An Oscar for a Tony

There is, perhaps, no set and costume designer more deserving of a lifetime achievement award than Tony Walton. A prolific designer for the Broadway stage for more than forty years, he has been responsible for many of the visual elements of musicals both classic and modern. And last week, the York Theatre Company honored Mr. Walton with its prestigious Oscar Hammerstein Award for Lifetime Achievement in gratitude for his lifelong devotion to musical theatre– not unlike the devotion of the York Theatre Company.

After a gourmet dinner and silent auction, the auction turned up the volume and came inside the Hudson Theatre at the Millennium Hotel as vacations, private cabaret performances, and Tony Walton artwork was sold to raise more than $50,000 for the York Theatre– a fraction of the $250,000 needed to produce a new musical. The final item for sale– original costume designs by Mr. Walton– created some unplanned drama as a bidding war began between a young woman and an offstage bidder. Only when the latter won did he reveal himself to be none other than Broadway star Ben Vereen, the star of 1972's Pippin, which featured sets and costumes by Mr. Walton. As he launched into a modified "Magic To Do" from that show in honor of Mr. Walton, Mr. Vereen also adapted the lyrics to hilariously gloat about his new prize, adding a layer of humor to a sweet moment.

Students from the Marymount Manhattan College summer intensive at the York performed "We'll Raise a Glass" from Grand Hotel, and later a medley of "Good Morning" from She Loves Me, "Sur La Plage" from The Boy Friend, and "All Wet" from Steel Pier.

Up and coming triple-threat performer Nili Bassman performed "I Wish I Didn't Love You So," which was originally cut from Where's Charley?, but put back in for Mr. Walton's production at Goodspeed.. She was followed by the Tony-winning triple-threat performer Cady Huffman, who told some amusing anecdotes about Mr. Walton's costumes for her star-making performance in The Will Rodgers Follies, and then performed "No Man Left For Me" from that show.

Kate Burton and Veanne Cox, who starred together in the 1995 revival of Stephen Sondheim's Company on a set by Tony Walton, read some letters of gratitude from stars who could not attend the event, such as Bebe Neuwirth, Lauren Bacall, Noah Racey, Ann Reinking, Patti LuPone, and Melissa Errico. Nancy Hess and Paul Carlin sang "Fancy Forgetting," and Jenny Fellner and Tony Roberts performed a sexy "Never Too Late to Fall in Love," both from The Boy Friend.

More loving and funny anecdotes about Tony Walton's skill as a costume designer, set designer, and director (not to mention singer!) came courtesy of William Ivey Long and Mike Nichols, fresh from their Tony victories the previous night. Georgia Warner, Mr. Walton's granddaughter, read an affectionate letter from music star Linda Rondstat, and Bridgette LeRoy, his step-daughter, read an amazingly poignant letter from Emma Walton, who was unable to attend due to car problems on the way there.

Judd Hirsch and Ben Vereen performed a raunchy and silly scene from I'm Not Rappaport, for which Tony Walton designed the sets for both the original and the recent revival starring the two men. Dame Julie Andrews herself appeared via videotape to send her congratulations in a charming and witty clip.

And for the evening's first "finale," the legendary star of stars, the inimitable Chita Rivera glided up to the microphone to verbally recreate Tony Walton's set for Chicago, and to tell him how she only came into her own as a star upon that set. She recalled that she did not feel worthy of such a grand entrance on such a grand set when she first appeared as Velma Kelly, but as she emerged from the stage night after night, she gradually began to realize that she finally was the star everyone else knew her to be. After such a poignant story, the only thing that could top it were two numbers from that show: "Nowadays," and, of course, "All That Jazz," both songs blasting away thirty years and still as fresh and sharp as they had ever been. Under Ms. Rivera's care, it is hard to imagine that they will ever feel stale.

Mr. Walton himself came up to the stage to accept the award from Oscar Hammerstein's daughter, Alice Hammerstein Mathias, who graciously told the clearly delighted recipient that "a stage is no stage till you set it."

And for the really final finale, young tap dancing star Noah Racey, who was directed by Mr. Walton in last year's acclaimed revival of Where's Charley? up at Goodspeed, emerged from the wings with a sly grin, having already sent in his regrets for not being able to attend. Having pleasantly surprised the crowd with that trick, he sang the musical's most beloved number, "Once in Love with Amy" with special lyrics for the occasion. As the audience sang along to "Once in Love with Tony," the loving words were clearly felt deeply by everyone on the audience and backstage.