The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre is, like so many other awards programs, a bloated canker on the otherwise beautiful face of respectable American art. Nevertheless, people like the Tony Awards. If local people want to celebrate this twisted beauty pageant, who am I to criticize the program?
Broadway’s Salute to “Excellence,” can be viewed at the Skylight Bar and Bistro this year. There will be drinks. There will be food. There will be trivia. Milwaukee musical theater improvisers Robby McGhee, Hayley San Fillippo, Amanda Sinko and Colleen Schmitt will be there to perform.
The Skylight Music Theatre is a respectable establishment of musical theatre artists. They have staged some really excellent shows over the years. Why they would want to sully themselves with an association with the Tonys is beyond me, but like I said: the Tony Awards are something people actually like. So if people associated with the Skylight want to host a Tony party, perhaps they could lend an air of respectability to it. Actually, the evening sounds like a lot of fun.
Prizes will be awarded, including free tickets to upcoming local stage productions.
It’s a free event on June 7. Festivities begin at 6:30 p.m.
Reservations can be made by emailing MaraM@skylightmusictheatre.org.
