My thoughts on the 2009 Tonys

Last year, when it was just me, myself and I on the couch, I had plenty of observations about the Tony Awards. This year, I don't actually have many observations because I was very busy having fun making my debut at the annual Tony party hosted by Sarah.

It was so great being with friends, fellow theatre fans and fellow bloggers in a swanky Regency suite. We kept the conversation and the bubbly flowing. We feasting on pizza, cucumber sandwiches, cupcakes and Rice Krispy bars, among other treats. (While Kevin kept us all up to date on the Tweets.)

Plus, I was trying to keep up with my first-ever Tony drinking game. In my case, that involved taking a sip of champagne whenever Angela Lansbury appeared on the big-screen tv, which was a lot. I think I did pretty well!

Here's a list of the 2009 Tony winners. Now, a few of the thoughts that did enter my mind in between sips of champagne:

How wonderful to see Angela Lansbury take her fifth award, for Best Featured Actress in a Play, tying her with Julie Harris for the most-ever wins. I'm excited about seeing Blithe Spirit next month, as well as all three parts of The Norman Conquests, winner for Best Revival of a Play.

And even though I was rooting for Will Swenson - because I was rooting for Hair for everything - I was happy that Gregory Jbara won Best Featured Actor in a Musical for Billy Elliot. As Billy's dad, his attitude toward his son evolves in such a moving way over the course of the musical.

I was less happy that Kiril Kulish, Trent Kowalik and David Alvarez won Best Actor in a Musical for Billy Elliot. Yes, the three actors who share the role of Billy are amazing dancers and they're adorable. But I don't think they're as compelling actors as they are dancers and they don't perform eight times a week. It's almost like the voters gave the award to the character.

But I was thrilled that Roger Robinson won for Best Featured Actor in a Play for portraying the mystical root worker Bynum Walker in Joe Turner's Come and Gone. I saw the play the evening before the Tonys and I loved it. What compelling characters and storytelling. (Watch for my review soon.)

Geoffrey Rush clearly deserved the award for Best Actor in a Play for Exit the King. He gave a performance that alternated between brilliantly comic and incredibly poignant. But I loved all of the nominated performances I saw in that category, as I did in so many other categories. And I wish there could have been more than one winner.

Loved host Neil Patrick Harris and his black leather suit and his 11 o'clock number. (Which I think was at 11:03.) Wish there were more of him on the show.

Liked it when award-winners remembered to thank spouses, significant others and children as well as agents, lawyers and managers.

Thought the Angry Dance didn't really show off Billy Elliot all that well. Although I guess the winner for Best Musical didn't really need the Tonys to boost sales.

The one performance that made me want to see the show is the one that I've already seen and loved - Hair, winner of Best Revival of a Musical. Which leads me to believe that performances on the Tonys don't win converts but merely confirm opinions you already hold. At least in my case.

Countdown to the Tonys

I know the weather outside was frightful earlier this week and June seems awfully far away. But we're halfway through the 2008-2009 Broadway season and the Tony Awards will be here before you know it. Based on the shows I saw in November, here are my nominations so far. What's great about my favorite performances is that I was seeing these actors on stage for the very first time.

Best Musical, Billy Elliot
I've seen three new musicals, Billy Elliot, Shrek and 13. So far, Billy Elliot gets my vote. It tells the story of a boy in a Northern England mining town with such heart and imagination and memorable characters. Plus, the dance numbers are amazing. But I really enjoyed 13 and I hope Jason Robert Brown gets a nomination for his energetic rock 'n' roll score. I'm also looking forward to 9 to 5 in the spring and I'm really sorry I missed [title of show].

Gregory Jbara, Billy Elliot
I loved Gregory Jbara as Billy's dad, a hardened, gruff man who can't imagine a life for his son that doesn't involve learning to box and going to work in the coal mines someday. Just the way he goes from being totally opposed to his son's desire to dance, to being totally sympathetic and supportive, is wonderful to watch. Jbara handles the transformation so well.

Haydn Gwynne, Billy Elliot
As Mrs. Wikinson, the no-nonsense dance teacher who takes Billy under her wing, Haydn Gwynne is hilarious and unforgettable. She really becomes the boy's champion and I love how tough she is in confronting his father. Except for the moments when Billy is dancing, Gwynne comes close to stealing the show for me.

Christopher Sieber, Shrek
As the ruthless and vertically challenged Lord Farquaad, Christopher Sieber was one of my favorite things about Shrek. He was very witty and hammed it up a bit without going over the top. I just felt like the musical had more of a spark and became more interesting when he was on stage.

Martha Plimpton, Pal Joey
Martha Plimpton was terrific in Pal Joey as chorus girl Gladys Bumps, who's been wronged by nightclub owner Joey Evans and schemes to get her revenge on him. She has a great comic touch and I especially loved what she does with the song "Zip."

Choreography, Billy Elliot
Peter Darling's choreography has made this musical such a tribute to the absolute joy of movement, the artistry and exuberance and sheer athleticism of dance. I loved all the tutu-clad little ballerinas and watching Billy transformed from awkwardness to grace. While Billy Elliot was my favorite, I hope Christopher Gattelli gets a nomination for 13. I really enjoyed his exuberant choreography, especially in the opening number, "13/Becoming a Man."

Costume design, Pal Joey
What impressed me about William Ivey Long's costumes for Pal Joey is the way they really help define each of the main characters - the smooth-talking ladies man Joey, looking very suave in his tuxedo; Gladys, the showgirl, looking cheap and flashy; Vera, the sophisticated, socialite in glamorous gowns and tailored suits; and Linda, the sweet and innocent shopgirl, in modest skirts and blouses.

Set design, Pal Joey
I loved the look of Scott Pask's sets for Pal Joey - the elevated train track in the background, the winding wrought-iron staircase leading down to this seedy, out-of-the-way nightclub in 1930s Chicago. Even when the action shifts to a luxury apartment or a clothes shop, Pask's set design retains its dark, somber tone, which is so in keeping with the tone of this musical.

Raul Esparza, Speed-the-Plow
For me, Raul Esparza's turn as Hollywood producer Charlie Fox was the best thing about Speed-the-Plow, especially watching him in the climactic third scene. It's a point when his livelihood, everything he's tried to achieve in the business, is at stake, and he delivers an amazing performance. His character's disintegration, desperation, truly was thrilling to watch.

Daniel Radcliffe, Equus
I didn't know what to expect from Daniel Radcliffe in Equus, but I came away being impressed by his performance as Alan Strang, a young man who inexplicably blinds six horses. Radcliffe does such a terrific job portraying this troubled soul - from his initial clipped, nonsensical dialog to his trembling under a blanket at the end of the play, after all his defenses have been stripped away.

Anna Camp, Equus
I thought Anna Camp nailed the role of Jill Mason, the more worldly girl who gets Strang a part-time job at the stable where she works, and lures him into a sexual situation. I don't think she means to hurt Strang but she's clearly leading him into something that he's not ready to handle. She's his total opposite - talkative and perky and confident. I love the way she carries herself - her blond ponytail bobbing. Camp is so effective in the role.

Hallie Foote, Dividing the Estate I laughed all the way through Dividing the Estate and I hope several cast members get nominations. But I especially loved Hallie Foote's performance as a daughter desperate to get her hands on her inheritance to ease her own family's financial crisis. She was so great to watch - sharp-tongued, covetous - and had a way of delivering the most outrageous lines with such perfect seriousness. What a hoot. I'd never heard of Hallie Foote before. What a wonderful discovery.

Billy Elliot

Gratuitous Violins rating: ***1/2 out of ****

A week after seeing the musical Billy Elliot at Broadway's Imperial Theatre what I remember most - even more than Elton John's songs - is the dancing. In the hands of choreographer Peter Darling, this is a show about the absolute joy of movement, about the artistry and exuberance and sheer athleticism of dance.

The night I saw Billy Elliot, Trent Kowalik played the title role - a motherless miner's son from northern England who discovers that he has a passion and talent for ballet. Kowalik, 13, is a world-champion Irish step dancer from Long Island, N.Y., who previously performed the role in London's West End. On Broadway, he rotates Billy with Kiril Kulish and David Alvarez. I wish I could see all three of them.

I saw the 2000 movie Billy Elliot when it first came out and it's one of those small British gems that I really enjoy. Usually, they're about a depressed northern city or gritty London neighborhood and involve a community coming together to surmount some obstacle.

Unlike some of the more recent movie-to-musical adaptations I've seen, a lot of the charm has survived. The musical, which opened in London in 2005, features some of the same creative team as the movie - Stephen Daldry directed both and book writer and lyricist Lee Hall also wrote the screenplay. (And don't worry about the accents or not knowing the history. Everyone's easy to understand and there's a page in the Playbill that'll give you a brief rundown of the events covered in the musical.)

The story takes place against the backdrop of a strike by coal miners that lasted from 1984 to 1985. The miners walked out to protest efforts by Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher to crush their union and close unprofitable mines. There's a very pointed political song, "Merry Christmas Maggie Thatcher," and a rousing ensemble number, "The Stars Look Down," that bring home the anger of the miners. (And I also liked Ian MacNeil's whimsical set that rises up from the middle of the stage.)

As Billy's dad, Gregory Jbara is wonderful. He's a hardened, gruff man who can't imagine a life for his son that doesn't involve learning to box and going to work in the mines someday. Carole Shelley is funny as Billy's slightly forgetful grandmother and Santino Fontana is forceful as Tony, the brother who doesn't want to give in and go back to work.

It's pretty amazing to watch Billy's transformation as a dancer, from his first awkward steps to true grace. Kowalik is really terrific - a miniature Gene Kelly leaping and tapping and pirouetting across the stage in his "Angry Dance" and "Electricity." I hope he sticks with musical theatre, because I'm looking forward to seeing him on stage again as an adult.

I loved watching him surrounded by tutu-clad little girls in "Shine," and the big scrum of girls, miners and police officers all on stage together in "Solidarity." It looked a bit chaotic - I was amazed no one got a ballet-slipper-clad foot stepped on - but you just know there's an incredible order to it. There's also a sweet, funny duet, "Expressing Yourself," with Billy and his friend Michael, played by Frank Dolce at the performance I attended.

Like Billy, his dad also undergoes a transformation. It's so moving to watch him come around, from open disdain to the point where he's proud of Billy's skill as a dancer. There's a poignant scene near the end when he reaches out to hug his son and Billy turns away, perhaps without even thinking.

But to me, the person who comes closest to stealing the show is Haydn Gwynne as Billy's dance teacher, Mrs. Wilkinson. Gwynne originated the role in London, and she is so hilarious and unforgettable. I thought the show lost a bit of its spark during Act II, when she was largely absent. She portrays Mrs. Wilkinson as a demanding teacher, exasperated by her young charges' apparent lack of coordination. When she discovers Billy's talent, she rises to the occasion and becomes his champion.

I'll admit that Billy Elliot played with my emotions. The one scene that had me in tears during my week of theatergoing was when Billy reads a letter from his dead mother. I don't think there's anything more wrenching than the story of a motherless child.

I had a few quibbles with Billy Elliot. First, while it's very entertaining, at 3 hours it seemed just a tad long. A couple of the dance sequences didn't really further the story. And as much as I loved Kowalik's dancing, I didn't think he was quite as good as an actor. He's a very sweet, appealing young performer but I just felt that the rest of the cast outshined him a bit - except when he's dancing, of course.

One other thing that disappointed me a little - while it's been years since I've seen the movie, I do remember how it ends - the adult Billy dancing in Matthew Bourne's Swan Lake as his proud father looks on. The musical doesn't end the same way and I missed that emotional release.

But perhaps to compensate, the musical has a dream sequence. Billy and an adult, portrayed by former New York City Ballet member Stephen Hanna, dance together. Supported by the strong and muscular adult version of himself, at one point young Billy flies through the air. It's a stunning moment and my jaw literally dropped. It's the moment when you see the man that this boy will someday become.