Orange County Ranger 2024 Rose Parade: Who will this year’s grand marshal be? By Carolyn Burt November 29, 2023
It’s time! The Tournament of Roses will announce its Rose Parade grand marshal on Friday, after weeks of keeping us in suspense. So, we have some guesses as to who it – or perhaps they – will be.
Whoever it is, they’ll follow a long line of notable figures, whose careers tie in with the Rose Parade theme for the year.
They’re often cultural giants: Examples include Walt Disney as the grand marshal in 1966 for the theme “It’s a Small World.” John Wayne was a grand marshal in 1974 for the “Movie Memories” theme. Carol Burnett brought smiles and waves in 1998 for the “Hav’n Fun” Theme. The list goes on and on, from Shirley Temple to Mickey Mouse, and from Pelé to Kermit the Frog.
What we know is, this year’s Rose Parade theme is “Celebrating a World of Music: The Universal Language.”
We also know, because the Tournament of Roses told us with a nice little hint packed within its announcement of Friday’s announcement, that the 2024 grand marshal is one award away from coveted “EGOT” status, having won three of the four prestigious awards: an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony. (EGOT is a phrase made popular on the NBC comedy “30 Rock” to describe someone who has won the quartet of honors.)
While we won’t know for sure who the official grand marshal is until it’s announced on Friday, we’ve put together a list of contenders from the almost-EGOT list, their ties to the music theme and what they’re working on now.
Note a caveat here, that we’ve organized this list from likely contenders to those we’re dreaming big for. There are plenty others on the almost-EGOT list, but perhaps not quite fitting the musical theme. Never say never, of course. We love Al Pacino, a giant of an actor, but we can’t see him beating out some of the folks below when it comes to the music.
Cyndi Lauper
This year Lauper premiered “Let The Canary Sing,” a documentary about her career, at the Tribeca Film Festival. It is also the 40th anniversary of her first album “She’s So Unusual.” Lauper has won two Grammy awards, including best new artist in 1985. Her work on the musical “Kinky Boots” won her both a Grammy in 2014 and a Tony in 2013. Additionally, she won an Emmy for her guest appearance on “Mad About You.” This July, Lauper released a new song, “Oh Dolores” as part of the Prime Video series “The Horror of Dolores Roach,” in which she has a guest role.
Quincy Jones
At 90 years old, the producer, songwriter and composer has won 28 Grammy awards out of 80 nominations. Throughout his 72-year career, he has worked with Frank Sinatra, is one of 15 people to receive the Grammy Legend Award, and won a Tony for producing the revival of “The Color Purple,” which he also produced during its original run. He is also a producer on the 2023 film “The Color Purple,” which will feature two of the songs he wrote for the musical. In 1977, he won the Emmy award for Outstanding Music Composition for a Series for his work on “Roots.” While he has yet to win an Oscar, he has been nominated seven times for various song categories.
Bette Midler
Midler is known in the musical theater space for her various roles, but perhaps the most fitting reason as to why she could be the grand marshal of the Rose Parade is her starring role in the 1979 musical drama, “The Rose.” In addition to winning a Grammy for Best New Artist in 1974, Midler won for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for “The Rose” in 1981. She has also won three Emmy Awards and received a Tony Award in 2017 for Best Actress in a Musical for the title role in “Hello, Dolly!” In 2022 she reprised her role as Winifred for the sequel to Hocus Pocus alongside Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy.
Lin-Manuel Miranda
Miranda was catapulted into mainstream fame in 2015 after the success of “Hamilton,” which he not only starred in as the title role but wrote the music, lyrics and script for. Long-time Broadway fans were likely already familiar with Miranda for his first Broadway show “In the Heights,” which again he starred in in addition to writing the music and lyrics. He began working with Disney shortly after on “Moana” in which he was a composer, lyricist and singer for the 2016 film. Additionally, he was the composer, lyricist and story writer for “Encanto,” and this year was a lyricist and producer for the live action version of “The Little Mermaid,” where he wrote new songs with returning composer Alan Menken. Miranda is also set to star as Hermes in the Disney+ series “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” which is anticipated to premiere in December. The only EGOT award Miranda is shy of is an Oscar, for which he has received two nominations for Best Original Song.
Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke
This pair not only starred together in “Mary Poppins” in 1964, but they are both one award shy of an EGOT. Andrews has received all but a Tony award, and Van Dyke has yet to receive an Oscar. This duo makes sense not only for their musical talents, but because 2024 is the 60th Anniversary of when “Mary Poppins” premiered on the big screen.
Cher
How many people on the list can say they have a jukebox musical written about them? Her music career has taken her from pop to rock to folk to disco and dance genres. In 2000 Cher won her first Grammy for Best Dance Recording for “Believe.” Years later “I Got You Babe,” one of her most recognizable songs from her days as Sonny and Cher, was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2017. Outside of EGOT awards, the “Goddess of Pop” as she’s commonly referred to, received the Icon Award from the Billboard Music Awards in 2017. She has also received numerous awards and recognitions for her Las Vegas residence.
Sir Elton John
Outside of his own notable albums, he has composed the music for “The Lion King,” “Aida,” and “Billy Elliot the Musical.” His AIDS Foundation also hosts one of the most recognized Academy Award parties in Los Angeles each year, which has raised millions since 1993 for the global effort to end AIDS. In 2019, “Rocketman” premiered, a biopic about John’s career starring Taron Egerton. This year also marks the 50th anniversary of “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.” For the album’s 40th anniversary in 2013, John released a deluxe edition that featured an additional disc with contemporary artists such as Ed Sheeran, Fall Out Boy and Hunter Hayes recording their own versions on the songs.
Liza Minnelli
As the daughter of Judy Garland, Minnelli’s career in the entertainment industry started early, first appearing in the 1949 film “In the Good Old Summertime.” Minnelli would often join her mother on stage, with the two even coming out with an album of their live performance at the London Palladium. In 1969 she received the Academy Award for Best Actress for her performance in “Cabaret.” She has also won multiple Tony awards, with her first being Best Leading Actress in a Musical for Flora the Red Menace in 1965. She also received an Emmy for her 1972 concert film “Liza with a ‘Z’.” When it comes to music, she was honored in 1990 with the Grammy Legend Award but has yet to win a competitive category.
Barbra Streisand
This month, Streisand published her memoir “My Name Is Barbra.” Throughout her six-decades-long career, she has received 42 Grammy nominations and taken home the award eight times. Additionally, she has won two Oscars, both from musicals, Best Actress for “Funny Girl” and Best Original Song for “Evergreen” from “A Star Is Born.” She has also won four Emmy Awards. It might be surprising to discover that the award Streisand is short of is a Tony Award. Technically speaking, Streisand does have a Tony as she received the special Tony Award in 1970. However because the award was non-competivive, she doesn’t officially have EGOT status.
