c-D the playwright, both nominated for Tongs, believed otherwise. '1 prefer to call it passionate and dramatic," Uhry has said of Parade. The playwright, also responsible for Driving Miss Daisy and The Last Night of Ballyhoo, knew the Leo Frank story well; his great- uncle owned the pencil factory where Frank worked. Parade closed in February, after a relatively short run; its nine nomina- tions prove there is life after death on Broadway. Although Britain doesn't dominate the Tongs this year as in past seasons, there is still a strong British presence. Dame Judi Dench earned a nomination for Best Leading Actress in the play Amy's View, and Corin Redgrave is up for Best Lead Actor in Not About Nightingales, which opened in London before crossing the Atlantic. Other English hopefuls are The Lonesome West, set in rural Ireland, and Closer, about four people in modern-day London. A glaring snub, say many critics, is the omission of nominations for British playwright David Hare, who wrote three of this year's Broadway hits — Amy's View, The Blue Room and Via Dolorosa. The latter is Hare's one-man show about the Israeli-Arab stalemate _ , inspired by the playwright's personal journey through the Middle East. In any case, distinctions between what is. British and what is American are starting to die off, says Jed Bernstein of the League of American Theaters and Producers. "Next year one of the more highly anticipated Broadway shows is Saturday Night Fever, which is very American in nature but was a huge smash hit in London this year. Soon, Carol Burnett will be returning to Broadway in a Stephen Sondheim evening. That's American, but it's pro- duced by Cameron Macintosh, who is a Brit," says Bernstein. "Look at Iceman Cometh — it played in London, has four or five Brits in a cast of 21, but stars Kevin Spacey, who is an enormously popular American actor. And, it was written by one of the most accomplished American play- wrights of this century," he adds. "I think we are getting to the point where the only thing that matters is good theater. And that, I think, is the direction in which we are going." _I The 53rd Annual Tony Awards airs Sunday, June 6, from 8-9 p.m. on PBS stations and from 9-11 p.m. on CBS. Check your local listings. Sparkling Witt "Death of a Salesmans" Howard Witt shares his excitement about being up for a Tony, Broadway's most coveted award. (Sideman). Witt said from his dressing room just before a Saturday evening performance. "I am 67 years old, and I can't think of anything more exciting. And even if I don't win, the fact that I am nominated will give me a longer obit- uary when I die!" Although there was some buzz that Witt would grab the nomination, the veteran actor was anything but over- confident. "Some of us from the play were sitting in a bar near the theater and heard rumors about Tony nomi- nations," he said. "But I thought it probably wouldn't happen, and if it did, it would be the frosting on the cake. I am so happy just to be a part of this production." Indeed, when Witt began playing the role of Charlie in Death of a Salesman last year in Chicago, he never thought that he or the play would "I know it's a cliche, but just to be nominated is an incredible honor," WITT on page 84 ALICE BURDICK SCHWEIGER Special to the Jewish News Top: Playwright Arthur Miller, whose revival of "Death of a Salesman" has six nominations, will receive a lifetime achievement award. Above: Michael Mayer is nominated for Best Direction of a Musical for the revival of "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown." It previewed in Detroit last December before opening on Broadway. couple of months ago, just the mention of a Tony nomination had Howard Witt raising his fingers to his mouth, motioning for quiet. He didn't want to jinx the possibility of being recognized by the American Theater Wing's Antoinette Perry "Tony" Awards committee. But now, he doesn't have to worry. Witt, who plays Willie Loman's neighbor Charlie in Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman, earned a nomina- tion for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play. He is up against fellow Salesman actor Kevin Anderson, who portrays Buff; Finbar Lynch (Not About Nightingales); and Frank Wood Nominations In Some Of The Top Categories Include: BEST PLAY Closer The Lonesome West Not About Nightingales Side Man BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTRESS IN A PLAY Stockard Charming, The Lion in BEST MUSICAL Winter The Civil War Fosse It Ain't Nothin But The Blues Parade Judi Dench, Amy's View Marian Seldes, Ring Round the Moon Zoe Wanamaker, Electra BEST REVIVAL OF A PLAY Death of a Salesman Electra The Iceman Cometh Twelfth Night BEST REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL Annie Get Your Gun Little Me Peter Pan You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTOR IN A PLAY Brian Dennehy, Death of a Salesman Brian O'Byrne, The Lonesome West Corin Redgrave, Not About Nightingales Kevin Spacey, The Iceman Cometh O BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTOR IN A PLAY Kevin Anderson, Death of a Salesman Finbar Lynch, Not About Nightingales Howard Witt, Death of a Salesman Frank Wood, Side Man BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTRESS IN A PLAY Claire Bloom, Electra Samantha Bond, Amy's- View Dawn Bradfield, The Lonesome West Elizabeth Franz, Death of a Salesman BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL Brent Carver, Parade Adam Cooper, Swan Lake Martin Short, Little Me Tom Wopat, Annie Get Your Gun BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL Carolee Carmello, Parade Dee Hoty, Footloose Bernadette Peters, Annie Get Your Gun Sian Phillips, Marlene BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTOR IN A MUSICAL Roger Bart, You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown Desmond Richardson, Fosse Ron Taylor, It Ain't Nothin' But The Blues Scott Wise, Fosse BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL Gretha Boston, it Ain't Nothin' But The Blues Kristin Chenoweth, You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown Valarie Pettiford, Fosse Mary Testa, On The Town 6/4 199 Detroit Jewish News