Wow! I was lucky enough to see Merman in Gypsy in Los Angeles. Nobody had a better entrance than when she came down the aisle calling out "Sing out Louise!" What a thrill hearing that some ten years later she still had it! What a voice! Even the fact that my playback kept breaking up didn't hurt that much. Thanks for the post!
Just saw Sada Thompson receive an award. Four years later she would star on the tv series Family. Nice to watch all these classic award shows since so many of these celebrities are no longer here. AWSOME!
Ahh Bobby Van. Such a wonderful talent that was taken from us way to soon. He reminds me of one of today's superstars of the Broadway musical and "The Tony Awards": Hugh Jackman. Especially in the way he dances, he and Hugh are so light on their feet. He would die eight years later in 1980 at the to young age of 51 from cancer.
Thank God that there is a video that preserves the I Want To Be Happy Tap Routine with Ruby Keeler and cast. She was marvelous and it is one of those once in a lifetime performances that you always will remember for those of us who got to see the original show in 1971. Also, I still can't figure out how Follies did not win best musical. Looking back, it has been revived and revered by so many theatre fans. How does that compare to Two Gentleman of Verona? A good show but not even in the same league as Follies.
How fantastic to see Alfred Drake and Lisa Kirk singing "We Open in Venice" and "Another Op'nin, Another Show" from KISS ME KATE, the show they starred in together 23 years prior to this broadcast. These Tony shows are time machines and the most wonderful treasure troves for theater buffs.
Just my reaction, but Rodgers was so prolific that the tribute to him seemed over long. Could have been divided into the Hart years and the Hammerstein/Rodgers solo years in two parts of the show. However...my God! What a great Merman concert! And then, at age 63, Ruby Keeler, still dancing as awkwardly as ever (Fred and Ruby would not have blended quite like Fred and Ginger) , still tapping as energetically as ever. In the reprise with the whole cast at the end, she's the only one who's still kicking up her heels, rather than just standing there and singing. Brava! And the acceptance speech of Alexis Smith following the acceptance oration of Phil Silvers made them both great. Now almost all the speeches are long and often disjointed. The best line was: "Writers aren't very articulate." Loved it. Thanks so much for posting this and bringing back the memories.
To see and hear Thaaron Musser, Florence Kltz and Boris Aaronson was wonderful. And those perfomrers in the "concert party" - most of whom I knew from TV & recordings. And such great voices. *sigh*. Of course, it was clear why Marni Nixon was needed in The King & I movie :) And then we heard Michael Bennet! The standing ovation for Merman was 100% deserved. How lucky we are to have seen her Everything's coming up Roses
Two wonderful daytime actresses, Constance Towers from "Capitol" fame, and her other famous role as that of "Helen Cassidine" from "General Hospital". And ahhh Helen Gallagher from "Ryan's Hope". Pure delight.
What a treat Henry Fonda was he hosted these awards I believe three or four times. I read his autobiography and was moved and saddened. He was an American institution he could portray anything. His daughter Jane is one of my favorite actresses. I met her in Santa Monica and she is very personable and downright beautiful. Back to Henry Fonda he could have done more in diverse communities. We in the Black community would have welcomed him.
I was thrown to see a young, slim Sada Thompson who later went on to TV with "Family" and did some wonderful dramatic parts. She started in a moving drama with Richard Thomas in a work written by Terrance McNally entitled "Andre's Mother (I think that's right).
Wonder why "Grease" didn't do a number? They were nominated for best musical and the Tony's completely snubbed them in all other categories too. But "Grease" got the last laugh and ended up becoming one of the longest running shows, and most produced, in Broadway history.
Merman was a GREAT belter, but I never thought she had a great singing voice. STREISAND, to me, is the epitomè of a Broadway Singing Star. No hate mail, please. This is only MY personal opinion and taste. You can have yours.
Great to hear Ethel do "Everything's Coming Up Roses"...she probably would have shit bricks if they let Lisa Kirk do it LOL Also Garret Morris in his pre-SNL days!
It was my favorite kids' show host in NYC, Sandy Becker, as he mentions during the credits. Becker also did lots of voice over work. But there'll never be another Hambone or Norton Nork.
Something was very wrong there. How many times has Follies been revised compared to Two Gentlemen of Verona. I remember being shocked; I saw both shows at the time, no comparison, Follies was robbed and if it had won it probably would have had a longer run.
And the WINNER is! OMG, a pre-Barney Miller Hal Linden! Barbara McNair?! Forgot all about her. And a young Stephen Sondheim(RIP)!! This is how awards shows and variety specials used to be like. Corny as hell but done with lots of heart.
Does anyone know the song the orchestra plays whenever Follies wins an award for its show? It somewhat resembles “Buddy’s Blues”, but isn’t exactly it.
@@masarusenpai1952 i know that sometimes a singer would do that as a effect but not the whole song. r&b singers to that all the time to a song but not a strait up pop tune.
Yes it was, but actors were eligible for anything performed on Broadway. The only delineation was between Lead and Featured performers, which back in the day was strictly a question of billing.
You can be nominated for any role - even in a revival, as long as you have not played this role on B’way before - but a revival cannot win an award as “Best Musical”, only “Best Revival of a Play or Musical”.
Great to see the Merm in action. But, jeez, just like this year's show, anyone who claims that Jews have a cabal on professional theatre just need to watch the Tony's for effin proof.
Ex-f#cking-scuse me? I don't know if Bill Duke, Albert Hall, Garrett Morris, Beatrice Winde, Ossie Davis and Phylicia Rashad were *all* on stage cuz the picture's bad & I don't necessarily know what every one of 'em looked like back then, but most of 'em definitely performed in the number from Mr. Van Peebles' damned fine play so I don't know if you're blind or deaf or just dumb...
![TEEDEE TADA - DIAMOND NARAKORN X LEGO LYKN [Special Dance Performance]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/QgtZedFeumA/mqdefault.jpg)
Wow! I was lucky enough to see Merman in Gypsy in Los Angeles. Nobody had a better entrance than when she came down the aisle calling out "Sing out Louise!"
What a thrill hearing that some ten years later she still had it! What a voice! Even the fact that my playback kept breaking up didn't hurt that much. Thanks for the post!
Yea! Ruby Keeler too!
Fabulous
Now I remember what it was like to actually enjoy the Tonys!
Kk
The incomporable Helen Gallagher. Not much spoken about today but what a talent. The voice, the looks and the dance! Incredible.
Just saw Sada Thompson receive an award. Four years later she would star on the tv series Family. Nice to watch all these classic award shows since so many of these celebrities are no longer here. AWSOME!
Thank you for posting and bringing back such great memories.
Thank you so much for sharing these pieces of history!!
Ahh Bobby Van. Such a wonderful talent that was taken from us way to soon. He reminds me of one of today's superstars of the Broadway musical and "The Tony Awards": Hugh Jackman. Especially in the way he dances, he and Hugh are so light on their feet. He would die eight years later in 1980 at the to young age of 51 from cancer.
Ruby Keeler is unbelievable!
Thank God that there is a video that preserves the I Want To Be Happy Tap Routine with Ruby Keeler and cast. She was marvelous and it is one of those once in a lifetime performances that you always will remember for those of us who got to see the original show in 1971. Also, I still can't figure out how Follies did not win best musical. Looking back, it has been revived and revered by so many theatre fans. How does that compare to Two Gentleman of Verona? A good show but not even in the same league as Follies.
Go, Ethel. Amazing. Now I "get" her.
Thanks, MissPoochSmooch! What a treat!!
Seeing Larry Blyden makes me happy..so good
Knowing what would happen to him a few years later makes me sadder.
MissPoochSmooch you are an absolute gem! I've been watching Tonys for days! Thank you
Great voice and Elliman's personal performance.
I had the pleasure of being there this fabulous night
Wow! Historic
I was only I think 13 years old not quite historic yet may still run for president someday when I'm really historic haha
Bet 😢 never see something like these greats again
How fantastic to see Alfred Drake and Lisa Kirk singing "We Open in Venice" and "Another Op'nin, Another Show" from KISS ME KATE, the show they starred in together 23 years prior to this broadcast. These Tony shows are time machines and the most wonderful treasure troves for theater buffs.
Thank's for putting up all the great early Tony award shows.
Ethel with her entrance, her gown and her hair beautifully styled and her makeup was just amazing
Could have heard the boom in Brooklyn
Ustinov is simply DELICIOUS! What a VOICE & an extraordinary talented actor!! 💯% CLASS act!!! 🥰
Just my reaction, but Rodgers was so prolific that the tribute to him seemed over long. Could have been divided into the Hart years and the Hammerstein/Rodgers solo years in two parts of the show. However...my God! What a great Merman concert! And then, at age 63, Ruby Keeler, still dancing as awkwardly as ever (Fred and Ruby would not have blended quite like Fred and Ginger) , still tapping as energetically as ever. In the reprise with the whole cast at the end, she's the only one who's still kicking up her heels, rather than just standing there and singing. Brava! And the acceptance speech of Alexis Smith following the acceptance oration of Phil Silvers made them both great. Now almost all the speeches are long and often disjointed. The best line was: "Writers aren't very articulate." Loved it. Thanks so much for posting this and bringing back the memories.
To see and hear Thaaron Musser, Florence Kltz and Boris Aaronson was wonderful. And those perfomrers in the "concert party" - most of whom I knew from TV & recordings. And such great voices. *sigh*. Of course, it was clear why Marni Nixon was needed in The King & I movie :) And then we heard Michael Bennet!
The standing ovation for Merman was 100% deserved. How lucky we are to have seen her Everything's coming up Roses
Two wonderful daytime actresses, Constance Towers from "Capitol" fame, and her other famous role as that of "Helen Cassidine" from "General Hospital". And ahhh Helen Gallagher from "Ryan's Hope". Pure delight.
15:48 Rodgers/Hammerstein medley
34:00 Richard Rodgers gets his special honorary Tony award
1:07:54 Ethel Merman medley
What a treat Henry Fonda was he hosted these awards I believe three or four times. I read his autobiography and was moved and saddened. He was an American institution he could portray anything. His daughter Jane is one of my favorite actresses. I met her in Santa Monica and she is very personable and downright beautiful. Back to Henry Fonda he could have done more in diverse communities. We in the Black community would have welcomed him.
I was thrown to see a young, slim Sada Thompson who later went on to TV with "Family" and did some wonderful dramatic parts. She started in a moving drama with Richard Thomas in a work written by Terrance McNally entitled "Andre's Mother (I think that's right).
Bobby Van never got enough credit.
That young Hal Linden!
Would have been great to put this on in place of this year's awards
Wonder why "Grease" didn't do a number? They were nominated for best musical and the Tony's completely snubbed them in all other categories too. But "Grease" got the last laugh and ended up becoming one of the longest running shows, and most produced, in Broadway history.
Merman was a GREAT belter, but I never thought she had a great singing voice. STREISAND, to me, is the epitomè of a Broadway Singing Star. No hate mail, please. This is only MY personal opinion and taste. You can have yours.
Second year in a row that a Sondheim show was nominated for best musical yet didn't perform on the awards.
Sondheim has never been recognized for his work on Forum i think .....
The great Ethel Merman
Great to hear Ethel do "Everything's Coming Up Roses"...she probably would have shit bricks if they let Lisa Kirk do it LOL
Also Garret Morris in his pre-SNL days!
Sound seems to all be left channel. Not expecting true stereo, but full mono would be nice. Still, appreciate this archive. Loving them all.
It's just this one video,the other ones are both sides.
do you have the 2003/4 tony awards, the year of long days journey production with the late phillip seymore hoffman.
"Lily Done the Zampoughi" is a great number, but it makes one wonder why they wouldn't air "A Call From the Vatican" ten years later...
Two of the most elegant and classy actors: Henry Fonda and Peter Ustinov.
Great
I think Ethel Merman is the original of Broadway's voice that others try make singing Broadway music mostly
Am I the only one that detects the announcer's voice is Richard Chamberlain???
It was my favorite kids' show host in NYC, Sandy Becker, as he mentions during the credits. Becker also did lots of voice over work. But there'll never be another Hambone or Norton Nork.
Best Musical goes to "Two Gentlemen of Verona" & not "Follies"? RIDICULOUS.
Something was very wrong there. How many times has Follies been revised compared to Two Gentlemen of Verona. I remember being shocked; I saw both shows at the time, no comparison, Follies was robbed and if it had won it probably would have had a longer run.
I guess the best revival categories didnt' exist then, oh what a shame I can only hear it through one headphone
And the WINNER is! OMG, a pre-Barney Miller Hal Linden! Barbara McNair?! Forgot all about her. And a young Stephen Sondheim(RIP)!! This is how awards shows and variety specials used to be like. Corny as hell but done with lots of heart.
1:48:16 one half of Mt. Rushmore
Does anyone know the song the orchestra plays whenever Follies wins an award for its show? It somewhat resembles “Buddy’s Blues”, but isn’t exactly it.
Waiting for the Girls Upstairs is the song but uptempo
faded images of a happier and so much more civilized time in america
They gave a special Tony to Ethel Merman and didn't allow her to speak????
TERRIBLE!
Happily, they let her sing!
Yes she had at least one for call me madam however not Gypsy that year went instead to Mary Martin in Sound of Music so much for awards
Why didn't the show include numbers from three of the four Best Musical nominees: "Two Gentlemen of Verona," "Follies," and "Grease?"
Pamela Marsen Amazing, yes? I love Two Gents, but no "front-line" Tony footage of the two Sondheim/Prince monoliths is head-scratching.
That should have been a no brainer from the start
oh hell when that rat at 1:40:47 i screamed LMAO OH HELL NA
Nobody wants to talk about Phil Silvers? Or did he talk about himself enough?
Yvonne Elliman sang behind the beat for the entire song! :-(
I think it’s called back phrasing
@@masarusenpai1952 i know that sometimes a singer would do that as a effect but not the whole song. r&b singers to that all the time to a song but not a strait up pop tune.
I thought they only gave best actor awards to the originator. Phil Silvers won this, but at this point wasn't Forum a revival?!
Yes it was, but actors were eligible for anything performed on Broadway. The only delineation was between Lead and Featured performers, which back in the day was strictly a question of billing.
You can be nominated for any role - even in a revival, as long as you have not played this role on B’way before - but a revival cannot win an award as “Best Musical”, only “Best Revival of a Play or Musical”.
Where's Grease? And You're a good man charlie brown?
Were they even nominated?
Alfred Drake!!!!!!!!!!!!
Oh dang Michael Bennett was so hot, but is also the type to not be into me at all haha
henry fonda did bway???? strange show, such long show numbers....
phil silvers : fun...alexis smith: classy...
Gee, I guess Ingrid Bergman hadn't heard of Stephen Whats-His-Name! Not a gaffe you'd expect on a Tony Awards show.
@Geoff Scheinbach 1:04:05 Lee Grant says it wrong, much to the bemused looks of the audience....Vivat! Vivat Regina! was the correct title...
картон
Tony doesn't always get it right. Two Gentlemen of Verona wasn't as good as the other nominees.
Jesus Christ Superstar was robbed!
Great to see the Merm in action. But, jeez, just like this year's show, anyone who claims that Jews have a cabal on professional theatre just need to watch the Tony's for effin proof.
Only one black performer in 1972. The delicious and delightful Barbara McNair. Shameful Tony Awards.
Not much changes!
Ex-f#cking-scuse me? I don't know if Bill Duke, Albert Hall, Garrett Morris, Beatrice Winde, Ossie Davis and Phylicia Rashad were *all* on stage cuz the picture's bad & I don't necessarily know what every one of 'em looked like back then, but most of 'em definitely performed in the number from Mr. Van Peebles' damned fine play so I don't know if you're blind or deaf or just dumb...