will NEWSIES not win cause it's Disney?

[broadway guy]

Posted: 6/3/12 at 3:02pm

Newsies has a great chance at winning best musical but the TONYS ususally over look the greatness of some musicals because they're from DISNEY.A disney musical hasn't won best musical since Lion king, so I wll be so happy if Newsies wins and puts Disney Theatricals back on top.thoughts?

[PastorErnst]

Posted: 6/3/12 at 3:04pm

I wouldn't attribute that to the fact that it's Disney, but rather because Disney hasn't had anything worthy of winning.

[CapnHook]

Posted: 6/3/12 at 3:09pm

AIDA should have been nominated, if not have won. NEWSIES is the best Disney production since then.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 6/3/12 at 3:51pm

No, it will not win if more voters choose another show.

The DISNEY backlash has died down a bit, the Unions are still not completely happy with them, but they have had major flops so know they are less pushy.
ONCE has more momentum right now but I would love to see an upset in the Play category with PETER winning.

Winning for NEWSIES won't exactly put them back on "top", but may help greenlight some other titles.

[After Eight]

Posted: 6/3/12 at 4:34pm

I guess it will play a part in Newsies' not winning, but only a part.

Even if the show were produced by someone else, no Tony Award voters would vote for it because it would not be hip to do so. And those voters don't want to bear the ultimate ignominy of seeming like out-of-touch old fuds. So they opt for the trendy flavor of the day, no matter how horrible it is (like they did with a similar horror, Passion over another far better show by Disney.)

You see, it's all about psychology, how people want to be perceived, and even more importantly, how they want not--- or fear --- to be perceived. It's not the fear of being disliked, but the fear of being ridiculed.

[Ed_Mottershead]

Posted: 6/3/12 at 4:43pm

I think that the anti-Disney factor will continue to prevail but I agree the none of the post-Lion King Disney shows were good. (Anyone up for a revival of Aidea? or Little Mermaid? or Tarzan?). I didn't particularly like either Newsies or Once, but, between the two and by a slight margin only, I'd give the plum to Newsies by default. It won't play out that way but just expressing my opinion.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 6/3/12 at 6:45pm

I don't know which will take it next week -- but we'll never know WHY a show did or didn't win.

Those that want it to win will surely find a "reason" and not be able to accept that it might just be because the majority of the voters like something else better. MIGHT there be a specific reason? Sure, but we can only theorize.

Personally, I think Once is the better show, but I won't be shocked if Newsies takes it.

[binau]

Posted: 6/3/12 at 6:47pm

Why are the 'unions' unhappy with Disney?

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 6/3/12 at 6:48pm

^ I completely agree.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 6/3/12 at 7:14pm

(Note: my above comments are not aimed at Newsies Fans -- but fans of ANY show that doesn't win.)

[bdn223]

Posted: 6/3/12 at 7:44pm

Well I know the Amsterdam is not part of the standard usher union, but like most Disney employees they have better benefits than the actors on the stage and even you for that matter. The theater also has independent contracts with the stagehand and musiscians unions. Their merchandisers (people who sell posters and what not) work in both the Amsterdam and Neaderlander interchangably not sure about the Minskof(can't spell). Disney tried to basically break up the theater unions when the Amsterdam was renovated. They went to Playbills competitor to create the Showbill for the Amsterdam, which Playbill eventually bought over. They tried to get their actors for Lion King put under the circus performers union instead of equity, similar to the Cirque de Dreams Jungle Fantasy in the Broadway a few years back. Also Disney was basically given the Amsterdam, all reovations were paid for by the city, all Disney had to do was give the city 8% of its annual profits at the Amsterdam annually. In the long run the city has made out on the deal and then some, but at the time it was like the US gov bailing out Ford, except Disney didn't actually need the money.

The whole joke of the Time Square "roller coaster" stems from Walt Disneys initial dream of having Walt Disney World in New York instead of Orlando. Fast foward 20 yrs Times Square is drug/sex/illegal activity central 42nd street was in shambles, and the mayor created the 42nd street revitalization committe, to bring life back to the dying area. Their initial goal was to get a major (media) corp to invest in the area, more specifically Disney after they bought abc. They begged Disney and basically gave them free reign, in which everyone was expecting a theme park but Disney showed restraint and only occupied a few key locations the Amsterdam, abc studios(where Gma is filmed), Espn zone, the site if the former Disney store next to the Amsterdam, and the Palace with Beauty and the Beast. It was the spark the area needed to become Americas most visited location beating WDW with 50million visitors annually. Many people in the theater industry miss the old Time Square. It didn't help that Disney occupied Broadway's most historic theaters....vaudville's crown jewel aka the Palace and the home of the Ziegfeild Follies the Amsterdam.
**Don't quote me verbatum, but I did a 23 page thesis on the Disnifacation of Time Square***



Updated On: 6/4/12 at 07:44 PM

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 6/3/12 at 11:06pm

Or maybe it won't win because ONCE is a better show....

[ljay889]

Posted: 6/3/12 at 11:10pm

^ Exactly. ONCE is a far better show. It's not even a contest.

[HeyMrMusic]

Posted: 6/3/12 at 11:18pm

Once has the momentum. With its Drama Desk win, I think it's the favorite to win. We have to go back to Drowsy/Jersey to have the Drama Desk disagree with Tony (where both main competitors were eligible for the Drama Desk in the same year), and the Drama Desk was Drowsy's only big win that year.

I honestly think more people just prefer Once over Newsies. It's allowed. And no, Newsies will not go home empty-handed. They'll win some nice ones I bet, even if just score and choreography.

[jimmycurry01]

Posted: 6/3/12 at 11:18pm

No, it won't win because its not Once.

[MazingerZ]

Posted: 6/3/12 at 11:35pm

Am I really reading correctly? "The Tonys usually overlook the GREATNESS of some Disney musicals". "Aida should have been nominated. If not have won". "[The Tonys] opt for the trendy flavor of the day, no matter how horrible it is - like they did with a similar horror, PASSION, over another far better Disney show - Beauty & The Beast". I must be going crazy. To read statements like these in a forum supposedly written by theater enthusiasts and professionals, definitely concerns me. Did people really see Aida, Beauty & The Beast, Tarzan, Mermaid? They were all horrible shows. The fact that they stuck around for so long, and people continue to praise them, says a lot about the sad state of the theater in this nation.
















Updated On: 6/3/12 at 11:35 PM

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 6/3/12 at 11:36pm

Great research bdn, those are most of the facts.
After BEAUTY was established as a hit, DISNEY wanted to write their own rules and not be a part of the League, and basically got their way.
As you said the "takeover" was not as dramatic as predicted.
As DISNEY became a part of the Family, getting in bed with the Needers didn't hurt, they became more accepted. They are also big supporters of BCEFA, offering the Amst. for benefits, connecting AIDS orgs. in Africa along with THE LION KING, etc.

As Bernadette sings TIME HEALS EVERYTHING.

NEWSIES was not even spose to be a BWay show, but they have a hit with an entertaing show for kids and some adults. They won't go home empty handed as someone said, but ONCE is cooking.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 6/3/12 at 11:58pm

Once is the better show. Plain and simple. Newsies not winning has nothing to do with it being Disney. It won't win because Once is the better show.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 6/3/12 at 11:58pm

Once is the better show. Plain and simple. Newsies not winning has nothing to do with it being Disney. It won't win because Once is the better show.

[TheatreKid3]

Posted: 6/4/12 at 12:05am

^Beauty and the Beast terrible? What a laughable comment coming from a definite anti-Disney perspective. Beauty REDEFINED theatrical special effects and was a very good adaptation from the film. And, while yes, Mermaid and Tarzan did not live up to typical Disney standard, they were not terrible shows. They just weren't as good as what Disney has become known for. Disney has never produced a TERRIBLE show, they have just had some that did not live up to their hype and could have been much better. I still stand by the belief that Mermaid was not as bad as people made it out to be, but there was much room for improvement.

NEWSIES is a prime example of the incredible work Disney can do, and I think they will be rewarded for it on TONY night. Updated On: 6/4/12 at 12:05 AM

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 6/4/12 at 12:09am

And, while yes, Mermaid and Tarzan did not live up to typical Disney standard, they were not terrible shows.

Ehhh they were pretty dreadful IMO.

[TheatreKid3]

Posted: 6/4/12 at 12:10am

But compared to many shows on Broadway that people label dreadful or terrible, they are much better than. Tarzan, I'll concede, is the (much) weaker of the two. The whole design was completely underwhelming except for the opening scene.

[Jonwo]

Posted: 6/4/12 at 12:14am

I wouldn't be surprised if Newsies pulls an upset but I think Once will get Best musical but it's going to be close, there's no clear winner unlike in previous years.

Newsies is a bit of a comeback for Disney after two not so good production, It'll be nice if it wins Best Musical but TBH it doesn't need to, it's a huge hit on Broadway and will likely be a hit on tour and possibly overseas.

[ljay889]

Posted: 6/4/12 at 12:20am

I know I had said that I would not be surprised if NEWSIES wins.... but at this point, ONCE has 100% of the momentum. I may be a bit surprised if it loses. But then again, this is the Tonys. If it's generic and tourable, it usually wins.

[TheatreKid3]

Posted: 6/4/12 at 12:23am

One thing I do find strange about Disney though is that they pretty much completely ignore any nominations/awards their shows receive besides TONYs. The only time I have ever seen them include Outer Critics Circle, Drama League and Drama Desk noms on anything for any show was in their latest NEWSIES promo. But in adds, they only include TONY noms.