To The Tony Awards Producers: PLEASE celebrate ALL winners!

If you are a dreamer, come in,
If you are a dreamer, a wisher, a liar,
A hope-er, a pray-er, a magic bean buyer . . .
If you're a pretender, come sit by my fire
For we have flax-golden takes to spin.
Come in! Come in!
The Invitation, Shel Silverstein

I think it's absolutely outrageous that the presentation of a Lifetime Achievement Award in the theatre is not deemed worthy of air time. And because I have worked with Tommy Tune and know firsthand what a true theatrical genius he is. He is not only a first-rate dancer and performer, he is a brilliant and innovative director. For shame!
Carole Monferdini NEW YORK, NY

CSU Archives—Everett Collection American stage actress and director Antoinette Perry, (1888-1946), c. 1910.

It is Tuesday, June 9th, 2015 and the Broadway season officially ended with this year's Tony Awards presented this past Sunday night.

Barbara Harris won  her Tony Award at The 21st Annual Tony Awards ceremony which was the Award ceremony's inaugural broadcast. HERE is her speech 

THE 69TH ANNUAL TONY AWARDS, aired live from Radio City Music Hall, Sunday, June 7 (8:00-11:00 PM, live ET/delayed PT) on the CBS Television Network. After the ceremony, I was lucky enough to head to the annual Tonys Party at the Carlyle Hotel, hosted by O and M.
Thank you O and M, Ellen Easton, Peter Glebo, and Wayne Gmitter.

Those of you who follow me and my activities know that I have worked tirelessly over the past five weeks to ensure that nine time Tony Award winner Tommy Tune would receive his LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD during the telecast. I still stand behind my efforts.I am pleased to say that over 1600 people agreed with me and signed the petition as well. In addition to that, Michael Reidel, Liz Smith, Playbill.com, and several bloggers weighed in as well.
Throughout this blog, I will include comments from others they are weighing in. I want to begin by celebrating all the winners, the

Mickey Rooney appeared at the FIRST Tony Awards April 6th, 1947

nominees, and ALL that contribute to the theatre, both on and off stage and on both sides of the footlights. This year, Broadway had the highest attendance records in the history of the theatre. When people come to New York, they desire to see a Broadway show. I am tired of hearing people in the theatre say that people around the country don't know who certain artists are. Trust me, they know. If they don't, the Tony Awards is a perfect platform to educate them.
I want to thank the powers that be that work to bring us the Tony telecast. I also realize that is easy for all of us who are not part of the process to weigh in on what we like, what we dislike, and what we would change.

Donna Solaway, ME, Eda Sorokoff

You know the expression about opinions. We ALL have them. That being said, let's ALL agree on one thing...the Tony Awards telecast should CELEBRATE the theatre...past, present, and future!
For many people, their only exposure to the theatre all year long IS The Tony Awards, which is terribly sad.
Instead of working to bring in a "new" audience, focus on the audience you have and make the primary goal be to give them what they want. Trust me, they know. 
As a kid, I use to watch the Tonys and dream of the day I would be part of THAT world. I'm not so certain THAT world exists any more. It's more about the bottom line and less about entertainment. At least entertainment, in the way that I knew it. When the Tony Awards first aired in 1967, it was in the days of the variety show and that was also the paradigm of the first show. It was only an hour and was produced by Alexander Cohen. Boy, do I miss him! He got it!
I have written in the past of my mentor when I was a teenager, Miss Epps. She instilled in me a love and a respect of what has gone before me and ALL of us in the arts.

Ethel Waters also appeared at the FIRST Tony Awards

When we would meet (once a week) for our lesson, she would mention the name of a great theatre actor, legend, or icon, if I didn't know who they were, our session would end!
I would be told to study up on these people to discuss their legacy at our next session. I would leave and go to the Conway Main Street Library, look up those names in the card catelogue, and check out as many books as I could find on them and excitedly be able to talk about them at our next lesson!
Imagine if I had had the internet!
Miss Epps told me that every time I walked out on stage, I was carrying the mantle of these great artists on my shoulders and that my goal should always be to make them proud. 
I NEVER forgot that! Perhaps that is my shows were  "lessons in my hagiography" as one critic once called it!
To this date, I don't know if he was paying me a compliment or an insult, but I'll take the former!

Carol Channing - Gypsy of the Year 2010 Opening

THAT is why I do what I do. My goal in life is to celebrate those that have paid the way for ALL of us in the arts.
Check out this great blog from Dave Lekowitz of Dave's Gone By for Stage Buddy:  Random Thoughts on the 2015 Tony Broadcast.

I want to concur with what Dave writes about the In Memoriam segment from last night! 
SHAME! SHAME!! SHAME!!! That segment was less about those that have passed on and more about Josh Groban.  The names flew by faster than you see credits run on TV for time constraints. These artists devoted their LIVES to entertaining us and their legacies are given less than five seconds. Please tell me WHY!

5/24/1964-New York, NY: Winning Broadway stars display their trophies at the 1963-64 Tony Awards presentation . Left to Right are: Sir Alec Guinness, best starring actor, drama for his role in "Dylan"; Sandy Dennis, best starring actress, drama, for "Any Wednesday"; Carol Channing, best starring actress, musical, for "Hello, Dolly," and Bert Lahr, best starring actor, musical, for "Foxy."

Carol Channing, Isabelle Stevenson, Carol Burnett

White Cherry Entertainment’s Ricky Kirshner and Glenn Weiss have produced the Tony Awards ceremony and live telecast since 2003.
Carol Channing always referred to Gower Champion on Hello, Dolly! as a "benevolent despot". 
My advice for next year is to celebrate the past, present, and future of the theatre. Instead of giving audiences what YOU want to force feed them, give them what they have been asking for for years. Instead of going after a NEW audience, focus on entertaining the audience you have, theatre goers and losers. The reason that MANY people don't tune in is because they are disillusioned. 
Although I campaigned for Tommy Tune's LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD to be broadcast DURING the telecast, I believe ALL of the awards should be included. 

with Bryon Sommers at last night's Metropolitan Room Tony Party

IF the Tony Awards feel that one is worthy of an award, it should be included DURING the broadcast as well. If CBS (I hope you are listening Les Moonves) doesn't feel that it is unworthy of inclusion, I think it is time to do a LIVE stream over the internet. 
Sunday night, history was made. For the first time ever, the Best Musical winner was written solely by women – Fun Home‘s Lisa Kron and Jeanine Tesori, who also won the awards for Best Original Score and Best Book of a Musical. This year also marked the first time that an all-female writing team won the award for Best Original Score. Of course, no one knew what the end result was going to be. 
That being said, everyone KNEW that was a possibility. Sadly, those moments was lost on viewers around the world.
Our house in the theatre IS big: so let's invite EVERYBODY to be a part of it, no matter their ethnicity, their height, their weight, their shade or hue: If they have the craft, if they have the talent, they should have the opportunity!
-2015 Tony Award WINNER Lisa Kron
 
I want to get back to celebrating ALL the awards. My work is not finished until those that make those decisions will do the right thing!   Jersey Boys and Finding Neverland as well as some of the sight gags (and non nominated musicals) could also have been cut to make way for these awards.

Regarding the In Memoriam, they did the same thing to my friend Kevin Gray when he died (PHANTOM

Kevin Gray

(POTO on BROADWAY, KING (KING and I) on BROADWAY (only the 3rd actor to play the KING at that time),, SCAR (Lion KIng) BROADWAY, ENGINEER (Miss Siagon) BROADWAY,....but he wasn't even mentioned at the Memorium on the Tonys in 2013...Shameful!!!!.....SOOOO don't let them get away with this!!!...Frank Calamaro

 Tony Award: Good (acceptance speeches), bad (hosts) and ugly (In Memoriam)

I agree, Richard. I am so sick of hearing people complain about awards shows being too long, boring, etc. They could be 12 hours long for all I care. I don't know why the networks keep trying to make these shows more palatable to people who don't watch them, anyway. -Bill Ervolino 

"The Tonys" is the award show I most look forward to every year.  

All other awards shows are bloated and barely creep along under the weight of self-importance.  
And the acceptance speeches seem so authentic and heartfelt.  I DVR'd the show---like I do every year---and I watched it again this morning.  
When CBS offers up the likes of Chita Rivera, Helen Mirren, Bernadette Peters and Tommy Tune---one viewing isn't nearly enough.  Oh, and I thought Alan Cumming and Kristen Chenowith were adorable hosts.

LuAnn de Lesseps, with Tommy Tune's sister, Gracie, Tommy, and ME at The Carlyle after party (photo credit Stephen Sorokoff)

-Steve Kmetko

I love what I do and I don't need this, but now that I have it, I'm going to say a few things.-Kelli O'Hara

Why would you not televise the entire awards show, but especially the Lifetime Achievement Award winner?
Kevin Moore SAINT LOUIS, MO

Tommy Tune should have gotten fifteen minutes, not fifteen seconds! I guess we should be glad for

Fun Home wins Best Musical!

something!
-Frank DiCiovanni

Last night's Tony awards were a celebration of young outcasts coming of age and finding their way. Here's Michael Musto's report.

It's important that current audiences are aware of those who paved the way for all of us!
Autumn Browne SANTA ANA, CA

 After seeing that song from a certain show, I now understand why Peter Filichia mined it for his hosting of the Theatre World Awards at the Lyric....

I know a place where jokes are born
And jests get quite a hand
Just speak of starry flops
And the laughter never stops
"Finding Neverland"….
John Ellis

Winners Diahann Carroll, Robert Morse, Margaret Leighton and Paul Scofield at the 1962 Tony Awards.

Lucie Arnaz Luckinbill

My favorite moments tonight at the Tony Awards were all about Kelli O'Hara: listening to her sing, watching her win the Best Actress Award for The King and I and listening to her acceptance speech!!!
Frank Anzalone 
I thought, for the most part, they made too much fun of the whole event. I was slightly embarrassed all evening. All you had to do was look at the faces thatthe camera keep catching in the audience to see that I may not have been the only one who felt that way. To quote from another Broadway show, "Whatever happened to class?"
-Lucie Arnaz Luckinbill, Tony nominee 1979, They're Playing Our Song 

Lee Roy Reams in his TONY nominated''42nd Street' performance.'

Award winners should be given honor's during the program, especially The Lifetime Achievement Award. Tommy Tune deserves that respect!
Diane Grove CHARLESTON, IL


I love Tommy Tune and also have loved theatre since seeing The Sound of Music on Broadway for my 9th bithday. I am 62.
Marylouise Henning BURLINGTON, NJ







The cheering, applause, standing 

Tommy Tune at the 2015 Tony Awards Meet The Nominees Press Reception

ovations, and good will for Tommy Tune and Kelli O’Hara at glorious Radio City Music Hall had to be Broadway’s equivalent of the response to American Pharoah’s winning the Triple Crown on Saturday. 
What a celebratory weekend for New Yorkers this was. And then there was the "tony" Tony party at The Carlyle Hotel. 
Every nook of this "grand hotel" was filled – ‘til past 4am -- with happy people who create and support theater. 

Broadway producer Daryl Roth and Tommy Tune

Who could ask for anything more?
-Vick Stivala

Richard, I commend you on your hard work to get Tommy Tune's award on the broadcast. I think you sort of won because they honored him in a charming way and then we got to see him. It seemed to be a compromise. I love that you supported Tommy so beautifully. Thanks for being a steadfast champion of this business!
-Ann Hampton Callaway

 Thank you, Richard. I was so moved to see Tommy on the show--so gracious, so classy and so worthy of being honored. I am so grateful to you for making this possible. You are, as Ann Hampton Calloway said, a true and "steadfast champion of this business!"
-Barbara Ann Davis

I am so happy Kelli O'Hara won her first Tony last night. What a gracious person. I shared a dressing

Kelli O'Hara at The Carlyle after party (Courtesy: Vick Stivala'sIphone!)

room with her at Joe's Pub not too long ago and had the best talk with her about Bridges Of Madison County. After I sang my song she said "Girl....I'm obsessed with your voice". What a classy , kind lady. And I thought her speech was so touching... " I love what I do and I don't need this, but now that I have it, I'm going to say a few things!". Amazing and inspiring. -Marissa Mulder

Richard Skipper, you deserve applause for trying to get Tommy Tune, and future lifetime achievement recipients, their proper time and respect. Your petition was well received by so many members of our theater community. Thank you for bringing common sense and what should be the obvious to light. It was a poor decision

on the ATW's part to not air his segment. Less of the hosts throughout the night, would have made up for the time constraints. I hope your lobbying and others' will bring about a change for next year. Please don't give up. You have support.
Jen Klebanek

Photo Coverage: Tommy Tune Brings Home Lifetime Achievement Tony Award

Here is hoping that next year we get to celebrate ALL of The Awards ON AIR AND That Those that have38th Annual Tony Awards!

Fred Ebb was CELEBRATED at the 38th Annual Tony Awards

transitioned will get the respect that deserve! I'm ready, Tony Producers, if you need me. I'm all about celebrating ALL! Want to know how to do it? Go back and look at the

I just don't get the decision making process for the Tony Award telecast. It's a time to honor and celebrate the theatrical community but you devalue integral members of the creative team by excluding them from the live telecast. The whole Tommy Tune thing was embarrassing, actually disturbing, for someone who
has given so much to this community! I know it's about ratings
but really... disturbing!!!
-Sherie L Seff

To the producers of NEXT year's Tony's, imagine a musical montage celebrating your Life Time Achievement Award winner! Our history needs to be celebrated!

Thank to ALL mentioned in this blog for the gifts you have given to the world and continue to give!

With grateful XOXOXs ,

 
Check out my site celebrating the legacy of Jerry Herman's Hello, Dolly!

Ann Miller as Dolly Gallagher Levi (Kenley Players: http://www.callondolly.com/ann-miller)

NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED.  FOR ENTERTAINMENT PURPOSES ONLY!

Please do what YOU can to be more aware that words and actions DO HURT...but they can also heal and help!    

           

 Please join Carly Ozard in NYC June 24th as she makes her Metropolitan Room DEBUT with her OWN show! Midler On The Roof

Here's to an INCREDIBLE tomorrow for ALL...with NO challenges!

IF you like this blog, please leave a comment and share on Twitter and Facebook

Keeping Entertainment LIVE!
 

TILL TOMORROW...HERE'S TO AN ARTS FILLED DAY

Jerry Herman: 2009 Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre

To contact Richard Skipper, Richard@RichardSkipper.com

1967: Barbra Steisand, John Kander [left] and Fred Ebb

John Bolton and Pageant: The Musical

photo by Simon Pauly

John Bolton is an actor and Broadway regular. Bolton is best known for originating the role of "The Old Man" (Mr. Parker) in the critically acclaimed Broadway show, A Christmas Story: The Musical, based on the classic 1983 movie A Christmas Story, which itself was based on stories by radio humorist Jean Shepherd.
Currently, he is the emcee in the critically acclaimed off-Broadway revival of Pageant: The Musical. John and I sat down earlier to discuss the path that has gotten him to this point.
Today, I celebrate John and his body of "worth".
In addition to originating the role of "The Old Man" (Mr. Parker) in A Christmas Story: The Musical on Broadway, Bolton repeated this starring role in Boston, Hartford and in 2013 at Madison Square Garden. Bolton's other theatre credit includes many Broadway musicals that have won the Tony Award including original productions of Curtains with David Hyde Pierce, Debra Monk, and Karen Ziemba; Spamalot with Tim Curry, David Hyde Pierce, and Sara Ramirez, directed by Mike Nichols; Contact directed by Susan Stroman; and Titanic with John Cunningham, Michael Cerveris and Victoria Clark; and revivals of Damn Yankees with Victor Garber; How to Succeed in Business with Matthew Broderick and Megan Mullally eventually playing the role of Finch opposite Sarah Jessica Parker.
A sought-after cabaret performer, Bolton also appeared in many concert performances including Downton Abbey at 54 Below, Titanic reunion at Lincoln Center Avery Fisher Hall, and most recently he appeared in Guys and Dolls at Carnegie Hall with Nathan Lane, Megan Mullally, Patrick Wilson, and Sierra Boggess.

with Peter Billingsley

The New York Times called his performance a "stand-out."
 I met John several year's ago at Eve Plumb's art opening here in New York. A few weeks ago, I was invited to see Pageant: The Musical, as Frankie Cavalier, and was thrilled to see John Bolton, a true journeyman actor, as the emcee. I reached out to him for a blog feature and he graciously accepted. We sat down in the midst of his busy schedule to chat about the journey that has led him to The Ken Davenport Theatre.
This is the result of that chat.
I began the interview by asking John what makes him happy and what makes him unhappy.
Friends and family are on the upper rung of what makes him happy. His dogs share a space on that rung. What makes him unhappy is feeling like he hasn't done his best in any given situation, especially in an audition or a performance. Also, any injustice in the world angers him. People who have never heard of H.R. Pufnstuf also makes him unhappy!
When I asked John why he performs, he said he would like to say it is all just a cry for help, but the truth is it is something he can do!

That may seem like a funny answer but it is the truth. He grew up in a very sports oriented family, a family that he loves very much.
It was just assumed that he would do the same thing that his older brothers did which was sports.

John Bolton and the cast of Pageant: The Musical

He tried to do that and actually had fun with it. Then he realized that he could act and sing and THAT was fun.
He enjoyed being in plays and on stage. This started when he was in the third grade. He was in the class play and all of a sudden it was something that he could do that he felt good about.
He just kept doing it and, fortunately, went to a small high school that wasn't super competitive, therefore, he was able to get a lot of experience doing plays and musicals.
He took that experience to community theatre beyond that.
In college, he got a BA in journalism at St John Fisher College in Rochester, New York. In Rochester, he continued to do community theatre and remained active in the local theatre scene. Finally, he made the leap to bigger auditions. "I've been fooling them ever since."
Although he came from a sports oriented household, the family was artistic in various ways. His parents, Keene and Norma Bolton, whom he loved very much, sadly have passed on.

They were his biggest fans ever. His mom passed on about ten years ago and his father passed away this past December on the opening night of A Christmas Story which opened at Madison Square Garden. John got word at intermission that his father had just passed. John knew it was coming.
His father was in Hospice. Still, John had to go out and perform Act Two. Prior to that, he just disintegrated in his dressing room.

He could hear his father's voice in his head saying, "Johno, go do that terrific show." His father HAD seen John in the show and was proud of him.

He went out and did his best that night.
His father was a banker and ran several small banks in upstate New York. He was very fiscally minded and his favorite three words were "Save your money." He was a wonderful dad and a very kind man.
His mom was a very talented artist. She also ran estate sales in upstate New York. That instilled in John an appreciation of art and antiques.
His two brothers are ten and twelve years older than him. Their names are Rob and Tom. Rob is a designer and salesman. He lives in upstate New York with his wonderful family. He is also a very talented composer on the side. He has a great way with a melody and is a great guitarist. He has his own recording studio in his basement with amps and things that John has no idea what they do but when it is all put together, it sounds terrific.John's brother, Tom, lives in Chicago where he is an accountant at Chase bank. He, too, is creative in a musical way, in which he has a very fond archival appreciation of fifties and sixties music. He has basically anything anyone could possibly desire on tape. He loves the history of the music as well as those who sang it. And, now, a little bit about Pageant: The Musical. John knew the people who were putting it together. Pageant was returning to the NYC stage for the first time in over twenty years! The show ran EVERY MONDAY night in February  at Red Lacquer at 240 West 52nd Street.

They asked if he would be interested. He loves the show and has very fond and vivid memories of the original production despite how long it has been. That was a terrific company. He wanted to do it but he was already contracted to do Show Boat at San Francisco Opera where it was a nice paycheck!
It was also being filmed for PBS and DVD release. It was a fun role and he was getting to work with his pal Francesca Zambello who was directing as well as Harriet Harris and Bill Irwin, two wonderful people.
It was also working with the San Francisco Opera so it was a good gig. He told them that if they were willing to let him just rehearse for two days, he could do it. They said they couldn't do that; they would have to have a rehearsal process. They thanked him but had to move on.
They hired another gentleman and right before John was about to close in Show Boat in San Francisco, his phone rang and they asked him when exactly he would be getting back to New York. He told them that he was returning on Thursday. This was Tuesday, two days before he was scheduled to come home. They asked him if he could learn the show in two days. He asked them to send the script to him and he would look at it and think about it. They over nighted the script to him and as he looked over the script, all of these rich memories of the original began to come back. John thought that this would be fun and that it was only for just a little while. It was a great job. He would once again be working with great people. He had not to long ago done Guys and Dolls at Carnegie Hall with director Matt Lenz. He knew Shea Sullivan's wonderful work for many years as choreographer. Executive Produced by Andy Sandberg who is an old friend. He thought, "This looks fun. I'm game. I'll learn it in two days!" He flew back and went into rehearsal without the cast. It was just with the stage manager and the choreographer. Then he met the cast on Sunday afternoon at 1PM and he was on that night at 7PM!
He noticed, by the way, that there were critics in the audience. Part of the show involves John's character going out into the audience to pick the judges. He couldn't help but notice that some of the audience members were holding press kits.
All he could think was, "Oh, Christ! I'm being thrown to the lions tonight."
It was his first time on that

stage.
After the show, he went to his press rep and said "Will you please let them know I've only had two rehearsals?"

They assured him that they would do that. That's how he became involved. He loves the show.
"It is so much fun." He loves the whole free wheeling nature of the show.
He loves his "girls". He loves watching them in the wings every night. His job is to "serve those 'girls' on a silver platter.It is fun to do that. It is fun to watch them genuinely 'compete' with each other, all in good nature, so far."
He loves the whole audience voting aspect of the show.

Wink Martindale

He gets to "control" the show. It also gives him a chance to channel some of his heroes: Gene Rayburn (who had the great fortune of meeting and working with for one wonderful week many years ago), the amazing Peter Marshall, not to mention the years that John grew up watching Bob Barker host the Miss USA/Universe Pageants (just his speech pattens and such), and John throws in a little Wink Martindale just because"it makes me laugh". John's favorite part of the show is the audience involvement and watching them enjoy the show and how different it is every night. John is happy to say that ALL of the "girls" have won multiple times so there is no poor "pathetic creature left in the dust."
One "girl" tends to win the most.
Still the others are right behind her. He loves the fact that they all get to win. It is also fun to watch the "losers". He loves the whole "judge situation. He loves getting to pick the judges and play with them. He watches each audience when he is standing on the side near the beginning. He is introduced, he comes out and does his bit, then he introduces the 'girls".
As he steps to the side as each of the 'girls' introduce themselves, he watches the audience like a hawk, particularly people near the front because that's where the audience will be able to see the judge's scores a little better.

He looks for people with big smiles on their faces, people who look like they're having a really good time, that will be really good judges.
He has had a pretty good track record with that.
I asked him what he would be doing if THIS wasn't it. He said that as he gets older, he wonders about that more and more.
The fact that he can't find an answer frightens him. He would like to think that he will be doing this for a little while longer, but if that doesn't happen, he might buy a nice bookstore in Rockport, Massachusetts, and be there with his partner and have a nice quiet seaside life with their dogs. That is a pipe dream. What would he actually do living in New York City? He has no idea. He would love to stay involved with theatre somehow, maybe as a stage manager or a writer. He loves to write.
He is a pretty good parody lyric writer He would love to continue maybe going down that lane and seeing where it takes him. For now, he really doesn't know.
Pageant is affording John the opportunity be home for a while. He loves to perform in his home city, which he tries to do more often than not. Often his agents will call and offer him gigs out of town.
Usually, unless it is something that is coming in

or wants to come in or has future aspirations, he will generally say no and not pursue it any further unless it is something he is dying to do. They will try to convince him otherwise. San Francisco Opera was a once in a lifetime situation. It was a great experience and he got to work with some amazing people. I asked John what he considers to be the lowest point of his career. He says it happens every three or four months! It's when he has that audition that he wishes that he had thought about differently. or that he wishes he could just have one more shot at it. There are times when he leaves the room thinking, "Wow! I really messed that one up."
Not that anything has really fallen apart. It goes back to what he said earlier about doing his best. "You go to these auditions. You learn the material. Sometimes you have no idea what they are looking for. You make choices. You hope that if they see something they don't like, they'll hopefully lead you down a different path towards something they do like.
Usually, they will give you several scenes to look at. Maybe you'll do one or two. Not knowing what's coming ahead leads to some frustration in the room."

Once in a while, he goes home after an audition saying, "Well, I'm not going to be getting THAT one!" For some of those, he places the blame at his own feet for not being as being prepared as he should be or sometimes, being too prepared and not being able to allow their direction or their notes or their adjustments in. Those little moments are the lowest moments of his career. As far as the bigger picture is concerned, there have been some shows where he was very happy onstage but unhappy off stage.
They, however paid so well or he worked with great people onstage, that he hates to refer to them as low points because they allowed him to save a lot of money.

John Bolton and the cast of A Christmas Story, The Musical in rehearsal and on stage.

There is his dad once again saying, "Save your money"! There have been a couple of understudy situations in which he was very happy working with some wonderful people but feeling that he wasn't really part of the show.
He is a good team player. He loves to just "throw the ball around" and being with the gang and as an understudy

or a standby, sometimes, he was either made to feel or allowed himself to feel like he really wasn't part of the company. That was painful, but something he got through. Fortunately, he has money in the bank to offset that.
I asked what he thinks of the state of the arts today. He says it is increasingly becoming more and more corporate.
He didn't grow up in the "golden age of Broadway". All he has to go by are those great cast albums he had/has. He imagines that things were just as difficult then in their own way that we just don't know about. Now, it is "theatre by committee" as opposed to letting someone's vision being truly honored or at least attempted is sad. It is pretty much that way with everything these days.
It is that way with popular music. It is certainly that way with television programming and Hollywood. There is a formula to that. John wishes that Broadway "producers"  would take chances on newer talents more often in terms of directors and choreographers. The same names keep showing up.

Seth Tucker, Alex Ringler, Nick Cearley, John Bolton, Curtis Wiley, Marty Thomas, and Nic Corey star in Pageant — The Musical at the Davenport Theatre.
(© Tyrone Rasheed)

John has had the great pleasure and honor of working with some of those "same names" and he has LOVED working with those "same names", but it seems a shame that there is not a lot of room for new directors and

The cast of Pageant at the Davenport Theatre.
(© Tyrone Rasheed)

choreographers beyond one or two a year. They should be able to sneak in and get their chance.
I asked John if he is involved in any other aspect of the theatre beyond acting.
He is part of a small group of guys and one gal who has produced a series of videos. Downton Abbey was filmed at 54 Below. They also did one called Russian Broadway Shuts Down. They are working on another video right now. 

That keeps them going artistically. He enjoys that.
He considers himself an arts aficionado.He attends as much as he can. He has been lucky enough to have a fairly versatile career in which he has gotten to work with. In addition to the a fore mentioned San Francisco Opera Company, he has also sung with the Philharmonic and symphonies all across the country. He has done plays and musicals on Broadway and off-Broadway. He has increasingly done more television. He just recently shot an episode of  Blue Bloods with a nice guest starring role.

Edie Adams (c) with John Bolton (l) as Cornelius and Duane Lanham (r) as Barnaby in the 1991 production of Hello, Dolly! (Bucks County Playhouse, Pocono Playhouse, Falmouth Playhouse)

He tries to grab what he can. Usually, he gets lawyer or accountant types. He spent four seasons in a nice recurring role on Gossip Girl.
He feels that he is enough in the arts, "a little bit here, a little bit there", in different sorts of facets of it all that it keeps him truly involved.
Someone once told him years ago that his style was "old Broadway", that he was only going to do the older shows.He is happy to say that he HAS done those older shows.
That being said, a lot of the younger composers call him regularly telling him they want HIM. They want him to come in and do roles that they feel he is perfect for. He sings "rock" when he can. He tries to stay on the new side of things as well as the old classic side of things.
He has had a lucky fairly diverse go of it. If he can just keep it going, he will be happy. 
The cast of Pageant have all been asked about their availability into January. In a few weeks from now, John is returning to the Bucks County Playhouse. He will be playing a couple of roles in Rocky Horror.

That, also, just fell into his lap. He will be out of Pageant for two weeks to do that.
He certainly hopes that Pageant WILL continue through January. While he is out, Marty Thomas, who currently plays Miss Deep South will switch from evening gown to tuxedo! He will be fantastic. John fears they may not ask him back! Marty actually won the pageant the night before this interview.
There were several people in tiaras were in the audience, but if there were any titled queens in the audience, they stayed anonymous.
They had a great time at the party afterwards watching the Miss America pageant. Five of the competing contestants have actually been to see Pageant.One of those women actually won...Kira Kazantsev, Miss New York, who is delightful to chat with, according to John. Three former Miss

A Christmas Story Bookwriter Joseph Robinette, John Bolton

Americas have attended, several of the state winners, then there are the other contest winners, like Miss United States and Ms. United States, then there is Miss USA...there is a whole circuit! The pageant world is very extensive and a very pleasant world that John previously knew very little about.
What keeps John going?
John has a wonderful partner, the amazing Sean McKnight who is a wonderful choreographer.
They have a nice home midtown in New York City.John has lived in the same apartment for twenty years. He loves his apartment. He loves his friends. He loves his pets. He loves the neighborhood.
He loves the theatre. He gets to be here and be a part of a world that he feels so lucky to be living the life that the sixteen year old in him always dreamed of living.

Is John a good student?
He is NOW as an adult. As a kid, he was good at the subjects he liked.
The others were barely squeaking by.
Could he possibly turn it off and STOP what he is doing?
Well, if the right little bookstore in New England came available, he would really think about it. He always told himself that he would quit at ten Broadway shows.
Now, he is at eight. At ten, he can retire! He supposes he could turn it off if the RIGHT thing was on the other side. He wouldn't have any regrets. He has had some wonderful opportunities. He has certainly worked with some true heroes of his. We are all the better for it!

Thank to ALL mentioned in this blog for the gifts you have given to the world and continue to give!

With grateful XOXOXs ,

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Richard Skipper, Richard@RichardSkipper.com