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Tom Eyen accepts Best Book Tony Award for Dreamgirls 2/1/82

Posted on Aug 01, 2009 under off broadway shoes |

Playwright Tom Eyen’s hilarious acceptance speech for the Tony Award for Best Book for the Broadway musical “Dreamgirls”. Robert Goulet (who goofs by calling the show “Dreamfingers”) presents Eyen the award at the Guthrie Theatre, February 1, 1982.

The audio is difficult to decipher, due to Eyen’s rapid speech pattern and the quality of the audio. Here is a transcript:

I had this idea about 8 years ago (1974), you know. I’d done a lot of plays Off Broadway, you know, down there, Off-Off Broadway. So it was time to do a Broadway show, you know. So, I had this idea and I, you know, I took my little box and I went uptown and I said, “Uh, hey,” to the first guy who was gonna help me, “Hey, I got this idea,” and he said, “I got a better one for you. Faust is a Broadway musical, OK?.” I said, “What, Faust?” He said, “Yeah, maybe sell his soul for a pair of tap shoes.” “Uh-uh,” I said, “I got my own ideas.” He said, “No,” - closed the door.

So I went to another man. I said, “You’re a producer. You can help me.” He said, “But I have this old movie, I got this great old movie (”It Should Happen To You”) about, you know, about the woman who buys this big poster on, you know, Times Square. Gladys Glover? You could make that into a musical! I said, “I got my own ideas.” “Sorry,” - closed the door.

I went to another guy and said, “Hey, (I) got an idea.” He said, ” I got the rights to a 1920 musical. You could update it for me. You know how.” I said, “I got my own idea.” What could I do?

Like everybody else, I ran to California (Los Angeles). I was there for about 3 years. I got my energy back up again. I can do a musical out here. A lot of them get started out there, right? OK, so I, I went to this big meeting. I had big meetings there, some big guys, 4 big men, they’re behind this big desk, and I said, “Hey, I got an idea!” Two of them got up, took me to a back room and … beat me up.

I, I crawled back to New York and I was in this room and there was this guy named Bob (producer Bob Avian) there. He said, uh, you know, he called me and wanted to do this show. I said, “I can’t do this show.” I liked it, but, I got my own idea.” and he said, “What is it?” I said, “Huh?” I said, “It’s about these three back-up singers, well they’re not really back-up singers. It’s starts with rhythm and blues, early ’60s, it’s about imilation. They’re listening, and they call this other guy, I didn’t know about him. His name is Michael (director/choreographer Michael Bennett). Michael came to me and he said, “Continue.” I said, “It’s about these three girl singers.” He said, “Is it a musical?” I said, “Yeah!” I said, uh, he said, “Well, where’s the music?” I said, I called up Henry (composer Henry Krieger). I said, “Henry, get over here. I got two live ones here!” Henry came running over. He played the score and Michael looked at Bob and said, “Well, let’s do it!” I said, “Huh?” and he said, “When do you wanna do it?” I said, “Oh, please now. It’s been 17 years. Please now!” They said, “OK, you go in a year.”

I share this with every writer I’ve known, from downtown…

Duration : 0:3:30

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