Tony time means survival for fittest

Tensions rise as fest gets 'Closer'

By CHARLES ISHERWOOD

NEW YORK -- As the legit community readies its finery for the 53rd Annual Tony Awards on Sunday night, some of those dusting off the tuxes will be doing so with more anxiety than others. As ever, the winning of the Tony means significantly more at the box office than any number of nominations, and with several top categories hotly contested, the fallout next week on Broadway could be significant.

Most closely watched will likely be the best play category, in which a lone new American play, Warren Leight's "Side Man," goes up against a newly discovered Tennessee Williams play, "Not About Nightingales," and two imported productions, Patrick Marber's "Closer" and Martin McDonagh's "The Lonesome West."

While "Closer" continues to play to nearly full houses, it's not a sellout, and could certainly use the boost of a best-play Tony (particularly since its biggest-name star, Natasha Richardson, is about to depart). It doesn't stand a chance to reap rewards from wins in lesser categories -- it wasn't nominated in any -- but it's a strong contender in the one that counts.

Tony life support

If "Closer" could use a helping hand, the other three nominees probably can't survive long without a win. "Side Man" took a sluggish $93,077 of a potential $308,923 last week, while "Lonesome West," a far newer arrival on Broadway, didn't fare much better, taking $95,050 of a potential $327,664. "Not About Nightingales," a limited run through June 27, took $143,933 of $263,235. "Nightingales' " producers sent out fairly rare Oscar-style Tony promo items, indicating that they may be holding out hope to extend if the show wins big.

Among the new musicals, many bets are on "Fosse," which will win endorsement from voters who aren't inclined to give major nods to shuttered shows. Its chief competition for the big prize is the closed "Parade," which is expected to pick up awards in other categories, where it faces weak competition. "The Civil War," which is languishing at the B.O., is considered a longshot, as is "It Ain't Nothin' But the Blues."

Putting bang in 'Gun'

The musical revival category also involves some tense contenders: "Annie Get Your Gun" is already one of the season's bigger hits, but a future tour could use the extra oomph of a major Tony win. Its chief competish, "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown," is playing to half-empty houses and desperately needs all the Tony luster it can get. It's an odds-on favorite in some other categories, but probably only a big win will keep it afloat through the dog days of summer.

Another of the tighter races looks to be the play revival category. In this case, a win for "The Iceman Cometh" means virtually nothing to the show's B.O.; it's a sellout through the end of the run on the strength of Kevin Spacey's star power. But its chief rival for the prize, "Death of a Salesman," while a solid hit, is an open-ended production that has not yet recouped (unlike "Iceman") and could stand to capitalize on a major win.