Tune In* What: The Antoinette Perry “Tony” Awards* Where: Radio City Music Hall in New York City* When: 8 p.m. Sunday on CBSNominees for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical:* Montego Glover, “Memphis”* Kate Baldwin, “Finian’s Rainbow”* Sherie Rene Scott, “Everyday Rapture”* Christiane Noll, “Ragtime”* Catherine Zeta-Jones, “A Little Night Music”
If celebrity magazine prognosticators are to be believed, Sunday night’s Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical is shaping up to be a showdown between the established celebrity, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and ingenue Montego Glover.
Ms. Glover, a 1992 alumna of Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences where she was known as Tego, is nominated for the Tony for her role as Felicia in “Memphis.”
“Entertainment Weekly” claims: “This Tony is a battle between the celeb and the newcomer, and I give the slight edge to the ingenue.”
TV Realist declared: “Best Actress in a musical: Catherine Zeta-Jones (“A Little Night Music”) vs. Montego Glover (“Memphis”).
Ms. Montego’s Tony nod is one of eight nominations “Memphis” received. The musical tells the story of an interracial romance set in the 1950s. Her co-star, Chad Kimball, is also a Tony nominee.
Her former teachers at CSAS say they’ll be cheering her on.
Stella Duffy, now living in Durham, N.C., said via e-mail, “Tego always had a powerful presence and charisma on the stage. Audiences loved her.”
Ms. Duffy, who taught music and theater at CSAS for 10 years, said she had Ms. Glover in her classes from grades 8-12.
“She was stunningly talented even at that young age. When I first heard her sing, I asked where she took voice lessons. She said, ‘I just sing in church,’ ” Ms. Duffy recalled.
Wilhelmina Moore was a teacher in the elementary and middle school grades when Ms. Glover entered CSAS. Ms. Moore later became principal of CSAS’ middle and high school.
“Montego is a soprano … she can hit ’em, girl,” said Ms. Moore describing the singer’s vocals. “She was a good person and just a sweet kid. She’s worked hard to get where she is.”
Ms. Moore added that her ties to the student extended past the walls of CSAS.
“Montego’s mother is from my hometown of Macon, Ga. Her great-aunt was my piano teacher in Macon. Montego has been around music all her life,” Ms. Moore said.
Ms. Moore said she has booked a trip to New York City in August to see her former student perform in “Memphis.”
First lady Michelle Obama, her daughters and their Secret Service entourage recently attended a performance of the musical as well, Ms. Glover said on her Web site.
“The first lady really wanted to come backstage and meet us, but were forbade by their security. She did, however, send us a ‘Memphis’ showcard signed by her, Sasha and Malia. Pretty great,” Ms. Glover wrote.
In May, Ms. Glover was the only female invited to perform in “An Evening Honoring Frank Sinatra,” which was held in Carnegie Hall.
Although Ms. Glover went to New York to find a career in theater, she’s also worked in TV (“Law and Order”) as well as commercials for Subway, Verizon and Hershey’s. She’s done voice-over work for Charmin, Wishbone, McDonald’s, Toyota and Sprint, and most recently voiced a new character, Dance Train, for the TV show, “Dora the Explorer.”
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