61st Annual Antoinnete Perry Awards

I won the seat filler’s lottery last night. It was my second year attending the Tony Awards this way, and I scored a seat for the entire night! And let me tell you, I filled that seat like a rock star. I smiled…I applauded…I sat.

I actually thought I was off to a bad start; before the show began I was sent to an empty seat right up front. I knew it was too good to last, but I was excited to be front and center for the opening number. Then, before everything got going, an actual ticket-holder came back and claimed the seat as her own. I was back up in the “holding area” as the lights went down and the ensemble of A Chorus Line started doing their thing. I learned last year that once a segment starts there is very little movement from a seat filling perspective. We really only get shuffled around during the commercial breaks, so I was a little disappointed to be in no man’s land for the start of the show. Then the handler for my section yelled that she needed four people pronto and “RUN!” (they take the fear of empty seats very seriously at the Tonys). I zoomed down to row 13 and slid in along with three other seat fillers. First commercial break, one woman came back. Then, the two other seat fillers and I got to sit through two or three more segments and I started to get a little comfortable. Just as I was about to congratulate my fellow seat fillers for our good luck, two men came back and claimed their seats. It was just me and the actual ticket holders now, and I was lucky enough to stay there for the whole evening. At one point I looked up into the first, second, and distant, distant third mezzanines and appreciated anew how lucky I was. I paid nothing to attend, was in the front, center section of the orchestra, and was surrounded by all the nominees.

I was sitting one row behind Jack O’Brien, who won Best Director for The Coast of Utopia, so I got to see much of that cast (including Billy Crudup, Ethan Hawke, and Martha Plimpton) up close and personal as they came by to congratulate him. Harvey Weinstein also stopped by to chat with him. And, because I was so close to the center aisle, I managed to see lots of stars as they mingled. Sightings include:

Felicity Huffman
Vanessa Redgrave
Neil Patrick Harris
Swoosie Kurtz
Marcia Gay Harden
Rainn Wilson
Debra Monk
David Hyde Pierce
Raul Esparza (before he crumpled in steaming crying mess for losing to DHP)
Eddie Izzard
Bebe Neuwirth
Christine Ebersole
Anika Noni Rose
Idina Menzel and Taye Diggs (maybe the best looking couple ever)
Patrick Wilson
Jane Krakowski

There were surely others, but I’m forgetting them right now. Long story short, it was a great night, and I feel really lucky to have seen it all as I did. And hooray for Spring Awakening!