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Tuesday, June 04, 2002

By Christopher Rawson, Post-Gazette Drama Critic

Elaine Stritch was upset. The Rainbow Room, where the working press watched Sunday's Tony Award telecast and interviewed presenters and winners, was galvanized by her anger, humiliation and a saving dollop of wry regret.

	When Elaine Stritch took too much time giving her Tony acceptance speech Sunday night, CBS went to commercial and she was led off the stage. (Suzanne Plunkett, Associated Press)

Though a Broadway veteran, Stritch had famously never won a Tony. Technically, she didn't Sunday, either: The Tony for Best Special Theatrical Event for her autobiographical one-woman "Elaine Stritch: At Liberty" actually went to her large group of producers -- who wisely opted to have her accept the award.

But she wasted time basking in the moment. So when she started the speech that she later told us was carefully timed, her time was already up. The orchestra held back for a while, but finally, as she kept insistently on, the camera went to a pre-arranged commercial.

The press room joke was that after the commercial she'd still be on stage, singing Stephen Sondheim's "I'm Still Here."

Stritch arrived unhappily in the press room about 15 minutes later.

"Sure, I'm emotional," she began. "It's pretty emotional for a woman my age to win her first Tony. Now it's spoiled for me. ... This is an evening I've waited for a long time, and I'm glad it's over. It's a bummer. ... This business can be so hurtful."

She was asked if "they" had apologized. "In your dreams," she said, enumerating commiserations from fellow artists, but none from Tony brass. "The Tonys have never even asked me to be a presenter. They don't seem to like me a lot. ... They rang the curtain down before the play was over."

She expressed regrets. "I blew it. I think I was so anxious."

Tears glistened. Gradually her humor took over: "I'll tell you one thing that isn't working, it's this waterproof mascara. ... I forgot names with the [bleep] music playing. The only name I could remember was CBS" -- the presumed villain.

Though her show has ceased now, she plans to take it to London and on tour. "I'll put [this] in the show, exactly as it was tonight -- what happened at the Tonys."

"You're the best," someone shouted.

"Sorry?"

"You're the best."

"Yeah, I just wanted to hear you say it again."