Best Actress, 1976 Tony Awards

[boombox889]

oooo vivian reed looks pisseeddddd. get over it.

[streisandgarlandlvr]

Ahh Patti LuPone behind Chita Rivera! She looks so bored!! lol

[broadwayboundguy]

@streisandgarlandlvr Hah! Good eye. She's just like "... Oh... When is this over, again?"

[caravaggio31]

Chita and Gwen shared votes and Donna won. Simple and predictable.

[markmole]

@caravaggio31 No, I think Donna won because she was amazing... she both created and performed Cassie, her whole heart and sole went into that role. Gwen and Chita are icons, but Chicago wasn't their *best* work.

[jackrenglish]

I WENT TO THE HB STUDIO WITH DONNA.. IN NYC....CHARLES NELSON REILLY'S MUSICAL COMEDY CLASS IN THE VILLAGE..1960'S...SHE ALWAYS HAD 'QUALITY X"..& STAR QUALITY...WELL DESERVED, DONNA....JACK R. ENGLISH,...WEST HOLLYWOOD, CALIF...

[equinoxranch]

Vivian Reed, unlike the other candidates who, when they did not win but, no surprise immediately showed class, dignity and joy at McKechnie's win, Reed shows contempt, anger, hubris. Classically classless sheboon.

[tayneshia]

@equinoxranch Sheboon, huh? You are a total rockstar...I am just basking in the total awesomeness of you. I almost chose not to dignify you with a response, but that's just how drawn I was to your overwheliming idiocy...oops! I mean awesomeness.

[lisbon4]

Donna was amazing in A Chorus Line! Chita and Gwen had a good thing over at Chicago but in the mid 70s ACL changed the rules of broadway.  Yea Donna!

[roccoh21]

The stupidest TONY ever! She was a featured performer and she could not act. Chita Rivera should have won. McKechinie sang and danced well but this part is nothing compared to Roxie or Velma in Chicago and the revivals of both shows vindicated what I have contended for decades.

[judysweetfunny]

When Broadway was at its best!!!!!

[ImperfectlyPerfect2]

I love seeing Patti sitting behind Chita in opening shot ( starting at :12 ). ^_^ Hysterical.

[gummybrain]

Wow, that's some competition in that category!

[fashionglindaguru]

I love how Gwen and Chita are so happy for Donna. It takes real "gupsies" to show how much they care for one another. You don't see that a lot today. P.S. Donna deserved this!

[roccoh21]

@fashionglindaguru Chita and Gwen put on a good face. I recall that they did not attend the nominees party in protest. McKechnie cannot act and she did not deserve to win in this category. It is a supporting role and the Tonys got it right with the revival. This was one ot the Tonys all-time worst travesties.

[fashionglindaguru]

@roccoh21 I agree with you that she didn't deserve to win "in this category". I agree that they got it right with the revival, by placing "Cassie" in supporting actress. The show is all supporting roles. However, in her book, Donna said Michael Bennett and Bob Avian (I think, not 100% on Bob) found out the requirements for "Best Actress", and tailored the role of Cassie, so that it could be considered for "Best Actress". I do disagree with you when you say that she can't act. She played herself!

[ActorSinger51]

Donna's great!!!! I am seeing her as Lucille in "No, No Nanette" tonight at Waltham's Reagle Players.

[jackrenglish]

i went to class/acting with donna, at hb studio in nyc, in the 1960's..with charles nelson reilley...she always had quality X.......jack english

[nylilhotman]

she did 'the music and the mirror'. that's why she was nominated and that's why she beat gwen and chita. she was even more brilliant in 'turkey lurkey time', let's face it.

[lf1234]

She was wonderful in ACL, but how did she get nominated for LEAD actress. I mean, yes Cassie is the notable character in the show, but is her solo and confrontation with Zach enough to really call her a LEAD character?

[orchestralmagician]

Well the 2007 Tony Committee didn't think so w/ the Cassie character in the Revival, Featured Role, especially in an ensemble piece like A Chorus Line.

[brochtrup]

Donna deserved that award, period. It sounds strange, but: it seem slike many can do Fosse moves, but Bennett's stuff is hard to pull off with looking cloying. Donna deserved it.

[Asylum07MasterMadman]

many can do fosse's moves yes, but thats because fosse is about small movements done perfectly, precisely, and in unison. ANyone can do them, only the best can master them.

[thisismolly]

she was on dark shadows!

[AlexCorpVideos]

Love Donna! But Chita really did deserve that award!

[markmole]

Nuh-uhh!! Hey, Chita was great in Chicago--I saw her, Gwen & Jerry on Broadway in, was it 1975? I also saw Donna, and she was amazing ;-)

[AlexCorpVideos]

I only wish the award could have been split between the 3 of them! The all played one of my fave characters: Charity Hope Valentine!

[wc213]

Hmmm...Gwen was the original Charity, Chita was the tour Charity....and I know that Donna DID play Charity at some point, but in which production?

[suttonfan123]

Donna played in the 1987 National tour of the Debbie Allen revival of Sweet Charity.

[wc213]

Oh my god!!! You're so lucky!! I would have killed to see them!!! If only I was born....

[porterp]

I was miffed about the Richard Burton thing too. I guess she must have just mixed things up a little. Maybe Richard Burton presented the award for Best Musical that year, for which she and the whole cast probably would have gone on stage to accept. I have worked with Donna a couple of times on some benefit stuff, and been around her socially in the theatre community. She is quite a lady, and she is certainly not delusional. Her book makes for interesting reading.

[lj394]

I didn't know Donna M. had written a book, but now I want to read it. Strange about the Richard Burton episode.  I'm surprised it wasn't caught by her editor before the book was published.

[rithosyke]

Yes Harry, but did you know David Winter also dated Linda Lovelace and "choreographed" her nightclub act.

[HumbleHarry]

How much work did Vivian Reed get on Broadway after this? She knew that was her last chance.

[ljay889]

That Vivien Reid looks PISSED when Donna wins.

But man Verdon is a class act, same for Rivera. They look thrilled for Donna.

Though many who saw both original productions can tell you Verdon deserved that award.

[markmole]

Very funny observation about Vivien Reid!

I love Gwen Verdon, she's an absolute legend. I saw Chicago in 1976 and loved it. I also saw Chorus Line at the same time, but had to wait until 1986 to see Donna McKechnie (in a touring company). Even 10 years after she originated the role, Donna was amazing, and it was hands-down my best experience in the theatre. She is a true original talent, and Chorus Line was her defining moment.

[markmole]

Chicago was a great part for Gwen, but she had done her very best work in previous years, and been rewarded for it many times (she had won around 5 Tony awards).

Also, Donna's role in Chorus Line had a lot more depth than just an actress playing a part really well. She was a key part of the year-long creation of the work and contributed greatly to all aspects of the production. He heart and soul are built into ACL. She is a legend now almost single-handedly because of ACL.

[olegbb]

what happened to the clip of donna and music and the mirror? i wish the poster had not taken it down. can someone repost it?

[markmole]

The original poster removed it, but I put it back on my account. Click on my name "markmole" and Donna's in my collection.

[elzbieta52]

@olegbb It's up again!

[joelib]

Not a lot of glamour at the Tony Awards back then, huh? Thanks very much for posting them, they are great to see.

[olegbb]

Who's presenting the award? I can't place him.

[markmole]

I'm 90% sure that's Clifton Davis, who won a Best Actor award a few years before this broadcast for Two Gentlemen of Verona, and then moved on to TV & movies.

[olegbb]

oh, yeah, that sounds right.

[HumbleHarry]

Yeah, that's him. Davis also starred in the late 80s TV show "Amen," with Sherman Hemsley of "The Jeffersons" fame. And Davis starred in the late 70s sitcom "That's My Mama." McKechnie, by the way, was one of the original dancers on the mid 60s pop/rock TV variety show "Hullabaloo," where she met Michael Bennett. David Winter, who played A-rab in "West Side Story," was the show's choreographer. It's a curse knowing all of this useless trivia.

[mrsrad1959]

You should read her book. According to her Richard Burton handed her the Tony as she looked into his blue eyes. Clifton Davis is NOT Richard Burton. You can read excerp on Amazon.com.

[HumbleHarry]

But the man in this clip doesn't have blue eyes, nor was he ever married to Liz Taylor, twice. And his Welsh accent stinks.

[mrsrad1959]

I know! Crazy. She also mentions some other things...that Michael Bennett kissed her (not in this clip) and that they sat something like seven rows back. I actually thought maybe she meant some other award. Oh well. She's still fab. Delusional, but fab.

[Elphabo]

I was watching an interview with Donna and she talked about how she remembered seeing Richard Burton when she walked off into the wings. She also said the thing about his blue eyes. She said that was her secret Tony memory.

[olegbb]

It must have been a confusing night for her as Richard Burton presented Michael Bennett with his Tony. However, she should have it corrected in the next publishing of her book.

[roccoh21]

@markmole That is Clifton Davis but he did not win the Tony for Two Gentlemen of Verona.

[brochtrup]

By chance, is there footage available of Kelly Bishop winning her award that same night? Would love to see that (seeing as how she keeps getting snubbed Emmy-wise for Gilmore Girls)!

[kimokao]

:) it sucked to be chicago in 1976 :P

Thank you!

[blackpython]

Haha, yeah, which sucks cause Chicago was brilliant. Poor John Kander & Fred Ebb.

[purpnurp6]

Thank you for posting this!!!