FORT WORTH, Texas – Less than 24 hours after wrapping NBCSN’s June 6 telecast of the Firestone 600 at Texas Motor Speedway, Terry Lingner will be in the audience at Radio City Music Hall expectantly waiting to hear “And the winner is …” during the 69th Tony Awards show.
Lingner, his wife Louise and son Chris are among the producers of “On The Town,” which has garnered four Tony Award nominations, including “Best Revival of a Musical.”
It’s an exhilarating and interesting synergy – for years producing live theater on racetracks across the globe and now being involved in the production of live theater on the Broadway stage.
The musical comedy about three sailors on 24-hour leave in New York during World War II who find adventure and romance, was created for the stage in 1944 with music by Leonard Bernstein and lyrics by Betty Comden and Adolph Green. It also was a 1949 feature film starring Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelly.
The show’s other nominations include Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical (Tony Yazbeck), Best Direction of a Musical (John Rando) and Best Choreography (Joshua Bergasse).
“I’ve been in sports my whole life and both my sons (Chris and Cory) were exposed to sports early on. I put them in a go-kart as soon as they could walk,” Lingner said. “They also went into a dance studio in Clermont (Ind.) and loved it and thrived.”
Cory, who attended the University of Oklahoma, played the Gene Kelly role in the university’s production of “On The Town” during his senior year. Theatrical ambitions led him to New York, and soon afterward a casting call went out for the show. He’s an ensemble member and understudy for two of the leads.
“All of these serendipitous things happened with Cory being cast,” Lingner said, which also included him pursuing theatrical aspirations.
“I always felt I would invest in that area or spread myself into that area because I love the arts and theater. Cory sent me a note that the lead producer is looking for other investors. One thing led to another and we invested in the show. It’s been wonderful experience. It’s risky, but I’d rather invest in something I enjoy passionately. Obviously, I’ve been invested in racing for years.
“It’s been a kick in the pants. It’s been a good year for Broadway – maybe the best year ever – so I got lucky there.”
Strong numbers for Chevrolet Dual in Detroit
ABC viewership of Race 2 of the Chevrolet Dual in Detroit presented by Quicken Loans on May 31 increased 52 percent over 2014 and the 1.0 marked the highest-rated telecast of any Verizon IndyCar Series race in Detroit since the Grand Prix returned in 2007.
Locally, Race 2 posted a 4.2 household rating on WXYZ-TV -- a 60 percent increase over 2014. Race 1 on May 30 also had strong numbers with a 2.8 rating -- a 33 percent boost over 2014.
Corporate partnership also reached an all-time high with more than 70 sponsors.
Of note
Verizon Wireless has deployed three cell on light trucks and a 12 beam spherical lens antenna to improve coverage and capacity performance at Texas Motor Speedway for the Firestone 600. There also is a dedicated small cell for the INDYCAR Fan Village outside Gate 6 to enhance data performance. ... NTT Data is the primary sponsor of the No. 10 Chip Ganassi Racing Teams Chevrolet driven by Tony Kanaan and the title sponsor of pole qualifying day for the Firestone 600.
Double double to go please
CFH Racing co-owner/driver Ed Carpenter, who won the Firestone 600 last June, is accustomed to driving in traffic and making quick pit stops, but not exactly in the fashion he did June 3 in Dallas.
Carpenter drove the street-legal two-seater throughout the day with various local media personalities in the back seat. He even made a pit stop for lunch by rolling through an In-N-Out Burger drive-thru for a lunch order.
"I think there were a lot of people who were driving in Dallas that had to take a double take to make sure what they were seeing was real," Carpenter said.
