Internet campaigns are mostly annoying and useless, with a few notable exceptions — like #PutSimardOn.
That hashtag is the battle cry of a movement — led by blogger Andrew Briedis, who goes by Annoying Actor Friend — currently building to get actress Jennifer Simard on the Tony Awards show, which airs on CBS June 12.
Simard’s supporting turn as a gambling-addicted nun earned the Broadway musical “Disaster!” its lone Tony nomination. To understand why, just watch Simard’s hilariously hambone “Disaster!” solo, a rendition of “Never Can Say Goodbye” in which Sister Mary Downy attempts not to make sweet, sweet love to a “Hawaii Five-0” slot machine. (Admittedly Simard had some experience, having already played a singing Broadway nun in “Sister Act.”)
The problem is that “Disaster!,” which closed on Sunday, May 8, won’t present a number at the ceremony, held this year at the Beacon Theatre. And that’s not going to cut it for Simard’s growing legion of fans, who include Laura Benanti, Michael Urie, Carolee Carmello and Julia Murney. They’re agitating for their heroine to somehow be included in the telecast. At this point they’ll take anything, including Simard joining host James Corden in a karaoke session in the back of a yellow cab.
Personally I’d rather see Simard pop up, in full habit, in the other musicals’ number, Zelig-like: She could be having a coffee in the background of the “Waitress” diner, encourage the ensemble of “Shuffle Along” to tap faster, and of course admonish the kids of “School of Rock.” And I’m sure they had nuns in the Revolutionary America of “Hamilton,” so nobody will even notice if there’s suddenly a fourth sibling in “The Schuyler Sisters.”
While the campaign looks quixotic, at least it provides some welcome relief from the chatter surrounding “Hamilton” — there’s so little suspense as to who will win in the musical categories that some are now bitch— er, saying that the awards should be renamed the Hamiltonys.
Whatever: Just get that nun onstage, no questions asked as to how or when.
