2017 Tony Winners!

[bostonman]

If my memory serves me, wasn't Patti's speech eventually cut off by CBS going to a commercial? Or am I thinking of Elaine Stritch?

 

I tend to think that Midler has now set the record. And I have to admit that at the point where the music started and she wasn't starting to wrap up yet, I thought she was being a bit ungracious. But then, as she just kept going, to the point where they seemed to run out of music to play, I was cheering her on. And I did like the things she said at the end, especially. So, good for her!

 

And yes - Ben Platt's speech was wonderful too.

[+ WilliamM]

The story goes that after Sondheim and Robbins had come up with the structure of "Rose's Turn" and started to work it through with Merman, there was one thing that she didn't quite get, and that was what to do with that now-iconic stuttering of "mm...mm...momma." They explained to her the dramatic reasoning behind it - which she seemed to understand - but she still seemed stumped. "Yeah, but do I come in on the upbeat or the downbeat?" - THAT'S what she needed to know.

 

Merman was more comfortable as a singer in light comedies than in a show like "Gypsy." Yet she stayed with the musical throughout the 2-year Broadway run and agreed to a long tour (touring was usually something Merman avoided). I saw the musical again on the tour in Boston.

 

In "Gypsy," Merman was at her best singing "Everything's Coming Up Roses," which outside the context of the musical seems like an upbeat, happy song.

[handiacefailure]

If my memory serves me, wasn't Patti's speech eventually cut off by CBS going to a commercial? Or am I thinking of Elaine Stritch?

 

I tend to think that Midler has now set the record. And I have to admit that at the point where the music started and she wasn't starting to wrap up yet, I thought she was being a bit ungracious. But then, as she just kept going, to the point where they seemed to run out of music to play, I was cheering her on. And I did like the things she said at the end, especially. So, good for her!

 

And yes - Ben Platt's speech was wonderful too.

 

I found Patti's speech on YouTube and they didn't cut to a commercial. It was exactly 2 1/2 minutes long

 

 

I think they should give more speech time to the big award winners. The producers speeches are pretty boring and I'd rather see them get less time.

 

Elaine never won a tony but I'm sure she would have gone way over her time limit as well and would have probably gotten bleeped a couple times if she did win:) She won a couple emmys and has gotten long winded so it wouldn't surprise me if they cut into a commercial. I still loved watching her interview on the today show when she said the word fuck and the censors didn't bleep it in time:)