From the 1990 Tony Awards, here are Brent Barrett and Michael Jeter performing "We'll Take a Glass Together" from the musical, Grand Hotel. I didn't care much for the show but this number was worth the price of admission.
Brent Barrett was last seen in the movie of The Producers, playing a member of Roger DeBris's in-house staff, and he's currently in Las Vegas in the version of Phantom of the Opera being offered there. Michael Jeter's story is a lot sadder. Later in this same award show, he won the Tony for Best Actor in a Musical…for a role in which he played a dying bookkeeper. I'm sorry no one seems to have his acceptance speech online because it was quite emotional with him saying, "If you've got a problem with alcohol and drugs and think you can't stop, I stand here as living proof to the contrary." He said it in a modest way but with such impact that I couldn't help but think it must have affected some people who needed to hear things like that.
The Tony brought him attention and seems to have led to his regular role on the TV series, Evening Shade. He won an Emmy for that show and later went on to a recurring role on Sesame Street and several choice movie roles. But in 1997, he again jolted people with his candor when he announced he was gay and HIV-positive. He died in 2003, shortly after completing his scenes for the film, The Polar Express. In hindsight, knowing all that he endured, the exuberant dance he does as the terminally-ill bookkeeper, out for a last "fling" seems especially bittersweet.
