Pouring on the sugar
Broadway shows are sweetening their Tony and tour pitches with candy, waffles & ice cream
THE Kings of the Road have arrived in New York, and Broadway is welcoming them to town as if they were a bunch of Dolly Levis returning to the Harmonia Gardens in Act 2 of “Hello, Dolly!”
The Kings of the Road are the producers and theater owners from out of town who book shows around the country. “The road” — as the touring circuit has been called for more than 100 years — is now a multibillion-dollar business, so these people wield an enormous amount of power. Five hundred of this horde are staying at the Crowne Plaza, where the Broadway League is holding its annual road conference. The “roadies” are catching up with the new shows to see which will play well in their markets. About 100 roadies are Tony voters, so they have even more clout as the June 11 Tony Awards approach. Broadway producers are wooing them with cocktail parties, luncheons, swag and private events, where they can bask in the glow of some of the theater world’s biggest names. Want to meet the elusive Bette Midler, star of “Hello, Dolly!”? Well, if you’re a lucky roadie you just might have a chance Wednesday night at the Harvard Club, where producer Scott Rudin is throwing a latenight party. It’s the most sought-after invitation of the conference. “The Loston Harris Trio has been engaged and the Divine Miss M is expected!” says a source.
“Anastasia” doesn’t have Bette (or many Tony nominations for that matter), but it’s got a title that should do well on the road. And so it was planning a big dinner Tuesday night at — where else? — the Russian Tea Room. The vodka was expected to flow.
Speaking of Russians, “Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812” — with 12 nominations — gave everyone a handsomely published coffee-table book about the show that’s “longer than ‘War and Peace,’ ” one source says.
Josh Groban, the star of the show, is expected to make an appearance at a “Great Comet” lunch on Thursday. He’ll be serving the pierogi.
The producers of “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” threw a lunch Tuesday. They raided Dylan’s Candy Bar, and the tables were piled high with scrumdiddlyumptious goodies.
The roadies also have been invited to a special midnight performance of “A Doll’s House, Part 2” Thursday night to benefit the Actors Fund. Andy Cohen is hosting a cocktail party at the Golden Theatre before the show. I’m told the stagehands are planning to work in their pajamas.
These events cost shows a lot of money, and not every producer is as rich as, say, the Shuberts. Lincoln Center Theater, a nonprofit that’s producing the terrific play “Oslo,” kept it low-key. Because waffles figure prominently in the play, the theater sent a waffle food truck to the Crowne Plaza.
“There was a little ‘Oslo’ poster taped to the side of the van,” says a source. “Very nonprofit!”
“Dear Evan Hansen,” which has a $35 million advance, dispatched an ice cream truck to the Crowne Plaza. The truck was emblazoned with “Dear Evan Hansen” posters.
I must report the line was longer for the ice cream than the waffles.
“Dear Evan Hansen” also wooed the roadies with a panel discussion featuring the creators of the show. The room went nuts when the surprise moderator —
Tina Fey — appeared. That woman is no fool: She’s got the “Mean Girls” musical coming up, so she’ll be driving that ice cream truck next season.
“Dear Evan Hansen” may have overdone it a little this week with a letter to Tony voters from the head of Atlantic Records, which produced the cast album.
“As you listen to the score for ‘Dear Evan Hansen,’ ” Craig
Kallman wrote, “please ask yourself those questions we always ask ourselves — is it special, is it compelling, does it stand above the pack, is it an outstanding moment in our cultural life? For us, the answer is a resounding yes to all.”
Um, we’re talking about a Broadway show here, not “The Rite of Spring.”
By the way, the league bans the press from all of these fun-filled events. Imogen Lloyd Webber, a contributor to Broadway.com, thought she’d swing by the “Cats” party on Monday but was told of the nopress rule.
Perhaps the league isn’t aware that her dad, Andrew Lloyd Webber, wrote “Cats”?
I brought this up with Charlotte St. Martin, the head of the league, but she said the ban extends, “Even to Imogen. Her father is welcome because he is a member [of the league] and a producer. The members want this to be a time when they can speak freely about their issues and learn.”
This could get a little sticky. I’ve been invited to several parties this week and was looking forward to meeting the out-oftowners. I don’t want to cause a scene, so I told a producer of St. Martin’s edict.
“She’s not paying for this party, I am,” he said, echoing Ronald Reagan’s great line from a 1980 campaign debate: “I’m paying for this microphone.”
The producer added: “I can invite anybody I want.”
See you ’round town, Charlotte!