Jack Gray
AC360° Producer/Writer
The Tony Awards were given out last night here in New York. I boycotted them over the snub of my one-man show, Nice to Meet You, Now Please Get Out of My Bed.
I’m at a loss, frankly, as to why I was passed over. It’s not like I was a diva. In fact, I went out of my way to encourage audience participation. I don’t care what the critics say, folks in the mezzanine loved those diet pills.
The only reason I can think of – aside from the unpleasantness with that jar of Nutella – for this theatrical injustice is that the Broadway establishment didn’t like my burlesque tribute to Angela Lansbury: “Murder, She Wrote…All Night Long.”
I mean, yes, there were those who raised their eyebrows at my habit of spending intermission arm-wrestling with Kathleen Turner. But those are the same people who criticized the opening line of the show. Which, by the way, I think says less about me than it does about their fear to consider the question: “What would Jennifer Love Hewitt do?”
And sure, 43 minutes of the show were me weeping over a spilled container of body glitter. If you didn’t like it, well, I’m sorry you hate America.
By the way, no, it’s not considered nudity if you’re covered in Grand Marnier.
I’ll be honest, the timing of this snub couldn’t be worse. I’m trying to nail down a deal to sell the film rights and I’m worried that, without recognition from the Tony Awards, I’ll never realize my dream of being portrayed on the silver screen by Mary-Kate Olsen.
Meanwhile, the chances of me staging my follow-up Broadway production are now slim to none. It’s beyond disappointing. I had such high hopes for Any Day You Don’t Sleep With Your Landlord is a Good Day.
But, look, I’m not naïve. At least not after that night with Liza Minnelli at Red Lobster. I’m aware that edgy theater productions such as mine are easily dismissed as unappealing to a wide audience. America wants high-quality mainstream entertainment like NBC’s I’m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here – a reality show so far best known for the alleged torture of Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag somewhere in the Costa Rican jungle. I’ve yet to see an episode of this trainwreck, but rest assured, I will tune in for the finale – provided the aforementioned Couple from Hell is shot out of a cannon.
Just don’t shoot them in the direction of Broadway.
| Jennifer - Michigan |
June 8th, 2009 9:53 am ET Good Morning Jack! Glad you're back – very funny post. Hope you had a nice weekend, aside from being dissed for a Tony, ha ha. Here's to a good week for us all. It's good to have you back on the blog. Have a great day, talk to you later. |
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| Cindy |
June 8th, 2009 10:00 am ET Jack...Good to finally have you back on the blog! I missed your crazy funny posts! Once again you didn't disappoint. You are too funny! Keep it up. Sorry that you didn't get a Tony but hey...it could be worse. You could be "famous" and stuck on that island with Mrs. Blago, and that Heidi and Spencer couple..who ever the heck they are! Thank your lucky stars you don't have to deal with those people. You'd really be drove insane then. Cindy..Ga. |
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| Andy |
June 8th, 2009 10:05 am ET You are so funny. Morning jack!! |
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| Alyzabeth |
June 8th, 2009 10:09 am ET Sometimes great talent goes unrecognized. |
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| Presley |
June 8th, 2009 10:11 am ET Well, let's see, Heidi was sent to the hospital after being locked in a dark room with Spencer for a whole night and she has an ulcer of some kind apparently. XXO♥ |
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| Rambling Expatriate |
June 8th, 2009 10:14 am ET It's official: I adore you Jack. |
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| trish |
June 8th, 2009 10:17 am ET Once again hysterical...glad i wasnt drinking my coffee when i read this!! Welcome Back!!! Starting a monday off w/ your blog is always a good thing. ~spycnsweet |
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| Robyn |
June 8th, 2009 10:21 am ET Jack, Thanks for the Monday morning pick me up that I so desperately needed! I might just be able to make it through the day now.... maybe. Wait ... if you're already at work, does that mean Sammy's smoking a menthol and drinking a martini out of your favorite Golden Girls coffee mug? Have a great day! |
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| Bobbie |
June 8th, 2009 10:23 am ET Thank God your blogs are back. I have been seriously missing them as they absolutely make my day! Please keep them coming. |
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| Proud_Lion |
June 8th, 2009 10:24 am ET Why am I consistently drawn here? Hilarity unlimited. Thanks for blogging |
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| Emily |
June 8th, 2009 10:35 am ET You're my hero. |
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| Michelle D . Fonthill. Ont |
June 8th, 2009 10:46 am ET Hi Jack Welcome Back to blog Thanks for your funny post Jack Michelle D. |
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| Tammy, Berwick, LA |
June 8th, 2009 10:50 am ET Nice to have you writing on here again. I personally enjoyed watching the Tony Awards last night. It was an amazing year on Broadway. The true talent that exists never stops wowing me. Definitely worth a trip to NYC to see some shows. |
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| AJinSoCal |
June 8th, 2009 10:57 am ET Because of your frequent Tweets about Angela Lansbury, I thought of you when she came on stage last night. Your blog cracks me up. Thanks for entertaining us! |
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| Jame Rodriguez |
June 8th, 2009 10:57 am ET Hello Hello Jack, Agree with most posts. Good to have you back on the blogs and i'm sorry you did not win a Tony. However, you left the most important question out....Did Kathleen Turner beat you? |
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| Carol B. in MD |
June 8th, 2009 11:17 am ET Hmm...thought you might be depressed because you weren't the inspiration for Mame, a little before your time. Angela was certainly one of the belles of the ball last night. Although your show sounded riveting, don't let the critics get to you. Maybe there will be a role opening up in Hair. Just don't glom onto one of those celebrity shows with the couple unofficially known as twit and t**t. You might regret THAT. |
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| Isabel, Brazil |
June 8th, 2009 11:20 am ET Uhhhuuuuuuuu! You came back! Thanks! Great way to start the week was no longer the best (bodies of flight 447 and sentencing of Laura Ling and Euna Lee!) I love musicals. I love everything that has dance very much! Good times that the ballet was part of my life! Great post, as usual! Thanks See you on Twitter! |
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| badkid03 |
June 8th, 2009 11:25 am ET Hey Jack, |
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| Kimberley |
June 8th, 2009 11:26 am ET Hi Jack! Can't believe they passed you up. Clearly they don't recognize real talent... and with such a promising follow up too. How will Broadway survive without you? Awesome and funny as usual... love your sense of humour & really happy your blogs are back. K |
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| Wally de Dilbert |
June 8th, 2009 11:29 am ET What a fun challenge it would be to work with you on your potential theatrical show. Considering our current economic malaise, I would tweak the title ever so slightly to Any Day You Don't HAVE to Sleep With Your Landlord is a Good Day. |
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| Caddoh |
June 8th, 2009 11:30 am ET Perhaps you could rent a stoner-bus, and take your show on the road, to give it the attention it deserves? |
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| Anna, HK |
June 8th, 2009 11:43 am ET Jack, how do you know they snubbed you? Maybe they'd tried contacting but couldn't get hold of you..... I mean, goodness..... you're everywhere! The longest time you were stationery was when you were crying over spilt glitter... not the best of times for a little tete-tete in those circumstances I would imagine... Anyhow, maybe you need to spend more time with your buddies Angela, Kathleen or Liza & see whether some of their shine will rub off onto you.... you never know..... Tomorrow is another day. |
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| Renee |
June 8th, 2009 12:03 pm ET Jack tell us...did Liza, you know, make a pass at you last night over cheddar biscuits? Is she looking for another friend? |
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| Lilibeth |
June 8th, 2009 12:07 pm ET Hi Jack, great to see you back! I’ve missed you. I’ve heard so much about this “I’m a Celebrity…” show but it just doesn’t appeal to me. I’m trying to watch less TV and spend more time outdoors while the weather is nice. Have a great summer! Lilibeth |
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| julesgregory |
June 8th, 2009 12:07 pm ET Once again jack you nail another fine from line to line performance here. Coffee with jack gray always make my early day (yawn). Your Broadway show aspiration is really quite admirable. I mean any one of the one man/woman shows would have never been had they not been gone after with a vengeance. The reality is that right here jack you have an online audience matched by any packed to full capacity Broadway theater. However, if it's the foot lights and the glamor of making a dramatic Norma Desmond descending a staircase entrance that you crave, then might I suggest you just keep on trying to get through to them, just as though you were up next in line on "SO You Think You Can Dance". If you can survive that, and that one pumpkin faced judge with the most annoying machine gun laugh, you'll have one foot in the door to Broadway, via Las Vegas that is!. After all dreams are merely dreams unless one crosses the threshold between them and reality, stepping out of them quick to make them happen, I rest my weary case and concede to all. Thanks for all the laughs today~ julesgregory |
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| Aaron Horne |
June 8th, 2009 12:15 pm ET You make me laugh. @Aaron_Horne |
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| BettyAnn,Nacogdoches,TX |
June 8th, 2009 12:55 pm ET Give Yourself A Tony Jack! |
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| Ruthie Rader |
June 8th, 2009 1:10 pm ET Tony baloney. Sometimes it's just as much fun to pitch it at the wall and if it doesn't stick then smile and watch it slide. |
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| Jill |
June 8th, 2009 1:10 pm ET You should probably just bypass the Tonys all together and make an all new awards show for blogging. Glad you're back... the insipid world of hospitality gives me very little to look forward to everyday (unless you count being berated by strangers ... which is a joy in it's own right), so it's always appreciated when there's a Jack Gray update. Final sidebar: Nice to see that Liza Minelli is moving up in the world... first being Kristen Wiig's BFF in an SNL skit and then dinner with you at a Red Lobster. There is hope for all of us. |
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| maryeking |
June 8th, 2009 1:20 pm ET Ha! I like your style Jack. Maybe you should change your name to Styles Gray...can I get Liza's number? I need a good lesson learned on naive-ity. |
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| rainbowlite |
June 8th, 2009 1:51 pm ET Hi Jack. That was funny. I think your one man show need more of your dog and rain boots. The trick is to leg wrestle Kathleen Turner. Word on the street is she's an unstoppable arm wrestler. |
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| Tommy |
June 8th, 2009 1:53 pm ET Thanks for the witty humor. It is much needed! |
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| DragonTat2 |
June 8th, 2009 2:03 pm ET Who the hell is Heidi & Spencer? |
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| Duncan |
June 8th, 2009 2:06 pm ET HAHAHAHAHAH- I needed that laugh this afternoon...an evening at Red Lobster with LM...ROTFL!!!! |
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| Jim Haynes |
June 8th, 2009 2:13 pm ET i would like to tell you about a simple cure for the flu that was given to me when i was very sick in the 1950's. I was deathy sick with the Asian FLU and my landlord came over to see me and found out i was sick and said he'll be right back. He came back with a can of Oregon blackberry pie filling and told me to sip the juice until it is all gone,but don't eat the berries. So, i tried his remedy and within about 6 hours i was actually sitting up and feeling hungry. All my flu symtoms were gone. Since then i have been giving this remedy to my 5 children and friends and family. It has worked on us for over 50 years, so i would really like to pass this information on to as many people that i can. |
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| K. Weldon |
June 8th, 2009 2:14 pm ET ...Burlesque tribute to Angela Lansbury: “Murder, She Wrote… Ha ha ha... great! |
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| Janelle |
June 8th, 2009 2:16 pm ET You made my Monday!! Thanks for laugh. |
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| Shilpee Shrestha |
June 8th, 2009 2:23 pm ET A v-good one! It'll let me pass my usual Monday Blues. |
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| Carla |
June 8th, 2009 2:31 pm ET Your humor is wonderful..unpredictable always hilarious and enjoyable! Keep it going! |
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| Connie |
June 8th, 2009 2:45 pm ET This is pretty funny but just a warning. Stay away from Mary Kate!! I've never seen any of the stuff in Costa Rica or any of the other show you mentioned. If Anderson Cooper ran all day I'd probably watch it all day. |
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| Clarissa Middleton |
June 8th, 2009 2:47 pm ET I want to know what we can do about North Korea and the American journalists sentenced to 12 years!!! |
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| Jennifer |
June 8th, 2009 3:10 pm ET Great blog as usual. Thought you might tweet last night after Angela Landsbury's big Tony win but I guess you two were out partying to celebrate. |
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| Samantha |
June 8th, 2009 3:18 pm ET I second Connie. Stay away from either of the Olsens. It's only a matter of time until they snap and eat someone whole. (while I am sure you are delicious, I would be sad not to have any more of your blog posts to read). |
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| Stacy |
June 8th, 2009 3:33 pm ET Yay, Jack is back! You've been bogarting the funny for much too long. I don't know about anyone else, but my day is not complete without an Angela Lansbury reference. My condolences on your Tony snub. I'm afraid Mary-Kate Olsen is now off the table, but I'm sure Jodi Sweetin will still totally take your calls. Also, please stay away from the trashy reality TV. I think your boss watches enough for both of you. Meanwhile, I'm still trying to figure out if Spencer and Heidi are real people. I'm guessing the answer to that question might be in the eye of the beholder. @newsjunkie365 |
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| mary ann |
June 8th, 2009 3:33 pm ET very funny, have a great week, everyone! School's out in |
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| Michele Beller |
June 8th, 2009 3:55 pm ET Oh, that's hilarious! Some people just don't recognize good art when they see it. |
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| Lori |
June 8th, 2009 4:01 pm ET Hey Jack, Welcome back! You have a supreme talent for writing, that Alone would be grounds to Win an Award : ) I love how your experience in life is expressed in a humorous, laughing, and, yes, sometimes in even a thought provoking fashion..... in a matter of fact way... you gotta love what you do, an i do enjoy the laughter you give. have a great week. ~ Sincerely, Lori in MN |
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| madfashionista, nyc |
June 8th, 2009 4:07 pm ET Oh, Jack, you poor darling! I was one of the twelve people fortunate enough to see your show. The sight of you weeping over that body glitter will stay with me forever, or for at least the next two weeks. I'm only slightly insulted that I wasn't the audience member chosen to lick the Grand Marnier off of you. After all, I was the only one in the front row, AND I was awake. Be that as it may, your post is wonderful, as always, and has almost removed the foul taste in my mouth from that number from "Guys & Dolls." The fat fellow who played the original Nicely-Nicely Johnson is rotating in his very large grave. @madfashionista |
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| Chris Sosa - Boston, MA |
June 8th, 2009 4:08 pm ET Not sure if I've just missed them or you haven't been blogging, but glad to have you back! That was the most hilariously entertaining read of my week thus far. Not often can I say anything I read has me literally laughing out loud, which I did through pretty much this entire piece. And I for one hope to catch a revival of "Murder She Wrote... All Night Long." |
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| Gayle McCauley Malden,Mass. |
June 8th, 2009 4:28 pm ET So... That WAS you that night at Red Lobster with Liza Minnelli...Thought so!! So good to have Jack back!! Missed your witty word... : ) |
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| Claudia H. |
June 8th, 2009 4:57 pm ET I heard that you and Anderson Cooper are the same person! True? |
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| Annie Kate |
June 8th, 2009 5:23 pm ET Hey Jack Glad you are back; we missed you! Don't get discouraged over your production not being nominated – all the greats were panned in their day. Its like a great artist – you can't sell anything while you are alive and need money to eat but once you die of hunger those paintings start selling like hot cakes. I bet your productions catch on soon and you will receive the acclaim you are due....or the rotten fruit. One or the other, its still recognition. don't leave us again. The weeks are dreary without your wit to give us a treat to look forward to!! |
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| shelly drori |
June 8th, 2009 5:31 pm ET with you jack, its like waiting for the 114x bus. you wait ages then they all come at once. i read your blog, laughed my head off and then watched the vid you tweeted, and fell on the floor in hysterics. all i need now is a few late nite tweets from you to complete my otherwise not so funny day and i have my fix. |
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| Miss J |
June 8th, 2009 6:29 pm ET Hey Jack – can you remind Anderson that some of us are looking for the NY store where the allegedly delicious carrot cake came from? I think he said it was in Harlem? |
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| Tim Baran |
June 8th, 2009 6:37 pm ET Funny post – terrific writing! @BaranLLC |
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| Krista |
June 8th, 2009 7:56 pm ET Great as usual Jack! Glad to see you're blogging again! |
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| Anna, HK |
June 8th, 2009 8:10 pm ET Well Jack, after all these feedback from your bloggers, it's time to stop crying... & get your act together! |
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| Pamina in New Rochelle |
June 8th, 2009 8:51 pm ET Well Jack, I for one am disappointed that the Tony's did not recognize your show, which is obviously from the mind of a genius!! I will be waiting anxiously for your next production. I'm sure the Academy will recognize you next time around! |
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| Lori from IL |
June 8th, 2009 9:28 pm ET Jack is back!! Yeah!! Thanks for all the yucks - just wondering how Neil Patrick Harris would have worked you/your show into his hilarious finale. |
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| Rikki, Fargo, ND |
June 8th, 2009 10:13 pm ET Jack is back! Yay! How we've missed you! Excellent blog today! |
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| pawspagal |
June 8th, 2009 10:20 pm ET Jack, you are my daily dose of good old fashioned hilarity. I love your posts on twitter, but this blog post tops them all. I wish we were friends, you are the kind of guy I'd love to hang out with...thanks for making me smile. I luv ya, Pawspagal |
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| @core17 |
June 8th, 2009 11:16 pm ET Mmmmmm . . .. Nutella! |
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| Lisa |
June 9th, 2009 2:26 am ET You are hilarious!! Jack, don't keep anything back next time, ya hear??? |
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