Video: Catherine Zeta-Jones Looks Back on Forgetting ‘Send In The Clowns’ Lyrics at the Tony Awards

Catherine Zeta-Jones is looking back on forgetting the words to “Send in the Clowns” at the Tony Awards. The night she won a Tony Award for her performance as ‘Desiree Armfeldt’ in A Little Night Music, she forgot most of the lyrics to the iconic Sondheim tune.

In a new Instagram video, the Oscar winner revealed that, even though she had been singing the song eight times a week on Broadway, she forgot the words.

“I sang ‘Send in the Clowns’ eight shows a week for nine months and on the night of the Tonys when I had to sing it live, I forgot the lyrics. If you go on YouTube and look at it, CBS, when I say the wrong words, lower the sound a bit, then they ring the sound back up because it’s , those aren’t the right words.”

She went on to share that the mishap has become anecdotal, using it as a way to make her family members feel better when they mess up.

“When my daughter has her piano recital, she’s got her piano piece, I said to her in the car, just think about it, Carys. I forgot the words at the Tonys, so don’t feel bad that you forgot your piano recital.”

Catherine Zeta-Jones made her Broadway debut in A LITTLE NIGHT MUSIC, after winning an Academy Award for her portrayal of the notorious Velma Kelly in the screen adaptation of the Broadway musical Chicago. The film won the Oscar and Golden Globe for Best Picture; Zeta-Jones was nominated for a Golden Globe and took home the 2002 Critics’ Choice Award, the 2002 Screen Actors Guild Award and the BAFTA Award for Best Supporting Actress.