It was a great night! The musical numbers, from the opener all the way through to the Hamilton extravaganza near the end, were fantastic. Most of the acceptance speeches were warm and from the heart. The patter was funny. James Corden did a wonderful job as host. The events in Orlando were noted with empathy and a fierce resolve. The audience and those on the stage were diverse, dressed to the nines, and pleased as punch to be there. It was a great night!

Gabriel Byrne did not win the award for which he had been nominated, but he showed up in style and we were all happy to see him!

the red carpet

Gabriel Byrne and his wife, Hannah Beth Byrne, attending the Tony Awards Ceremony on June 12, 2016 at the Beacon Theater in New York City:

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the awards

Long Day’s Journey Into Night won two Tony Awards last night:

The Tony for Best Leading Actress in a Play goes to Jessica Lange for Long Day’s Journey Into Night!

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The Tony for Best Lighting Design of a Play goes to Natasha Katz for Long Day’s Journey Into Night.

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As the nominees for Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Play were announced by Cate Blanchett, this happened:

And then this:

Frank Langella took home the award for his work in The Father.

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Mr. Langella’s acceptance speech was an elegant and heartfelt acknowledgement of his own aging, the tenuous grasp on reality the character he plays in The Father tries to maintain, and how the reality of recent events had intruded upon and re-shaped the celebration that evening:

“When something bad happens you have three choices. You can let it define you, let it destroy you, or you can let it strengthen you,” Mr. Langella says. “I urge you, Orlando, to be strong. I’m standing in a room full of the most generous human beings on earth, and we will be with you every step of the way.”

Several Tony Award attendees, including Gabriel Byrne, are interviewed on the Red Carpet about the tragedy in Orlando.

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Colby Minifie, who plays the maid, Cathleen, in the play, is interviewed by Irish America:

Your Irish brogue was splendidly done. Can you talk about how you developed it? Did O’Neill’s script guide you through Cathleen’s dialect or have some of your past acting roles equipped you for it? Do you think your Irish background might have, in other ways, improved upon your performance in this most Irish of Irish-American plays?

Thank you! O’Neill writes Cathleen in an Irish syntax so it’s easy to wrap your mouth around his words when you add the accent. Being a redhead, I have had to learn different Irish accents, and I have had a lot of help from accent coaches, such as Stephen Gabis and Charlotte Fleck, throughout the years. I did an audio book last year entirely in a Galway accent, and I think that’s why it rests so easily in my body now.

But I was very nervous to do my accent for Gabriel Byrne on the first day of rehearsal. (I took a trip to Ireland over New Year’s, and who was on the cover of the Aer Lingus in-flight magazine talking about his upcoming revival of Long Day’s Journey Into Night? You guessed it: Gabriel Byrne.) I confessed my nerves to him and that night Gabriel went home and recorded all of my lines in three different Irish accents. Could you ask for a more supportive cast member?

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Colby Minifie, Gabriel Byrne, Jessica Lange, Michael Shannon, and John Gallagher Jr. take a curtain call

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5 Comments

  1. ROTF the line about sexual orientation!! LOL I can’t stop laughing.
    I was sad Gabriel didn’t win, but I have to say, Frank Langella has such a great voice, hearing his speech was wonderful.

  2. Stella, thank you for all of the great Tony’s news and interviews. You are a wonderful reporter.
    I am also disappointed that he did not win and hope that there will be more roles for him to play on Broadway in the future. Langella is 78!
    I love the photos, especially the one of GB with his tie OFF! It seems like he could not even wait to get out of the theater to untie it. What would Anna Wintour say?!? We know what GB would say………
    I really liked HBK’s outfit: a black dress over black leggings with great shoes! A very good looking couple.

  3. Thank you, Stella! I was not able to watch Tony Awards because of big difference in time but your wonderful post allowed me to be aware of the most important and bright moments of the ceremony though it was marred by tragic events in Orlando. I love Mr. Byrne’s straightforward words about these events.

    Gabriel Byrne and Hannah Beth King are a very lovely couple, their smiles are so delicate in photos.

    I was absolutely amazed that Gabriel Byrne supported Colby Minifie by recording her lines in three different Irish accents. This fact indicates his true mastery, total devotion and love to the play and all his work.

    Playing James Tyrone Mr. Byrne reached another “high mountain” in his profession which is even more important than any award.

  4. Aww! Gabriel recorded Colby’s lines for her, in three different Irish dialects. What a sweetheart. Seriously. How can anybody not love this man? <3

    Love the photos from the evening, especially the one where Gabriel and HBB are walking outside. His eyes in that one. *swoons* HBB looked absolutely lovely. Gabriel is a lucky man!

    Thanks, as always, for compiling all this info and sharing with us, Stella! :)

  5. What stunning photos ! Congrats to all the LDJIN nominees and recipients. Your incredible work in this production is still resounding with me two weeks later.

    Thank you Stella for bringing us all the details.

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