McKechnie, Chalfant join Tony committee

Other newcomers include Schulman, Caddick

By DAVID ROONEY

Donna McKechnie, the original Cassie in "A Chorus Line," and Kathleen Chalfant, who appeared in both parts of Tony Kushner's "Angels in America" on the Rialto, are among newcomers joining the 30-member Tony Awards Nominating Committee for the 2009-10 Broadway season.

Other new members announced Tuesday include director Susan H. Schulman, whose Broadway helming credits include "Little Women," "The Secret Garden" and revivals of "The Sound of Music" and "Sweeney Todd."

Also joining the group are music supervisor David Caddick, former legit critic Pia Lindstrom, stage director-choreographer-actor Hope Clarke, D.C.'s Arena Stage m.d. Edgar Dobie, O'Neill Center Music Theater Conference director Paulette Haupt and retired general manager Robert Kamlot.

Continuing members include playwrights Theresa Rebeck and Doug Wright, actor-director Roger Rees, actor-producer Tamara Tunie and choreographer Donald Saddler. Members serve on a rotating three-year basis.

The Tony organization recently made waves by announcing that after more than 40 years, awards voting privileges would be revoked for the roughly 100 members of Broadway's first-night press corps, effective immediately.

Producers on the awards executive committee are understood to be pushing to reinstate some of that group on a limited-term basis with conditions applied.