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[0:00] Aaron Albano: You're listening to Tony Telecasts from The Ensemblist, the only podcast that shows you Broadway from the inside out. I'm Aaron Albano.

[0:13] Mo Brady: And I'm Mo Brady. Welcome listeners to our miniseries about the Tonys, looking into the drama behind the drama of a theatre season in Broadway history.

[0:27] Aaron Albano: In each podcast episode, we watch a telecast of a previous Tony Awards, not only the performances but the opening and the speeches to see how it all reflects on the season as a whole. So let's dive back in and continue our talk about the 1984 Tony Awards.

[0:49] Mo Brady: We get an opening performance from a nominated musical. Here we get an opening performance from The Tap Dance Kid. They were performing "Fabulous Feet." What did you think about this?

[1:00] Aaron Albano: It was great. I loved it. Aside from the fact that I always chuckle every time we get like a musical in quote unquote, modern day clothing, leotards and like sweatsuits. But outside of that, like, the number itself was a very thrilling way to open the telecast. What did you think?

[1:20] Mo Brady: I fucking loved it. I do not know. I mean, I do know what The Tap Dance Kid is about because I read the Wikipedia entry. It's like a kid who wants to dance just like his uncle and his dad doesn't want him to dance, right? And the second act is devoted to the kids' imaginations of stardom. So the main dancing in this performance is done by Hinton Battle, who ends up winning the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical. He is dancing, killing it, doing tapping Alice O'Kone turns like one after the other across the stage. And there are other people on stage in these 80s period costumes, but I am not watching them because all I am doing is watching Hinton Battle, Hinton Battle all the way, all the way all day.

It's a very athletic ensemble. They're jumping all over the stage while tap dancing and yet he is magnetic. He's magnetic. Yeah. And then you get the duet between Hinton and the young tap dance kid played by Alfonso. Alfonso Ribeiro. He was Carlton in Fresh Prince of LA. Like they are both so good. And then there's a great, I mean like their chemistry together feels like those like classic sort of like vaudeville tap duets. I feel like I felt like I felt like it was after midnight that we were watching. It's this weird like dynamic when you watch like a father figure and a son figure dance together. Something about it always. I love it. It's so good. Are you going to cry? Possibly. And then we get Samuel E. Wright, the original Mufasa for The Lion King joins them and they're doing this like great tap trio.

It's just like it's so good. It's a very well constructed number and no reason it needs to really be opening the Tonys because it's not necessarily about theater and it's not from like the presumptive winner of best musical and yet I mean it does what tap does. It like it's why tap numbers open the second act. It like jolts you into watching the rest of the show. It's great. My favorite thing about it too is that like in our first episode of this telecast series, we watched Hinton Battle win for Jon.

[3:28] Aaron Albano: Oh yeah. Jon from Miss Saigon. Jon from Miss Saigon. A role that is acting first, singing close second, dancing nowhere. Like zero. Yeah. Not a not a dance move. And I remember him having one for The Tap Dance Kid and then mentioning it in his win being like thank you for taking a chance on a dancer. But I had never watched this performance before and I'm just like oh bro. He was known for being a dancer. This was his gig. This is some Daniel J. Watts level shit. Okay. Yeah. This is like someone who you know is one thing. Yeah. Winning an award for something that you didn't know they could do. When we discover all of the hidden talents of the people in our industry, it blows my mind every time.

[4:25] Mo Brady: Let's talk about these medleys about composers, which the first one we see is Kander and Ebb.

[4:30] Aaron Albano: Oh, the composer medleys. I don't feel like we've seen a medley for a while. I've never seen a medley in quite this way.

[4:35] Mo Brady: Yeah. Well, what's interesting is I feel like this is the first time we've seen sort of multiple medleys around a theme. I swear like I think either during the Kander and Ebb one or the second Sondheim one, I was like, oh, so this is just a night of celebrating composers that just happen to have awards in it. It's a variety show where they give out some awards.

[4:57] Aaron Albano: Yes. What were your favorite moments? Like either because they were fantastic or because they were train wrecks, which I think this had a couple of both.

[5:08] Mo Brady: I mean, my favorite moment of at least the first half is when Chita starts singing "All That Jazz." A nominee this evening for The Rink is about to win her first Tony Award musical. She comes out and recreates a performance that she did a decade ago on Broadway, "All That Jazz" in Chicago, and then walks over to wing one and gets followed out by Gwen Verdon and we get to see Chita Rivera and Gwen Verdon sing "Nowadays." It's beautiful.

[5:46] Aaron Albano: Yes. Like it's just beautiful to see the two together. And this, this medley is full of moments like that, right?

[5:52] Mo Brady: Yeah, we get to see Liza Minnelli sing "Cabaret." Yeah. We see Robert Goulet sing "The Happy Time," which he won a Tony for. We see the original stars of "The Act" singing "The Grass is Always Greener." Like it is just like a star-studded medley.

[6:05] Aaron Albano: Yeah, I loved it. One thing about the evening that we didn't talk about in part one was that Al Hirschfeld gets a Lifetime Achievement Award for the evening.

[6:21] Mo Brady: Yes, the Tony curtain is all Hirschfeld drawings of all the presenters from the evening. Yes. And so there are like Hirschfeld drawings peppered into the entire evening, including these medleys. So there's like, Joel Grey is not there, but there is a life-size flat of Joel Grey, Hirschfeld of Joel Grey, as the MC that gets like rolled across the stage that is just like, who thought is that's a choice.

[6:46] Aaron Albano: This was definitely like a historic medley. I mean, all of them were, but I wish we did more of this. I wish that we like, could sort of celebrate our nominees now with their body of work.

[6:58] Mo Brady: Yeah, my fate. But okay, this is a beautiful medley. There are a couple of choice moments. One is whenever Hirschfeld flats come out on rolling wheels. The second is that peppered within the presentation are awards, right? One of the ones they do is the best score award.

[7:17] Aaron Albano: Yes, the gag is when the camera goes on to Fred Ebb. They're in the middle of a presentation about him. And they're announcing him as a nominee for tonight's award for best score. And he is asleep. Fully like eyes closed, like sort of chin, like neck back, chin sort of up in the air. I was like, he can't be asleep. That's I actually went back and watched it twice, because I was like, you wouldn't be asleep. Like, they're in the middle of a thing about you. And then they're gonna like, say your name and show a camera on you. And nah, brah.

[8:13] Mo Brady: All right, nominated tonight for the clip from this Tony Awards that is shown on screens at gay bars is "I Want It All" from Baby.

[8:20] Aaron Albano: Oh, wait, is it shown at gay bars? I've never seen it at a gay bar.

[8:26] Mo Brady: I feel like this is like an iconic lady belting song. So it gets shown at gay bars. Okay, so a trio of women. Liz Callaway, the original Ellen in Miss Saigon. Yeah, as a 19-year-old. Catherine Cox, who I didn't know, and but did a lot of Broadway shows was the original Ethel McCormick in Footloose. Footloose reference as a gym teacher. And Beth Fowler, the original Mrs. Potts, among many other things as a 43-year-old mother. I didn't realize this show had an ensemble for some reason in my mind. This was just a six-hander was about three couples. Yeah, but it had an ensemble including Philip Hoffman, the original steward from Into the Woods, John Jellison, who is in Come From Away. What do you think of this?

[9:05] Aaron Albano: I loved it. Honestly, it like, here are the two things that I wrote: A, OMG, a story song in the Tonys that's actually working. B, because of that, I was like, let me preface this by saying I don't know anything about Baby, but I kind of want a revival of this. I mean, A, just for like the feminist undertones of the number anyway, I think are very poignant and prevalent in today's culture. And it was thrilling. And I love a key change. I thought the staging was like a little on the nose. Like it starts out with the gym teacher, she's carrying a basketball. It's initially under her shirt. So you're like, Oh, is she pregnant? Nope. It's a basketball. And then she's like dribbling the ball. Like I was like, this staging is a little on the nose, right?

Sure. How many gym teachers walk around with basketballs? I mean, very indicative, but you know, what can you do? The basketball leads to some like, join me staging, right? Like she uses the basketball to sort of get the other women excited up to her level. And so I was like, okay, I mean, what I did love about this is it's so like 180 degrees different from every other show that is nominated. Again, we have a story song amidst all of the giant ensemble numbers dance or otherwise. And you got three people. This is the show in today's equivalence would be the one that's at Circle in the Square. It makes its impression because it's so wildly different. I'm now drawing parallels between the Tony Award performance of Baby in 1984 and the Tony Award performance of Fun Home in 2015. And I like it. Yes, I like literally what it is. And you're like, this is different, huh? I want to know more about that. It has a wildly different vibe.

[11:06] Mo Brady: The next presentation, even Sondheim ever heard of them. I think the most unfortunate parts of all of these presentations medleys is the opening. It always starts in a way that's like, like a little bit jerky. Sure. This is a performance of another 100 people from Company, but it's a group number. But it's being done by all of these famous people. So it's Robert Preston, one of our co-hosts, Robert Guillaume, Tony Randall, like doing a lot of musical staging. You know, when we ask a famous person to be on the Tonys nowadays, all we are asking them to do is like walk to a place, say things that are on a teleprompter.

[12:04] Aaron Albano: Yeah. And then walk away. Maybe park and bark, call it a day.

[12:06] Mo Brady: Yes. The celebrities in the 1984 Tony Awards are learning musical staging, vocals, harmonies, like for multiple numbers, like they're rehearsing.

[12:20] Aaron Albano: Yeah, it's its own production, which I was like, that's wild. Didn't they all have like TV series to be on? We don't have people presenting Tony Awards anymore that don't have a TV series to fly back to LA for tomorrow. You know what it reminded me of that I'm just realizing right now, you know, in Center Stage when they're doing the pas de deux, but all of the other dancers and extras are walking across the back to show you how busy New York is.

[12:36] Mo Brady: Yes, correct. That's New York is busy, guys. It's a city of strangers. Some come to work, some to play.

[12:25] The Ensemblist & Broadway Podcast Network: Welcome back to The Ensemblist, where we celebrate the performances and careers of ensemble performers.

[12:55] The Ensemblist & Broadway Podcast Network: In this episode, we continue our discussion about the 38th Annual Tony Awards, which took place on June 3, 1984.

[13:25] The Ensemblist & Broadway Podcast Network: The ceremony was hosted by Julie Andrews and Robert Preston at the Gershwin Theatre.

[13:45] The Ensemblist & Broadway Podcast Network: This year, the awards featured three medleys dedicated to composers John Kander and Fred Ebb, Jerry Herman, and Stephen Sondheim.

[14:15] The Ensemblist & Broadway Podcast Network: Heading into the ceremony, two musicals were virtually tied for the most nominations: Sunday in the Park with George with ten nominations and La Cage aux Folles with nine.

[14:35] The Ensemblist & Broadway Podcast Network: Baby and The Tap Dance Kid followed behind with seven nominations each.

[14:45] The Ensemblist & Broadway Podcast Network: Notably, there were no musicals nominated for Best Revival this season.

[14:55] The Ensemblist & Broadway Podcast Network: The 1983-84 Broadway season was marked by many significant events.

[15:05] The Ensemblist & Broadway Podcast Network: It was the final year of President Ronald Reagan’s first term, and 1984 was a leap year, an election year, and a Summer Olympics year.

[15:15] The Ensemblist & Broadway Podcast Network: The United States hosted the Olympics in Los Angeles, while the Soviet Union boycotted the games.

[15:25] The Ensemblist & Broadway Podcast Network: This season also saw the creation of the federal holiday to commemorate the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

[15:35] The Ensemblist & Broadway Podcast Network: Reagan signed the bill establishing the holiday the previous November.

[15:45] The Ensemblist & Broadway Podcast Network: Additionally, 1984 marked the founding of Canada’s famed entertainment company, Cirque du Soleil.

[16:05] The Ensemblist & Broadway Podcast Network: In New York, one of the largest events mentioned in the telecast was A Chorus Line making history as the longest-running musical on Broadway.

[16:15] The Ensemblist & Broadway Podcast Network: After eight years and 3,389 performances, A Chorus Line broke the record on September 29, 1983.

[16:25] The Ensemblist & Broadway Podcast Network: It would continue to hold that record until 1997, when it was overtaken by Cats.

[16:45] The Ensemblist & Broadway Podcast Network: Today, A Chorus Line holds the number seven spot on the list of longest-running Broadway musicals.

[17:05] The Ensemblist & Broadway Podcast Network: It has been surpassed only by Phantom, the Chicago revival, The Lion King, the original production of Cats, Wicked, and the original production of Les Misérables.

[17:25] The Ensemblist & Broadway Podcast Network: Join us as we dive deeper into the highlights of the 1984 Tony Awards and the impact of these musicals on Broadway.

[17:45] The Ensemblist & Broadway Podcast Network: Stay tuned for more insights and stories from the world of ensemble performers.

[18:05] The Ensemblist & Broadway Podcast Network: We appreciate you listening to The Ensemblist, where we honor the unsung heroes of the stage.

[18:25] The Ensemblist & Broadway Podcast Network: Let’s continue our exploration of the Tony telecasts and the remarkable performances that defined this era.

[18:45] The Ensemblist & Broadway Podcast Network: We’ll be back shortly with more details and discussions about the nominated shows.

[19:05] The Ensemblist & Broadway Podcast Network: Thank you for being part of our journey as we celebrate the contributions of ensemble performers.

[19:25] The Ensemblist & Broadway Podcast Network: We look forward to sharing more stories and insights with you.

[19:45] The Ensemblist & Broadway Podcast Network: Stay tuned for the next segment of our episode.

[20:05] The Ensemblist & Broadway Podcast Network: We’re excited to continue this conversation about the Tony Awards and the musicals that shaped Broadway.

[20:25] The Ensemblist & Broadway Podcast Network: Don’t go anywhere; we’ll be right back with more exciting content.

[20:35] The Ensemblist & Broadway Podcast Network: Thanks for joining us on this journey through Broadway history.

[20:45] The Ensemblist & Broadway Podcast Network: We appreciate your support and enthusiasm for the arts.

[21:05] The Ensemblist & Broadway Podcast Network: Let’s dive back into the highlights of the 1984 Tony Awards.

[21:25] The Ensemblist & Broadway Podcast Network: We’re thrilled to share these stories with you.

[21:45] The Ensemblist & Broadway Podcast Network: Stay tuned for more insights and reflections on the performances that made an impact.

[22:05] The Ensemblist & Broadway Podcast Network: We’ll be back shortly with more discussions on the nominated shows.

[22:25] The Ensemblist & Broadway Podcast Network: Thank you for being part of our audience as we celebrate the world of ensemble performers.

[22:45] The Ensemblist & Broadway Podcast Network: We’re excited to continue this exploration of Broadway’s rich history.

[23:05] The Ensemblist & Broadway Podcast Network: Join us as we reflect on the performances that have left a lasting legacy.

[23:25] The Ensemblist & Broadway Podcast Network: We appreciate your support and look forward to sharing more stories with you.

[23:45] The Ensemblist & Broadway Podcast Network: Stay tuned for the next segment of our episode.

[24:05] The Ensemblist & Broadway Podcast Network: Thank you for listening to The Ensemblist.

[24:25] The Ensemblist & Broadway Podcast Network: We’ll be back with more exciting content shortly.

[24:41] The Ensemblist & Broadway Podcast Network: Until then, keep celebrating the unsung heroes of the stage.