off-stage right

Goodness knows there are plenty of Tony Award bashing posts and articles out there, and I usually like to stay away from the negative but this morning I got a tweet that I just have to address:

TheTonyAwards As a special addition, the Tonys will feature special performances of 3 touring shows: Jersey Boys, Legally Blonde The Musical & Mamma Mia! Thu, May 28 10:15:25 from UberTwitter

Now I have never been foolish enough to think that the Tonys were only about celebrating quality theater of the season (after all regional theater and off-Broadway would be included if that were the case).  Sometimes if feels like it isn’t even about celebrating Broadway shows and artists (see the myriad of posts and news articles about the number of producers who rush to the stage for best play or musical – start with Michael Riedel in the post, then check out Leonard Jacobs and Frank Rizzo’s blogs for great comments on this).  I have long been aware that it is about Broadway and touring sales.  But the idea that the show is just one giant commercial for musicals has gone too far and is fundamentally working against the desired outcomes.   The show they are producing isn’t even a good commercial.

I imagine the producers of the awards telecast are thinking of these additional performances as their own version of other awards show’s montages – a glimpse at what has been and what’s out there.  But in the small amount of time allotted by CBS for the broadcast (and we know that CBS will cut it off at 11pm even if the top awards haven’t been handed out), which awards are being shuttled off to the non-broadcast portion of the evening?  And two of the shows being show-cased didn’t even win best musical (I am shocked that Wicked isn’t being show-cased as well, but maybe they don’t need the boost  in ticket sales).

And what about the plays, will we be treated to another horrible presentation of readers theater?  Choppy b-roll clips?  Why isn’t the touring company of August Osage County up there with the folks from the touring musicals?

The counter argument will be that it doesn’t make good TV.  I am beginning to think that perhaps the people in charge don’t know how to make good TV.

I may disagree with the nominations that the Oscars, Emmys, and Golden Globes chose, but I can’t argue that they work constantly to make sure that their systems and shows are about honoring the best of the season.  When TV and Film do a better job honoring the season’s work don’t we theater folks have to start questioning how we are doing things?

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