Entertainment

Tonys are a drag …

Although they won the Tony for Best Revival of a Musical, the producers of “La Cage aux Folles” were hardly in a “Best of Times” mood Sunday night.

Far from it.

When I caught up with them at the post-Tony “La Cage” party, they were scratching at each other’s eyes like drag queens fighting over the tip jar at Lips.

There, in one corner, were Fran and Barry Weissler, the colorful husband-and-wife producing team behind such hits as “Chicago” and “Annie Get Your Gun.”

In the other corner were Brits Sonia Friedman, who produces a show a minute, and David Babani, who runs the Menier Chocolate Factory in London, which first produced this fine revival.

Babani was in high hissy-fit mode, furious that his acceptance speech at Radio City was cut off before he could deliver, well, any of it.

His theater has become a major player on Broadway — it also produced the popular revival of “A Little Night Music” — and this was to be Babani’s moment in the Tony spotlight — or, to be more accurate given the telecast’s pathetic ratings, the Tony lantern.

But just as Babani stepped up to the microphone, the orchestra, now a modern-day version of the old vaudeville hook, swelled up and CBS cut to yet another commercial for antidepressants, which would come in handy an hour later when “Memphis” won Best Musical.

Babani later blamed Barry Weissler, who spoke first, for taking up his time. I’m told Babani was so incensed he didn’t want to do any interviews in the press pen. He’s by nature a Chatty Cathy, however, and was soon yakking with everyone, from a reporter for the Daily Mail to three twits from CBS.com (more on them later).

But later, at the “La Cage” party, he was still steaming. Friedman finally told him to “snap out of it.”

The Weisslers, meanwhile, bolted the party early, having been cold-shouldered by their British producing partners.

Now it’s true that Fran and Barry managed to get themselves a pair of seats closer to the stage than the ones Babani and Friedman were sitting in (“strategic seating,” one person says). And it’s also true that Fran, who recently celebrated her 82nd birthday, leapt to the stage with the agility of a gymnast, while Friedman and Babani were still running down the aisle.

But Barry didn’t take up anyone’s stage time. He spoke quickly and lucidly (unlike other producers I could mention) and graciously introduced Friedman.

The Weisslers also, by the way, put up most of the money for the show, lined up co-star Kelsey Grammer and have, with their usual marketing flair, taken a little show that was struggling in previews and turned it into a modest hit.

They had every right to speak.

Babani was simply a victim of the telecast running short of time.

He’s doing good work in London and will, I’m sure, have another shot at a moment in the Tony lantern.

Let’s stop all this sniping, guys. You won the award, and your show’s terrific.

Fran and Barry, Sonia and David, I want you to join hands and, all together now, sing:

So hold this moment fast

And live and love as hard as you know how

And make this moment last

Because the best of times is now!

GETTING back to those three twits from CBS.com.

They were the first people to interview Alan Ayckbourn after he received his lifetime achievement Tony.

Ayckbourn — Sir Alan, in fact — is, of course, one of England’s leading playwrights. He’s written 72 plays, including such classics as “The Norman Conquests” and “Absurd Person Singular.”

But the twits didn’t know who he was. And so they asked him the following question:

“Who from your high school would you like to see you receive this Tony?”

Ayckbourn, I’m told, was so flustered by the stupidity of the question, he didn’t know what to say.

But I’m sure if he’d had his wits about him, he would have said, “William Shakespeare” and made straight for the bar.

michael.riedel@nypost.com