Santa Cruz Sentinel from Santa Cruz, California • Page 102

i inn; Ijjgj The visually splendid Phantom is this year's Tony favorite. BY ROBERT DiMATTEO "Joe Turner's Come and Gone," August Wilson's play about a freed slave's quest for his wife; Butterfly," David Henry Hwang's provocative, controversial portrait of a French diplomat whose longtime mistress is revealed to be a man; and David Mamet's revenge-on-Holly-wood satire "Speed-the-Plow." Helped along by the notoriety of Madonna's supporting performance, the Mamet play may well win, though Butterfly" should be considered the dark horse candidate. Best Actor in a Musical nominees include Michael Crawford Phantom of the and Howard McGillin Crawford, a British star who became known to Americans in "swinging '60s" movies Knack and How to Get It," "How I Won the is a shoo-in. Best Actor and Best Actress in a Play contenders are a bit lackluster this time. Look for either John Lithgow or Derek Jacobi the to walk away with the actor trophy.

Of the nominated actresses, the contest boils down to whether Tony will honor the seasoned veteran (either Glenda Jackson for "Macbeth" or Blythe Danner for or pay tribute to the bright young talent (Frances McDormand in "Streetcar" or Joan Allen in "Burn No one will come away from the evening without feeling at least a minor urge to see "The Phantom of the Opera." Award ceremonies often succumb to larger-than-life productions, and with its unassailable grasp of classy romantic spectacle, "Phantom" looks like it will be "The Last Emperor" of the 42nd Tony Awards. 1988 United Media It's time for the Tonys, that splashy Broadway ceremony with a reputation for being the one awards show that is truly entertaining. On Sunday, June CBS will telecast the event live from New York's Minskoff Theatre, with Hollywood character actress-turned-Broadway great-turned-TV star Angela Lans-bury serving as host for the second year in a row. Even though the year's favorite for Best Musical, Andrew Lloyd Webber's "The Phantom of the Opera," is already as famous as any Hollywood blockbuster, the Tony ceremony has come to depend little upon the average TV viewer's knowledge of thctjieater. The Tonys work on TV because theater people are trained rave presence in a way that movie and TV actors aren't: Thespians know how to put on a good show for the balcony or for the camera.

Aetually, the Tonys have gone plenty Hollywood in the last few years. More movie stars like Elizabeth Taylor and Madonna have been appearing on Broadway, while recent Tony Awards telecasts have relied upon the contributions of TV stars in order to lure non-theater-oriented viewers. This year's telecast should continue that trend, since it is being produced by the show-biz-shrewd Don Mischer, who Crawford, Sarah Brightman in Phantom managed last year's event. After a penod when British performers and productions dominated, this year's nominees are decidedly more home-grown. In the Best Musical race, the choice is between "Into the Woods," Stephen Sondheim's wonderfully witty deconstruction of classic fairy tales; the visually splendiferous and melodious "The Phantom of the the old-fashioned pair of one-act musical comedies, "Romance and the stirring South African musical "Sarafina!" Best Play contenders are "A Walk in the Woods," Lee Blessing's intriguing and thoughtful study of an American and Soviet diplomat negotiating an arms treaty in Geneva; pays the first month rent lor the space you need.

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