Yesterday's announcement of the Tony Awards nominations is truly one of the most greatest days for all Broadway fans showing their love and appreciation for the incredible shows that opened within the past season. However, it can also be very bittersweet when some of the best shows get snubbed from the key nominations.
In 1996 (just 2 days after that year's nominees went out), the legendary Julie Andrews surprised Broadway fans at the curtain call for VICTOR / VICTORIA by refusing to receive her nomination for Best Leading Actress in a Musical due to the entire production being snubbed (even though critics praised it) and not getting any other nominations (including BEST MUSICAL) by the voting committee. The refusal speech made the headlines causing the entire Theater community to boycott the American Theatre Wing and all the voters who put the Tony nominees together.
VICTOR / VICTORIA (based on the 1982 film of the same name that also starred Andrews) ran at Broadway's Marquis Theatre for 25 previews and 734 regular performances. The show tragically also marked as the very last Broadway show for Andrews before she lost her iconic soprano singing voice. During several weeks of performances, she began to have a hoarseness sound in her singing voice. She had to have a surgery to remove non-cancerous nodules from her throat. However, the surgery caused her to loose her iconic voice forever and forced her to leave the production.
This all shows that Julie Andrews is a true team player and cares so much about everyone on stage, backstage, and even under the stage…. a true team player.
Congrats to Julie Taymor who just received her own caricature at the legendary Sardi’s Resturant. For those who may not know, Julie Taymor is a genius acclaimed director, costume, puppet designer in the worlds of Theatre, Opera, and Film.
This year has been having an exciting year for her with 2 of her genius works on Broadway. Her current new Play M. Butterfly has recently opened at Broadway’s Cort Theatre. In addition, her signature show Disney’s The Lion King – Musical is celebrating it’s 20th Anniversary on Broadway this year.
FUN FACT: For THE LION KING, Taymor made Broadway history as the first female EVER to win a Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical.
This Fall, Disney’s Award winning and long running smash hit The Lion King – Musical will be celebrating it’s 20th roaring year on Broadway.
To celebrate, join the show’s Tony winning director and creative genius Julie Taymor alongTony nominee and veteran cast member Christopher Jackson as they sit down and talk about the memories and the journey for the show’s road from screen to the stage. This Q&A event will be at the 92nd Street Y on October 29th, 2017 at 7pm.
FUN FACT: Christopher Jackson (known as the original “Benny” from In The Heights and “George Washington” in Hamilton: An American Musical) made his Broadway Debut in THE LION KING. He was in the Ensemble of the original Broadway cast and understudied the late Jason Raize in the lead role of “Adult Simba”. When Raize departed to work on a solo career, Jackson took over the role fulltime.
The stage adaptation of THE LION KING is currently the 3rd Longest Running Show in Broadway History and continues to play to sold out and packed houses 8 times a week at the Minskoff Theatre.
Who is excited about THE LION KING’s huge 20th Anniversary milestone?!
