I wouldn’t normally make much mention of the Tony Awards, which took place in New York last night — this being a film site, after all, and me being an entire ocean away from the U.S. theater scene. (That said, I saw yesterday’s big winner “Red” on its initial run in London, and was suitably impressed. The play, incidentally, is by Oscar-nominated screenwriter John Logan, of “Gladiator” and “The Aviator” fame.)
Still, when the list of winners contains more Hollywood star power than in an average edition of the Golden Globes, it’s hard not to pay attention. Denzel Washington, Scarlett Johansson, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Viola Davis all took home trophies last night, and while I have only second-hand critical word to go on, I am led to believe that this was merit-based starfucking.
The victory must taste particularly sweet for Johansson, who took Best Supporting Actress in a Play for her well-regarded turn in a revival of Arthur Miller’s “A View From the Bridge.” With the actress’s screen work of late having made her something of a critics’ punch-bag, this serves as a welcome reminder of her neglected talent — here’s hoping this ushers in some suitable cinematic vehicles for it.