Question: Are ensemble members TECHNICALLY eligible for featured Tonys?

[JBroadway]

Posted: 5/2/18 at 2:13pm

Ok, this questions is purely theoretical - I know that in reality, this would be very unlikely to actually happen, but all the stuff with the potential Ensemble Tony got me thinking:

TECHNICALLY speaking, are members of the ensemble eligible for the "featured" categories at the Tony? Like, if there were one ensemble member who was just killing it, and somehow managed to stand out despite not having a named role, would the nominating committee be allowed submit votes for them? 

To clarify: I don't mean the kind of "ensemble" that Come From Away or Spelling Bee has, where everyone collectively makes up an ensemble cast. I also don't mean someone like Elizabeth A. Davis; her role in Once was small enough that it sort of felt like she was in the ensemble, but she still had a named role and some solo moments. I mean like actually someone in the chorus of a large-cast show. 

Updated On: 5/2/18 at 02:13 PM

[jacobsnchz14]

Posted: 5/2/18 at 2:15pm

Would Jayne Houdyshell getting a nomination for FOLLIES in 2011/2 be another example?

[SeanD2]

Posted: 5/2/18 at 2:15pm

Yes they are. It's hard to make it happen, but it's possible. Nominators are given the entire cast list from which to cast their votes. It's one of the reasons I don't support the Ensemble or Chorus Tony unless every member of the cast is removed from separate award consideration.

[JBroadway]

Posted: 5/2/18 at 2:20pm

jacobsnchz14 said: "Would Jayne Houdyshell getting a nomination for FOLLIES in 2011/2 be another example?"

 

She had an entire number to herself, and it was among the more famous songs in the show. So no, I wouldn't consider that role the ensemble in the sense that I'm asking about. 

 

Thanks SeanD! Interesting and good to know! If that's the case, then I think I would agree that a Chorus Tony wouldn't make sense. 

Updated On: 5/2/18 at 02:20 PM

[Elegance101]

Posted: 5/3/18 at 1:51am

If they got rid of the entire cast list thing for an Ensemble Tony, they'd have to have whole other meetings declaring who's ensemble and who's featured, what a nightmare! Too many grey areas, also.

Please don't do this Ensemble Tony thing. Such a waste, especially when there are so many other categories to be had: projections, wig and makeup, casting even.

[Mildred Plotka]

Posted: 5/3/18 at 2:22am

I think the only way a Chorus Tony could work if it was as a Special Tony, and not a competitive category (with the option of not having to award it every year). The chorus of Dolly deserved something like this. But it needs to be awarded to an ensemble that truly stands out.

[ChairinMain]

Posted: 5/3/18 at 2:41am

I'd argue the best example of this was in years with shows like FOSSE or AIN'T MISBEHAVIN', where no one was playing named characters, but people still ended up with Tony Noms. 

[blaxx]

Posted: 5/3/18 at 3:21am

It wouldn't be to a production's best interest to have this happen. It would place individual focus where there was no investment.  

I don't know if anyone remembers the Jason Antoon controversy during Contact. He was 'technically' an ensemble member, but the tiny roles he played (and I mean tiny) earned him a Drama desk nomination for Best supporting actor in a musical. The buzz around his performance was such, that the Contact producers petitioned for Boyd Gaines and Karen Ziemba (gossip says at his request, as to not have Antoon be nominated and win) to be considered for Featured Actor / Actress in a musical at the 2000 Tonys. Gaines, who was nominated for leading man elsewhere (who he was), ended up winning the best featured actor Tony (which, to be honest, he was not - Antoon deserved the nomination, although he would never have won against the cast of Kiss Me, Kate). 

So, this idea would only benefit the performer. The rest of the production, not so much. 

[smidge]

Posted: 5/3/18 at 7:44am

I was trying to think of examples of this. I suppose Luke Spring could have been a possibility for A Christmas Story.

[followspot]

Posted: 5/3/18 at 10:25am

The only recent show I can think of that this might have applied to is AFTER MIDNIGHT

[Kad]

Posted: 5/3/18 at 10:53am

Shows with a chorus bill them entirely separately from all the principal- meaning the leading and featured- roles. Although the Tony rules do not explicitly say that chorus members are not eligible, they do use the term "role," which, to me, suggests a distinction. This comes from the performers' contracts- there is a distinction between Chorus and Principal contracts for a show.

Contact billed everyone equally, whereas Fosse made a clear distinction between a chorus and principal performers, as did After Midnight.

Updated On: 5/3/18 at 10:53 AM

[bdn223]

Posted: 5/3/18 at 10:57am

Yes they are technically eligible, its just producers rarely push/campaign for them to be nominated.

A recent example of producers attempting to/campaigning for ensemble members for be consider for a Tony was Shrek. After the shows initial consideration, producers pushed for the shows 3 triplets; 3 Blind Mice for Featured Actress, 3 Little Pigs for Featured Actor, and 3 Bears fora Special Tony for Excellence in Theater. This is due to the weird rule that allows 3 actors to share a role and still be considered eligible for a Tony that allowed the 3 Billies to be nominated and win that same season. 

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/SHREK-To-Petition-Tonys-for-Special-Eligibility-Seeks-Threesomes-Category-20090401

Most producers though would rather focus their campaigns on their actual featured performers who have a better chance to win. Add to that during the development of a new musical if there is a standout cast member who is originally a part of the ensemble, the creators may build a supporting role around that ensemble member. An example of this is would be Rory O'Malley who was originally on an ensemble contract during the The Book of Mormon's labs and workshops, but Parker, Stone, and Lopez were enjoying his ensemble bits so much that they created the role Elder McKinley just for him, which landed him a Tony nomination. 

[Kad]

Posted: 5/3/18 at 11:02am

That Shrek example seems more like a publicity stunt than a legitimate appeal.

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 5/3/18 at 6:23pm

Yeah, that Shrek thing is weird.

I would argue that if the "ensemble" is no so much a group of people who play multiple featured roles (i.e. The Producers) but is more of a "chorus" (i.e. 42nd Street), if you are standing out, you are doing something wrong. In a "chorus," no one should stand out. Maybe a chorus member is particularly attractive, or has particularly good dance technique, but if an audience member is focusing on Chorus Girl #6 and not on the main story, that's artistically a problem, IMO.

Because "ensemble" can mean both the entire cast (especially if all the parts are generally of equal size) or the chorus, the proposed naming of these new Tony categories are confusing. I believe Equity is proposing a Best Ensemble award for the entire cast (they have this category in the Jeff Awards in Chicago as well), as well as a Best Chorus award for, well, the chorus. Because so many people use the words "ensemble" and "chorus" interchangeably, they should just name the award Best Cast.

Or actually, not. We don't need more acting Tony Awards. Eight is enough. The Tonys should try to keep what little prestige they have left and not have 25 winners in a single category.

[Jessetenny]

Posted: 5/3/18 at 7:59pm

I don't think there should be an ensemble Tony, and I don't think that someone in the ensemble should be awarded a Tony unless they actually speak or sing at least a little bit. 

If an ensemble member was to get one, my vote would go to Ryann Redmond in If/Then, I thought she stole the scenes that she was in, even when I was so focused on Jackie and Idina (I saw them both.)