What would the Tony Awards be without some backroom politicking?
Harvey Weinstein muscled his way onto Sunday’s telecast with a number from his “Finding Neverland,” about J.M. Barrie and the creation of “Peter Pan.”
Never mind that the musical isn’t entirely finished or cast yet — and has yet to book a Broadway theater. What Harvey wants, Harvey usually gets. I hear Jeremy Jordan, who’s signed on to play Barrie, will perform a number staged by Diane Paulus, who’s directing the $10 million musical.
After Weinstein found out that Sting will perform two songs from his upcoming musical “The Last Ship” at the Tonys, he called CBS’ Les Moonves, who’s made it clear that he wants as many stars and songs as can be jammed into the three-hour show, whether they’re Tony-nominated or not. Or, in the case of “The Last Ship” and “Neverland,” even playing on Broadway.
Meanwhile, everybody’s lobbying to have deceased friends included in the “In Memoriam” part of the show. The Broadway League’s Jean Kroeper Murphy is the gatekeeper of the dead. I phoned her to put in a word for my late friend, writer Martin Gottfried.
But Officer Kroeper — I call her that because she also polices the Tony campaigns — didn’t return my calls. So I hope she reads this: Martin was the drama critic for Women’s Wear Daily and The Post in the ’60s and ’70s, and his books, especially the classic “Broadway Musicals,” influenced a generation of theater people. Martin deserves a nod.
So do Phyllis Frelich, the deaf star of “Children of a Lesser God;” and the formidable Anna Crouse, wife of Russel Crouse, the co-writer, with Howard Lindsay, of “Life With Father” and “State of the Union.” Anna Crouse also helped create the Theater Development Fund, which runs the TKTS booths, because she believed theater should be affordable to everyone. She should be remembered now, when producers have gone nuts for those premium $450 seats.