Actors' Equity Launches Campaign For Tony Awards Categories To Recognize Broadway Ensembles- Page 2

[BroadwayConcierge]

Posted: 4/11/18 at 4:39pm

ren598 said: "I still like the idea of having oneaward for best replacement (play or musical, lead or featured, male or female). How awesome would it be to have Bernadette Peters (Hello Dolly), Taylor Trensch (Dear Evan Hansen), Brandon Victor Dixon (Hamilton), Sara Bareilles (Waitress) competing against each other."

To me, the notion of a Best Replacement Tony undermines the new creative development that an actor takes on when they originate a role in a new production (including those in a new revival). Working with creatives and the text by itself is a bigger beast than coming into an already-running production, IMO. I think people underestimate how much work goes into crafting a role in a new production. 

[Valentina3]

Posted: 4/11/18 at 5:04pm

BroadwayConcierge said: "ren598 said: "I still like the idea of having oneaward for best replacement (play or musical, lead or featured, male or female). How awesome would it be to have Bernadette Peters (Hello Dolly), Taylor Trensch (Dear Evan Hansen), Brandon Victor Dixon (Hamilton), Sara Bareilles (Waitress) competing against each other."

To me, the notionof a Best Replacement Tony undermines the new creative development that an actor takes on when they originate a role in a new production (including those in a new revival).Working with creatives and the text by itself is a bigger beast than coming into an already-running production, IMO. I thinkpeople underestimate how much work goes into crafting arole in a new production."

By that logic, several performers appearing in Revivals which didn't reinvent the wheel aren't/shouldn't be eligible for Best Acting Performance categories at all. I don't see what Gavil Creel did in Hello, Dolly! which hadn't already been done by performers who preceded his Cornelius Hackel.

[BroadwayConcierge]

Posted: 4/11/18 at 5:55pm

As I said, there’s a tremendous difference between replacing versus taking on in a role in a new revival production with a new creative team starting from the ground up. For the latter, while the role may have been done in the past, you’re not filling a vacant slot within a team that’s already been doing its thing. Before the opening night of 2017’s Dolly!, Gavin was working with his colleagues who were equally trying to figure out what, for this revival, would work and what wasn’t going to work. Santino came in and got trained for the track that Gavin originated. Two totally different things.

[HeyMrMusic]

Posted: 4/11/18 at 6:41pm

Sure, the SAG Awards do give our best cast awards for series and films. But so does Equity. The unions recognize their own. None of the major industry awards (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony) give out an equivalent award.

I think Actors’ Equity should fix their union first before lobbying for extra Tony Awards.

[Elegance101]

Posted: 4/11/18 at 6:54pm

I agree that I'd rather see a casting Tony before this. Even outstanding ensemble member or something, but I don't think it makes sense for the full cast to be "Tony Winner..." that takes away the prestige of the title.

[Wayman_Wong]

Posted: 4/11/18 at 6:56pm

Screen Actors Guild is a union. So is Actors' Equity. They want to make as many of their members happy by getting them as much recognition as possible. So SAG gives out Ensemble prizes (although they don't give out Supporting acting prizes, or Ensemble in a TV Movie/Miniseries). When ''Orange Is the New Black'' wins for Ensemble of a Comedy, SAG Awards went to all 37 cast members, regardless of the size of their roles.

Somehow, I cannot see the American Theatre Wing wanting to give out, say, 37 more Tony Awards per show. (And musicals have often giant casts.)  How long before practically everyone claims a ''Tony nominee'' credit in their bio? Awards are usually for individual performances, not group participation.

For the record, Actors' Equity already gives out an Outstanding Broadway Chorus award. They could add an Outstanding Ensemble if they wish. They also give out a Diversity on Broadway prize to the shows they believe best exemplify inclusion. 

 

Updated On: 4/11/18 at 06:56 PM

[WayTooBroadway]

Posted: 4/11/18 at 8:26pm

Same—Equity should fix their union first before asking for their members to easily say “Tony nominee.”

[Gensho]

Posted: 4/11/18 at 11:10pm

I really don’t agree with this at all. The SAG Awards have a Best Ensemble award, but it’s synonymous with Best Film. There are awards for best play, musical, revival etc. If there was an additional award for Best Ensemble does that mean that everybody wins a Tony Award? The kid who just showed up from Carnegie Mellon with 3 lines also wins a Tony? Asking for a friend.

[Wayman_Wong]

Posted: 4/11/18 at 11:56pm

There's something odd about how the SAG Awards determine who's eligible for Ensemble. They seem to be far looser with that definition on the TV side. For ''Orange Is the New Black,'' 37 performers could qualify. For ''Glee,'' it was 21. But for Ensemble of a Movie, it's much tighter. And it probably has to do the actor's billing in the credits. For instance, ''Get Out'' was up for Ensemble, but only 7 people were eligible. Left out of the mix were Betty Gabriel (as Georgina, the zombie-like maid); Marcus Henderson (the gardener), and LilRel Howery (Rod, Chris' TSA agent-friend). Even though they had notable parts, SAG didn't consider them part of the Ensemble, and that strikes me as wrong. And in ''Moonlight,'' Alex Hibbert, the fine young boy who played Little (the main character as a kid), wasn't SAG Award-eligible either. 

Updated On: 4/12/18 at 11:56 PM

[bk]

Posted: 4/12/18 at 1:20am

Perhaps Equity, like SAG should have their own awards then they can do what the hell they like.  Do the Oscars have an award for best ensemble?  They do not.  This is ludicrous but it's Equity at their laughable best.  They have major problems within their union - try fixing those instead of making this idiotic campaign.

[Great Dame]

Posted: 4/12/18 at 1:26am

How is this not already a thing? There should at least be a best ensemble award, they can make or break a show just as easily as anyone else.

[Great Dame]

Posted: 4/12/18 at 1:30am

InnerMonologue said: "I agree, I would love these ensembles to be better honored for their hard work, but can you imagine how many more actors being billed as "Tony Award nominee/winner..."? There's gotta be a better way! :/"

Couldn't it go to the musical and not each individual? So a musical could win the award, like it would best musical, but it would be specifically for ensemble recognition? Each member wouldn't get Tony billing, but the musical as a whole would receive the award. That's kind of what I envisioned, not that each human received a Tony. 

[Elegance101]

Posted: 4/12/18 at 1:56am

"Couldn't it go to the musical and not each individual? So a musical could win the award, like it would best musical, but it would be specifically for ensemble recognition? Each member wouldn't get Tony billing, but the musical as a whole would receive the award. That's kind of what I envisioned, not that each human received a Tony."

If it were to happen, I would hope it would be like this. Even then, the actors would say "I'm part of the Tony-winning ensemble of Hamilton" rather than "I'm a Tony winner for Hamiltion."

[Wayman_Wong]

Posted: 4/12/18 at 2:12am

Equity is not aiming for the show to get more attention; they want their individual union members to get their own prizes. When they say Ensemble, they want it ''inclusive of all principal, featured, chorus and swing roles.'' That's how the Ensemble awards, say, for SAG and the Drama Desk go: They go to the various performers who've been designated as the eligible performers. 

Updated On: 4/12/18 at 02:12 AM

[Great Dame]

Posted: 4/12/18 at 8:24am

Elegance101 said: "If it were to happen, I would hope it would be like this. Even then, the actors would say "I'm part of the Tony-winning ensemble of Hamilton" rather than "I'm a Tony winner for Hamiltion.""

Yep, as they would deserve. Hamilton is the perfect example of an ensemble that should be able to say that. If a show wins best musical the actors can say they are part of the Tony winning "Hamilton". I don't think it's any different, it just would specifically call out the quality of an ensemble. 

[BroadwayConcierge]

Posted: 4/12/18 at 8:33am

Or, we could just continue to commend and congratulate hard-working ensemble members like we always have. This is their job. As this thread indicates, saying you were in the ensemble of a show like Hamilton or Come From Away already carries great prestige.

I don't know why we think every iota of hard work needs to be full-out recognized with an award or prize these days.

[ScottyDoesn'tKnow2]

Posted: 4/12/18 at 9:58am

Wayman_Wong said: "There's something odd about how the SAG Awards determine who's eligible for Ensemble. They seem to be far looser with that definition on the TV side. For ''Orange Is the New Black,'' 37 performers could qualify. For ''Glee,'' it was 21. But for Ensemble of a Movie, it's much tighter. And it probably has to do the actor's billing in the credits. For instance, ''Get Out'' was up for Ensemble, but only 7 people were eligible. Left out of the mix were Betty Gabriel (as Georgina, the zombie-like maid); Marcus Henderson (the gardener), and LilRel Howery (Rod, Chris' TSA agent-friend). Even though they had notable parts, SAG didn't consider them part of the Ensemble, and that strikes me as wrong. And in ''Moonlight,'' Alex Hibbert, the fine young boy who played Little (the main character as a kid), wasn't SAG Award-eligible either."

All of that is way weird. Betty Gabriel, Marcus Henderson, and LiRel Howery had such important and notable parts in Get Out and Alex Hibbert was essential in Moonlight.

 

[Wayman_Wong]

Posted: 4/12/18 at 11:10am

To follow up on what BroadwayConcierge just posted, why is it that the profession of performing is SO obsessed with awards and self-congratulation? Surely, doctors, nurses, police officers, firefighters, teachers, etc., do hard work and pour their hearts into their jobs everyday, and no one gives them awards. No doubt Equity, which has a membership that has a high unemployment rate, must have more pressing concerns than whether a handful of performers who are fortunate enough to be on Broadway, get a Tony.

ScottyDoesn'tKnow2: I agree. Before more Ensemble awards get launched, how about the inequities of the ones that exist?

Updated On: 4/12/18 at 11:10 AM

[HeyMrMusic]

Posted: 4/12/18 at 11:19am

I don’t mind if the Tonys sometimes give special citations to ensembles, the way the Drama Desks handpick a worthy ensemble. But not an all-out competitive award, and certainly not giving out 30 awards to every single ensemble member (are swings and standbys eligible?). It’s ludicrous to think that certain gypsies will have multiple Tony Awards before overdue actors. What’s next, Tony for Best Understudy? This is just not a plausible or necessary campaign. Again, fix the union itself first before patting your members on the back. How about getting your members work, getting your members better pay, etc.

[HeyMrMusic]

Posted: 4/12/18 at 1:07pm

Also, Tony nominees and winners will typically get pay bumps (and can ask for more money for the next show they do since they have the moniker “Tony nominee/winner”). I’m sure producers will love to give 30 of their company a pay raise come late April and then again in June.

On the other side of it, the chorus of Rocktopia would be eligible for a Tony and yet they’re getting less than minimum wage? Yeah, Equity needs to fix itself before congratulating itself.

[everythingtaboo]

Posted: 4/12/18 at 1:47pm

And considering so many actors, once they're in one ensemble, they're frequently cast over and over in ensemble roles. So you're telling me that a Berndette Peters with two Tonys could be starring with an ensemble member with six times as many on their shelf?

Posted: 4/12/18 at 4:05pm

I think there might be some logical sentiments behind introducing such an award to the Tonys yet it's impractical to implement.  SAGs, as many point out quite well above, bestowing such an award can't translate to Broadway. 

Updated On: 4/12/18 at 04:05 PM

[newintown]

Posted: 4/12/18 at 4:17pm

I'm also waiting for the return of the Best Conductor award, and several much-needed new categories, like Best Reed II Player, Best Dresser, and the Winslow J. Skruggs Award for Excellence in Assistant Stage Management.

[Sunny11]

Posted: 4/12/18 at 4:21pm

The SAG ensemble award goes to the principle actors of the TV show/movie not the background extras. The idea is to recognise projects where there is more than one star and that the chemistry and Interplay of the group is what carries it. 

If the same standard was applied to Broadway then a Hamilton win would have gone to Daveed Diggs, Leslie  Odom jr, Phillpa Shoo ect.