May 8, 2000
Bryant Gumbel: For six years, Kelsey Grammer and Bebe Neuwirth teamed up as Frasier and Lilith Crane on the hit series "Cheers". A little later this morning, they'll be side by side once again, to announce this year's nominations for Broadway's Tony Awards. They'll do so in just a little bit from Sardi's restaurant in New York.
(Bebe Neuwirth and Kelsey Grammer talking at a table at Sardi's) That's where they'll join us right now. Kelsey Grammer and Bebe Neuwirth, (End conversation with KG mouthing "Its fabulous") Good morning to both of you.
Bebe Neuwirth: Good morning.
Kelsey Grammer: Good morning.
BG: Hey, you'll be announcing these things in just about a half hour. Are you expecting any particular shows to dominate?
BN: Um...(laughs)
KG: Unfortunately, I haven't been here all season, so-
BN: He's in rehearsal.
KG: I don't know.
BN: Kelsey's doing the Scottish play outside. I've seen a couple of shows, but everything so far that I've seen, and everything I've heard about everything else is so great, I don't know...I don't know how they'll pick the nominations.
BG: Bebe, are there any- (KG and BN share a smile and a laugh) Bebe, are there any shows you are privately rooting for?
BN: Um...I try to, you know, just root specifically for Broadway as a whole. I just don't...
KG: The acting profession. Just across the board.
(BG and BN laugh)
BG: Well, they're bound to win. Hey, hey, let me ask you something. Talking about the acting profession, compared to the Oscars and even the Emmy's, the Tony Awards, there isn't that much made of them nationally. Why is that Kelsey?
KG: Well, I think because people in the United States think of Manhatten as a foreign country. (BG and BN laugh) I think that's primarily the problem. And um...
BN: Yes, but people come-
KG: But they come here to-
BN: They come here and one of the things they come here to see is Broadway.
KG: -to see theatre, but it doesn't seem to cross over the Hudson, really.
BG: Yeah.
BG: Bebe you won two Tony Awards. Has entertainment's medium-
BN: Yes, I have, Kelsey. (laughs)
KG: Yes, she has.
(all laugh)
BG: Is it still your first love?
BN: Theatre?
BG: Yeah.
BN: Oh, absolutely. Sure. I've been on stage since I was seven. And um-
KG: Wow.
BN: Just try to get me off.
(KG and BN laugh)
KG: It'll never happen.
BN: Yeah, sure.
BG: Why do you prefer it so much to- to other kinds of acting?
BN: Hm. Well, I- I enjoy the dialogue you have with the audience. You give a performance
[clip of BN performing "All that Jazz" from CHICAGO]
and the audience recieves the performance, and you can feel that. And, I guess also I've been doing it since I was a very little girl, it just feels second nature to me. I feel very safe and very at home on the stage. Kelsey's from the theatre also, he started in the theatre.
KG: Mm-hmm.
BG: Oh, I know he did Othello, what was it, 1982?
KG: Yeah, I guess so.
(All laugh)
BN: (quietly) It's okay. (strokes his shoulder in comfort and laughs)
KG: It's a really long time.
BG: No, but you're back on Broadway. Next month you're starting a what, eight-week run, uh, doing Macbeth.
KG: Uh, yeah, actually I think its just, I think it may be seven weeks actually. But yeah, of Macbeth before we go back to that show I do. (looks at BN and they share a smile)
BG: Now you can be taking summer vacation. Why did you decide to do this instead?
KG: Ah...well, because its something I care about, and its also the most challenging, uh, in a comprehensive way for an actor, I guess. (looks at BN and she nods) It's just, you never get it out of your system and it also tunes you up, you know, get the muscles back in shape. Um, its such a more difficult medium than anything else you can do. (BN nods in agreement) I mean making films is challenging, doing the television show is very challenging, but-
BN: This is hardball. (laughs)
KG: For an actor, this is (looks at BN and she nods), this like the Everest that we have.
BG: No, I understand it's the Everest, but why is it more difficult?
KG: Well, frankly because you have to think and talk all at the same time without stopping.
BN: The curtain's up-
KG: Yeah, you gotta keep going. It's like being on a train, once it starts, its gonna end whether or not you go along for the ride. And, uh, that can always be um, a difficult thing. Uh, what else. Frankly, it's the most rewarding, I guess, is why we like to say it's the most challenging, but the truth is we get off on it more than anything else, because its highly personal, (looks at BN) the interaction between the audience and the performer.
BN: (nods) And also you performance in your own.
KG: Yeah. (nods)
BN: It's- You give your performance. Nobody's cutting it and nobody's editing it. Nobody's adding music that you weren't expecting was going to be there, nobody's taking a scene out which maybe would affect the way you'd play the next scene if you knew that wasn't going to be there. (looks at KG)
KG: (nods) Mm-hmm.
BN: All these other manipulations of your performance. The curtain's up, and we're out on the mound playing hardball. So- (looks at KG)
KG: Yeah.
BN: And- And then its you and the audience enjoying that experience together.
KG: Also-
BN: I think its more exciting, really. It's a visceral experience for the audience, and its more exciting for them.
KG: You are- I guess I can say this- you are truly responsible for your own ass (BG laughs) on the stage.
BN: (nods, then heightens up) And for mine.
KG: Or your- Or your ass.
(KG and BN laugh)
BG: Would it be fair to say- this is dangerous ground- that it requires more talent on stage, than it does to do television or movies?
KG: No. (shakes his head)
BN: It's a different-
KG: No.
BN: It'''s a different, um...(looks at KG)
KG: It's just a more heightened...task.
BN: Yeah, and you know what? But if you don't- It doesn't...required more, but if you don't have talent, (KG laughs) its more easily- (smiles)
KG: (laughs) ...revealed.
BN: (laughs) ...revealed, on the stage.
BG: (laughs) It's more easily apparent. Okay.
KG: You can spot it more easily, right.
BG: I think that's fair. Hey, the two of you mesh together so nicely-
KG: Thank you.
BG: You have on television. Are thre any thoughts of ever doing anything together on stage?
KG: Gosh, uh..
BN: I would love to.
KG: I think that would be fun.
BN: If the audience could, you know- We ask-
KG: Work at 'em.
BN: Yeah.
(KG and BN laugh)
KG: We could- We could do it.
BN: Yeah, one day.
KG: It would be lovely. I would love to. We'd have a ball.
BN: Yeah.
BG: Hey, we'd let you go, you have to to do there.
BN: We have presents to give out. (laughs)
BG: Bebe Neuwirth, always good to see you. Kelsey Grammer, good look with Macbeth.
KG: Oh, thank you.
BG: Alright? Stay well.
