Followers

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Girls, How Could I Be Such A Negligent Theatre Queen??????



Let me explain what I mean, darlings, because I am so ashamed and embarrassed. And I fully apologize!!!!!!

During my "Sound Of Music" posting, I realized some salient facts about the show I should have posted originally, so am correcting so now. Not only are they salient, they are precedent setting.

When the TONY nominations came out that season, Laurie Peters was nominated as "Best Supporting Actress In A Musical," for her role as Liesl Von Trapp!!!!!!! So was Patricia Neway (who went on to win!!!!) playing the Mother Abbess.

But there was a nomination listed, and it's in the books, that has never been seen
before, and has never been seen since. Again, under the category "Best Supporting Actress In A Musical" is listed the following nominee--
The Children, in "The Sound Of Music"

That is right, darling! All seven kids playing Broadway's Von Trapps were nominated for a TONY in this category--even though TWO of them were boys!!!!!!!!!!

Imagine if they had won. Would one award have been given collectively, or seven to each child??? I think the latter, because each child is/was an individual!!!! I wonder about those boys--William Snowden and Joseph Stewart--if still alive, and if having grown to adulthood with this victory, no matter how they turned out (gay or straight) how would they have handled, when asked to recount a major accomplishment in their lives, say, with a straight face, "I won the TONY Award for "Best Supporting ACTRESS In A Musical"!!!!! Can you imagine?????????

Just think--in a category that calls for five performers, TEN--twice as many--were nominated that year. Think about it--Lauri Peters
Patricia Neway
Two Others, which makes four
The Children in "The Sound Of Music"
--discounting Laurie for her own
nomination, that makes six more
performers, bringing it to a
total of 10!!!! 11, if you
consider Laurie having been nominated
twice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Children have been trodding the Broadway stage since Broadway began, but
rarely are they singled out for their efforts. Neither Patty, McCormack OR Duke, was nominated for their groundbreaking work in "The Bad Seed" or "The Miracle Worker," though Patty Duke did go on to win the Oscar for the film version. And Patty McCormack WAS Oscar nominated for "The Bad Seed." How about Susan
Strasberg in "The Diary Of Anne Frank?" Andrea McArdle was nominated as "Best Actress In A Musical" when "Annie" first opened, but lost out in the same category to the brilliant, and more seasoned, Dorothy Loudon. And "Annie" was a show where they could have done something akin to "The Sound OF Music." The six other girls who played the Orphans could have been nominated as "Best Supporting Actress In A Musical," designated as The Orphans, in "Annie." But this was never tried again!!!!!!

In 1967, Frankie Michaels won as "Best Supporting Actor In A Musical" for his impressive turn as Young Patrick Dennis in the musical "Mame." While Daisy Egan, another juvenile, was awarded a TONY decades later for her brilliant work in "The Secret Garden,' she was actually six months older at the time than Frankie was when he won. So, Frankie's record STILL holds, but Daisy is on record as the youngest ACTRESS to ever win the award!!!!!!!!!!

So, "The Sound Of Music" set some precedents the year it premiered on Broadway!!!!!! Which every Theater Queen, or reader on here, should know!!!!!!!!!

And now you do, darlings!!!!!!!! Love to all!

No comments: