Times, 12 Mar. 2000.

Rose, Frank. “Can Disney Tame 42nd Street?” CNNMoney, 24 June 1996.

“Intercultural Theatre and Puppetry in the Works of Julie Taymor.” Intercultural Puppetry, 15 Dec. 2014.

Patinkin, Sheldon. "No Legs, No Jokes, No Chance": a History of the American Musical Theater. Northwestern University Press, 2008.

Bloom, Ken, and Frank Vlastnik. Broadway Musicals: the 101 Greatest Shows of All Time. Black Dog & Leventhal Pubs., 2010.

Filichia, Peter. Broadway Musicals: The Biggest Hit & the Biggest Flop of the Season 1959 to 2009. Applause Books, 2010.

Paller, Rebecca. “NY Times' Brantley Dissents on Ragtime.” Playbill, 19 Jan. 1998.

“Ragtime – Original Broadway Cast 1998.” The Official Masterworks Broadway Site.

Brantley, Ben. “THEATER REVIEW; 'Ragtime': A Diorama With Nostalgia Rampant.” The New York Times, 19 Jan. 1998.

Brantley, Ben. “I Hear America Singing, in Syncopation.” The New York Times, 15 Nov. 2009.

“Take Two: Hear the Fascinating History of Side Show from the Original Stars & Creators.” Broadway.com.

Pride of The Lion King | Behind the Scenes Documentary (Making of)

The Lion King: A Pre-Broadway Special

Julie Taymor: Spider-Man, The Lion King and life on the creative edge

Thomas Schumacher Chats About The 20th Anniversary Of "The Lion King"

Stephen Flaherty, Lynn Ahrens - How They Work

Stephen Flaherty, Lynn Ahrens - Ragtime (Live Performance)

Creating Broadway's Ragtime - PBS 1998

American Theatre Wing. “Production: ‘Ragtime’ (Working In The Theatre #272).”

“1776.” Muppet Wiki.

Fierberg, Ruthie. “9 Secrets Director Julie Taymor Revealed about The Lion King.” Playbill, 28 Jan. 2017.

Production: ‘The Lion King’ (Working In The Theatre # 270)

Morris, Hugh. “The Curious History of Times Square – and Why You Should Visit, despite the Chaos.” The Telegraph, 25 June 2018.

“A Conversation with David Henry Hwang and Julie Taymor.” Housing Works.

Evans, Greg. “A View From the Bridge.” Variety, Variety, 15 Dec. 1997.

Wilkommen, bienvenue, and WELCOME to My Little Tonys! In our inaugural episode covering the 1967 Tony Awards, we discuss why Cabaret puts the rest of the musicals this season to shame, Tim shares a very spicy take about two-person musicals, and we still manage to work Sondheim into the conversation even though he has nothing to do with any of the shows this year. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram (@mylittletonys) for additional content about this season’s shows!

Works referenced/cited:

“'I Do, I Do' Halted by Injury.” The New York Times , 8 Oct. 1966.

Jones, John Bush. Our Musicals, Ourselves: a Social History of the American Musical Theatre. Brandeis University Press, 2011.

Kerr, Walter. “The Theater: 'Cabaret' Opens at the Broadhurst.” New York Times, 21 Nov. 1966.

Kerr, Walter. "Theater: Musical 'I Do! I Do!' Arrives", New York Times, December 6, 1966

Mandelbaum, Ken. Not since Carrie: Forty Years of Broadway Musical Flops. St. Martin's Press, 1992.

[Wikipedia] A Hand is On the Gate

Rich, Frank, and Lisa Aronson. The Theatre Art of Boris Aronson. Knopf, 1987.