A Christmas Story Scribe Joseph Robinette on Climbing the 'Final Rung of an Incredible Ladder'
The morning the Tony nominations are announced, phones start buzzing with texts and calls for the happy few who get nods. As usual, Broadway.com is thrilled to be among the callers offering congratulations and getting responses. Here are the first reactions from 2013 Tony nominees. Congrats to all!
Joseph Robinette
Nominated for Best Book of a Musical, A Christmas Story
"We were watching CBS as the nominations were being read live, but they didn’t go beyond the show and acting awards, so we waited to hear and sure enough, [the show publicist] e-mailed and said, ‘Guess what! You’re in!’ The main thing it means to me, and I know this going to sound cliché, is that it was truly a team effort; these nominations are for everybody who was involved in the show, from the designers to the director. John Rando is just terrific, and Warren Carlyle, the choreographer, and James Gray, his assistant. Just an incredible cast of people. These nominations for the show and the book and the music, I think it took the whole group effort to push us to the top, so I’m grateful and delighted for everybody who was involved in the production. I’m kind of overwhelmed by it. Fortunately I’m at the age where I’m not going to go out dancing in the streets, because I don’t dance very well anymore. It’s sort of like the final rung of an incredible ladder that I’ve been allowed to climb for the last 40 years. There’s a nearby flea market that I like to go to on Tuesday mornings. My wife is laughing loudly. If the phone will stop ringing and e-mails will stop coming in, I’m going to run down there and see if I can find a bargain or two. I will probably have a nice big lunch to celebrate since I’m missing breakfast—delightedly so!"