Just in case the Tonys don’t do this . . .

By Ken Davenport

90% of the people reading this blog today won’t be doing it from work. Because you’ve got the day off! Woo-hoo! Happy Memorial Day, right?

Now that we’re done celebrating the start of summer, it’s important to remember what this day is all about.

Today we honor all those men and women who had a lot more courage than I could ever have and who sacrificed themselves so that the rest of us could have the freedom to do things like . . . well . . . like theater.

Yep, this crazy thing we produce and write and often take for granted is a freedom and a luxury that not everyone in the world has. We’re lucky, and it’s important to remember that.

So between BBQs and traffic jams, take a second of silence to say thank you.

Even though the intention of Memorial Day is to honor those who have fought and fallen for us, I always take a moment to remember those who have made other contributions to the world, who have also passed on.

And since there is a brewing controversy over whether or not the Tonys will include an “in memoriam” section on the telecast (read about it and sign the petition here), I thought I’d take this blog to list the people from our world who we lost this past year. (Of course, I’d love for it to be included on the telecast, but I also know that there’s only so much time, and what people really want to see is more production numbers, so those can’t be cut . . . could something else?)

You can add to the list in the comments section.

Wishing you all a peaceful holiday. (The usually scheduled Monday Podcast will appear on tomorrow’s blog.)

Lauren Bacall – actress
Polly Bergen – actress
BJ Crosby – actress
Margaret Croyden – critic
Steve Curry – actor
Jack Dabdoub – actor
Ruby Dee – actress
Angelo Del Rossi – former executive producer of Paper Mill
Richard A. Dysart – actor
Luigi Faccuito – dance teacher
Gerry Goffin – writer
Lesley Gore – writer
Jay H. Harris – producer
Don Harron – actor
Edward Herrmann – actor
Geoffrey Holder – director and costume designer
Charles Keating – actor
Brian Macdonald – choreographer
Victoria Mallory – actress
Michael McCarty – actor
Geraldine McEwan – actress
George Morrison – acting teacher
Barry Moss – casting director
Rosemary Murphy – actress
Peter Neufeld – producer and general manager
Mike Nichols – director
Leonard Nimoy – actor
Luise Rainer – actress
Joan Rivers – actress
Mary Rodgers – composer
Donald Saddler – choreographer
Gene Saks – director
Herb Schapiro – writer
Marian Seldes – actress
Arthur Shafman – producer
Elaine Stritch – actress
Jerry Tallmer – critic, founder of Obies
Meshach Taylor – actor
Andrea Testani Gordon – stage manager
Stuart Vaughan – director
Betsy von Fursternberg – actress
Eli Wallach – actor
Robin Williams – actor
Elizabeth Wilson – actress
Julie Wilson – actress
Sandy Wilson – composer