Thomas Swayne brings you into the world of the Tony Awards every week as he adulates, critiques and revels in past performances. Check in every Tuesday to see the good, the bad, and the ugly.
After a two month hiatus, Thomas Tony Tuesdays is back!
To celebrate its triumphant return, I have decided to reach deep into the wonderful world of Tony performances and bring out one of the most fantastic holiday themed numbers ever performed.
What time is it? IT’S TURKEY LURKEY TIME!
Promises Promises is a musical with a book by Neil Simon (yes, that Neil Simon), lyrics by Hal David, and music by Burt Bacharach.
First off, you’ve got to love the voiceover narration introducing the number (maybe this is a part of the show?). Imagine if before the Once performance a voice said: “Meanwhile in a little bar in Dublin, Guy is about to perform an original song for the first time while bar patrons accompany him on various instruments while dancing”. I digress…
The real star of this number is the choreography by the theatre legend Michael Bennett and leading lady Donna McKenzie. Bennett later invited McKenzie to take part in a small project that eventually became A Chorus Line. She starred in the original production as Sheila which has since become one of the most iconic musical theatre roles of all time. Although the number is extremely campy, you can’t help but be floored by McKenzie’s incredible movement ability and the absolutely precision of how she moves her body. Her dance solo at 1:54 is one of my favourite dance moments in musical theatre history!
Definitely gets me into the holiday spirit!