Once a year, in June, theater lovers can watch the Tony Awards on television. The other 364 days of the year, they can read and revel in Eila Mell's glorious glitter bomb of a salute to Broadway, The Tony Awards: A Celebration of Excellence in Theatre.
This stately book commemorates three-quarters of a century of high-watermark theater as recognized by the American Theatre Wing, which originated and co-sponsors the Tony Awards (and which gave this book its imprimatur). Beginning with 1947's inaugural Tonys and proceeding through 2023, Mell (Designing Broadway, coauthored with Derek McLane) lists each year's winners in all categories, followed by award-holder commentary from names familiar and otherwise. Winners relive their big night, recall what went into earning an award, and explain what it represents. As actor Alan Cumming puts it, "When you win a Tony that becomes your prefix forever."
The Tony Awards amounts to an oral history featuring lavish layouts that include the odd promotional still or set design, but the illustrations are overwhelmingly photos of presenters and winners in their awards ceremony finery. (Readers should prepare to feel underdressed.) Sections at the end of each decade devoted to acceptance speech highlights will be like manna to theater geeks. Among the unforgettable remarks are winning actress of 1983 Natalia Makarova's muted tribute to her husband, "who didn't help much but wasn't in my way," and winning choreographer of 1973 Bob Fosse's rimshot-worthy line: "Let me just say thank you to all the marvelous people who helped with the show and say that they could not have done it without me." --Nell Beram, author and freelance writer