“Send in the Clowns”
Sherie Rene Scott on the red carpet.
Ladies and Gents,
I am just getting over a particularly nasty case of Tony Fever! For those of us who cover (and adore) the theater, Tony Sunday is like Christmas morning, and the post-Tony depression can be paralyzing (to say nothing of the post-Tony hangover)!
As everyone knows, the award ceremony itself is just the beginning of what is always a long and raucous evening. The first stop for most nominees, presenters, and assorted VIPs is the official Tony ball at Rockefeller Plaza. I didn’t make it this year, but I know from year’s past it is star-studded, chic, and there is always a well-stocked gift bag.
The tradition is that each nominated show hosts its own bash at various locales around the city. If the show wins, there is always much revelry and celebrity party crashers. But no matter how wild these show parties end up getting, the fun usually winds down by 2:00 AM. The shows need to watch their bottom lines, and the open bars can’t last forever.
The real fun comes next: the private, ultra-exclusive after-after parties! O&M Co. hosted one such affair in the divinely dramatic Royal Suite at the Carlyle Hotel. The suite is so named as it was Princess Diana’s room-of-choice when she was in town, and you can see why! It was filled with scented candles and flowers, as if Elton John had been in charge of décor! The bash honored Everyday Rapture star and co-creator Sherie Rene Scott and her fellow co-creator Dick Scanlan, and featured a specialty cocktail that Carlyle Managing Director Erich Steinbock had created exclusively for the party called “Sherie’s Jubilee.” I have no idea what is in them (if I had to guess, I’d say pomegranate juice, champagne and lots and lots of vodka), but I had at least two dozen! Eamon Foley, the 16-year-old scene stealer from Everyday Rapture, walked in and exclaimed, “Where’s the bar?!” I certainly hope those were virgin “Sheries” I saw him sipping. Tom Kitt and his lovely wife Rita popped in soon thereafter. WCBS beauty Dana Tyler was there with Metropolitan Opera bigwig Lee Abrahamian. Our Town leading lady Jennifer Grace looked dazzling in a flapper dress. Avant garde director David Schweizer was on hand too, as was Tony-winner Dick Latessa. Another Tony-winner, Kevin Adams (who won for his amazing work on American Idiot), told me he had been looking forward to this party since he left last year’s bash! Uber-Producer Stuart Thompson made a late-night (or early morning) appearance, and received congrats from well wishers who adored A View From the Bridge (Even though the production didn’t nab the Tony, it had to be a sweet evening for Stuart, as the glamorous Scarlett Johansson singled him out in her acceptance speech as “the classiest producer on Broadway.”)
The president of Disney Theatricals, Thomas Schumacher, stood on the piano bench to deliver a proper toast: “While it’s very fun to win a Tony Award, the best thing is to be in a chic little party with a great crowd. Doesn’t it feel like Mame Dennis is here? And to anyone who’s really young in here, this is as good as it gets. This is it!” He went on to talk about his love for Sherie, and he even managed to get her to deliver the speech she would have delivered if she had won her categories. Sherie gave a funny and self-deprecating speech, acknowledging Dick Scanlan as well as her husband Kurt Deutsch. The black-tie-clad crowd was warm and witty and great looking – the entire evening felt like being in a Noel Coward play! I saw renowned photographer David Morgan following around lots of pretty ladies taking photos of their feet (including nominee Maria Dizzia). Jackie Hoffman was holding court in one of the bedrooms, keeping a crowd of entranced 20-somethings in stitches. I remember scarfing some divine hors d’oeuvres, all served on blindingly-polished sliver platters. Omelets started making their way out of the kitchen at around 2am, and I couldn’t resist indulging in some much-needed protein. By 3:00 AM, a second wave of guests had crashed the gates, including cast and creatives from Fela, Promises, Promises, Next Fall, American Idiot, and Million Dollar Quartet, and those hard-working folks from the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League letting off some steam, and were all guzzling “Sherie’s Jubilees” and chitchatting about the evening’s winners and losers. Next thing I knew it was nearly 7:00 AM and it was full daylight outside. Feeling a bit like Cinderella out way past her curfew, I phoned the front desk and reserved myself a room so I could get some sleep before having to face the day. It was a spectacular evening, and a true tribute to the Broadway community (which I now officially feel a part of)!
As always, a toast of something sparkling (perhaps a Sherie’s Jubilee) to you and yours!
Kisses,
