- Title: USA: NOMINEES FOR BROADWAY'S TONY AWARDS ATTEND ANNUAL LUNCH
- Date: 15th May 1999
- Summary: NEW YORK CITY (MAY 12, 1999) (REUTERS) ( ** BEWARE FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY **) WIDE VIEW TONYS LUNCHEON CROWD BRIAN DENNEHY POSING WITH TONY NOMINATION (SOUNDBITE) (ENGLISH) Dennehy saying, "As I advance in years, and believe me I've advanced a long way in years, I like to be able to concentrate on fewer and fewer things. Now this is a wonderful play, and it's providing some
- Embargoed: 30th May 1999 13:00
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- Location: NEW YORK CITY, UNITED STATES
- Country: USA
- Topics: Entertainment
- Reuters ID: LVABAE6XQZMJ7C5KORGH5785MVWS
- Story Text: The nominees for Broadway's Tony Award were guests at an annual luncheon for the nominees in New York City on Wednesday (May 12).
Every year the nominees for the Tony Awards, Broadways version of the Oscars, get together with the press for lunch.
This year the spotlight was on straight plays, or dramas, rather than musicals which had a dismal year in New York.
Judi Dench has been nominated for best leading actress in a play for her perfomance in David Hare's "Amy's View," a play that was successful in London's West End before moving to Broadway.
Dench told Reuters TV that the Tony nomination had made her work on the stage more difficult."The day ater the Tony nominees were announced, the theatre that night was as if everyone steps back a bit and looks and says 'O.K.show us.'..So it's very difficult, very, very difficult," she said.
Brian Dennehy is nominated in the best leading actor in a play for his performance in Arthur Miller's "Death of a Salesman." He said the award tends to interfere with work in the theatre, but he doesn't want it to.
"Now this is a wonderful play ("Death of a Salesman"), and it's providing some of the great moments for theatre goers in New York - provacative, devastating, compelling moments,"
Dennehy said."I have to remember that's the important thing.
That's why we are all here.That's what this is all about.
Sometimes, there's a tendency in awards season for the tail to start vigorously wagging the dog.And your job as an actor is to say 'hold on a second, what's important here?'"
Kevin Spacey is nominated alonside Dennehy for his role of Hickey in Eugene O'Neill's "The Ice Man Commeth" This play, like "Amy's View," came to Broadway from London.Spacey gave credit to the entire cast for his recognition in it.
"To be picked out of this company for me is really a compliment to the whole cast, because I'm not up there alone.
This play was conceived as an ensemble, and I wish they had an ensemble award because they ought to consider that," Spacey offered.
The 53rd annual Tony Awards will be announced in a three-hour nationally televised ceremony from New York on June 6. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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