Tommy Tune

Infobox actor
name = Tommy Tune

---

imagesize = 180px
caption =
birthname = Thomas James Tune
birthdate = birth date and age|1939|02|28
birthplace = Wichita Falls, Texas, USA
domesticpartner= David Wolfe (10 yrs.)
Michael Stuart (7 yrs.)
yearsactive =
homepage =
academyawards =
tonyawards = Best Direction of a Musical
1982 "Nine"
1990 "Grand Hotel"
1991 "The Will Rogers Follies"
Best Actor in a Musical
1983 "My One and Only"
Best Featured Actor in a Musical
1974 "Seesaw"
awards = National Medal of Arts 2003

Thomas James “Tommy” Tune (born February 28, 1939) is an American actor, dancer, singer, director, producer, and choreographer. Over the course of his career, he has thus far garnered nine Tony Awards and the National Medal of Arts.

Biography

Early life

Born in Wichita Falls, Texas, Tune attended Lamar High School in Houston and the Methodist-affiliated Lon Morris College in Jacksonville, Texas.

Career

tage

In 1965, Tune made his Broadway debut as a performer in the musical "Baker Street". His first Broadway directing and choreography credits were for the original production of "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" in 1978. He has gone on to direct or choreograph, or both, some eight Broadway musicals. He is currently directing a new musical titled "Turn of the Century", expected to premiere at the Goodman Theatre (Chicago) on September 19, 2008 in previews. [Jones, Kenneth. [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/120760.html "York, Daniels, Orbach, de Benedet, Spangler, Racey Work with Tommy Tune on Turn of the Century",] playbill.com, August 26, 2008]

Off-Broadway, Tune has directed "The Club" and "Cloud Nine". Tune toured the United States in the Sherman Brothers musical "Busker Alley" in 1994-1995 and in the stage adaptation of the film "Dr. Doolittle" in 2006. [ [http://www.curtainup.com/buskeralleyfeature.html Curtain Up article, "Busker Alley", ca. 2007] ] [ [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/101231.html playbill article, Aug. 3, 2006 "Dr. Dolittle Closes His Practice on the Road"] ]

Tune is the only person to win Tony Awards in the same categories (Best Choreography and Best Direction of a Musical) in consecutive years (1990 and 1991), and the first to win in four different categories. He has won nine Tony Awards.

Film and television

Tune appeared in a 1975 TV special along with Lucie Arnaz and Lyle Waggoner to promote the Walt Disney World Theme Park.

Tune's film credits include "Hello, Dolly!" (1969) and "The Boy Friend" with Twiggy (1971). [ [http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0876585/ Internet Movie Database listing] ]

Memoirs

In 1997, Tune wrote "Footnotes", a memoir. Despite the disjointed nature of the autobiography, Tune offers an insightful look into his then thirty-year career. He writes intimately about what drives him as a performer, choreographer and director. His obsession and desire to find everlasting love is prominent in the memoir, offering many personal stories about being openly gay and being hurt by lovers. Ultimately though, it is his passion for theatre, dance, and people that carry him through a fruitful career full of many successful projects. Winning numerous Tony Awards and Drama Desk Awards, Tune writes mostly about his days with Twiggy in "My One and Only," in which he played the part of Billy Buck Chandler for more than 1,000 performances, the struggles in directing "Grand Hotel" and "Cloud Nine," as well as meeting and working with his many idols. [ [http://www.amazon.com/Footnotes-Memoir-Tommy-Tune/dp/0684841827/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1209313962&sr=1-2 Amazon.com listing with brief reviews] ]

Other work and honors

Tune released his first record album, "Slow Dancing," in 1997 on the RCA label, featuring a collection of his favorite romantic ballads. [ [http://www.amazon.com/Slow-Dancing-Tommy-Tune/dp/B000003FZ0 amazon.com listing, "Slow Dancing", Retrieved 4-28-2008] ]

In 1999, he made his Las Vegas debut as the star of "EFX" at the MGM Grand Hotel. [ [http://www.talkinbroadway.com/rialto/past/1999/1_17_99.html talkinbroadway review, undated ca. 1999] ]

Tune staged an elaborate musical entitled "Paparazzi" for the Holland America Line cruise ship the Oosterdam in 2003. [ [http://www7.ourvacationstore.com/cruises/cruisenewsdata.jsp?cobrand=11&pid=11&langrecno=1&javascript=&subcobrand=&recno=641 listing for Holland America] ] He works often with the Manhattan Rhythm Kings, for example touring in a Big Band revue entitled "Song and Dance Man" and "White Tie and Tails" (2002). He performed in Boston in April 2008 in the new review, "Steps in Time". [cite web | author=Elyse Sommer | title=A CurtainUp Review Tommy Tune: White Tie and Tails | work=curtainup | url=http://www.curtainup.com/tommytune.html | date=19 December 2002| accessdate=2008-06-07] [cite web | author=Jan Nargi | title=Tommy Tune: Steps in Time | work=BroadwayWorld | url=http://broadwayworld.com/viewcolumn.cfm?colid=26935 | date=14 April 2008| accessdate=2008-06-07]

He was parodied in Martin Short's Broadway show "Fame Becomes Me" by an actor wearing stilts.

In the sixth season The Simpsons episode 'A Star is Burns' Tune was credit with playing the role of Smithers in 'A Burns for All Seasons'.

;LegacyIn 2003, Tune was presented with the nation's highest honor for artistic achievement, the National Medal of Arts. [ [http://www.nea.gov/honors/medals/medalists_year.html National Endowment for the Art listing] ]

The Tommy Tune Awards, presented annually by Theatre Under The Stars (TUTS) honor excellence in high school musical theatre in Houston; the current home of the Tommy Tune Awards is the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts in Houston, Texas. [ [http://www.tuts.com/Education/TommyTuneAwards/tabid/94/Default.aspx TUTS information on Tommy Tune Awards] ]

He received the 2008 Fred & Adele Astaire Lifetime Achievement Award on June 2, 2008 in New York City. [cite news | author=Adam Hetrick; Ernio Hernandez | title=Tune Will Be Honored With 2008 Astaire Lifetime Achievement Award | work=Playbill | url=http://www.playbill.com/news/article/115147.html | date=15 February 2008| accessdate=2008-06-07] He received the Julie Harris Lifetime Achievement Award at the annual Tony Awards Party in Los Angeles on June 15, 2008. [cite news | author=Andrew Gans | title=Annual Tony Party to Honor Tommy Tune; Henderson Hosts | work=Playbill | url=http://www.playbill.com/news/article/115939.html | date=14 March 2008| accessdate=2008-06-07]

Personal

At 6 feet 6½ inches (1.99 m), Tune is unusually tall for a dancer. When not performing, he runs an art gallery in Tribeca that features his own work. [cite news | author=Andrew Gans | title=Tommy Tune Launches On-Line Art Gallery | work=Playbill | url=http://www.playbill.com/news/article/113631.html | date=18 December 2007| accessdate=2008-06-07] [cite web | author=Owen Keehnen | title=A Broadway Tune: A Halloween Visit with Tommy Tune | work=glbtq Encyclopedia | url=http://www.glbtq.com/sfeatures/interviewttune.html| date= | accessdate=2008-06-07]

tage productions

* "A Joyful Noise" (1966) (performer)
* "How Now, Dow Jones" (1967) (performer)
* "Seesaw" (1973) (performer, associate choreographer)
* "A Day in Hollywood / A Night in the Ukraine" (1980) (director, choreographer)
* "Nine" (1982) (director)
* "My One and Only" (1983) (performer, choreographer)
* "Stepping Out" (1987) (director)
* "Grand Hotel" (1989) (director, choreographer)
* "The Will Rogers Follies" (1991) (director, choreographer)
* "Tommy Tune Tonite!" (1992) (performer)
* "The Best Little Whorehouse Goes Public" (1994) (director, choreographer)
* "Grease" (1994 revival) (production Supervisor)

Awards and nominations

;Awards
* 1974 Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical - "Seesaw"
* 1978 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director of a Musical - "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas"
* 1980 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Choreography - "A Day in Hollywood / A Night in the Ukraine"
* 1980 Tony Award for Best Choreography - "A Day in Hollywood / A Night in the Ukraine"
* 1982 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director of a Musical - "Nine"
* 1982 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director of a Play - "Cloud Nine"
* 1982 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical - "Nine"
* 1983 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Choreography - "My One And Only"
* 1983 Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical - "My One And Only"
* 1983 Tony Award for Best Choreography - "My One And Only"
* 1990 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Choreography - "Grand Hotel"
* 1990 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director of a Musical - "Grand Hotel"
* 1990 Tony Award for Best Choreography - "Grand Hotel"
* 1990 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical - "Grand Hotel"
* 1991 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Choreography - "The Will Rogers Follies"
* 1991 Tony Award for Best Choreography - "The Will Rogers Follies"
* 1991 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical - "The Will Rogers Follies"

;Nominations
* 1977 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Director of a Musical - "The Club"
* 1978 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Choreography - "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas"
* 1979 Tony Award for Best Choreography - "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas"
* 1979 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical - "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas"
* 1980 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical - "A Day in Hollywood / A Night in the Ukraine"
* 1983 Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical - "My One And Only"
* 2003 Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Choreography - "Tommy Tune: White Tie and Tails"

References

External links

* [http://www.tommytune.com/ Tommy Tune official website]
*
*
* [http://www.playbill.com/news/article/43054.html playbill article, Jan. 15, 1999 "Tommy Tune To Use Tap Skills As Special EFX in Las Vegas; Begins Jan. 15"]
* [http://www.playbill.com/celebritybuzz/article/117242.html playbill article, Simonson, Robert, April 29, 2008, "Playbill's Brief Encounter with Tommy Tune", Retrieved 4-30-2008]