When I was teaching eighth grade, the number one rule was that kids couldn’t acknowledge they liked something. No one wanted to step out and be un-cool because he or she liked something that was out of the norm.
My favorite thing about Tony time is when the Broadway celebs are asked how they heard about the nominations.
Honestly, you’ve been nominated for how many Tonys in the past, and you still don’t know when they’re being announced? No one in your show or your agent or your mother or your spouse wished you luck? You actually slept in?
There’s some footage on the disc of Show Business: The Road to Broadway in which stars are asked about their mornings when the Tonys were announced. There’s one multiple-Tony-winning actress who isn’t talented enough to convince me she wasn’t waiting for the nominations.
In honor of the Tonys, I re-post my tweets of Broadway STARS' responses to the question . . . How did you hear about the Tony nominations?
"I was doing a sleep study in the Congo when a tribal shaman burst in to tell me I was nominated. When he said Tonys, I looked for pasta."
"I TOTALLY forgot the Tonys existed. When my agent said I was nominated, I thought I needed a blood test and an image consultant."
"I don't care about the Tony nomination. It's all about art for me. What? They want me for Saw 14 in 3D? Heck-to-the-yeah!"
"I was busy watching Saved By the Bell re-runs when I got a call from my manager. I'm too cool to watch the Tony nominations."
"I knew I'd be asked this question, so I stayed in bed trying to pretend I was asleep so I could honestly say I wasn't watching the nominations."
Congratulations to everyone who was nominated, no matter how much you feign disinterest.
the Broadway Mouth
May 4, 2011
Showing posts with label Tony Awards. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tony Awards. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Hope on the Horizon: The Tonys Column
“We’re going to watch the Tonys tonight,” a friend told me last year. “I don’t know how long we’ll last, but we’re going to try.”
When I saw him a few days later, I asked him about the show.
“We watched the first award presentation, and we couldn’t bear it any further. I had to turn it.”
If you remember last year’s show, the first award was given to Billy Crudup, whose aimless and energyless, um- and and-filled acceptance speech was allowed to go on for an ungodly 1 minute and 48 seconds, to the point where he seemed to be searching for people to thank after running out. No doubt, had he not been cut off, he’d be thanking the citizens of Nebraska by name to this very day.
In all the years that people have been complaining about the Tonys needing fixing, this actually seems to be the first year since the days of Rosie that there’s hope on the horizon.
Getting Whoppi Goldberg to host is more of a coup than Elle Woods knowing the pope. Goldberg was always my favorite Oscars host, and if anything, she knows how to keep a show going and to get people talking. Whoopi will get viewers just for being Whoopi.
Getting performances from The Lion King and Rent are also brilliant because those are shows with which people are familiar. It’ll all depends on how the productions are presented, but there’s hope for something exciting that could catch some media attention, particularly with the uniting of the two casts of Rent. The Tonys, despite all the creativity abundant on Broadway, have been a vacuum of creativity in recent years, typified by the “Huh?” tableau celebrating the achievements of Hall Prince in one of the recent Tonys telecasts.
As I wrote last year, there’s no reason why the Tonys need to be so stiff. Every year they should have celebrations of something that lead to the creation of exciting montages, dance numbers, something . . . a celebration of the Best New Musical Tony winners of the past ten years, a celebration of Best New Scores from the past ten years, a celebration of the choreography of Susan Stroman . . . Something that is presented in a manner that is energetic and exciting, not simply getting some famous singer to perform a Broadway song and then randomly inserting it somewhere in the broadcast.
Only Sunday, June 15 will tell, but here’s to hoping for a great Tonys telecast.
the Broadway Mouth
June 10, 2008
When I saw him a few days later, I asked him about the show.
“We watched the first award presentation, and we couldn’t bear it any further. I had to turn it.”
If you remember last year’s show, the first award was given to Billy Crudup, whose aimless and energyless, um- and and-filled acceptance speech was allowed to go on for an ungodly 1 minute and 48 seconds, to the point where he seemed to be searching for people to thank after running out. No doubt, had he not been cut off, he’d be thanking the citizens of Nebraska by name to this very day.
In all the years that people have been complaining about the Tonys needing fixing, this actually seems to be the first year since the days of Rosie that there’s hope on the horizon.
Getting Whoppi Goldberg to host is more of a coup than Elle Woods knowing the pope. Goldberg was always my favorite Oscars host, and if anything, she knows how to keep a show going and to get people talking. Whoopi will get viewers just for being Whoopi.
Getting performances from The Lion King and Rent are also brilliant because those are shows with which people are familiar. It’ll all depends on how the productions are presented, but there’s hope for something exciting that could catch some media attention, particularly with the uniting of the two casts of Rent. The Tonys, despite all the creativity abundant on Broadway, have been a vacuum of creativity in recent years, typified by the “Huh?” tableau celebrating the achievements of Hall Prince in one of the recent Tonys telecasts.
As I wrote last year, there’s no reason why the Tonys need to be so stiff. Every year they should have celebrations of something that lead to the creation of exciting montages, dance numbers, something . . . a celebration of the Best New Musical Tony winners of the past ten years, a celebration of Best New Scores from the past ten years, a celebration of the choreography of Susan Stroman . . . Something that is presented in a manner that is energetic and exciting, not simply getting some famous singer to perform a Broadway song and then randomly inserting it somewhere in the broadcast.
Only Sunday, June 15 will tell, but here’s to hoping for a great Tonys telecast.
the Broadway Mouth
June 10, 2008
Friday, February 15, 2008
Revival Time: The Replacement Actor Tony
It’s time to re-open the discussion on the Replacement Tony category. It’s far too late to introduce the idea for this year’s Tonys, but it’s the right time to think about it to prepare producers for the next season.
If you’ll remember, several years ago there was the implementation of a Replacement Performer category, but it was fumbled by the American Theatre Wing and hastily patched up with the excuse of there being no note-worthy replacements that year, which rightfully left great talents like Jonathan Pryce (who was in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels) very upset.
However, this is one of those baby/bathwater scenarios where the Wing should learn from mistakes and fix it, rather than tossing it out entirely. The potential for a positive impact on New York Theatre is too great to pass up.
First of all, when it comes to stunt casting for replacement casts, the focus could become about talent rather than name. If the producers could hope for a new Tony to add to advertising, it just might happen than instead of George Wendt as Edna, someone more substantial could take on the part, perhaps someone with more theatre background. This could discourage the casting of people like Sebastian Bach, Mickey Dolenz, or any number of other performers whose talents aren’t suited to a Broadway stage.
A Tony can also create a star by spotlighting a star performance (see: Heather Headley, Marissa Jaret Winokur). Imagine if Eden Espinoza, Stephanie J. Block, Jennifer Laura Thompson, or Kendra Kassebaum could have been eligible for a Tony for their runs in Wicked. The potential impact of the Tony could be television roles that help these actresses stay on Broadway by supplementing their income as they do workshops or audition. It could also provide an increased awareness of their talent that would help land them new roles or take on replacement roles that might otherwise go to an actor with monthly television residual checks. A Tony isn’t the end of an actor’s struggles—how many Tony-winning actors can’t even get seen for an audition today?—but it’s something to help a performer on his/her trek to getting roles.
Many more seasoned actresses might be willing to take on replacement roles if it means a Tony nomination. Imagine Kristin Chenoweth as the Lady of the Lake, for example. The more we can get Broadway talent performing in Broadway shows (instead of traditional stunt casting), the better it is for everyone in the audience.
Perhaps the biggest effect could be the injection of new life into the runs of shows that carry over from one season into the next. As Tony voters head to check out performances and critics re-visit the shows to scout out the odds of who’ll win, it’ll generate more energy and interest in those shows as they are getting written about and discussed. Not only might the long-running shows get fresh press, but perhaps it’ll help highlight some new talents—such as the replacement Penny people will see while they are evaluating the replacements for Edna and Tracy. This may also encourage producers to keep those shows running at tip-top shape and deter cost-cutting measures that often happen in long-runs (such as the bastardized hats during “My Strongest Suit” in Aida, Disney!).
The Tonys may not be the most popular televised award program, but they do make an impact on shows and talents, which is why the awards are so coveted by producers. Winning Tonys has done wonders for many Broadway talents—Denis O’Hare, Dan Fogler, Sutton Foster, Idina Menzel, Kristin Chenoweth, to name a few—and they were all recent winners who were been able to channel that acclaim into more roles, both on stage and off.
I’ve been so fortunate to see tons of replacement actors. There are many talented people out there who simply don’t have the name to open shows but are every bit as talented. It’s time they get the spotlight.
So it didn’t work the first time. The American Theatre Wing can now re-evaluate the process they had set-up, see where its failings are, and re-implement the Replacement Actor category. It’s the perfect time, as producers are auditioning and determining replacement actors in the next year. At least give it a fair shot.
the Broadway Mouth
February 15, 2008
If you’ll remember, several years ago there was the implementation of a Replacement Performer category, but it was fumbled by the American Theatre Wing and hastily patched up with the excuse of there being no note-worthy replacements that year, which rightfully left great talents like Jonathan Pryce (who was in Dirty Rotten Scoundrels) very upset.
However, this is one of those baby/bathwater scenarios where the Wing should learn from mistakes and fix it, rather than tossing it out entirely. The potential for a positive impact on New York Theatre is too great to pass up.
First of all, when it comes to stunt casting for replacement casts, the focus could become about talent rather than name. If the producers could hope for a new Tony to add to advertising, it just might happen than instead of George Wendt as Edna, someone more substantial could take on the part, perhaps someone with more theatre background. This could discourage the casting of people like Sebastian Bach, Mickey Dolenz, or any number of other performers whose talents aren’t suited to a Broadway stage.
A Tony can also create a star by spotlighting a star performance (see: Heather Headley, Marissa Jaret Winokur). Imagine if Eden Espinoza, Stephanie J. Block, Jennifer Laura Thompson, or Kendra Kassebaum could have been eligible for a Tony for their runs in Wicked. The potential impact of the Tony could be television roles that help these actresses stay on Broadway by supplementing their income as they do workshops or audition. It could also provide an increased awareness of their talent that would help land them new roles or take on replacement roles that might otherwise go to an actor with monthly television residual checks. A Tony isn’t the end of an actor’s struggles—how many Tony-winning actors can’t even get seen for an audition today?—but it’s something to help a performer on his/her trek to getting roles.
Many more seasoned actresses might be willing to take on replacement roles if it means a Tony nomination. Imagine Kristin Chenoweth as the Lady of the Lake, for example. The more we can get Broadway talent performing in Broadway shows (instead of traditional stunt casting), the better it is for everyone in the audience.
Perhaps the biggest effect could be the injection of new life into the runs of shows that carry over from one season into the next. As Tony voters head to check out performances and critics re-visit the shows to scout out the odds of who’ll win, it’ll generate more energy and interest in those shows as they are getting written about and discussed. Not only might the long-running shows get fresh press, but perhaps it’ll help highlight some new talents—such as the replacement Penny people will see while they are evaluating the replacements for Edna and Tracy. This may also encourage producers to keep those shows running at tip-top shape and deter cost-cutting measures that often happen in long-runs (such as the bastardized hats during “My Strongest Suit” in Aida, Disney!).
The Tonys may not be the most popular televised award program, but they do make an impact on shows and talents, which is why the awards are so coveted by producers. Winning Tonys has done wonders for many Broadway talents—Denis O’Hare, Dan Fogler, Sutton Foster, Idina Menzel, Kristin Chenoweth, to name a few—and they were all recent winners who were been able to channel that acclaim into more roles, both on stage and off.
I’ve been so fortunate to see tons of replacement actors. There are many talented people out there who simply don’t have the name to open shows but are every bit as talented. It’s time they get the spotlight.
So it didn’t work the first time. The American Theatre Wing can now re-evaluate the process they had set-up, see where its failings are, and re-implement the Replacement Actor category. It’s the perfect time, as producers are auditioning and determining replacement actors in the next year. At least give it a fair shot.
the Broadway Mouth
February 15, 2008
Saturday, September 1, 2007
An Ode to Rosie O’Donnell
According to Michael Kantor in the documentary Broadway: The American Musical, Ed Sullivan and his The Ed Sullivan Show played a significant role in the Golden Age of Broadway, broadcasting Broadway shows and Broadway performers to the entire country. This was the time when Original Broadway Cast Recordings made the regular pop record charts, and Ed Sullivan gave American a glimpse into what was in their record stores and what could be coming on tour.
I think Rosie O’Donnell—think of her what you may for her bullying nature—has not received adequate ovation for what she’s done for the Broadway musical in our time. It was the 1990s when Broadway began to regain stature, when people became interested in investing in Broadway again, when you started to hear about Broadway outside of New York City. No doubt in my mind, Rosie O’Donnell had a significant role in that rise to prominence. Her show was extremely successful, and she was actively seeking to promote Broadway shows. Where else could the average American turn on a television and have the excitement of Broadway shoved in their faces?
And she used her show as a venue to promote Broadway shows and performers. Much of what appears on BlueGobo, for example, are from performances from The Rosie O’Donnell show, performances that would otherwise have disappeared into the ether. I admire greatly what she did for Seussical, which I saw on tour and enjoyed immensely. While the show was never a hit, her bright spotlight no doubt did something for that show, not to mention her own run as the Cat in the Hat.
People have also forgotten what she did for the Tony Awards. For the few years while she was a producer, my memory is that the ratings were up. She jazzed up the show with entertaining opening numbers, and she used her own name to draw attention to the ceremony. Plus, those few years where the first hour was broadcast on PBS were fantastic because of all the show footage and the educational nature of the behind-the-scenes interviews they aired. I can’t tell you how much I learned from the PBS hour, and I also used those tapes in my classroom to positive effect.
The one the fries me the most is how people responded to her producing effort on Taboo. Face it, anyone reading this would trade their entire Stephen Sondheim CD collection to produce their own Broadway show. Just look at dream casting threads on the message boards and watch us all drool with the daydream of power.
Not to mention, how many times do we hear that there are no more real producers, there are fourteen names above the title, no one has any vision. I think people attacked Rosie O’Donnell because she was a woman. If Regis Philbin had produced a Broadway show, he wouldn’t have gotten flack. But because it was Rosie O’Donnell, my gosh, who does she think she is.
I never saw Taboo. Had I been in New York, I probably wouldn’t have seen it. I don’t really care enough about Boy George to spend $100 on a show about him; he was before my time. But I so admire Rosie O’Donnell for her moxie in doing what she did. She found a show about something that made her excited. She fixed it up the way she thought was best. And she put her money where her mouth was. Personally, if I had the money, I’d produce a Jane Eyre revival staring Marla Schaffel and Chuck Wagner and keep it open for a year just because I’d want to see it weekly, maybe even daily. You bet I’d lose my shirt—and probably my pants, my shoes, and my hat—but it’d be so worth it. And don’t tell me most of the people reading this wouldn’t do the exact same thing.
And because she sank her own money into that show and kept it open longer than other producers would have, think of all the actors she employed for a couple extra months. That’s a major deal. There are 17,000 Equity actors in New York, and because of Rosie O’Donnell, some twenty-five of them (or however many there were in the show) had employment for a few extra months.
And if this wasn’t gracious enough, O’Donnell has supported other Broadway shows by investing. We know for sure that she was an investor on Grey Gardens, and I have a feeling she’s been an angel on many other shows than that.
We also can’t forget her work on The View, where she immediately used her pull to bring in Broadway shows. Yes, there was a lot of drama on the show, but when people started tuning in in droves, they saw The Drowsy Chaperone, A Chorus Line, The Color Purple, and a host of other musicals and performers.
This is not, by any means, a complete love letter to Rosie O’Donnell in all areas of her personality. I felt her inability to respectfully acknowledge that Elizabeth Hasselbeck (or Tom Selleck or anyone with a different political opinion than hers) can have a differing viewpoint and still be worthy of the same oxygen she breaths is a textbook case of what’s wrong with politics and political debate in our country, which depends far too much on blacks and whites instead of grays and bullying and railroading instead of logical argument.
But anyway, Rosie O’Donnell has done so much for the Broadway community in addition to the various roles she’s taken on stage. People on the message boards have used her success and a springboard to attack rather than to acknowledge all the great she has done for our beloved art form.
I just hope when, in fifty years, a new documentary is produced about Broadway: The American Musical, that Rosie O’Donnell’s invaluable contribution to our era of Broadway is not only remembered but rightfully applauded.
Rosie, I thank you.
the Broadway Mouth
September 1, 2007
I think Rosie O’Donnell—think of her what you may for her bullying nature—has not received adequate ovation for what she’s done for the Broadway musical in our time. It was the 1990s when Broadway began to regain stature, when people became interested in investing in Broadway again, when you started to hear about Broadway outside of New York City. No doubt in my mind, Rosie O’Donnell had a significant role in that rise to prominence. Her show was extremely successful, and she was actively seeking to promote Broadway shows. Where else could the average American turn on a television and have the excitement of Broadway shoved in their faces?
And she used her show as a venue to promote Broadway shows and performers. Much of what appears on BlueGobo, for example, are from performances from The Rosie O’Donnell show, performances that would otherwise have disappeared into the ether. I admire greatly what she did for Seussical, which I saw on tour and enjoyed immensely. While the show was never a hit, her bright spotlight no doubt did something for that show, not to mention her own run as the Cat in the Hat.
People have also forgotten what she did for the Tony Awards. For the few years while she was a producer, my memory is that the ratings were up. She jazzed up the show with entertaining opening numbers, and she used her own name to draw attention to the ceremony. Plus, those few years where the first hour was broadcast on PBS were fantastic because of all the show footage and the educational nature of the behind-the-scenes interviews they aired. I can’t tell you how much I learned from the PBS hour, and I also used those tapes in my classroom to positive effect.
The one the fries me the most is how people responded to her producing effort on Taboo. Face it, anyone reading this would trade their entire Stephen Sondheim CD collection to produce their own Broadway show. Just look at dream casting threads on the message boards and watch us all drool with the daydream of power.
Not to mention, how many times do we hear that there are no more real producers, there are fourteen names above the title, no one has any vision. I think people attacked Rosie O’Donnell because she was a woman. If Regis Philbin had produced a Broadway show, he wouldn’t have gotten flack. But because it was Rosie O’Donnell, my gosh, who does she think she is.
I never saw Taboo. Had I been in New York, I probably wouldn’t have seen it. I don’t really care enough about Boy George to spend $100 on a show about him; he was before my time. But I so admire Rosie O’Donnell for her moxie in doing what she did. She found a show about something that made her excited. She fixed it up the way she thought was best. And she put her money where her mouth was. Personally, if I had the money, I’d produce a Jane Eyre revival staring Marla Schaffel and Chuck Wagner and keep it open for a year just because I’d want to see it weekly, maybe even daily. You bet I’d lose my shirt—and probably my pants, my shoes, and my hat—but it’d be so worth it. And don’t tell me most of the people reading this wouldn’t do the exact same thing.
And because she sank her own money into that show and kept it open longer than other producers would have, think of all the actors she employed for a couple extra months. That’s a major deal. There are 17,000 Equity actors in New York, and because of Rosie O’Donnell, some twenty-five of them (or however many there were in the show) had employment for a few extra months.
And if this wasn’t gracious enough, O’Donnell has supported other Broadway shows by investing. We know for sure that she was an investor on Grey Gardens, and I have a feeling she’s been an angel on many other shows than that.
We also can’t forget her work on The View, where she immediately used her pull to bring in Broadway shows. Yes, there was a lot of drama on the show, but when people started tuning in in droves, they saw The Drowsy Chaperone, A Chorus Line, The Color Purple, and a host of other musicals and performers.
This is not, by any means, a complete love letter to Rosie O’Donnell in all areas of her personality. I felt her inability to respectfully acknowledge that Elizabeth Hasselbeck (or Tom Selleck or anyone with a different political opinion than hers) can have a differing viewpoint and still be worthy of the same oxygen she breaths is a textbook case of what’s wrong with politics and political debate in our country, which depends far too much on blacks and whites instead of grays and bullying and railroading instead of logical argument.
But anyway, Rosie O’Donnell has done so much for the Broadway community in addition to the various roles she’s taken on stage. People on the message boards have used her success and a springboard to attack rather than to acknowledge all the great she has done for our beloved art form.
I just hope when, in fifty years, a new documentary is produced about Broadway: The American Musical, that Rosie O’Donnell’s invaluable contribution to our era of Broadway is not only remembered but rightfully applauded.
Rosie, I thank you.
the Broadway Mouth
September 1, 2007
Thursday, June 7, 2007
Only One Night Only
Wow. First of all, let me thank all of you have been book-marking this blog, reading it, telling others to check it out, or whatever it is that’s drawing people here. Considering my blog isn’t quite a week old, I have a relatively surprising number of profile views (60). I know a few of them are mine from editing and updating info, but they’re not ALL me. So, thank you so much! I hope you keep checking back. After all, a writer is only as good as his readers!
Now on with the show . . .
The Tony Awards present a real problem for me, namely in that I don’t have cable, and my CBS reception is really crappy. I always end up pawning myself off on someone who will let me watch and record the awards. Right now, I still don’t have anyplace lined up to go . . . Gulp!
Like a lot of people, I like to record the show because I love watching those performances over and over and over and over and a hundred times more. As a teacher, I used them a lot in teaching theater, but I really record them for myself.
Since everyone rants about the Tony Awards after the fact, I think I’ll do my ranting (soul-searching reflection, really) now.
In short, Broadway is home to some of the most incredibly talented people in the entire universe—Susan Stroman, Bob Crowley, Kathleen Marshall, Hal Prince, Stephen Sondheim, Stephanie J. Block, Jerry Mitchell, Jason Robert Brown, Stephen Schwartz, Robin Wagner, Sam Mendes, Tina Landau, and a ton of other people. Yet somehow, the Tony Awards always seem like an afterthought, like someone was so busy doing their taxes, they forgot to leave time for those annoying old Tonys. You know, it’s sad when the MTV Movie Awards are more creatively produced than Broadway’s biggest night.
For example, when Hal Prince was given his lifetime achievement award, the best thing people could come up with was a funky tableau representing his significant work?
Sometimes we get a smashing opening number, such as Hugh Jackman and everyone on Broadway singing “One Night Only,” and other times just a solo song.
Sometimes we get a host and sometimes not.
Considering all the potential, the Tony Awards should be a little more creative. If I was producing, I would gather together a committee of the most amazingly talented people working in the theatre and let them have at it. Let them know to be uber-creative, that nothing is too outlandish.
If I was part of that committee, here are some things I would propose.
1. For the latest trend, the unavoidable pop music performance, I’d make the pairing one of an audience-grabbing pop music star with a true Broadway star—Kelly Clarkson singing “Written in the Stars” with Adam Pascal, Katherine McPhee singing “Foor Good” with Eden Espinosa, or Michael Bublé and Donna Murphy singing “Better Than a Dream.” That would allow the world-wide big-name talent to bring in viewers and the phenomenal Broadway talent to keep focused on Broadway.
2. Get a host. Talent should trump name. Yes, it would be nice if some hilarious television personality would do it, but if they’re going to just have a gaggle of “All-Star Presenters,” it would be better to pass it on to someone who can keep it lively and full of spark and spunk—Leslie Kritzer, Stephen Lynch, Douglas Sills, or someone else. Then instruct that person to be inclusive rather than exclusive. Wink wink jokes about gay dancers or Jewish producers or puppets ogling Hugh Jackman’s butt only serve to create an exclusive atmosphere and unwelcoming to anyone watching who isn’t “in the know” or part of that world. Why join the party if you’re never going to be able to take part?
3. If you advertise that people should watch the Tonys for performances from “Broadway’s Brightest,” then give them performances (and don’t be bullied out of it). Allow every nominated musical to do their thing, then provide a way for other current shows to perform, at least in a medley combining them all or something. It was great in the Rosie/PBS days when you got to see a significant representation from many of the shows on the boards because of the PBS education segments.
4. Bring back the PBS portion and their educational segments. Gosh, I loved those.
5. Make it bold, different, and classy in every way. When Carol Channing presented with L.L. Cool J, that was different and fun. Seeing Elaine Stritch praise librettists from the heart was engaging. Watching Jane TV Star (or even Jane Broadway Star) flatly reading something flat off a teleprompter is not too exciting.
6. Require Broadway show producers to provide interesting scenes from their shows. Watching an incomprehensible, LSD-inspired medley from Into the Woods, for example, is not interesting. Seeing a stand-alone scene from Thoroughly Modern Mille is.
We do need to acknowledge that the Tony Awards are in a difficult position. You have an event that is very narrow in its appeal. It’s the only televised award show where the majority of Americans have no clue about the nominees. CBS wants to carry the show because it appeals to higher class viewers, but I’m sure they are conscious of the ratings as well.
It’s also important that the show remains available for all the country to see because it educates people. I have been greatly influenced by what I’ve seen. Like a great many people, not only have I gone to shows because of what I’ve seen, but I’ve supported shows and artists based solely on what I’ve been introduced to. A few examples:
Impressed by the performance from Side Show, I bought the CD. Because I loved the CD, I bought the libretto from Samuel French. If I would have had an African-American male in my theatre program, I would have directed the show when I taught. Even then, I attended a local production of the show with a friend, and I bought one of Emily Skinner and Alice Ripley’s CDs. Because of all this, I was ecstatic to see Emily Skinner in the tour of On the Record. Even though she wasn’t on the CD, I bought the On the Record CD. I also fell in love with Norm Lewis’s voice and would love to someday write a role for him (and I just plain old fell in love with Emily Skinner). Additionally, I showed this scene to several of my classes of students as an example of the standard of Broadway performers (and they were impressed). And all this came about because of a Tony Awards performance.
I fell in love with Parade because of its performance. I made sure to see the show on tour, made a point of meeting Jason Robert Brown after the show, and bought the CD. Because I am in love with the show, I keep an eye open for whatever Jason Robert Brown is doing and plan on buying The Last 5 Years hopefully soon. I also bought the American Theatre issue that published the libretto, then bought Wiley Hausam’s collection The New American Musical to get a more permanent copy. I’ve also used the clip numerous times in teaching about plays in my classes. Lastly, I bought a copy of the CD as a gift for an actress friend of mine. Now she loves the show and has talked about using one of the songs as an audition song.
Honestly, I could go on about any number of shows and people I’ve come to know and financially support because of the Tonys—among them Sutton Foster; Follies; Bells are Ringing; Hunter Foster; Kiss Me, Kate; Ragtime and its stars; and the list goes on. While people as fanatic as I are in the minority, the Tony Awards is the only chance for Broadway theatre and our theatre folk to get a prime-time nationwide audience. A small nationwide audience is better than no nationwide audience.
The televised Tony Awards are very important to the theatre community. In reality, there are probably a half-dozen things that could be done to ensure a more interesting presentation, something that will inject the show with spunk. My specific solutions may not be the solutions, but we can’t risk losing the chance for these to be televised.
I just don’t get why the awards show representing such an exciting craft needs to be so standard.
Broadway MouthJune 7, 2007
Now on with the show . . .
The Tony Awards present a real problem for me, namely in that I don’t have cable, and my CBS reception is really crappy. I always end up pawning myself off on someone who will let me watch and record the awards. Right now, I still don’t have anyplace lined up to go . . . Gulp!
Like a lot of people, I like to record the show because I love watching those performances over and over and over and over and a hundred times more. As a teacher, I used them a lot in teaching theater, but I really record them for myself.
Since everyone rants about the Tony Awards after the fact, I think I’ll do my ranting (soul-searching reflection, really) now.
In short, Broadway is home to some of the most incredibly talented people in the entire universe—Susan Stroman, Bob Crowley, Kathleen Marshall, Hal Prince, Stephen Sondheim, Stephanie J. Block, Jerry Mitchell, Jason Robert Brown, Stephen Schwartz, Robin Wagner, Sam Mendes, Tina Landau, and a ton of other people. Yet somehow, the Tony Awards always seem like an afterthought, like someone was so busy doing their taxes, they forgot to leave time for those annoying old Tonys. You know, it’s sad when the MTV Movie Awards are more creatively produced than Broadway’s biggest night.
For example, when Hal Prince was given his lifetime achievement award, the best thing people could come up with was a funky tableau representing his significant work?
Sometimes we get a smashing opening number, such as Hugh Jackman and everyone on Broadway singing “One Night Only,” and other times just a solo song.
Sometimes we get a host and sometimes not.
Considering all the potential, the Tony Awards should be a little more creative. If I was producing, I would gather together a committee of the most amazingly talented people working in the theatre and let them have at it. Let them know to be uber-creative, that nothing is too outlandish.
If I was part of that committee, here are some things I would propose.
1. For the latest trend, the unavoidable pop music performance, I’d make the pairing one of an audience-grabbing pop music star with a true Broadway star—Kelly Clarkson singing “Written in the Stars” with Adam Pascal, Katherine McPhee singing “Foor Good” with Eden Espinosa, or Michael Bublé and Donna Murphy singing “Better Than a Dream.” That would allow the world-wide big-name talent to bring in viewers and the phenomenal Broadway talent to keep focused on Broadway.
2. Get a host. Talent should trump name. Yes, it would be nice if some hilarious television personality would do it, but if they’re going to just have a gaggle of “All-Star Presenters,” it would be better to pass it on to someone who can keep it lively and full of spark and spunk—Leslie Kritzer, Stephen Lynch, Douglas Sills, or someone else. Then instruct that person to be inclusive rather than exclusive. Wink wink jokes about gay dancers or Jewish producers or puppets ogling Hugh Jackman’s butt only serve to create an exclusive atmosphere and unwelcoming to anyone watching who isn’t “in the know” or part of that world. Why join the party if you’re never going to be able to take part?
3. If you advertise that people should watch the Tonys for performances from “Broadway’s Brightest,” then give them performances (and don’t be bullied out of it). Allow every nominated musical to do their thing, then provide a way for other current shows to perform, at least in a medley combining them all or something. It was great in the Rosie/PBS days when you got to see a significant representation from many of the shows on the boards because of the PBS education segments.
4. Bring back the PBS portion and their educational segments. Gosh, I loved those.
5. Make it bold, different, and classy in every way. When Carol Channing presented with L.L. Cool J, that was different and fun. Seeing Elaine Stritch praise librettists from the heart was engaging. Watching Jane TV Star (or even Jane Broadway Star) flatly reading something flat off a teleprompter is not too exciting.
6. Require Broadway show producers to provide interesting scenes from their shows. Watching an incomprehensible, LSD-inspired medley from Into the Woods, for example, is not interesting. Seeing a stand-alone scene from Thoroughly Modern Mille is.
We do need to acknowledge that the Tony Awards are in a difficult position. You have an event that is very narrow in its appeal. It’s the only televised award show where the majority of Americans have no clue about the nominees. CBS wants to carry the show because it appeals to higher class viewers, but I’m sure they are conscious of the ratings as well.
It’s also important that the show remains available for all the country to see because it educates people. I have been greatly influenced by what I’ve seen. Like a great many people, not only have I gone to shows because of what I’ve seen, but I’ve supported shows and artists based solely on what I’ve been introduced to. A few examples:
Impressed by the performance from Side Show, I bought the CD. Because I loved the CD, I bought the libretto from Samuel French. If I would have had an African-American male in my theatre program, I would have directed the show when I taught. Even then, I attended a local production of the show with a friend, and I bought one of Emily Skinner and Alice Ripley’s CDs. Because of all this, I was ecstatic to see Emily Skinner in the tour of On the Record. Even though she wasn’t on the CD, I bought the On the Record CD. I also fell in love with Norm Lewis’s voice and would love to someday write a role for him (and I just plain old fell in love with Emily Skinner). Additionally, I showed this scene to several of my classes of students as an example of the standard of Broadway performers (and they were impressed). And all this came about because of a Tony Awards performance.
I fell in love with Parade because of its performance. I made sure to see the show on tour, made a point of meeting Jason Robert Brown after the show, and bought the CD. Because I am in love with the show, I keep an eye open for whatever Jason Robert Brown is doing and plan on buying The Last 5 Years hopefully soon. I also bought the American Theatre issue that published the libretto, then bought Wiley Hausam’s collection The New American Musical to get a more permanent copy. I’ve also used the clip numerous times in teaching about plays in my classes. Lastly, I bought a copy of the CD as a gift for an actress friend of mine. Now she loves the show and has talked about using one of the songs as an audition song.
Honestly, I could go on about any number of shows and people I’ve come to know and financially support because of the Tonys—among them Sutton Foster; Follies; Bells are Ringing; Hunter Foster; Kiss Me, Kate; Ragtime and its stars; and the list goes on. While people as fanatic as I are in the minority, the Tony Awards is the only chance for Broadway theatre and our theatre folk to get a prime-time nationwide audience. A small nationwide audience is better than no nationwide audience.
The televised Tony Awards are very important to the theatre community. In reality, there are probably a half-dozen things that could be done to ensure a more interesting presentation, something that will inject the show with spunk. My specific solutions may not be the solutions, but we can’t risk losing the chance for these to be televised.
I just don’t get why the awards show representing such an exciting craft needs to be so standard.
Broadway MouthJune 7, 2007
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