Alicia Keys desires her Tony.
And right after this week, the “Girl On Fire” singer will in all probability snag the major one particular for her well-liked musical “Hell’s Kitchen area.”
Keys was the star of Broadway’s spring road conference, an annual convention in which hundreds of out-of-town presenters who e book reveals all over the nation appear to NYC to be feted.
There is swag, multiple boozy parties for every working day — just what these folks need — and happy-handing celebs galore. But Broadway is campaigning for extra than just two weeks in Cincinnati.
Outside of shopping for productions to bring to their marketplaces, “the road” also would make up about 15% of the 800 or so Tony Award voters who will choose Best Musical on Sunday, June 16.
And in a notably competitive calendar year for that classification, receiving the edge issues.
Which is why wise Keys, who manufactured the semi-autobiographical “Hell’s Kitchen,” gave the road voters a 45-minute concert at Gotham Corridor on Wednesday night.
“It was electric,” a source stated of the 11 p.m. general performance that also showcased the show’s nominated stars these kinds of as Maleah Joi Moon, Kecia Lewis and Shoshana Bean.
The bash went late, and revelers spilled out to 2nd spots.
Before that working day in the course of a panel at the Hilton, Keys interviewed e-book author Kristoffer Diaz, choreographer Camille A. Brown and director Michael Greif.
“Alicia Keys won the Tony right now at the conference,” a further supply instructed me of the shifting chat.
Not to be outdone, the 4 other Best Musical nominees did their individual tune and dance.
“Water For Elephants,” a darkish circus musical, threw a social gathering at the Edison Rooftop, and handed out cotton candy Dumbos.
“Suffs,” the “Hamilton”-like display about the women’s suffrage motion, staged a communicate at the Tunes Box Theatre and served boxed lunches. Possibly unwisely, their most famous producer, Hillary Clinton, did not participate.
“Illinoise,” the chic dance piece established to the audio of Sufjan Stevens, has found their Tony fortunes fall, and experienced reduced-important beverages at Yard Home.
“They know they are not successful,” an insider said.
And “The Outsiders,” “Hell’s Kitchen”’s most important competition for Greatest Musical, held a nicely-attended pre-show party at the Edison Ballroom.
And the band Jamestown Revival, which wrote the fantastic show’s very rating, performed encores at each performance very last 7 days.
However, there was one snafu through their daytime panel.
“They announced the producer of ‘The Outsiders’ in this kind of a way that every person assumed Angelina Jolie was coming out,” an attendee mentioned of the Hollywood actress who truly is a producer of the musical.
“And then it was LaChanze.”
There was a very similar mixup at a espresso event for the hit revival of “Merrily We Roll Together.”
That show’s excellent forged — Jonathan Groff, Daniel Radcliffe and Lindsay Mendez — have been like pollen currently. In all places. But Radcliffe couldn’t make this certain party.
Even so, a supply mentioned some attendees did not get the memo and confused a person of “Merrily”’s producers, Patrick Catullo, with the “Harry Potter” star.
Groff, by the way, attended the New York Drama Critics Circle Awards at 54 Down below on Tuesday (The Wall Street Journal’s Charles Isherwood and I stood in the back again like Statler and Waldorf), and then headed to Sardi’s where he obtained a caricature.
He’s the present favourite to get Finest Actor in a Musical.
In a classy move, fellow Very best Actor nominee Eddie Redmayne of “Cabaret,” showed up to support his friend. Oscar winner Redmayne, who plays the Emcee, has also obtained raves during the conference for talking humbly and likably.
But as the levels of competition heats up over the following 3 months, I have a emotion we’ll be quoting a tune from a distinct Kander and Ebb clearly show.
Whichever took place to class?!
