More stars have been added to the lineup of presenters at the June 1 Tony Awards at Radio City Musical Hall, to be broadcast on both PBS-TV (8-9 PM EST) and CBS-TV (9-11 PM, EST):
Lauren Bacall (Woman Of The Year)
Savion Glover (Noise/Funk)
Joel Grey (George M., Chicago)
Swoosie Kurtz (The House Of Blue Leaves)
Liza Minnelli (Victor/Victoria)
Mandy Patinkin (Sunday In The Park With George)
Chita Rivera (Kiss Of The Spider Woman)
Rip Torn (The Young Man From Atlanta)
Raquel Welch (Victor/Victoria)
They will join previously announced notables Bernadette Peters, Susan Sarandon, Jimmy Smits, Alec Baldwin, Marilu Henner, Julie Andrews, Glenn Close, Whoopi Goldberg, Roseanne, Matthew Broderick, Mary Tyler Moore, Christine Baranski and others. Rosie O'Donnell will host.
Contrary to previous reports, scenes from nominated new plays will be showcased on the CBS-TV broadcast, in brief, taped segments with synopses specially written by the plays' authors (Horton Foote, Pam Gems, Alfred Uhry, David Hare).
Production numbers from the three currently-running, nominated musicals -- Steel Pier, Titanic and The Life will be staged live, as will numbers from the four nominated Best Musical Revivals, though the producers are unlikely to do anything with Juan Darien, which closed earlier this year. Here are the new musical production numbers:
* "Tomorrow" from Annie, featuring Brittny Kissinger.
* "Everybody Dance" from Steel Pier, featuring Gregory Harrison, Debra Monk, Joel Blum & Karen Ziemba).
* "My Body" from The Life featuring Sam Harris, Lillias White & Pamela Isaacs).
* "Launching," the opening ensemble sequence from Titanic.
* "Bon Voyage" from Candide, with Jim Dale & Andrea Martin.
* "All That Jazz" from Chicago, with James Naughton, Bebe Neuwirth, Ann Reinking.
* "Shy" (Once Upon A Mattress with Sarah Jessica Parker. There are no current plans to showcase a number from nominated but closed Juan Darien, or non-nominated Jekyll & Hyde, Play On! or Dream. However, there will be an opening number, featuring host O'Donnell, cavorting with members of the long-running Broadway musicals Beauty & The Beast, Rent, Cats, Smokey Joe's Cafe, Grease! and Noise/Funk. Oddly enough, Phantom Of The Opera, The King And I and Miss Saigon have not been mentioned for that segment.
At a press conference April 4 the American Theatre Wing not only announced that the 1996-97 Tony Awards would be held at Radio City Music Hall and hosted by Rosie O'Donnell, but the awards would have an extra hour, 8-9 PM (EST), to be broadcast on public television. During that extra hour, ten awards will be given out live, with 12 more to follow during the 9-11 PM CBS-TV telecast. Short interviews will also be rolled into the first hour, featuring such notables as actors Julie Harris (The Gin Game), Christopher Plummer, Bebe Neuwirth, Andrea Martin, Robert Cuccioli, directors Michael Blakemore (The Life), Anthony Page (A Doll's House), Charles Nelson Reilly (The Gin Game), Walter Bobbie (Chicago), Scott Ellis, Julie Taymor (Juan Darien), choreographers Wayne Cilento (Dream), Joey McKneely (The Life), Ann Reinking (Chicago) and Susan Stroman (Steel Pier), composers John Kander & Fred Ebb (Steel Pier, Chicago), and Cy Coleman (The Life); and designers Beverly Emmons (lighting for Jekyll & Hyde), Martin Pakledinaz (costumes for The Life), Tony Walton, Ken Billington and William Ivey Long.
Michael Blakemore (The Life), Anthony Page (Doll's House), Wayne Cilento (Dream), Joey McKneely (choreog. The Life), Beverly Emmons (lighting for Jekyll), Martin Pakledinaz (costumes for The Life).
Here is the running order of the 1997 Tony Awards program, as it stood May 23. The schedule is subject to change.
Owing to the unusual nature of this year's Tony broadcast, the list is divided into two parts. The first hour of the Tonys will be broadcast on PBS-TV 8-9 PM ET. Check local listings for showtimes. The balance of the broadcast, hosted by Rosie O'Donnell, will be broadcast on CBS-TV 9-11 PM ET.
The Awards To Be Given on PBS-TV 8-9 PM (ET)
Award #1: Choreography
Award #2: Orchestrations
Award #3: Book of a Musical
Award #4: Score
Award #5: Scenic Design
Aware #6: Costume Design
Award #7: Lighting Design
Award #8: Director of a Play
Award #9: Director of a Musical
Award #10: Best Regional Theatre (winner, Berkeley Rep, already announced
The Awards To Be Given on CBS-TV 9-11 PM (ET)
1. Arrivals
2. Opening Number (Rosie O'Donnell)
3. Commercial
4. Rosie Opening Talk
5. Award #1: Featured Actress/ Play
6. Intro and Award #2: Featured Actor/ Play
7. Intro and scene from Steel Pier
8. Commercial #2
9. Intro and scene from the Life
10. Intro and Award #3: Featured Actor/ Musical
11. Intro and Award #4: Featured Actress/ Musical
etro and scene from Annie
13. Commercial #3
14. Intro and Award #5: Lead Actress Musical
15. Intro and scene from Candide
16. Intro and Award #6: Lead Actor Musical
17. Commercial #4
18. Intro and scene from Once Upon a Mattress
19. Intro and Award #7: Lead Actress Play
20. Intro and Award #8: Lead Actor Play
21. American Theatre Wing / Isabelle Stevenson
22. Commercial#5
23. Intro and Award #9: Revival Play
24. Intro and scene from Chicago
25. Intro and Award #10: Revival Musical
26. Commercial #6
27. Intro and Re-cap of PBS Awards
28. Intro and Award #11: Best Play
29. Commercial #7
30. Intro and scene from Titanic
31. Intro and Award #12: Best Musical
32. Goodnights
33. Credits
Playbill On-Line posts news, features and selections from the exclusive Tony Playbill every day in a special directory at: http://cymbal.symgrp.com/cgi bin/plb/news?cmd=list&selector=tony which can be found under "Tony News" on the navigation bar on the left side of every page on the website. Take a moment to glance over and check it out, under "News."
-- By David Lefkowitz and Robert Viagas
