New York Times TONY voter poll?- Page 4

[djoko84]

Posted: 6/7/19 at 3:10pm

I got my information about the cross checking with the general manager from BROADWAY WORLD (you know... the site we're posting on):

https://www.broadwayworld.com/article/Industry-Editor-Exclusive-Tidbits-on-the-2019-Tony-Awards-20190604

From the article: "First, people are wondering what happens if someone lies. Tony Award Productions official statement on that is: "There are variety of cross checks that take place to ensure the integrity of the process on several levels." This biggest cross check is that the General Manager of a show can check their records verses the Tony Voter Portal. The GM can then challenge a voter. Except ask 10 people exactly what happens after that challenge and you'll get at least six different answers. Most will have some version of "it will begin by contacting the voter," but remember votes aren't due until noon on Friday. So if there are a lot of last minute votes and challenges, it's going to be a long weekend. (I personally do not think there will be a ton of challenges overall, but others disagree.)

Second, if you don't report you saw X show, you are indeed locked out of voting from any category in which X show is nominated. However, the system does not seem to be sensitive to actors being out of a show, whether due to illness or simply having left the show. In other words, everyone who did not take in THE FERRYMAN until after the nominations did not see original actors and nominees Paddy Considine or Laura Donnelly, who have all departed the play. Therefore those voters should not be able to vote for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play or Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play. But the system does not lock the voter out of those categories-the voter can vote in those categories as long as s/he saw THE FERRYMAN at some point. The voter still should not vote in those categories if that voter didn't see all the nominated performers, but most spoken to believe it will happen.

The system is new and it is likely the kinks from this year should be cleared up by next, but, meanwhile, the impact on this season's voting remains to be seen."

[bear88]

Posted: 6/8/19 at 3:20am

I don't think there were many surprises in the article, but a few interesting tidbits that might end up mattering. Hadestown is the favorite, but in part because voters who didn't love it are divided about what to pick instead. This is where the non-ranking voting system (that's what it is, right?) works in Hadestown's favor. It's possible that a bunch of voters who didn't talk to the Times will rally around a single non-Hadestown show, but The Prom seems unlikely given that it's not favored in a single other category. Then again, it's a show that basically tells Tony voters that, while some of their membership may be ridiculous, they're awesome and wonderful people who change hearts and minds. I just don't think this will overcome Hadestown, which struck me as a superior show.

The fact that many Tony voters hate Oklahoma! a lot is hardly surprising. It's a divisive show. Plenty of people on this board hated it too. It's not a majority, apparently, but I do wonder if that sentiment will affect other races. It may not, but to the extent there's a contingent determined not to reward Oklahoma! for anything, that could affect races for things like orchestrations and even Best Featured Actress (even though Ali Stroker's performance is very traditional and unlikely to offend). 

The uncertainties surrounding the voting is very unlikely to affect the musicals. But it could definitely affect the plays, in which some nominated shows and performances have been gone for months and people didn't necessarily know the new rules. I don't know what effect, if any, this will have on any of the outcomes.