The Life of a Salesman



Tonys were awarded on Broadway yesterday

To some of the finer musicals and dramatic plays

Including a few revivals of some extraordinary note

(Plays which have done the rounds on other floats)



Such as Eugene O'Neill's The Iceman Cometh

And a play by Arthur Miller with enormous depth

Which was awarded several honors for its production

Including Brian Dennehy for his portrayal of Willie Loman



And also, Elizabeth Franz for her feature role in the play

And Robert Falls ... who directed them both, come what may

And also, Arthur Miller - collected an honorary for life achievement

(Having now finally gotten over his Marilyn Monroe bereavement)



Saying if Death of a Salesman or Iceman had arrived

At any producer's office as part of the script landslide ...

Neither one of them would've been given the time of day

For each of them are much too risky ventures for pay



And also winning Tonys was yet another revival

Annie Get Your Gun (Irving Berlin's triumphal)

Winning for Bernadette Peters' performance as Annie

And also ... the musical itself ... in the revival category

 

Although Musical Direction honors went to Matthew Bourne

For his wild revision of Swan Lake - away from the norm

And the best modern musical award went to Fosse

For its summarization of all of that man's incredible posse ...



Of shows - for which he won awards too numerable to mention

The best scenes of which are all combined in this invention

Also winning Tonys for Lighting and Orchestrations

Very valuable contributions to a wonderful demonstration



Featured acting awards went to the players who aren't down

For they're in "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown"

Which will now get a needed boost at the box office

A fun-type musical - which well delivers its promise ...



Based upon the characters created by Schultz

In a cartoon strip having had more lives cuz its cool

Drifting thru the lives of Snoopy and Woodstock

And their masters - Charlie Brown, Lucy, Linus and the lot



... Schroeder, Pig Pen, Patsy and one or two more

All having given us so much fun with their store

Of one-liners and plays on words and ironic twists

All of which have kept many of us in laughing fits



And then some other awards went to things like Side Man

Featured Actor for Frank Woods - part of that jazz-based stand

And Martin Short for his lead role in the musical Little Me

A far cry from tv like Saturday Night Live and Second City ...



And Dame Judi Dench for her role in Amy's View

Winning her second major award for this year, too ...

Now she can add a Tony along-side her Oscar for Shakespeare in Love

A clear sign she's on a winning streak and has someone above ...



And Arthur Uhry collected one for writing the book for Parade

But since it's already ended, it's a wee bit of a shame

But, never-the-less, a nice tribute for the writer of Driving Miss Daisy

Which won its share of Oscars that year and so very much praising



All in all ... a wonderful compliment to the past year's theatrical events

Which consist of so many noteworthy excursions and clever invents

A fitting statement about Broadway's invincible stature

As the premier force behind entertainment mature ....



- Tristram



© Christopher W. Thomas

8:55am Monday, June 7th, 1999