1984 TONY AWARDS, THE (TV)
Summary
The thirty-eighth annual presentation of the American Theatre Wing Tony (Antoinette Perry) awards for excellence in the Broadway theater, telecast live from the Gershwin Theatre in New York. This year's program, hosted by Julie Andrews and Robert Preston, has special salutes to the songs of John Kander & Fred Ebb, Jerry Herman, and Stephen Sondheim. The show opens with a performance of "Fabulous Feet" from Tony-nominated "The Tap Dance Kid," featuring Hinton Battle, the young Alfonso Ribeiro, and Company. Then, Preston and Andrews have some opening remarks. Next, Mary Tyler Moore presents the first ever Brooks Atkinson Award to theatrical cartoonist Al Hirschfeld. (Hirschfeld's illustrations are also featured as part of the set of the Tony Awards.) Next, Kander & Ebb's songs are honored, as Nancy Dussault performs a number from "Flora the Red Menace," the duo's first musical, and Liza Minnelli performs an excerpt from their second musical, "Cabaret." Then, Andrews announces the winner of Best Costume Designer: Theoni V. Aldredge (not present) for "La Cage aux Folles." Tony Randall introduces Robert Goulet who performs another Kander & Ebb song, "The Happy Time"; he is joined by Dussault for a duet of "I Don't Remember You" from the same musical. Chita Rivera performs "Life is" from "Zorba"; Anthony Quinn, currently recreating his screen performance of the title role for Broadway, performs "I am Free" from "Zorba." Next, Goulet presents the award for Best Scenic Designer to Tony Straiges ("Sunday in the Park with George"). Tony Roberts introduces further Kander & Ebb salutes. Minnelli begins by performing "Yes" from "Seventy, Girls, Seventy"; she then introduces Rivera and Gwen Verdon who, in a reprise of their original performances from 1975, perform "All That Jazz" from "Chicago." Then, Robert Guillaume introduces Raquel Welch who performs "City Lights" from "The Act" (1977). Then, Beth Howland presents the award for Best Lighting Designer to Richard Nelson ("Sunday in the Park with George"). Howland introduces another Kander & Ebb performance as Welch and Marilyn Cooper (who won a Tony for her performance) perform the comic song "The Grass is Always Greener" from "Woman of the Year." Finally, Andrews presents this season's Kander & Ebb musical, "Rink," highlighted in a performance by Rivera and Minnelli of "Wallflower" from the show. (Kander and Ebb are shown in the audience.) Next, Larry Kert presents the awards for Best Score to Jerry Herman (music and lyrics for "La Cage aux Folles") and for Best Book to Harvey Fierstein ("La Cage aux Folles"). Then, Robert Guillaume presents the award for Best Actress (Featured Role), Play, to Christine Baranski ("The Real Thing"), and Dussault presents the award for Best Actor (Featured Role), Play, to Joe Mantegna ("Glengarry Glen Ross"). Next, Liz Callaway, Catherine Cox, and Beth Fowler perform "I Want it All" from "Baby" (one the musicals nominated for this year's Tony). In a pre-taped segment, president of the A.T.W. Isabelle Stevenson talks about the American Theatre Wing's activities beyond the awards ceremony. Next, Preston presents awards for Best Actress, Play, to Glenn Close ("The Real Thing"), Michele Lee presents the award for Best Actor, Play, to Jeremy Irons ("The Real Thing"), and Quinn presents the award for Best Director, Play, to Mike Nichols for "The Real Thing." Then, Randall, Preston, Andrews, Roberts, Dussault, Howland, Guillaume, Kert, and Anita Morris perform a tribute to the songs of Sondheim, which features medley performances of "Something's Coming" from "West Side Story"; "You've Got To Have a Gimmick" (with music by Jules Styne) from "Gypsy"; "Comedy Tonight" from "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum"; "A Parade in Town" from "Anyone Can Whistle"; and "I'm Not Getting Married Today" and "Being Alive" from "Company." Then, Randall presents an award for Best Reproduction of a Play or Musical to "Death of a Salesman" and its producers Robert Whitehead and Roger L. Stevens (neither present). Next, Randall presents Dorothy Loudon's performance of Sondheim's "Broadway Baby" from "Follies." Then, Gwen Verdon presents the award for Best Choreographer to Danny Daniels ("The Tap Dance Kid"). In a continuation of the Sondheim tributes, Andrews performs "Send in the Clowns" from "A Little Night Music"; Roberts performs "Nothing's Gonna Harm You" from "Sweeney Todd"; and Guillaume performs "Not a Day Goes By" from "Merrily We Roll Along." Then, Mandy Patinkin, Bernadette Peters, and Company perform "Sunday" from the latest (Tony-nominated) Sondheim musical, "Sunday in the Park with George." Next, Morris presents the award for Best Director, Musical, to Arthur Laurents ("La Cage aux Folles"). Then, Dustin Hoffman presents the award for Best Play to "The Real Thing" by Tom Stoppard (the Tony is accepted by writer Stoppard and producer Emanuel Azenberg). Next, Preston introduces the tribute to the musicals of Jerry Herman, which features performances by Preston, Andrews, Carol Channing, Dussault, Goulet, Guillaume, Kert, Loudon, Randall, Roberts, and Leslie Uggams, in a medley including excerpts from "Milk and Honey" and "Shalom" from "Milk and Honey"; "Before the Parade Passes By," "It Only Takes a Moment," and "Hello, Dolly!" from "Hello, Dolly!"; and "If He Walked Into My Life Today" and "Mame" from "Mame." Then, Roberts presents the award for Best Actress (Featured Role), Musical, to Lila Kedrova ("Zorba"), and Kert presents the award for Best Actor (Featured Role), Musical, to Hinton Battle ("The Tap Dance Kid"). Continuing the tributes to Herman, Uggams performs "I Don't Want to Know" from "Dear World"; Preston and Peters perform "I Won't Send Roses" and "Time Heals Everything" from "Mack and Mabel." Finally, this season's (Tony-nominated) Herman musical is presented as George Hearn and Company perform "I Am What I Am" and "We Are What We Are" from "La Cage aux Folles." Then, Preston presents award for Best Actress, Musical, to Chita Rivera ("The Rink"), and Andrews presents the award for Best Actor, Musical, to George Hearn ("La Cage aux Folles"). Then, Shirley MacLaine presents a special 14-carat-gold Tony to "A Chorus Line" in honor of it becoming Broadway's longest-running musical; Joseph Papp accepts the award. Finally, Michael Bennett presents the award for Best Musical to "La Cage aux Folles"; the Tony is accepted by producer Allan Carr. The program ends with Gene Barry, the 1984 Tony Award winners, and the Company of "La Cage aux Folles" performing "The Best of Time." Commercials deleted.
The cataloging and acquisition of The Theater Collection was made possible by The Park Foundation, Inc., and the Verizon Foundation.
Details
- NETWORK: CBS
- DATE: June 3, 1984 8:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 2:02:07
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T:71851
- GENRE: Award presentations
- SUBJECT HEADING: Musical revues, comedies, etc. - Excerpts; Theater Collection, The; Tony Awards - 1984
- SERIES RUN: ABC - TV, 1984
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Alexander H. Cohen … Executive Producer
- Hildy Parks … Producer, Writer
- Martha Mason … Co-Producer
- Roy A. Somlyo … Associate Producer
- Clark Jones … Director
- Bob Herget … Choreographer
- Elliot Lawrence … Music (Misc. Credits), Musical Director
- Julie Andrews … Host, Performer
- Robert Preston … Host, Performer
- Gene Barry … Performer
- Hinton Battle … Performer
- Liz Callaway … Performer
- Carol Channing … Performer
- Marilyn Cooper … Performer
- Catherine Cox … Performer
- Nancy Dussault … Performer
- Beth Fowler … Performer
- Robert Goulet … Performer
- Robert Guillaume … Performer
- George Hearn … Performer
- Beth Howland … Performer
- Larry Kert … Performer
- Dorothy Loudon … Performer
- Liza Minnelli … Performer
- Anita Morris … Performer
- Mandy Patinkin … Performer
- Bernadette Peters … Performer
- Anthony Quinn … Performer
- Tony Randall … Performer
- Alfonso Ribeiro … Performer
- Chita Rivera … Performer
- Tony Roberts … Performer
- Leslie Uggams … Performer
- Gwen Verdon … Performer
- Raquel Welch … Performer
- Theoni V. Aldredge
- Emanuel Azenberg
- Christine Baranski
- Michael Bennett
- Allan Carr
- Glenn Close
- Danny Daniels
- Fred Ebb
- Harvey Fierstein
- Jerry Herman
- Al Hirschfeld
- Dustin Hoffman
- Jeremy Irons
- John Kander
- Lila Kedrova
- Arthur Laurents
- Michele Lee
- Shirley MacLaine
- Joe Mantegna
- Mary Tyler Moore
- Richard Nelson
- Mike Nichols
- Joseph Papp
- Stephen Sondheim
- Roger L. Stevens
- Isabelle Stevenson
- Tom Stoppard
- Tony Straiges
- Jules Styne
- Robert Whitehead