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USA Today
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
50 years ago, ‘Jaws' scared us senseless. We never got over it.
Show Caption Name that theme song: Dunnn-dun. Dunnn-dun. Dun-dun dun-dun dun-dun dun-dun. Who are we kidding? That terrifying two-note John Williams creation of course conjures the opening shark strike in 'Jaws,' which turns 50 on June 20. That's a half-century of scaring the bejesus out of generations of movie- and beachgoers. Five decades of us all scanning the horizon for fins while Hollywood thrashes about trying to replicate Steven Spielberg's blockbuster, from 'Shark Week' to 'The Meg.' Full confession: Seeing 'Jaws' kept me not only out of the ocean for years but also out of a pool. I've even heard of people who were scared to get into a bathtub. Irrational? Sure. Uncommon? Not really. That was the revelation provided by a deep dive into the realm of 'Jaws' fanatics, many of whom have long gotten over their fear of open water and swapped it for a churning mania for the movie. The terror roars back this summer, with "Jaws" and its three (admittedly lesser) sequels airing on Peacock starting June 15, and NBC's three-hour presentation of the original film on June 20, featuring an introduction from Spielberg. There's also a big screen re-release on Aug. 29. Is 'Jaws' the scariest film of all time? Watch it once or hundreds of times and the scare seems fresh every time, says Dawn Keetley, editor of the journal Horror Studies and professor of English and film at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. "Spielberg presents this shark as a pure animal force that we run into at our peril," Keetley says. She notes that "Jaws" starts out a pure horror film, then morphs into a perilous and tense buddy film when the three protagonists head off in a boat in search of the beast that haunts them. "Sharks stand in perfectly for wild nature that's at the edge of where humans can go, and as humans, we always push at the border," she says. "Sharks mark where we can't go very easily, maybe where we shouldn't go. To the dangerous and the forbidden." Don't be scared of sharks − 'more people die from taking selfies' Among the first moviegoers to be frightened by "Jaws" was Christopher Shaw Myers, nephew of Robert Shaw, who memorably played doomed shark hunter Quint. "While I'd read the book (by Peter Benchley), oh, my God, was it terrifying,' he says. Myers was a senior in high school when he joined his mother, Joanna, Shaw's sister, in a darkened Philadelphia movie house crammed with theater owners who were considering showing the film. His favorite part? The haunting soliloquy by his uncle, who explains his hatred of sharks after they ripped apart fellow servicemen on a sinking Navy ship. In defense of Carcharodon carcharias (aka, the great white), sharks aren't looking for humans. 'More people die from taking selfies than from sharks,' says Taylor Chapple, co-director of the Big Fish Lab at Oregon State University. 'But it's the uncertainty of it. The fear of the unknown. You think maybe there's a shark down there.' 'Jaws' tapped into that very primordial fear, which is chillingly encapsulated by Quint's famous USS Indianapolis speech: 'So, eleven hundred men went into the water. Three hundred and sixteen men come out, and the sharks took the rest.' 'The story is that the speech was very long, and Robert asked Steven if he could cut it back,' says Myers, author of 'Robert Shaw: An Actor's Life on the Set of 'Jaws' and Beyond.' When the actor delivered his version, 'there was dead silence in the room, and Steven said, 'We have our picture.' ' For Steven Spielberg, 'Jaws' was both his 'origin story' and almost his career killer That moment of glee was rare for Spielberg, who at 27 was helming a movie based on a bestselling novel. Studio executives wanted not only a hit, but they wanted it fast. Spielberg, who had made 'Duel' and 'The Sugarland Express,' feared the swift end of a promising career. He was over budget, shooting on open water and dealing with a mechanical shark nicknamed Bruce (after his lawyer) that kept malfunctioning. (Shaw's son, Ian, played his father in a Broadway show he co-wrote about the 'Jaws' debacle called 'The Shark Is Broken.') The degree to which 'Jaws' traumatized its young director is evident in 'Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story,' a National Geographic documentary airing July 11 on Hulu and Disney+. Spielberg sat for director and friend Laurent Bouzereau and confessed: 'There was nothing fun about making 'Jaws.' ' In the documentary, Spielberg relates that long after the problematic 1974 shoot was over and the 1975 movie was a box-office smash, he had nightmares about the experience. He found solace in sneaking into Universal Studios theme park and curling up on the leather bench inside the Orca, the boat used for much of the shoot. 'I underestimated how traumatic it was for Steven. But he never wanted to give up, and that's one lesson from 'Jaws': Don't give up," Bouzereau says. " 'Jaws' is his origin story. But in our interview, I could feel the weight of that experience still sitting with him.' Most 'Jaws' cast members were Martha's Vineyard locals, who still have stories to tell For all the hardship of making the movie, 'Jaws' bit the culture hard and never let go. Helped by a PG rating that admitted many youngsters who had no idea of the horror in store, the movie raked in $1.5 billion, adjusted for inflation. Matt Taylor summered on Martha's Vineyard as a kid, and at age 7 in 1979, he was deemed old enough to see 'Jaws.' Four years on, the line for the film still snaked around the block. 'It was probably one of the most exciting movie events of my life. My heart was pounding out of my chest,' he says. 'I love the water, but when I go in, I still have to face the horizon.' Taylor's love of 'Jaws' eventually led him to compile photographs and memorabilia collected by locals during the shoot into the book 'Jaws: Memories From Martha's Vineyard,' which is being re-released this summer. One of the crucial ingredients of 'Jaws' is the preponderance of islanders who had parts in the movie, which featured fewer than 10 Hollywood actors, including Roy Scheider as police chief Martin Brody and Richard Dreyfuss as shark expert Matt Hooper. Those non-actors lent a realism that shooting on a Hollywood lot with seasoned stars cannot replicate. Many of them still participate in "Jaws" meet-and-mingle events. For a long time, the islanders kept their memories of 'Jaws' to themselves, 'but it seems to me like the Vineyard has reacted to its own fame in the past decade or so,' says Taylor, himself a local now. 'These days there's 'Jaws' merchandise in every shop, 'Jaws'-themed food dishes, 'Jaws' tours of the island, and of course those locals who were in it who share their stories.' From fests to homemade 'Jaws' remakes, fans can't get enough of their favorite film Stephen Duncan trekked from Los Angeles to Martha's Vineyard for the first JawsFest in 2005, but he's not sure he'll be able to return this year, instead perhaps taking in a 'Jaws: The Exhibition' display at LA's Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. 'They've gotten wise, and it's gotten expensive" to attend the Martha's Vineyard confab, says Duncan, who works in the title insurance business but also runs a website dedicated to his passion for 'Jaws.' 'I've seen the movie maybe 300 times, enough so that if you said a line, I could say the next one,' he says. Well, here's an easy one: 'That's a 20-footer,' Hooper gasps as the great white swims past the Orca. 'Twenty-five. Three tons of him,' Quint adds. You know what's next − a catchphrase repurposed endlessly since 1975. Says a shell-shocked Brody: 'You're gonna need a bigger boat.' Such inspired dialogue (Scheider improvised the line) coupled with Spielberg's Hitchcockian use of point of view – in that opening shark attack, we never see a shark – is what keeps 'Jaws' fresh half a century on, says Ross Williams, who started the U.K. site The Daily Jaws. 'I saw it with my mum when I was 5, and it's been my favorite movie ever since,' he says. In 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold, Williams invited fans to co-create the "Jaws WeMake," a "Jaws" tribute of sorts featuring a pastiche of animation, Lego figures and home movie shoots of classic scenes. Fans from more than 200 countries contributed. 'In 1975, people thought they were watching a 'shark movie,' and they were,' he says. 'But 50 years on, we realize 'Jaws' is about family, home, duty, politics, the class system, the past, healing from trauma and so much more.' For Williams, all of life seems to be captured in the oversized mandibles of Spielberg's enduring cinematic masterpiece. 'Like all classics,' he says, ' 'Jaws' is the movie that keeps on giving.'
USA Today
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
50 years ago, ‘Jaws' scared us senseless. We never got over it.
50 years ago, 'Jaws' scared us senseless. We never got over it. Show Caption Hide Caption Top 3 scary moments in 'Jaws' 'Jaws' turns 50 this summer and USA TODAY film critic Brian Truitt celebrates with his favorite bloody moments. Name that theme song: Dunnn-dun. Dunnn-dun. Dun-dun dun-dun dun-dun dun-dun. Who are we kidding? That terrifying two-note John Williams creation of course conjures the opening shark strike in 'Jaws,' which turns 50 on June 20. That's a half-century of scaring the bejesus out of generations of movie- and beachgoers. Five decades of us all scanning the horizon for fins while Hollywood thrashes about trying to replicate Steven Spielberg's blockbuster, from 'Shark Week' to 'The Meg.' Full confession: Seeing 'Jaws' kept me not only out of the ocean for years but also out of a pool. I've even heard of people who were scared to get into a bathtub. Join our Watch Party! Sign up to receive USA TODAY's movie and TV recommendations right in your inbox Irrational? Sure. Uncommon? Not really. That was the revelation provided by a deep dive into the realm of 'Jaws' fanatics, many of whom have long gotten over their fear of open water and swapped it for a churning mania for the movie. The terror roars back this summer, with "Jaws" and its three (admittedly lesser) sequels airing on Peacock starting June 15, and NBC's three-hour presentation of the original film on June 20, featuring an introduction from Spielberg. There's also a big screen re-release on Aug. 29. Is 'Jaws' the scariest film of all time? Watch it once or hundreds of times and the scare seems fresh every time, says Dawn Keetley, editor of the journal Horror Studies and professor of English and film at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. "Spielberg presents this shark as a pure animal force that we run into at our peril," Keeltey says. She notes that "Jaws" starts out a pure horror film, then morphs into a perilous and tense buddy film when the three protagonists head off in a boat in search of the beast that haunts them. "Sharks stand in perfectly for wild nature that's at the edge of where humans can go, and as humans, we always push at the border," she says. "Sharks mark where we can't go very easily, maybe where we shouldn't go. To the dangerous and the forbidden." Don't be scared of sharks − 'more people die from taking selfies' Among the first moviegoers to be frightened by "Jaws" was Christopher Shaw Meyers, nephew of Robert Shaw, who memorably played doomed shark hunter Quint. "While I'd read the book (by Peter Benchley), oh, my God, was it terrifying,' he says. Meyers was a senior in high school when he joined his mother, Joanna, Shaw's sister, in a darkened Philadelphia movie house crammed with theater owners who were considering showing the film. His favorite part? The haunting soliloquy by his uncle, who explains his hatred of sharks after they ripped apart fellow servicemen on a sinking Navy ship. In defense of Carcharodon carcharias (aka, the great white), sharks aren't looking for humans. 'More people die from taking selfies than from sharks,' says Taylor Chapple, co-director of the Big Fish Lab at Oregon State University. 'But it's the uncertainty of it. The fear of the unknown. You think maybe there's a shark down there.' 'Jaws' tapped into that very primordial fear, which is chillingly encapsulated by Quint's famous USS Indianapolis speech: 'So, eleven hundred men went into the water. Three hundred and sixteen men come out, and the sharks took the rest.' 'The story is that the speech was very long, and Robert asked Steven if he could cut it back,' says Meyers, author of 'Robert Shaw: An Actor's Life on the Set of 'Jaws' and Beyond.' When the actor delivered his version, 'there was dead silence in the room, and Steven said, 'We have our picture.' ' For Steven Spielberg, 'Jaws' was both his 'origin story' and almost his career killer That moment of glee was rare for Spielberg, who at 27 was helming a movie based on a bestselling novel. Studio executives wanted not only a hit, but they wanted it fast. Spielberg, who had made 'Duel' and 'The Sugarland Express,' feared the swift end of a promising career. He was over budget, shooting on open water and dealing with a mechanical shark nicknamed Bruce (after his lawyer) that kept malfunctioning. (Shaw's son, Ian, played his father in a Broadway show he co-wrote about the 'Jaws' debacle called 'The Shark Is Broken.') The degree to which 'Jaws' traumatized its young director is evident in 'Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story,' a National Geographic documentary airing July 11 on Hulu and Disney+. Spielberg sat for director and friend Laurent Bouzereau and confessed: 'There was nothing fun about making 'Jaws.' ' In the documentary, Spielberg relates that long after the problematic 1974 shoot was over and the 1975 movie was a box-office smash, he had nightmares about the experience. He found solace in sneaking into Universal Studios theme park and curling up on the leather bench inside the Orca, the boat used for much of the shoot. 'I underestimated how traumatic it was for Steven. But he never wanted to give up, and that's one lesson from 'Jaws': Don't give up," Bouzereau says. " 'Jaws' is his origin story. But in our interview, I could feel the weight of that experience still sitting with him.' Most 'Jaws' cast members were Martha's Vineyard locals, who still have stories to tell For all the hardship of making the movie, 'Jaws' bit the culture hard and never let go. Helped by a PG rating that admitted many youngsters who had no idea of the horror in store, the movie raked in $1.5 billion, adjusted for inflation. Matt Taylor summered on Martha's Vineyard as a kid, and at age 7 in 1979, he was deemed old enough to see 'Jaws.' Four years on, the line for the film still snaked around the block. 'It was probably one of the most exciting movie events of my life. My heart was pounding out of my chest,' he says. 'I love the water, but when I go in, I still have to face the horizon.' Taylor's love of 'Jaws' eventually led him to compile photographs and memorabilia collected by locals during the shoot into the book 'Jaws: Memories From Martha's Vineyard,' which is being re-released this summer. One of the crucial ingredients of 'Jaws' is the preponderance of islanders who had parts in the movie, which featured fewer than 10 Hollywood actors, including Roy Scheider as police chief Martin Brody and Richard Dreyfuss as shark expert Matt Hooper. Those non-actors lent a realism that shooting on a Hollywood lot with seasoned stars cannot replicate. Many of them still participate in "Jaws" meet-and-mingle events. For a long time, the islanders kept their memories of 'Jaws' to themselves, 'but it seems to me like the Vineyard has reacted to its own fame in the past decade or so,' says Taylor, himself a local now. 'These days there's 'Jaws' merchandise in every shop, 'Jaws'-themed food dishes, 'Jaws' tours of the island, and of course those locals who were in it who share their stories.' From fests to homemade 'Jaws' remakes, fans can't get enough of their favorite film Stephen Duncan trekked from Los Angeles to Martha's Vineyard for the first JawsFest in 2005, but he's not sure he'll be able to return this year, instead perhaps taking in a 'Jaws: The Exhibition' display at LA's Academy Museum of Motion Pictures. 'They've gotten wise, and it's gotten expensive" to attend the Martha's Vineyard confab, says Duncan, who works in the title insurance business but also runs a website dedicated to his passion for 'Jaws.' 'I've seen the movie maybe 300 times, enough so that if you said a line, I could say the next one,' he says. Well, here's an easy one: 'That's a 20-footer,' Hooper gasps as the great white swims past the Orca. 'Twenty-five. Three tons of him,' Quint adds. You know what's next − a catchphrase repurposed endlessly since 1975. Says a shell-shocked Brody: 'You're gonna need a bigger boat.' Such inspired dialogue (Scheider improvised the line) coupled with Spielberg's Hitchcockian use of point of view – in that opening shark attack, we never see a shark – is what keeps 'Jaws' fresh half a century on, says Ross Williams, who started the U.K. site The Daily Jaws. 'I saw it with my mum when I was 5, and it's been my favorite movie ever since,' he says. In 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic took hold, Williams invited fans to co-create the "Jaws WeMake," a "Jaws" tribute of sorts featuring a pastiche of animation, Lego figures and home movie shoots of classic scenes. Fans from more than 200 countries contributed. 'In 1975, people thought they were watching a 'shark movie,' and they were,' he says. 'But 50 years on, we realize 'Jaws' is about family, home, duty, politics, the class system, the past, healing from trauma and so much more.' For Williams, all of life seems to be captured in the oversized mandibles of Spielberg's enduring cinematic masterpiece. 'Like all classics,' he says, ' 'Jaws' is the movie that keeps on giving.'
USA Today
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Celebrate Jaws turning 50 with a trip back to Amity Island. Here's how to watch Jaws.
Celebrate Jaws turning 50 with a trip back to Amity Island. Here's how to watch Jaws. Has it really been 50 years since Jaws debuted and scared everyone away from the beach for a while? It has. And the film world is celebrating with Jaws-themed merch, like this collection from Nautica. But, in honor of summer, hitting the beach and celebrating 50 years of one of the biggest summer blockbusters of all time, you can watch Jaws for free on Peacock. And, if you're feeling shark movies this summer, we've got the top 10 best shark movies of all time. Jaws debuted on June 20, 1975, an American thriller directed by Steven Spielberg about a killer great white shark. The movie had such a profound impact on the public and their fear of sharks (galeophobia) that it actually spurred its own term, 'The Jaws Effect.' The movie put a spotlight on shark attacks, led to an increase in shark hunting and inspired our fascination with sharks (and Shark Week). So, if you're heading back to Amity Island this week in honor of its release, head on over to Peacock to stream Jaws. JAWS COLLECTION: 🦈 Nautica is making waves with a 'Jaws' 50th anniversary collection Here's how to watch Jaws (and celebrate 50 years of galeophobia) on Peacock: How to watch Jaws on Peacock To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the release of Jaws, Peacock is streaming Jaws, Jaws 2, Jaws 3 and Jaws: The Revenge for free all month long. You just need a Peacock subscription. Watch Jaws on Peacock What is Peacock? Peacock is a streaming service from NBC. It offers popular movies and TV shows, original content, current NBC & Bravo hits, as well as live sports including Sunday Night Football and Premier League. How much is a Peacock subscription? Peacock offers two different plans: Premium and Premium Plus. Let's break down both: Premium: You get access to Peacock's hit TV shows, films and original content, live sports and events, current NBC and Bravo content, more than 50 'always-on' channels. This plan is $7.99/month. You get access to Peacock's hit TV shows, films and original content, live sports and events, current NBC and Bravo content, more than 50 'always-on' channels. This plan is $7.99/month. Premium Plus: You get all the benefits of a Premium subscription, plus no ads. You can also download content to watch offline. Finally, you get access to your local NBC channel live 24/7. This plan costs $13.99/month. Join Peacock for $7.99 today STREAMING GUIDE: Deals, bundles and free trials on Disney+, Peacock, Sling TV Does Peacock have ads? The Premium subscription does come with ads. Premium Plus does not, in most cases. In some cases, like live sports, a small amount of programming will contain ads. WATCH ON PEACOCK: When do new episodes of 'Love Island USA' come out? See Season 7 schedule What else can I watch on Peacock? Watch these movies on Peacock Jurassic Park (five films) Fifty Shades trilogy Dirty Dancing The Big Lebowski The Birdcage Blue Crush Daddy Day Care The Day After Tomorrow Popular TV show content on Peacock: Love Island USA Law & Order: Organized Crime (Peacock original) Long Bright River (Peacock original) Yellowstone Bel-Air Suits LA Stream top content on Peacock
USA Today
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
50 fun facts about 'Jaws' as the movie celebrates the big 5-0
50 fun facts about 'Jaws' as the movie celebrates the big 5-0 Show Caption Hide Caption Athlete marks 'Jaws' 50th anniversary with 60-mile swim Swimmer Lewis Pugh circumnavigated Martha's Vineyard to mark the 50th anniversary of the movie "Jaws" and draw attention to the plight of sharks. Oh, the shark has pretty teeth, dear. And he showed them, pearly white, exactly 50 years ago this June − when the movie "Jaws" made its sensational splash. Remember the screams in the theater as Chrissie (Susan Backlinie) was dragged under the water in that harrowing first sequence? Remember the banter of those three men in a boat (Roy Scheider, Robert Shaw and Richard Dreyfuss) as they track down the monster responsible for destroying tourist season on the fictional Amity Island? "Jaws," released June 20, 1975, is often cited as the film that launched modern Hollywood: the summer blockbuster that established Steven Spielberg as one of the twin peaks of the new Hollywood (George Lucas' "Star Wars" would come out two years later). Join our Watch Party! Sign up to receive USA TODAY's movie and TV recommendations right in your inbox But "Jaws" could just as easily be called the last hurrah of the old Hollywood. It was one of the last big films of the pre-CGI era: The special effects had to be welded, hammered and bolted together. And that led directly to the happiest accident of the film. The mechanical shark, nicknamed "Bruce," turned out to be such an unwieldy, unconvincing Edsel of a contraption that Spielberg was obliged to keep it offscreen for most of "Jaws." That, as it turned out, was the making of the movie. The audience's imagination provided a far more fearsome shark than Spielberg could have. "Jaws" has also gotten the blame for making America shark-crazy − as phenomena like Discovery Channel's "Shark Week" and the "Sharknado" TV movies attest. The late "Jaws" author Peter Benchley came to regret his share in the vilification of the great white shark, an animal now on the endangered species list. "Twenty-five years ago, nobody knew anything about great white sharks," Benchley told The (Bergen, N.J.) Record in 1999. "The concept of a rogue shark that has a taste for human flesh −people believed it." 50 interesting facts about 'Jaws' for the shark movie's 50th anniversary Here's a mouthful of "Jaws" facts − 50 in all − for the film's 50th anniversary:
Boston Globe
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Boston Globe
Tina Fey and Kelli O'Hara honored at Trinity Rep's Pell Awards for lifetime achievement in the arts
Advertisement Several of the speakers and other guests at the event, which raised nearly $400,000 for Trinity Rep's artistic, education, and community engagement programming, shared how programs funded by the Get Globe Rhode Island Food Club A weekly newsletter about food and dining in Rhode Island, by Globe Rhode Island reporter Alexa Gagosz. Enter Email Sign Up 'I am concerned that the arts will be an afterthought as opposed to being one of the most important things we can do,' said actor and Rhode Island resident Related : Advertisement Longtime Trinity Rep supporter Bank of America recently made a $3 million commitment to the theater company, which was announced during the gala. The gift includes $2.75 million to support the Curt Columbus, Trinity Rep's artistic director, said, 'When you live in a country that is undergoing the kind of repression that we're seeing, the arts are more necessary than they have ever been.' Providence lawyer Arlene Violet, who once served as the state's attorney general, said she wanted to attend Tuesday night's gala to show her support for the arts in general, and more specifically, Trinity Rep. 'Places like Trinity Rep will continue to educate the heart, souls, and consciences of theatergoers,' she said. 'And without question, the arts are under attack. I think the president is trying to While accepting her award, Fey told those in attendance that she started her career directing children's theater in her hometown in Pennsylvania. 'We really served our community,' she said. Fey was critical of Trump, making jokes about him and his administration and pretending she was receiving repeated news alerts on her phone: 'The White House has declared Juneteenth canceled – we're just going back to Shark Week.' 'RFK Jr. says hurricanes likely caused by vaccines; we will have a hurricane cure by the weekend.' 'They just keep coming. Breaking news: All new music must emphasize beats one and three. Any syncopated rhythm will be considered DEI.' 'Also, the Russians have a Trump/Musk tape.' 'OK, the Trump/Musk tape has been debunked.' Fey ended her 'news flash' jokes with a clear crowd favorite: 'Trump just ate a Tide pod. It's going to be OK. His doctor said he ate it better than anyone had ever eaten a Tide pod, and the chemicals in it may cause him to live forever,' a joke that elicited prolonged laughter from the audience. Advertisement Fey, 55, who wore a pale pink pantsuit and white crew-neck shirt, was introduced by Kate Liberman, Trinity Rep's executive director, who shared a video message sent by Fey's friend, collaborator, and fellow 'Saturday Night Live' alum Amy Poehler, who joked that everyone at the event should look under their seats because one has the keys to a new car, courtesy of Fey. The 'Mean Girls' creator said she has worked in 'difficult eras' before, including performing on 'Saturday Night Live' just three weeks after the September 11, 2001, attacks. 'There was a time that we thought 'oh, maybe we can never do comedy again. Maybe it's not appropriate for us to ever laugh again' and it turned out that really, all it took was Will Ferrell in an American flag Speedo to be able to unite the country,' she joked. 'People love to ask me, 'Is it OK to be writing comedy right now?' And I say not only can we, we must,' Fey said. 'Humor is a vehicle for delivering truth. Humor is what will keep us tethered to our sanity through these dark times.' Related : Two-time Tony winner Judith Ivey, a longtime friend and mentor of O'Hara's, introduced her by singing a clever and amusing reworked version of 'Maria' from 'The Sound of Music,' that was all about O'Hara. Wearing a floor-length, spaghetti-strap forest green-hued floral dress, O'Hara said she was honored to receive the award, and promised those in attendance that she will do everything in her power 'to continue to make the world better through the arts' – even if it's just making someone's life 'a little better each time I sing a song or say something that I mean from my heart.' Advertisement 'I'll receive this tonight with such gratitude and such humility because I am determined to be worthy of it for the rest of my life,' said O'Hara, 49, who is touring the country with fellow Tony Award-winning actor Sutton Foster in full symphony concerts, including a O'Hara, who won a Tony Award in 2015 for best actress in a musical for her performance in a revival of 'The King and I,' shared with the audience that while growing up in a small town in Western Oklahoma, she and her family benefited from Trinity Rep established the Pell Awards in 1997 to honor artists whose careers exemplify the values of the late US Senator Claiborne Pell, a staunch champion of the arts and one of the principal founders of the National Endowment for the Arts. O'Hara and Fey join a long list of distinguished performers who have received the award, including last year's recipient,
