Норм Льюис выступил в кабаре и заявил, что его лишили премии «Тони»

Was Norm Lewis robbed of a Tony Award for his role as Porgy in the Gershwin’s “Porgy and Bess”? Maybe. His velvety distinctive baritone and stage presence certainly earned him the distinction. Of course, Lewis had been nominated alongside his co-star Audra McDonald who won for her role as Bess. Said Lewis, “She owes me half,” before wowing everyone singing “I Got Plenty of Nothing.” The occasion was opening night of Hamptons Summer Songbook by the Sea, a hugely entertaining cabaret series held at LTV Studios produced by Donna Rubin and the wonderful impresario Josh Gladstone. What’s great about cabaret is how well you get to know the performers; it’s not just the musical numbers, the great American songbook, or show tunes you love, it is how the artist puts the material together. Norm Lewis must be used to singing for largely white audiences. Introducing “The Music of the Night,” he explained how he came to be the first African American to ever play the Phantom of the Opera on Broadway. His was the voice of King Triton in “The Little Mermaid,” a character who does not sing much. Lewis preferred to vocalize Ursula, the Sea Witch, actually the villain of the piece and sang “Poor Unfortunate Souls.” Other numbers included “Misty,” channeling Johnny Mathis, “Wouldn’t it be Lovely?” from “My Fair Lady,” and Whitney Houston’s “The Greatest Love of All.” He imagined the audience response to this night would be ‘Norm Lewis had me on the edge of my seat and took my breath away.’ He got his wish. Joy Behar of “The View” was right up front cheering Norm on leading a packed house that included Donna Rubin, Jean Shafiroff, Alex Donner, Eleanor and Howard Morgan. Jean Shafiroff was presented with the 2026 Frances Ann Dougherty Award for Broadcast Philanthropy. The award honors leadership, generosity and a lasting commitment to strengthening the community through the power of media. Named for Frances Ann Dougherty, wife of LTV founder Frazer Dougherty. Shafiroff, a philanthropist, author and television host, was recognized for her years-long support of LTV and the continued success of her program, “Successful Philanthropy,” which highlights charitable leadership and civic engagement. Next up is Ann Hampton Callaway, followed by Klea Blackhurst & Billy Stritch, and many more concluding with Donna McKechnie.