Actually, Rose was billed above the title in that ''My Fair Lady,'' alongside Ian Richardson, Christine Andreas and Robert Coote.
Anyway, I once had the great honor of interviewing Mako for The Sondheim Review (Spring 1998), so I asked him about the 1976 Tonys.
What did he think of his chances to win? Mako said: ''I had run into [newspaper columnist] Earl Wilson and he told me that he had inside information that I was going to win [for 'Pacific Overtures']. I said, 'Come on!' I didn't place that much emphasis on the outcome, except I was renting a floor from Jerry Orbach, who had a brownstone, and he was also nominated for Best Actor in a Musical [for 'Chicago']. I thought Jerry would win. I didn't care for myself. If I got it, I'd have to go up and give a speech. [George Rose] and Ian Richardson were also nominated for 'My Fair Lady,' but that was a revival, so I didn't think they stood a chance. But [George] won. Anyway, I got home late, about 2:30 in the morning. At about 4:30, I heard Jerry Orbach shouting from the floor below, 'Hey, Mako! What the f*ck happened? I can't believe it; we lost to a f*cking revival!' '' |
