NYS Music 202​1

Tag: tony awards

  • “Moulin Rouge! The Musical” wins big at the 2021 Tony Awards

    On Sunday, September 26, 2021 the Tony Awards returned for the first time in two years to shine a light on the best of Broadway. Hosted by Audra McDonald at The Winter Garden Theatre in New York City, the two-hour awards ceremony streamed on Paramount+, followed by Leslie Odom Jr. hosting “The Tony Awards Present: Broadway’s Back!,” a two-hour live concert event featuring Broadway entertainers. Group performances included scenes from “Tina — The Tina Turner Musical,” “Jagged Little Pill” and “Moulin Rouge! The Musical.”

    tony awards 2021

    The big winner of the night was “Moulin Rouge! The Musical,” receiving 10 awards, including best musical, best choreography and best direction of a musical. Aaron Tveit won his first Tony for best leading actor in a musical, and was uniquely the only actor nominated in the category.

    “A Christmas Carol” had the second most awards with five, many for technical categories. Adapted by Jack Thorne from the Charles Dickens classic, the play starred Campbell Scott as Scrooge and won the 2021 Tony Awards for scenic design, costume design, lighting and sound design for a play, and took the award for Best Original Score. Although it had 12 nominations, “Slave Play” was shut out of the awards.

    photo by Joan Marcus

    Performers at the 74th Annual Tony Awards included Jennifer Nettles and Tony Award winners Jennifer Holliday and Ali Stroker. The evening also featured a reunion of the cast of “Hairspray,” including Tony Award-winner Marissa Jaret Winokur, Matthew Morrison, Kerry Butler, Chester Gregory and Darlene Love.

    The American Theatre Wing’s Tony Awards are presented by The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing.

    Read the full list of winners for the 2021 Tony Awards below.

    Best Play

    • “The Inheritance” – Matthew Lopez — Winner
    • “Grand Horizons” – Bess Wohl
    • “Sea Wall/A Life” – Simon Stephens and Nick Payne
    • “Slave Play” – Jeremy O. Harris
    • “The Sound Inside” – Adam Rapp

    Best Musical

    • “Moulin Rouge! The Musical” — Winner
    • “Jagged Little Pill”
    • “Tina: The Tina Turner Musical”

    Best Revival of a Play

    • “A Soldier’s Play” — Winner
    • “Betrayal”
    • “Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune”

    Best Book of a Musical

    • Diablo Cody – “Jagged Little Pill” — Winner
    • John Logan – “Moulin Rouge! The Musical”
    • Katori Hall, Frank Ketelaar, and Kees Prins – “Tina: The Tina Turner Musical”

    Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play

    • Andrew Burnap – “The Inheritance” — Winner
    • Ian Barford – “Linda Vista”
    • Jake Gyllenhaal – “Sea Wall/A Life”
    • Tom Hiddleston – “Betrayal”
    • Tom Sturridge – “Sea Wall/A Life”
    • Blair Underwood – “A Soldier’s Play”

    Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play

    • Mary-Louise Parker – “The Sound Inside” — Winner
    • Joaquina Kalukango – “Slave Play”
    • Laura Linney – “My Name Is Lucy Barton”
    • Audra McDonald – “Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune”

    Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical

    • Aaron Tveit – “Moulin Rouge! The Musical” — Winner

    Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical

    • Adrienne Warren – “Tina: The Tina Turner Musical” — Winner
    • Karen Olivo – “Moulin Rouge! The Musical”
    • Elizabeth Stanley – “Jagged Little Pill”

    Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play

    • David Alan Grier – “A Soldier’s Play” — Winner
    • Ato Blankson-Wood – “Slave Play”
    • James Cusati-Moyer – “Slave Play”
    • John Benjamin Hickey – “The Inheritance”
    • Paul Hilton – “The Inheritance”

    Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play

    • Lois Smith – “The Inheritance” — Winner
    • Jane Alexander – “Grand Horizons”
    • Chalia La Tour – “Slave Play”
    • Annie McNamara – “Slave Play”
    • Cora Vander Broek – “Linda Vista”

    Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical

    • Danny Burstein – “Moulin Rouge! The Musical” — Winner
    • Derek Klena – “Jagged Little Pill”
    • Sean Allan Krill – “Jagged Little Pill”
    • Sahr Ngaujah – “Moulin Rouge! The Musical”
    • Daniel J. Watts – “Tina: The Tina Turner Musical”

    Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical

    • Lauren Patten – “Jagged Little Pill” — Winner
    • Kathryn Gallagher – “Jagged Little Pill”
    • Celia Rose Gooding – “Jagged Little Pill”
    • Robyn Hurder – “Moulin Rouge! The Musical”
    • Myra Lucretia Taylor – “Tina: The Tina Turner Musical”

    Best Direction of a Play

    • Stephen Daldry – “The Inheritance” — Winner
    • David Cromer – “The Sound Inside”
    • Kenny Leon – “A Soldier’s Play”
    • Jamie Lloyd – “Betrayal”
    • Robert O’Hara – “Slave Play”

    Best Direction of a Musical

    • Alex Timbers – “Moulin Rouge! The Musical” — Winner
    • Phyllida Lloyd – “Tina: The Tina Turner Musical”
    • Diane Paulus – “Jagged Little Pill”

    Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics Written for the Theatre)

    • Christopher Nightingale (music) – “A Christmas Carol” — Winner
    • Paul Englishby (music) – “The Inheritance”
    • Fitz Patton and Jason Michael Webb (music) – “The Rose Tattoo”
    • Lindsay Jones (music) – “Slave Play”
    • Daniel Kluger (music) – “The Sound Inside”

    Best Choreography

    • Sonya Tayeh – “Moulin Rouge! The Musical” — Winner
    • Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui – “Jagged Little Pill”
    • Anthony Van Laast – “Tina: The Tina Turner Musical”

    Best Scenic Design of a Play

    • Rob Howell – “A Christmas Carol” — Winner
    • Bob Crowley – “The Inheritance”
    • Soutra Gilmour – “Betrayal”
    • Derek McLane – “A Soldier’s Play”
    • Clint Ramos – “Slave Play”

    Best Scenic Design of a Musical

    • Derek McLane – “Moulin Rouge! The Musical” — Winner
    • Riccardo Hernández and Lucy MacKinnon – “Jagged Little Pill”
    • Mark Thompson and Jeff Sugg – “Tina: The Tina Turner Musical”

    Best Costume Design of a Play

    • Rob Howell – “A Christmas Carol” — Winner
    • Dede Ayite – “Slave Play”
    • Dede Ayite – “A Soldier’s Play”
    • Bob Crowley – “The Inheritance”
    • Clint Ramos – “The Rose Tattoo”

    Best Costume Design in a Musical

    • Catherine Zuber – “Moulin Rouge! The Musical” — Winner
    • Emily Rebholz – “Jagged Little Pill”
    • Mark Thompson – “Tina: The Tina Turner Musical”

    Best Lighting Design of a Play

    • Hugh Vanstone – “A Christmas Carol” — Winner
    • Jiyoun Chang – “Slave Play”
    • Jon Clark – “The Inheritance”
    • Heather Gilbert – “The Sound Inside”
    • Allen Lee Hughes – “A Soldier’s Play”

    Best Lighting Design of a Musical

    • Justin Townsend – “Moulin Rouge! The Musical” — Winner
    • Bruno Poet – “Tina: The Tina Turner Musical”
    • Justin Townsend – “Jagged Little Pill”

    Best Sound Design of a Play

    • Simon Baker – “A Christmas Carol” — Winner
    • Paul Arditti and Christopher Reid – “The Inheritance”
    • Lindsay Jones – “Slave Play”
    • Daniel Kluger – “Sea Wall/A Life”
    • Daniel Kluger – “The Sound Inside”

    Best Sound Design of a Musical

    • Peter Hylenski – “Moulin Rouge! The Musical” — Winner
    • Jonathan Deans – “Jagged Little Pill”
    • Nevin Steinberg – “Tina: The Tina Turner Musical”

    Best Orchestration

    • Katie Kresek, Charlie Rosen, Matt Stine and Justin Levine – “Moulin Rouge! The Musical” — Winner
    • Tom Kitt – “Jagged Little Pill”
    • Ethan Popp – “Tina: The Tina Turner Musical”

  • Opera Saratoga Celebrates 60th Anniversary with Summer Festival

    This summer marks the 60th anniversary of the Opera Saratoga Summer Festival. Initially dubbed the Lake George Opera playing to a crowd of 230 people, Opera Saratoga regularly performs for over 25,000 a year. Having performed over 90 works by 52 composers, this summer’s festival commemorates the history and continued success of those who have put on these critically acclaimed productions. The festival features three concerts inspired by the literature of Miguel de Cervantes: Quixotic Opera, Man of La Mancha, and Don Quichotte at Camacho’s Wedding. 

    Working with a team of those dedicated to ensuring safety in the time of COVID, Opera Saratoga has committed to bringing audiences back safety for this summer’s festival for an outdoor experience during the months of June and July. These performances, produced in partnership with the Saratoga Performing Arts Center, Saratoga Spa State Park, and Pitney Meadows Community Farm, provide different performance spaces for a safe and enjoyable concert. 

    opera saratoga summer festival
    Via Opera Saratoga Official Site

    “Quixotic Opera”

    June 24th and 25th saw the kickoff of the festival with an 80 minute “Quixotic Opera” at Pitney Meadows Community Farm. Following a series of scenes from operas inspired by Miguel de Cervantes’ novel Don Quixote, the concert brought the audience on the adventures of nobleman Alonso Quizano who became a knight to serve his nation under the name Don Quixote de la Mancha. Lead by musical director Laurie Rogers, it featured scenes from Don Quichotte chez la Duchesse (Boismortier / Favart), Die Hochzeit des Camacho (Mendelssohn / Voigts), Il furioso all’isola di San Domingo (Donizetti / Ferretti),  Don Quixote (Kienzl) and more.

    “Man of La Mancha”

    opera saratoga summer festival
    Via Opera Saratoga Official Site

    July 8th, 9th, and 10th will feature the 120 minute musical “Man of La Mancha” at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center Amphitheater. Written by Dale Wasserman, the Tony Award winning musical, which features Broadway and Opera star Zachary James in the lead role as Cervantes/Don Quixote, tells the story of Don Quixote with music by Mitch Leigh, and lyrics by Joe Darion. 

    “A universal tale of love, hope, and adventure, Man of La Mancha celebrates the perseverance of one man who refuses to relinquish his ideals, and who is determined to see life not as it is, but as it ought to be.” 

    Opera Saratoga Official Website

    “Don Quichotte at Camacho’s Wedding”

    opera saratoga summer festival
    Via Opera Saratoga’s Official Site

    For lovers of more traditional classical music, Opera Saratoga will be presenting the 50 minute “Don Quichotte at Camacho’s Wedding” with twelve performances scheduled between July 14th and 18th. A one-act comic serenata, the performances will feature artists from Opera Saratoga’s Young Artist Program. Written by Georg Philipp Telemann with a libretto by Daniel Schiebeler, the concert incorporates an episode from Part Two of Don Quixote where the knight and his squire stumble upon unusual weddings while exploring the world.  

    Tickets for both the musical Man of La Mancha and the serenata Don Quichotte at Camacho’s Wedding on Opera Saratoga’s website. Ensured audience safety amidst the COVID-19 pandemic has limited tickets this season and Opera Saratoga anticipates that performances will sell out in advance of the show date. Advance ticket purchases are required for Don Quichotte at Camacho’s Wedding and while not required for Man of La Mancha, they are strongly advised to ensure a spot at the special 60th anniversary performance.

  • Samuel E. Wright, Tony Nominee and Founder of Hudson Valley Conservatory, dies at 72

    Samuel E Wright, found of the Hudson Valley Conservatory, voice of Sebastian the crab in 1989’s The Little Mermaid, and Tony Award nominated actor has died at age 72. A longtime resident of Walden, NY, Wright passed away peacefully after a three-year battle with prostate cancer.

    samuel wright

    Born on November 20, 1948 in Camden, SC, Wright moved to New York City in 1968 to begin his acting career. After a few years in London, Wright returned to perform in 18 Broadway productions, beginning with Jesus Christ Superstar in 1971. He later landed the role of Pippin in 1972, replacing Ben Vereen as the lead.

    In 1983, Samuel Wright received his first Tony Award nomination for The Tap Dance Kid, which found Wright as the unsympathetic father of a young boy (Alfonso Riberio). More recently, he originated the role of Mufasa in Disney’s The Lion King, which garnered him his second Tony nomination, and a Drama Desk Award.

    Wright acted in several films, including Clint Eastwood’s 1988 Bird, playing the role of Dizzy Gillespie to Forest Whitaker’s Charlie “Bird” Parker. In the 1995 Apollo Theater revival of The Wiz, he played the Scarecrow in alongside Whitney Houston, Keith David and Cedric the Entertainer.

    In 1989, he earned Grammy, Oscar and Golden Globe Awards for Best Original Song for “Under the Sea,” from The Little Mermaid. The song would achieve RIAA certification and double platinum status, leading to parodies from Saturday Night Live to The Simpsons. With his new success, he moved north from New York City to Walden in Orange County. Here, he would continue to commute for the role of Mufasa, while creating a legacy in support of the arts.

    Founded in 1994, the Hudson Valley Conservatory (HVC) is the first performing arts school in the Hudson Valley offering classes in acting, music and dance, to ages 3 and up. Started by Samuel E. Wright, Amanda A. Wright and Pamela A. Murphy in 1994, HVC is a place for children to learn and grow in the arts.

    Per their mission statement, HVC pride themselves on offering a well-rounded arts education and helping children develop not just as artists, but confident, competent young adults. Students at HVC have the opportunity to take part in productions throughout the year in HVC’s black box theatre, The New Rose Theatre.

    Notable fans of Samuel Wright include Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda, who named his oldest son after Sebastian.

    Wright is survived by his wife, Amanda, and their three children, Keely, Dee and Sam. 

    To honor the life of Samuel E. Wright and continue their mission, the New Rose Theatre Group will be starting The Samuel E Wright Scholarship Fund. This fund will be used to support the children, school and community of young artists he created at the Hudson Valley Conservatory. If you would like to make a contribution to the fund, checks can be mailed to:

    Samuel E Wright Scholarship Fund
    Via New Rose Theatre Group 
    PO Box 702 
    Walden NY 12586
    or donate directly to New Rose Theatre Group by Venmo @Rose-Group