Tony Tuesday, Thomas and Taking on Too Much

My phone rang tonight and I knew exactly who it was.

It was my mentor and friend, Thomas, reminding me not to be late for Tony Tuesday. I had read his mind. I think of Thomas every Tony Tuesday but let me explain it to those of you who work in different industries.

It’s usually the first Tuesday in May and it is when the Tony Awards announce their nominees. There are celebrities at the podium reading off the list. It’s like the Oscar nominations only much smaller and more intimate.

There are awards not only for Best Actor and Actress but for Best Musical, Best Revival of a Musical, Best Play, Best Revival of a Play, you get the idea. Maybe you tuned into the Tony’s when Hamilton won a ton of awards.

I went to the Tonys once. I was working on “Hair” and “Billy Elliot”. Both musicals won and we partied the night away. I wore a beautiful dress and sprung for a room at the Hudson Hotel. It was as magical as I had dreamed it would be.

Most years, I just watched and did the work. My first Tony Tuesday was almost my last in this industry. You see I had come to Broadway and taken a job at an ad agency. Thomas was my boss and he was wonderful but also very strict. I had a lot to learn and he was there to teach me. We spent hours together working, talking and going to shows. He…