In This World, the Tony Goes to ...

Audra McDonald as Billie Holiday in "Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill." Photo from "Lady Day" Facebook page.

BY TAMARA BECK

THOUGH still reeling from the works and performances that didn't and should have been nominated for an award, one must handicap the “68th Annual Tony Awards.” (http://www.ow.ly/xDv4A)

Such an undertaking does present some challenges, but I rise to the occasion. To hedge my bets, my predictions will be limited to the major awards. That is, Best Lead Actress in a Play, Best Lead Actor in a Play, Best Play, Best Revival of a Play, Best Lead Actress in a Musical, Best Lead Actor in a Musical, Best Musical, Best Revival of a Musical.
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It was clear that Tyne Daly's astounding performance as Maria Callas in Terrence McNally's "Master Class" in 2011 was staged too early in the year to be remembered by the time the nominations came in.

Obviously, the Tony committee would not recall (or honor) in June what was on stage the previous summer. If members choose to rectify the oversight this year by nominating TD in the Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Play category, so be it.

TD's Katharine Gerard in another TMcN play, "Mothers and Sons," is damn fine work. But damn fine work is only to be expected from a damn fine master such as TD. Cherry Jones also has her hat in the ring for her exceptional interpretation of the fiercely protective mother in “The Glass Menagerie.” (http://www.ow.ly/qFZP4)

Since "Lady Day at the Emerson Bar & Grill" is a play with jazz and not a musical, five-time Tony winner Audra McDonald is also a hot contender for yet another Best Actress in a Play Tony. By the way, one of her Tonys was as Best Featured Actress in "Master Class," an early but not the first of AMcD's triumphs.

Her performance in "Lady Day" is completely immersive. Billie Holiday may have squandered and spent her talent on booze and drugs, but AMcD's is in full flower. She is completely lost in the role, and that's a good thing.

LaTanya Richardson Jackson is a deserving nominee for her role in the revival of "A Raisin in the Sun," Lorraine Hansberry's classic drama. All worthy performances, but after all is said and done, the Tony goes to AMcD.

Going all the way to Tony riches in the Best Lead Actor in a Play category is Bryan Cranston. In "All The Way," as Lyndon Baines Johnson, he deserves to win, though Tony Shalhoub, playing both the mature Moss Hart and his early mentor and collaborator, George S. Kaufman, in “Act One” will give BC a run for his money.

In the Best Play category, five plays and four revivals were acknowledged. They include “The Glass Menagerie,” “A Raisin in the Sun,” Harvey Fierstein's "Casa Valentina" and “Act One.” Moss Hart’s paean to becoming is elegiacally transposed for the stage by James Lapine. “Act One” belongs in and to the theater. It should easily win.

“A Raisin in the Sun” is on the shortlist for Best Revival of a Play, as is “The Glass Menagerie.” Is it surprising to learn that the latter has never won a Tony? At any rate, neither will win this year because the much admired British import, “Twelfth Night,” will take home the top prize.

It would be wonderful to witness the talented and lovely Kelli O'Hara receive a Best Lead Actress in a Musical statuette for every chance she's ever taken and every role she's ever played. She has never won a Tony. Unfortunately, "The Bridges of Madison County," which rises far above the novel from which it sprouts, is not going to be her ticket. (http://www.ow.ly/vThMA)

Also competing in this category are Jessie Mueller as Carole King in "Beautiful – The Carole King Musical,” Mary Bridget Davies, reputed to be pitch-perfect as the eponymous Janis in “A Night with Janis Joplin” and the wonderful Sutton Foster as “Violet.”

However, in the Best Actress in a Musical category, the Tony goes to Idina Menzel as Liz/Beth in the ultra-original “If/Then.” It is the closest thing to having two leading roles, since the character is split by chance and choice and follows two very different and separate paths.

“Hedwig and the Angry Inch” star Neil Patrick Harris is the pick for the Best Leading Actor in a Musical. The much admired and very talented NPH plays rough-and-tumble transgender rock 'n' roller “Hedwig.” The production took off Broadway by storm in 1999.

“After Midnight” (http://www.ow.ly/qUAjl) is an exceptionally entertaining cabaret-like show, with exciting tap acts, and a nice sense of history. It is more of a revue than a musical, however. With the field for Best Musical narrowed to “After Midnight,” “Beautiful – The Carole King Musical,” “A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder” and “Aladdin,” this critic is forced to go with “A Gentleman's Guide to Love.” Its 10 nominations suggest a sweeping win. (http://www.ow.ly/sOG2P)

Samuel Barnett and Liam Brennan in "Twelfth Night. Photo from "Twelfth Night" Facebook page.

In the Best Revival of a Musical category the smart money is on “Hedwig and the Angry Inch.” It will easily outpace the other transplant from off Broadway, "Violet," and Cameron Mackintosh's production of "Les Miz."

Only one more day to see how the predictions bear out!

The 68th Annual Tony Awards airs at 8 p.m. on Sunday, 8 June on CBS. Visit http://www.tonyawards.com/ to learn more about the nominations and broadcast.

A Fast-Moving Virus Is in the Air in 'Contagion'

Sanaa Lathan and Matt Damon on Wednesday at the New York premiere of "Contagion" at the Rose Theater at Lincoln Center. Photos by Charles Norfleet/ASJAIS Images.

IT’S spreading. It’s deadly ...

Beth Emhoff (Gwyneth Paltrow) returns to her Minneapolis home from a Hong Kong business trip with jetlag. Two days later Beth is dead. This is where the action picks up in “Contagion.”

Directed by Steven Soderbergh from a screenplay by Scott Z. Burns, “Contagion” (see trailer below) opens nationwide today.” (Some other films opening today: “Warrior,” “Kevin Hart: Laugh at My Pain,” “Bucky Larson: Born to Be a Star” and “Creature”).

Soon symptoms that plagued Beth – cough, fever, seizure, brain hemorrhage, death –plague a few, hundreds, thousands, then … A pandemic is born. With the world in panic and a race on for a cure, politics and jockeying enter the fray.



Will the world be saved by an airborne virus that can kill in days or will money interests, competition, ego and hubris end it as we know it? In addition to GP, on hand in "Contagion" to provide action and answers is an all-star cast of mostly Oscar winners and/or Oscar nominees, including Marion Cotillard, Bryan Cranston, Matt Damon, Jennier Ehle, Lawrence Fishburne, Jude Law, Sanaa Lathan and Kate Winslet.

“Contagion” is rated PG-13 for disturbing content and some language.

It's a Wonderful Life for 'Larry Crowne'

Dell (Wilmer Valderrama), Larry (Tom Hanks), Talia (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) and the rest of the scooter gang on the move in "Larry Crowne." Photos by Bruce Talamon/Vendôme International, LLC.

IN 2011 in the United States of America, is it possible to make a film ostensibly targeted to adults that has virtually no profanity, no violence and only two innocuous kissing scenes?

Perhaps, that is the wrong question. The film has already been made and released. The better question is how will it do at the box office. If it bombs, there goes the neighborhood. If it is at least a modest hit, however, happy days are here again.


That will no doubt be a question surrounding “Larry Crowne,” the latest vehicle from Hollywood powerbroker Tom Hanks who not only stars as the title character in the film, but is also the director, co-writer and co-producer. It opens nationwide today.

Larry Crowne is a Navy vet who works as a salesman at a Wal-Mart type superstore chain. In a down economy layoffs are imminent and the first to go will be those without a college degree. Despite Larry’s long and stellar service, he gets the axe.

Immediately, he enrolls in community college where he takes at least two courses. One is a public speaking class taught by professor Mercedes Tainot (Julia Roberts) who frankly could give a damn. The other is an economics class presided over by Dr. Matsutani (George Takei of “Star Trek” fame) who frankly could give a damn about anybody’s theories, excepting his own.

Talia chats up Larry in economics class in "Larry Crowne."

One day after class Larry meets effervescent coed Talia (Gugu Mbatha-Raw in what has the makings of a breakout role for her) at the scooter parking lot. He’d recently bought the machine from his neighbor, Lamar (Cedric the Entertainer) who seems to have a perpetual garage sale in progress. Talia promptly invites Larry to join her club. He accepts and is taken into its bosom, though grudgingly so by Talia’s boyfriend, Dell (Wilmer Valderrama). Larry’s new life is going swimmingly. (See videos and trailers at http://www.larrycrowne.com/).

“Larry Crowne” is really about one man’s quest to reinvent himself in a world in which he has become irrelevant. When Larry is laid off he doesn’t do anything so banally dramatic as getting drunk and having a one-night stand. As close to drama as he veers is during a semi-pity party with Lamar, which is perfectly understandable. Lamar will have none of it. He basically tells Larry to get over himself. After all, Larry is white and can easily start anew.

Larry sucks it up and takes life as it comes. He’s never been in a college classroom and it shows in a way. His preparedness and eagerness to learn betray him. Though he is the old guy in the scooter gang, he doesn’t make a fool of himself by trying to adopt a veneer of coolness that he does not possess. In fact, it is Talia who bestows on him some cool. She feng shui’s his house, gets his hair cut, and puts him in new threads and sunglasses from the bounty in her storage locker. Larry is as comfortable in the leather jacket, formfitting dark button-down shirts and skinnyesque jeans as he was in the polo short, Dockers and Ray-Bans that made him look like a cop.

Larry (center) gets strong support from neighbors, Lamar (Cedric the Entertainer) and B'Ella (Taraji P. Henson), in "Larry Crowne."

“Larry Crowne,” inspired by TH's junior college experience, unfolds like a roadtrip. The joy is in the journey, not the destination. There’s no D-R-A-M-A, hot messes and other foolishness; no sex, drugs and rock ‘n’ roll – not really – no smart-alecky or precocious kids. Yet the film commands the attention. It has an innocence about it and it has few hokey moments, too. Mostly, it is good, wholesome entertainment that is a throwback to Old Hollywood and 50s-era television, but with a 21st-century edginess. While Taraji P. Henson is wasted in the role of Lamar’s wife B’Ella, she makes the most of what she has, channeling June Cleaver.

An aside: Most of the actresses are wasted in “Larry Crowne,” including JR. Pam Grier as Mercedes’ colleague gets the shortest shrift. Only GM-R as Talia is given anything interesting to do. It is she who is the leading lady in “Larry Crowne,” not JR. But this is Hollywood and stars are needed to make bank. Still, why couldn’t the women have fared better; their male counterparts did.

CtE is delightfully avuncular and slightly curmudgeonly as the good neighbor. Bryan Cranston as Mercedes’ porn-loving husband Dean is a riot as a toad and general sleazeball. Best of all among the men is GT. He is knee-slapping funny as the economics professor with high and mighty self-esteem. Shortcomings aside, TH has assembled the kind of cast that will appeal to the widest possible audience.

Larry must relinquish his mobile phone to Dr. Dr. Matsutani (George Takei)in "Larry Crowne."

No doubt, audiences will like "Larry Crowne." How could they not? Could anyone play this character other than TH and not make him seem like a sap? Not very likely. TH’s performance is utterly understated and without guile. Larry is a decent, principled man, and TH is able to convey this with one earnest look, blink of the eye or worrying of the lower lip. Larry is reminiscent of James Stewart’s George Bailey in “It’s a Wonderful Life.” His first instinct is to do the honorable thing. He believes in the best of everyone and challenges everyone to do his best. Do such men even exist in this culture anymore? Sure they do, they’re just fewer and farther between.

“Larry Crowne” doesn’t end with a bang or wimper. It simply has a happy ending – old Hollywood style.

Larry Crowne is rated PG-13 for brief strong language and some sexual content."