It's About Tyne

[Marquee2]

Posted: 5/13/15 at 9:58pm

I'm no insider, so can someone knowledgeable discuss what amounts to the reverence for Tyne Daly within the Broadway community? Don't misunderstand me, I've always liked her and think she's a fine actress, if a bit mannered at times. It's just that the adoration of her has always seemed (to me) to be slightly over the top. Here's my theory: she seems to be very popular personally - decent, giving and generous, especially with younger actors - that that contributes to the outsized critical esteem in which she's held. Again, I've liked Daly since her Cagney & Lacey days, so I have no interest in being mean. Just genuinely curious about her hallowed status on Broadway.

 

 

[EthelMae]

Posted: 5/13/15 at 10:10pm

I think it started when she triumphed in Gypsy. It had a long tour before Bway and she wasn't adored yet on Bway. I remember a lot of talk about, "can she sing?" But it came in, got great reviews and she won the Tony. She wasn't just that actress on that TV show anymore. She was then embraced by the theatre community and deservedly so.

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 5/14/15 at 11:37pm

I can't speak to what the Broadway community or even New Yorkers in general think, but as a TV viewer here on the Left Coast, I think Tyne Daly is one of our greatest living actresses. She starred in not just one (CAGNEY AND LACEY) but two (JUDGING AMY) long-running series and won Emmys for both (as well as an Emmy for a third show, CHRISTY).

I will literally watch anything the woman does.

With one exception: I had such fond memories from working with Lansbury in GYPSY, that I assumed I'd be disappointed with the Daly version. So I skipped it when it tried out in Los Angeles--much to my everlasting regret. A five minute clip on YouTube had me so enthralled I am still kicking myself for not seeing it live.

She has loyally returned to the New York stage several times since, so I'm not surprised the Broadway community embraces her. Just in case she reads this, I could use a hug myself!

Updated On: 5/16/15 at 11:37 PM

[Wilmingtom]

Posted: 5/15/15 at 3:19am

She first appeared on Broadway in 1967 and, despite her Hollywood fame, has kept returning to her theater roots, on Broadway and elsewhere.  Naturally people respect that.  I'm not certain that's there's a "reverence" going on, perhaps evidenced by her not receiving a Tony nomination for "It Shoulda Been You."

[PalJoey]

Posted: 5/15/15 at 8:12am

It's her integrity.

[newintown]

Posted: 5/15/15 at 10:32am

I find (and have always found) her to be remarkably one-note as an actress. She delivers every line with the same nasal, fast, harsh reading. Sitting through her limited schtick in Mothers and Sons last year was unbearable; in Shoulda, it was a bit easier to take because she didn't carry the show. Watching her in Master Class was unintentionally hilarious, like watching Mary Beth Lacey in a drag show.

But clearly, no matter how many notes one thinks her schtick has, it's a schtick that works for some (I have no idea how many - her last two Broadway outings didn't draw crowds).

[Bekelly913]

Posted: 5/15/15 at 10:34pm

I think it's a combination of her long career in both Broadway and on TV, her continuation with theater despite her success on TV and as far as I've heard she is also one of the most humble and giving actresses to her fellow actors. I remember watching the Going Bridal vlog and Lisa Howard saying Tyne gave up her spot as the final bow of be curtain call to Lisa, saying she deserved it more as well as giving up her own dressing room while in the out of town run of Shoulda to Lisa and shared with Harriet saying that Lisa was the real star of the production (which, let's be honest, is true)

[oncemorewithfeeling2]

Posted: 5/15/15 at 11:49pm

If we're really talking about the Broadway community made up of her on and off stage peers, those that I know describe her in the same way: she's genuine. Apparently, she is very gracious to those around her, keeps her humility, and is a very open and nurturing figure to her cast mates. As we've seen from the tiny backstage peaks and anecdotes, she's very supportive and giving to those around her. Someone also told me that they felt that no matter, she always kept a good sense of humor about things.

The theater community views her as one of the rare ones: her spirit and generosity match her talent and acclaim.

[Marquee2]

Posted: 5/21/15 at 10:20pm

Thanks. More or else confirms what I suspected. Daly's kindness, humor and integrity have gone a long way towards shoring up her status - both on and off stage. 

Worth considering, too, is that you can admire someone's work and still see her as a tad overrated. As I see it, Daly is a formidable actress, but an iffy singer. I wouldn't put Daly's body of work on the same scale as, say, Angela Lansbury's. (Not yet.) 

Anyhoo, I remain a fan, but it's an interesting debate.