1981 TONY AWARDS, THE (TV)
Summary
The 35th annual presentation of the Antoinette Perry Awards for outstanding work in the Broadway theater. Highlights of this Tony presentation, which salutes women in the theater, include the following: film clips of past winners; a production number of "There Is Nothing Like a Dame" from "South Pacific"; and reminiscences by past winners Patricia Neal, Helen Hayes, and Ntozake Shange. The following production numbers from nominated shows are performed by their original casts: Jane Lapotaire with "La Vie en Rose" from "Piaf"; Judith Jamison and Gregory Hines in "Rockin' in Rhythm" from "Sophisticated Ladies"; Wanda Richert and Jerry Orbach in "Lullaby of Broadway" from "42nd Street"; and Lynne Thigpen, Mary Catherine Wright, and Carolyn Mignini in "It's Delightful to Be Married" and "Fifty-Fifty" from "Tintypes." Winners include Peter Shaffer, "Amadeus"; Gower Champion (posthumous), "42nd Street"; Swoosie Kurtz, "Fifth of July"; Brian Backer, "The Floating Light Bulb"; Peter Hall, "Amadeus"; and Wilford Leach, "The Pirates of Penzance."
The Tonys continue with the following: Richard Chamberlain, backed by a chorus and with Peter Nero on the piano, sings a medley of the musical theater's tributes to women; Lena Horne sings "If You Believe"; and past Tony winners perform the following songs: Priscilla Lopez, "What I Did for Love"; Andrea McArdle, "Tomorrow"; Nell Carter, "Honeysuckle Rose"; Angela Lansbury, "By the Sea"; and Patti Lupone, "Buenos Aires." Winners include Marilyn Cooper, "Woman of the Year"; Hinton Battle, "Sophisticated Ladies"; the Trinity Square Repertory Company and Adrian Hall; Joseph Papp, "The Pirates of Penzance"; John Bury, "Amadeus"; Willa Kim, "Sophisticated Ladies"; Lena Horne, "Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music"; and Jane Lapotaire, "Piaf." The Tonys continue with the following: Lauren Bacall and company perform "One of the Boys" from "Woman of the Year"; and Burstyn, Chamberlain, winners, and presenters conclude the program by singing "Together, Wherever We Go." Winners include Peter Stone, John Kander, and Fred Ebb, "Woman of the Year"; Kevin Kline, "The Pirates of Penzance"; Bacall, "Woman of the Year"; and David Merrick, "42nd Street." Next, Richard Chamberlain, backed by a chorus and with Peter Nero on the piano, sings a medley of the musical theater's tributes to women; Lena Horne sings "If You Believe"; and past Tony winners perform the following songs: Priscilla Lopez, "What I Did for Love"; Andrea McArdle, "Tomorrow"; Nell Carter, "Honeysuckle Rose"; Angela Lansbury, "By the Sea"; and Patti Lupone, "Buenos Aires." Winners include Marilyn Cooper, "Woman of the Year"; Hinton Battle, "Sophisticated Ladies"; the Trinity Square Repertory Company and Adrian Hall; Joseph Papp, "The Pirates of Penzance"; John Bury, "Amadeus"; Willa Kim, "Sophisticated Ladies"; Lena Horne, "Lena Horne: The Lady and Her Music"; and Jane Lapotaire, "Piaf." Winners include Peter Stone, John Kander, and Fred Ebb, "Woman of the Year"; Kevin Kline, "The Pirates of Penzance"; Bacall, "Woman of the Year"; and David Merrick, "42nd Street."
Details
- NETWORK: CBS
- DATE: June 7, 1981 9:00 PM
- RUNNING TIME: 2:23:58
- COLOR/B&W: Color
- CATALOG ID: T81:0751
- GENRE: Specials
- SUBJECT HEADING: Specials; Award presentations; Theater
- SERIES RUN: CBS - TV, 1981
- COMMERCIALS: N/A
CREDITS
- Alexander H. Cohen … Executive Producer
- Roy A. Somlyo … Producer
- Hildy Parks … Producer, Writer
- Patrick Maloney … Associate Producer
- Clark Jones … Director
- Richard Chamberlain … Host
- Ellen Burstyn … Host
- Bea Arthur … Guest
- Ntozake Shange … Guest
- Ann Miller … Guest
- Jane Alexander … Guest
- Lucie Arnaz … Guest
- Zoe Caldwell … Guest
- Celeste Holm … Guest
- Carol Bayer Sager … Guest
- Meryl Streep … Guest
- Jose Ferrer … Guest
- Marjorie Kellogg … Guest
- Patricia Zipprodt … Guest
- Tharon Musser … Guest
- Michael Learned … Guest
- Phyllis Frelich … Guest
- Colleen Dewhurst … Guest
- Diahann Carroll … Guest
- Julie Harris … Guest
- Elizabeth Taylor … Guest
- Lauren Bacall
- Brian Backer
- Hinton Battle
- John Bury
- Nell Carter
- Gower Champion
- Marilyn Cooper
- Fred Ebb
- Adrian Hall
- Peter Hall
- Helen Hayes
- Gregory Hines
- Lena Horne
- Judith Jamison
- John Kander
- Willa Kim
- Devin Kline
- Swoosie Kurtz
- Angela Lansbury
- Jane Lapotaire
- Wilford Leach
- Priscilla Lopez
- Patti Lupone
- Andrea McArdle
- David Merrick
- Carolyn Mignini
- Patricia Neal
- Peter Nero
- Jerry Orbach
- Joseph Papp
- Wanda Richert
- Peter Shaffer
- Peter Stone
- Lynne Thigpen
- Mary Catherine Wright