Theater Talk

Three Tall Women
We welcome Glenda Jackson, Laurie Metcalf and Alison Pill, who discuss working together with director Joe Mantello to create the magnificent revival of Edward Albee's Three Tall Women, now on Broadway. Jesse Green of The New York TImes and Susan Haskins co-host.
TRANSCRIPT
>> HASKINS: Coming up on
"Theater Talk"...
Do you vote your heart?
>> VINCENTELLI: I vote with my
heart.
>> HASKINS: Good.
>> GREEN: And, Adam, lacking
one, what do you do?
[ Laughter ]
>> FELDMAN: Thank you.
I honor the privacy of the
ballot box.
>> HASKINS: Wonderful.
♪
From New York City, this is
"Theater Talk."
And it is our annual Tony
predictions show.
I'm Susan Haskins.
And here with me is my co-host,
Adam Feldman, dance and theater
editor ofTime Out New York and
president of the New York Drama
Critics' Circle.
>> FELDMAN: Correct.
>> HASKINS: And we are joined by
our Tony predictors.
Patrick Pacheco of the
L.A. Times, noted author of
this fantastic book, the
"American Theatre Wing," and
also an Emmy winner for
NY1 "On Stage" --
Best Magazine Show this year.
Congratulations, Patrick.
It seems to be your year.
>> PACHECO: [ Laughs ]
>> HASKINS:
Elisabeth Vincentelli,
contributing writer to
The New Yorker and
The New York Times
and co-host of
"Three on the Aisle," our
spin-off.
[ Laughter ]
>> MUSTO: Seems to be your year,
too.
>> HASKINS: Michael Musto of
NewNowNext.com.
Michael, do you have anything
you want to tell our viewers?
>> MUSTO: I missed some of these
shows this season because of an
ailment.
>> HASKINS: All right.
>> MUSTO: But I still got 82%
right in my nomination
predictions, proving you don't
have to see the shows to guess
the Tonys.
>> HASKINS: That's so true.
That's true.
>> MUSTO: Or to even vote on the
Tonys.
>> HASKINS: And Jesse Green.
>> GREEN: I also have something
I want to say.
>> HASKINS: All right.
Who is the co-chief theater
critic ofThe New York Times.
What would you like to say?
>> GREEN: I didn't miss a lot of
the shows this season and I wish
I had an ailment.
>> HASKINS: Now, we're gonna
jump right in, everybody, with
your predictions for Best Play.
"The Children"...
"Farinelli and the King"...
>> ♪ Enchanted
>> ..."Harry Potter and the
Cursed Child," parts 1 and 2...
"Junk," and
"Latin History for Morons."
Hmm.
>> PACHECO: That's really a
tough one.
>> MUSTO: Look, Susan,
"Harry Potter" came from London.
It won awards. It's really long.
It feels like an event.
It doesn't even matter if it's
good.
It's going to win.
>> FELDMAN: I mean, I think it's
a terrific show.
I think it's a terrific
experience at the theater.
The question is -- as a play, is
it as good as, let's say in this
case, "The Children" or "Junk."
>> PACHECO: Well, "The Children"
is clearly a great play, and
"Harry Potter" is an experience,
as you said.
>> FELDMAN: Yeah.
And the thing about the Tonys,
as you know, is that there isn't
a distinction between the
production and the play the way
that there is for musical
categories.
>> PACHECO: Or revivals.
>> FELDMAN: Yeah.
So, what I expect to see this
year is "Harry Potter" winning,
in the same way that "War Horse"
won in its year over, in that
year, a very strong selection of
original plays that were, in my
opinion, clearly superior as
plays.
But "War Horse" was unstoppable.
>> VINCENTELLI: I would say it's
just a horrible year for
American plays.
>> PACHECO: Mm-hmm.
>> MUSTO: On Broadway.
>> VINCENTELLI: On Broadway.
>> PACHECO: Oh, I think
Ayad Akhtar's "Junk" is pretty
good.
He's an American playwright.
>> TOM: Are you threatening me?
>> ROBERT: On the contrary, Tom.
>> VINCENTELLI: Oh, it's deadly.
[ Laughter ]
>> HASKINS: I liked "Junk."
>> PACHECO: I totally disagree.
>> MUSTO: Ever since
"Nicholas Nickleby," something
that prestigious, such an event
is going to win.
It just -- "The Children," you
really think, has a chance?
No, it doesn't.
>> GREEN: No, I don't think it
has a chance.
I think it's a very fine play.
>> VINCENTELLI: It's a better
play-play.
>> GREEN: But to speak to
Elisabeth's point, I think that
a lot of plays kind of scurried
away from this season because
they knew "Harry Potter" was
coming in.
>> HASKINS: You, Elisabeth, and
you, Adam, are Tony voters,
correct?
>> FELDMAN: Mm-hmm.
>> HASKINS: Will you throw your
vote away on "The Children" or
jump in on "Harry --
>> PACHECO: That's a leading
question.
>> HASKINS: That's an
interesting question.
Do you vote your heart?
>> VINCENTELLI: I vote with my
heart.
>> HASKINS: Good.
>> VINCENTELLI: I really
don't -- Yeah.
>> HASKINS: And you?
>> GREEN: And, Adam, lacking
one, what do you do?
[ Laughter ]
>> FELDMAN: Thank you.
I honor the privacy of the
ballot box.
>> HASKINS: Wonderful.
>> MUSTO: He's voting for --
[ Laughter ]
>> HASKINS: Now on to
Best Musical.
"The Band's Visit"...
>> ♪ The kick drum
♪ Spelling out the rhythm of
love ♪
>> ..."Frozen..."
♪
..."Mean Girls"...
>> ♪ She has everything
♪ She gets everything
>> ..."SpongeBob SquarePants."
>> MUSTO: This is another really
hard one.
>> GREEN: Yeah. Really hard one.
>> MUSTO: We knew a year ago it
was going to be
"The Band's Visit."
And let's look at the trajectory
of recent years.
There was "Fun Home" and
"Hamilton" and
"Dear Evan Hansen," plays that
received great acclaim and
awards off-Broadway, moved to
Broadway.
That's a given that, after they
moved, they're going to win the
Tony.
No different this year.
>> PACHECO: It's also a level of
excellence.
I mean, "Band's Visit" is so
original and so bold and so
daring and so "non-commercial,"
in many ways, that you really
want it to be acknowledged by
the Tony Award in order to spike
sales.
>> MUSTO: And you think, "Well,
it's based on a movie."
Well, it is based on a movie,
but it's not an obvious movie.
>> VINCENTELLI: So we're saying
that "Harry Potter" is going to
win because it's bold and it's
commercial and "Mean Girls" is
not going to win because it's
bold and commercial?
Like, I don't understand the --
>> MUSTO: You see a discrepancy
there?
>> VINCENTELLI: I'm not
understanding the reasoning
there.
If bold and non-commercial --
>> MUSTO: But "Harry Potter" is
a prestige event, unlike
"Mean Girls."
"Mean Girls" is just a fun show.
>> PACHECO: I don't think
"Mean Girls" is bold at all.
>> HASKINS: But, Elisabeth, as
you all in the Drama Critics'
Circle awarded the effects and
the staging and the magical look
of "Harry Potter," which it had.
And I wouldn't say that, for
example, "Mean Girls" had new,
innovative staging.
>> VINCENTELLI: But the
advantage of the citation of the
Drama Critics' Circle is that
you can differentiate between
the play and the production
values.
And it's a very careful wording
there.
That said, I agree that
"The Band's Visit" will win and
should win.
>> FELDMAN: And it's not just
excellence.
I mean, it is excellence, but
it's also -- There's a snob
factor.
There's a prestige factor
involved.
I think that, for better, for
worse, "SpongeBob" and
"Mean Girls," even among people
who really like them -- and I
liked both of those shows --
they do seem like shows that are
aimed at some level of children.
And that's true of "Frozen," as
well.
And "Band's Visit" is very much
an adult show.
>> MUSTO: In "Band's Visit,"
there are no show-stopping
numbers.
There's no production numbers.
It's a human, charming,
eccentric thing about a band
that gets stranded in an Israeli
town that's supposed to be dull.
Turns out, it isn't dull.
There's lots of interesting
human interaction.
>> ♪ Now, that's a party
>> MUSTO: "Mean Girls" is a
Broadway animal from beginning
to end.
>> GREEN: But it's interesting
that now -- and I think this is
what you're saying -- that show,
"Mean Girls," that checks those
boxes, is not the one that is
the instant win.
It's the other one, the one that
would, you know, 20 years ago,
would probably never have come
to Broadway in the first place.
>> HASKINS: But for the past few
years, when the Tony voters have
been given the opportunity to
vote for something that's an
innovative work of art, they do
go with that, but now, here, you
have in the plays where --
You're right.
It's not an innovative play, but
all the other plays are gone.
You know, were early in the
season or are gone, where here
was this juggernaut that's just
sitting there.
>> VINCENTELLI: Well, I think a
big difference this year is
that -- I think the favorite
right now would be
"The Band's Visit," but if you
remember, the prestige musical
is not always a shoo-in.
I would always think of the year
of "Caroline, or Change"...
>> FELDMAN: Right.
>> VINCENTELLI: ...versus -- I
think it was "Avenue Q" and
"Wicked," which is a very
similar situation as to this
one.
Another transfer, prestige
transfer, except
"Caroline, or Change"
did not win.
>> HASKINS: I'm going to jump to
Book of a Musical.
So, here, we have
"The Band's Visit"...
>> DINA: You can stay here with
us tonight, if you want to.
>> TEWFIQ: No. No.
You have done too much already.
>> HASKINS: ....Itamar Moses,
"Frozen," Jennifer Lee,
"Mean Girls," Tina Fey, and
"SpongeBob," Kyle Jarrow.
Is Tina Fey's star power,
TV-personality thing going to
carry her into beating
Itamar Moses?
>> PACHECO: I hope not.
>> GREEN: I think so.
>> PACHECO: I hope not.
>> VINCENTELLI: I think so.
>> PACHECO: I really think
Itamar Moses did a much better
job.
>> GREEN: But that's a different
question.
>> HASKINS: That's a different
question.
>> MUSTO: I heard they might
actually put this category on
the telecast, which they usually
don't, and one of the
motivations might they think
Tina Fey could win, and she's
ratings.
I don't know.
I think "Band's Visit" had the
best book.
>> VINCENTELLI: I think there
will be a split of the votes in
there, that Musical will go to
"Band's Visit" and Book will go
to "Mean Girls."
>> PACHECO: I'm going to make a
prediction that Itamar Moses is
going to win for "Band's Visit."
>> FELDMAN: I think it's gonna
be very tight.
This is one of the hardest ones
to predict.
>> HASKINS: Yes, yes.
>> FELDMAN: And I think that
this might -- What might be
working in Tina Fey's favor, in
addition to her celebrity, in
addition to the very good work
that she does on the show, is
that people do have an impulse
to spread the wealth a little
bit.
"Mean Girls" did get
12 nominations.
It's hard to think of that many
other categories in which it has
a very strong chance of winning.
And in the same way that, you
know, "Come From Away" won
Best Director last year for
Ashley, this might get that kind
of award.
Here is an award we can give to
"Mean Girls."
>> HASKINS: And Tina Fey sent
pink pencils to everyone in the
press.
[ Laughter ]
Here's another hard category --
Best Revival of a Musical.
"My Fair Lady"...
"Once On This Island"...
>> ♪ What you are
♪ We made you
>> HASKINS: ...Rodgers and
Hammerstein's "Carousel."
>> GREEN: Wait.
Were the others not written by
anyone?
[ Laughter ]
>> FELDMAN: Anonymous.
>> HASKINS: Well, their estates
are not in there...
>> GREEN: Oh, I see.
>> MUSTO: I would definitely go
with Edward Albee's
"My Fair Lady."
It was just so memor-- Oh, I
mean Rodgers and Hammerstein.
I just think that's gonna win.
>> HASKINS: "Carousel"?
>> MUSTO: "My Fair Lady."
>> HASKINS: Oh, "My Fair Lady."
>> MUSTO: It's a beautiful,
sumptuous production.
The acting was revelatory.
And it just made the show fresh
for me.
>> PACHECO: I think the most
emotional show always wins, and
I think the most emotional show
was "Carousel," in terms of
drawing an emotional reaction.
>> MUSTO: No love for the goat,
"Once On This Island"?
>> PACHECO: Well, you know, I
think that may be, as Adam was
saying about the other
categories, something where they
look for something they can give
that marvelous revival.
But it may not be
Best Revival of a Musical.
Maybe it will be in Scene Design
or --
>> VINCENTELLI: Wait.
Which one is the marvelous
revival?
>> GREEN: "Once On This Island"
is a --
>> MUSTO: Well, do you think
"My Fair Lady" will win or
"Carousel"?
>> GREEN: I think "My Fair Lady"
will win.
There's a lot of discussion
about -- some of it prompted by
me -- about whether "Carousel"
really even bothered to pay
attention to the moment that it
was being revived in.
I feel it did not do that in a
way that "My Fair Lady" --
>> FELDMAN: You mean --
>> GREEN: Yes.
And, well, just what is the
purpose of doing a revival of a
great show like that if you're
not going to see it now in the
relationship to new things that
we've learned in our society?
>> MUSTO: How did it avoid
addressing that in the show?
>> GREEN: Well, they cut the
line that was causing so much
trouble.
>> FELDMAN: Cut some of the
lines.
>> GREEN: Well...
>> HASKINS: About abuse.
>> FELDMAN: I feel like they
generally kind of bulldozed over
the plot elements with all this
gorgeous aesthetic presentation.
So there are these magnificent,
transporting dances.
And I think it's going to win
for Best Choreography.
>> GREEN: Yes, I agree.
>> FELDMAN: And the vocals are
real, you know, opera vocals,
with Renée Fleming doing a guest
appearance.
And everything looks grand, you
know?
But I think that you do lose a
little bit of the texture of the
plot in it, as opposed to
"My Fair Lady."
All of these revivals are really
strong this year.
>> GREEN: Yes.
>> FELDMAN: I would be happy to
see any of them again.
>> HASKINS: It's a hard
category.
>> GREEN: And they were the only
ones, as well.
They were the only three
revivals, and so there are only
three nominees.
>> FELDMAN: Also, the voters are
not the nominators, but to the
extent that the nominators
reflect the voters, it might be
worth pointing out that the
director of "Carousel" is not
nominated for Best Director, and
the other two were.
And, to some extent, that may
reflect some general feeling
about the value of the work that
they did.
>> HASKINS: All right, so, let's
go to Best Revival of a Play.
"Angels in America"...
Edward Albee's
"Three Tall Women...
Eugene O'Neill's -- I guess he's
got an estate now.
And Eugene O'Neill's
"The Iceman Cometh"...
"Lobby Hero"...
and "Travesties."
>> GREEN: This was a great
category.
>> PACHECO: Yeah.
Brilliant. Brilliant.
>> HASKINS: And, oh, did I love
"Travesties."
I might as well say that.
It's not going to win, but
that's a great --
>> FELDMAN: So, by Michael's
standard, which is the longest
and which is the most --
>> MUSTO: I was just gonna say,
"Angels" is long.
It's from London.
It won awards.
It's a prestigious event.
It's got it in the bag.
And it has tremendous
competition.
>> FELDMAN: "Travesties" is an
English play, but --
>> GREEN: It's not long enough.
>> FELDMAN: It's not long
enough.
>> HASKINS: But, now,
"The Iceman Cometh," one of the
greatest American plays -- long.
And then, possibly, rivaling
"Angels in America" as the
greatest American play ever
written.
It really does.
>> PACHECO: "Iceman Cometh"?
>> HASKINS: Yes.
>> MUSTO: "Angels in America" is
actually two plays.
Let's not forget they actually
put two plays that ran
separately on Broadway,
originally, in different
seasons, and they put them all
together.
>> FELDMAN: Well, they ran --
>> MUSTO: It's kind of an
unstoppable juggernaut.
>> HASKINS: They put them all
together and made you pay for
both of them.
Yes, they did.
[ Laughter ]
>> MUSTO: They made you pay?
>> HASKINS: No, I meant --
>> MUSTO: Oh. Someone did.
>> GREEN: So, are we all
agreeing that
"Angels in America"
is likely to win?
>> ALL: Yes.
>> GREEN: And do any of us -- I
dissent from whether it should
win or not.
>> FELDMAN: Well, I think that,
in some ways, for me, the most
perfect revival is
"Three Tall Women."
>> GREEN: I agree.
>> HASKINS: Well, I just want to
say, Glenda Jackson was here
last week.
She's on "Theater Talk."
>> MUSTO: And you're still
alive?
>> HASKINS: She was so fabulous.
>> JACKSON: I don't actually
agree with you that we want
audiences to like us.
We want them to listen and we
want them to laugh in the right
places and be quiet in the right
places.
We don't necessarily want us to
like them.
>> HASKINS: One of the honors of
my life to sit and talk to this
woman.
>> MUSTO: Well, she had just had
a confrontational interview in
theL.A. Times.
>> PACHECO: Yes.
Charles McNulty's classic
interview.
>> MUSTO: Which was a great
article.
>> HASKINS: Maybe, but she was a
darling.
I adored her.
>> MUSTO: She's got the award in
the bag.
I mean, this is a weak field, if
you're looking at some of the
other nominees.
They put in Amy Schumer, who
wasn't really universally raved
about.
They just didn't want to put
Uma Thurman --
>> FELDMAN: This was such a weak
year for that.
And this is when we get to some
of these categories that are
really --
>> HASKINS: Let me name the
other actresses.
>> MUSTO: Susan's crying 'cause
she's friends with Amy Schumer.
>> HASKINS: Yes. Oh, geez.
BFFs, I'll tell you.
>> FELDMAN: Best Actress in a
Play.
>> HASKINS: Glenda Jackson in
Edward Albee's
"Three Tall Women,"
Condola Rashad in
George Bernard Shaw's
"Saint Joan," Lauren Ridloff
in Mark Medoff's
"Children of a Lesser God," and
Amy Schumer in...
>> MUSTO: Steve Martin's
"Meteor Shower."
Obviously, Amy Schumer.
>> FELDMAN: Notice there are
only four nominees, and that's
because of the way that the
rules are structured.
When there are fewer than
nine eligible candidates, they
reduce the --
>> MUSTO: They really didn't
want to put Uma Thurman.
>> HASKINS: And they wouldn't
give it to poor old
Elizabeth McGovern.
>> FELDMAN: No, well, not that
Uma Thurman or Lili Taylor or
Janeane Garofalo --
>> HASKINS: Right, right.
>> FELDMAN: But that only adds
up to eight.
And what really should have
happened -- The reason that this
is happening is that, for
reasons that I could argue about
all day, the two women and the
children were both considered
featured actresses, even though,
you know --
>> VINCENTELLI: That is a crazy
decision.
>> FELDMAN: I mean, there's only
three people in the whole play.
>> VINCENTELLI: Right.
>> HASKINS: But wouldn't that
have been the doing of the
producers to try to hedge their
bets?
>> FELDMAN: Also, the committee
has the right to overrule and
make its own decisions.
And a similar thing happened
this year with "Lobby Hero,"
where they just didn't want to
make any decisions, so they
called them all featured.
And the result of this is that
these two actors, who could
easily have been nominated in
this category, these two women,
who are both wonderful in
"The Children" --
>> PACHECO: Deborah Findlay and
Francesca Annis.
>> FELDMAN: Deborah Findlay is
nominated for Featured.
Francesca Annis is not.
Both of them could easily have
been nominated for Best Actress.
>> GREEN: And easily not won.
>> FELDMAN: And easily lost to
Glenda Jackson, like everybody
else.
>> HASKINS: And, also, it was
interesting to me that, for
example, in "Harry Potter," I
thought the lead was
Anthony Boyle.
That's his name --
Anthony Boyle, who played --
What's his character's name?
>> GREEN: Scorpius.
>> HASKINS: But, yet, they gave
it to Jamie Parker because he
played Harry Potter, although he
really wasn't the leading part.
>> VINCENTELLI: Scorpius gets
more stage time.
>> HASKINS: Yes.
It is about Scorpius.
>> PACHECO: And Laura Benanti
was eligible in a category,
because she easily could have
been nominated instead of
Amy Schumer.
She was a much better
performance in that play.
>> MUSTO: But she was eligible
for Feature, Laura Benanti.
>> HASKINS: Yeah. Yeah.
So, sometimes, the producers
defeat themselves with those.
>> MUSTO: It's really category
fraud.
It's category fraud.
But, obviously, Susan --
Obviously, Amy Schumer is not
going to win.
[ Laughter ]
Glenda Jackson is the surest
thing since --
>> FELDMAN: We're not dissing
Amy Schumer.
I thought she was pleasant in
that.
>> HASKINS: No.
>> MUSTO: This is a slam dunk,
Glenda Jackson.
>> HASKINS: But now let us go to
the Performance by a Leading
Actor in a Play.
Andrew Garfield,
"Angels in America"...
Tom Hollander, ""Travesties"...
Jamie Parker, "Harry Potter and
the Cursed Child," Parts 1 and
2...
Mark Rylance, "Farinelli and the
King"...
and Denzel Washington in
"The Iceman Cometh."
>> VINCENTELLI: It's not a poor
showing for American actors
there.
>> FELDMAN: Not at all.
Although, Rylance and Garfield
are kind of halfsies, both of
them.
>> GREEN: How is Garfield
halfsy?
>> FELDMAN: Well, I think he was
born here and then raised there.
>> GREEN: Oh, okay.
>> PACHECO: Oh.
Didn't know that. Right.
>> FELDMAN: But he calls himself
British-American.
>> HASKINS: So, what do you
think?
What do you think?
>> PACHECO: I think it's going
to be Andrew Garfield, but I
think it's a race between
Andrew Garfield and
Denzel Washington.
>> HASKINS: Denzel -- wonderful.
>> PACHECO: It's an
extraordinary performance.
I just saw it recently.
>> VINCENTELLI: By
Denzel Washington?
>> PACHECO: Yeah. Yes.
>> VINCENTELLI: Whoa!
>> HASKINS: No, and I think --
>> PACHECO: I thought it was
amazing.
I was not looking forward to
another production of
"Iceman Cometh."
>> HASKINS: What do you think?
>> MUSTO: Andrew Garfield.
I mean, Prior Walter is one of
those great roles.
He's flamboyant and he's
abandoned.
He develops AIDS and he's full
of hallucinations.
And Stephen Spinella, in the
original, was one of the most
brilliant performances I've ever
seen.
>> HASKINS: Jesse?
>> GREEN: I think
Andrew Garfield will win, but
I'm not really happy with this
category at all.
I would have trouble if I were
voting.
>> PACHECO: Really?
>> GREEN: Yeah, I didn't like
the acting in
"Angels in America."
I thought it was overacted.
And --
>> VINCENTELLI: In general or
just --
>> GREEN: In general, but
particularly by him.
I did like Tom Hollander in
"Travesties."
So if I were a voter, I suppose
that's how I would vote.
>> HASKINS: Huh.
>> FELDMAN: Wow.
>> HASKINS: And you?
>> FELDMAN: Privacy of the
ballot.
>> HASKINS: Oh, no.
I'm not asking -- I'm asking you
who you think will win.
>> FELDMAN: I think that
Andrew Garfield will win.
But there may be some factors
involved, again, with the
spreading of the wealth.
It depends if people in the
supporting categories, the
feature categories that we're
getting to -- If people end up
voting for "Angels" cast members
there, then they may want to
give something to
"The Iceman Cometh."
>> HASKINS: All right, so, I'm
going to jump to feature very
quickly.
>> VINCENTELLI: I'm going to
say, I hope Denzel does not get
it, if only because if he does,
then he will think, "That's it.
I am ready for 'King Lear,'
which he has expressed the will
to do.
And I really do not think we
need another "King Lear."
>> HASKINS: No, we want
Glenda Jackson's "Lear."
>> HASKINS: Yes, exactly.
That I will go see.
>> HASKINS: That we want.
Best Performance in a Musical by
a Leading Actor.
Harry Hadden...
[ Laughter ]
>> MUSTO: Ham and Eggs.
>> GREEN: No, not Ham and Eggs.
>> MUSTO: All right,
Ham and Bacon.
>> PACHECO: Harry Hadden-Paton.
>> GREEN: Paton. Bacon.
>> ♪ Why can't the English teach
their children how to speak? ♪
♪ This verbal class
distinction...♪
>> HASKINS: Best Performance in
a Musical by a Leading Actor.
Harry Hadden-Paton for
"My Fair Lady," Joshua Henry for
Rodgers and Hammerstein's
"Carousel," Tony Shalhoub for
"The Band's Visit," and
Ethan Slater for
"SpongeBob SquarePants.
>> PACHECO: I hope you're
happier with this category,
Jesse.
>> VINCENTELLI: That's a tough
one.
>> MUSTO: I'm the only one who's
gonna say Tony Shalhoub for
"The Band's Visit."
It's his fourth nomination.
He gave a subtle, sophisticated,
I think, wonderful performance.
>> FELDMAN: I think he won't win
because if he gave a subtle,
sophisticated performance --
>> MUSTO: No, he didn't sing
much.
It's not much of a musical
performance, but who cares?
Rules are meant to be broken.
A lot of people are predicting
the Sponge.
>> GREEN: I think Ethan Slater
probably will win and that
Tony Shalhoub, who I would vote
for, will not for the reason
that Adam said.
>> FELDMAN: I don't know if
Ethan's gonna win.
I think there's a very good
chance that Joshua Henry will
win.
It's a big part.
It's a dramatic part in a way
that -- I think there still
might be some anti-Sponge bias
on the part of the voters.
>> HASKINS: Right.
>> FELDMAN: And they don't think
that the Sponge is --
>> VINCENTELLI: I feel there's a
been a bit of a turning of the
tide recently in favor of
"SpongeBob."
And that could help Ethan Slater
in this.
And we were talking earlier
about the spreading-of-the-goods
thing.
>> FELDMAN: If I were spreading
the wealth, this is one that I
would consider, but I would also
seriously consider
orchestration, sound, costumes,
set as "SpongeBob" --
>> VINCENTELLI: I think it will
get that.
>> HASKINS: But can I ask you,
I mean, well, I'm biased because
we had Joshua Henry on, and it
was magnificent.
>> ♪ Soon, you'll leave me
♪ Off you would go in the mist
of day ♪
>> HASKINS: And Ethan Slater --
I mean, that was enjoyable, but
that, to me, was not what I
think of acting.
>> GREEN: But you're going about
your preference, not about what
might -- And Elisabeth is --
>> VINCENTELLI: It is acting.
It is acting.
>> PACHECO: What is?
>> VINCENTELLI: What
Ethan Slater is doing is acting.
>> HASKINS: Well, he's up on a
stage and he has a great deal of
energy and he's doing a
character voice.
>> VINCENTELLI: That is
absolutely --
>> FELDMAN: Exactly.
>> VINCENTELLI: That is acting.
>> MUSTO: What's Glenda Jackson?
>> VINCENTELLI: That is acting.
>> HASKINS: Very true.
It sounds like acting to me.
>> GREEN: If she did
"SpongeBob" -- If Glenda did
"SpongeBob" --
>> HASKINS: She can do anything.
>> VINCENTELLI: And, also, to go
back to the Tony Shalhoub, which
I also very much liked, but I
don't think it's a
musical-theater performance,
per se.
>> PACHECO: Yeah, but it's still
a performance.
>> VINCENTELLI: It is.
>> PACHECO: Yeah.
>> HASKINS: Yeah.
>> FELDMAN: I think everyone
except for Higgins probably has
a realistic shot this year.
>> HASKINS: Although, he was --
I loved him, but he's not gonna
win.
>> GREEN: Hadden-Paton.
>> HASKINS: Hadden-Paton.
So now on to Best Performance by
a Leading Actress in a Musical.
Lauren Ambrose, "My Fair Lady,"
Hailey Kilgore,
"Once On This Island," LaChanze,
"Summer: The Donna Summer
Musical," Katrina Lenk,
"The Band's Visit,"
Taylor Louderman, "Mean Girls,"
and Jessie Mueller, "Carousel."
>> MUSTO: I think it's between
Katrina Lenk and Lauren Ambrose.
>> PACHECO: I think it's
Katrina Lenk.
I think she's just brilliant in
this show.
And I think she's given us a
series of brilliant performances
since "Once" and including
"Indecent" last season.
I think she's amazing.
>> MUSTO: She's the
Angelina Jolie of Broadway,
don't you think?
>> GREEN: Because of her
cheekbones?
>> MUSTO: She just has that kind
of magic to her.
But I think it's going to be
Lauren Ambrose, 'cause she
reinvents a classic role.
She's onstage a lot.
>> HASKINS: Yes.
>> MUSTO: She has like
10 costume changes.
And her acting choices, to me,
really resonated in each scene.
>> PACHECO: Huh.
>> HASKINS: What about you?
>> FELDMAN: Oh, I also think
it's between the two of them.
But my guess would be that it's
gonna be Katrina Lenk.
I think that the charisma of
that performance and the just
the sheer number of people that
I've heard talking about that
performance.
>> PACHECO: What do you think,
Jesse?
>> GREEN: Oh, I think
Katrina Lenk will win.
>> HASKINS: Finally,
Best Original Score Written for
the Theater.
"Angels in America"...
♪
..."The Band's Visit"...
>> ♪...the dance
♪ You see the wind moves the
trees is ♪
>> HASKINS: ..."Frozen"...
>> ♪ It's finally come
♪ Come to knock down the door
♪ I can't hide this time
♪ Like I hid before
>> HASKINS: ..."Mean Girls"...
>> ♪ A revenge party
♪ A party that ends with
somebody's head on a spike ♪
>> HASKINS: ...and
"SpongeBob SquarePants."
>> GREEN: By everybody.
>> FELDMAN: Everybody. Yeah.
>> PACHECO: I think it's gonna
be "Band's Visit."
>> VINCENTELLI: Yes.
>> GREEN: If it isn't, then they
should shut down the Tonys.
>> VINCENTELLI: Yeah, I
completely agree.
>> GREEN: David Yazbek has
deserved it probably several
times before, and this is his
best work ever.
>> VINCENTELLI: And I loved how
it's completely different from
anything he's done before.
>> HASKINS: Yeah.
>> VINCENTELLI: It's a big
departure for him.
It's just great.
What an achievement.
>> HASKINS: Just one last
question.
What do you think will get the
most Tonys?
>> PACHECO: The most Tonys.
>> FELDMAN: "Band's Visit."
>> PACHECO: I think it's
probably gonna be one of the
revivals.
I think it's gonna be
"Angels in America" will get the
most Tonys.
>> HASKINS: Do you think
Nathan Lane's going to get it?
>> PACHECO: I do.
>> HASKINS: Do you?
Do you think Nathan Lane will
get it?
>> VINCENTELLI: I hope not.
I did not like his Roy Cohn.
I really did not.
>> PACHECO: I mean, it's a tough
category.
If you want to rattle them
off...
>> HASKINS: Best Performance by
a Featured Actor.
Anthony Boyle, ""Harry Potter
and the Cursed Child,"
Michael Cera, "Lobby Hero,"
Brian Tyree Henry, "Lobby Hero,"
Nathan Lane, "Angels in America,
and David Morse for
"The Iceman Cometh."
>> PACHECO: Wow.
What a great category.
>> VINCENTELLI: David Morse for
me.
>> HASKINS: You do?
>> VINCENTELLI: Saving grace of
that production.
>> PACHECO: Yeah.
Amazing performance.
>> MUSTO: But you're predicting
him to win?
>> VINCENTELLI: Oh. Predicting?
Predicting, I think it's going
to be Nathan Lane.
>> GREEN: Yeah, I think so.
>> VINCENTELLI: I think it's
just not a good idea.
>> GREEN: I agree, but I would
vote for Brian Tyree Henry.
>> MUSTO: Michael Cera was
brilliant.
>> GREEN: And they could have
included Chris Evans, too, as
far as I was concerned.
And, as I say, give an award to
his mustache.
>> MUSTO: Nathan Lane should
have like seven Tonys by now.
I think he only has two.
>> HASKINS: So, I'm gonna go out
on a limb for Anthony Boyle.
There you go.
>> PACHECO: I'm revising it.
Actually -- actually,
"Harry Potter" will win the most
Tonys.
>> FELDMAN: Yeah, my guess is
that "Harry Potter" --
>> PACHECO: "Harry Potter" will
win the most Tonys.
>> MUSTO: I say "Rocktopia."
>> VINCENTELLI: I think,
actually --
>> GREEN: Which we don't know if
it's eligible.
>> FELDMAN: Write-ins.
Write-in ballot.
>> VINCENTELLI: But I think
"SpongeBob" could get the most
Tonys for a musical because it
will get a lot of --
>> HASKINS: Elisabeth, I think
you are mad.
>> MUSTO: And they added
categories.
There are extra categories this
year.
>> VINCENTELLI: And if you
count, you know, all those
categories, like, that are not
televised --
>> GREEN: Best Crustaceans,
Best Cephalopods.
>> HASKINS: And it's gonna get
best balls jumping through --
>> FELDMAN: "Escape from
Margaritaville" was given
strong...
[ Laughter ]
...The Beach Ball in the
Audience category this year.
>> MUSTO: "Home for the
Holidays."
>> VINCENTELLI: Although, I
would give the Best Confetti to
"Summer."
Did you see those huge silver
confetti they had?
That was great.
>> PACHECO: Those performances
were great, though.
>> FELDMAN: Is there a Broadway
show where there wasn't snow
this year?
[ Laughter ]
>> HASKINS: All right, all
right, all right.
It's almost time for the
ceremony.
I just want to -- I'm gonna hold
up Patrick Pacheco's book again,
everyone.
Thank you so much,
Patrick Pacheco,
Elisabeth Vincentelli,
Michael Musto, Jesse Green.
Adam Feldman, a courageous job
as the co-host.
>> PACHECO: "Courageous."
>> HASKINS: We'll see you right
after the Tonys.
Thank you, everyone.
>> MUSTO: Yay!
>> FELDMAN: It's a wrap!
>> ♪ Only me
>> ♪ Only you and the sun
>> ♪ Only me
>> ♪ Only me when the moon is
>> ♪ All around me
>> ♪ It's only you
♪ And the sun and moon and
stars are gone ♪
♪ What's left is only you
>> ♪ Will you answer me?
♪ Answer me
>> HASKINS: Our thanks to the
Friends of "Theater Talk" for
their significant contribution
to this production.
>> ANNOUNCER: We welcome your
questions or comments
for "Theater Talk."
Thank you.