2012 Drama Desk Noms - DEATH TAKES A HOLIDAY, FOLLIES Lead Pack- Page 3

[wickedrentq]

Posted: 4/28/12 at 12:59pm

Re: orchestrations

Believe me, as an amateur musician, I love and appreciate the work the orchestrators do, and of course feel they deserve to be honored.

That said, no category nominations and winners drive me more crazy than orchestrations. Looking at the Tonys, since the category was integrated in 1997, the only time when the winner of orchestrations was eligible for score (i.e. not a revival or a jukebox musical), the only time the winner of score was different was 2002 when the orchestrations for Thoroughly Modern Millie won but Urinetown won score. Every other time an eligible new score won orchestrations, they won score.

I can't believe (certainly not the year Spring Awakening won when Tunick's "LoveMusik" so clearly deserved the award) that every best score also won orchestrations (again, unless revival or jukebox won orchestrations). Sometimes, yes, without a doubt it is deserved, such as for Light in the Piazza. But I don't believe the Tony voters or Drama Desk voters or any other award voters truly know what makes orchestrations "best."

Do I think the answer is to completely cut the category? Not necessarily, though I do have to admit when I realized it was cut, my first reaction was "well, at least they won't get it wrong this year."

I would much rather orchestrations, instead of being a typical competitive category, be determined as a "special award winner" from a committee of people who are knowledgable enough about music and orchestrations to know who truly deserves it. I believe people think the same thing happens with sound, that typical voters don't really understand what makes great sound?

I certainly understand how musicians and orchestrators feel this is a slap in the face, but I have always felt this is a problem in awards that somehow needs fixing. Perhaps I should remain optimistic that this is the start of an attempt to fix the category?

Maybe that's too optimistic, but I truly believe if the category is cut, though it might not have been the right decision, it wasn't a slap in the face of musicians as much as it was an admission that they are unqualified to judge best orchestrations.

Hopefully this will be better addressed in awards for the future.

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 4/28/12 at 2:54pm

Didn't Light in the Piazza win for orchestrations?

[wickedrentq]

Posted: 4/28/12 at 6:08pm

Yes, and it very much deserved to win. My point was sometimes the winner of score is indeed worthy of winning orchestrations, sometimes not. Piazza was one that definitely was.

Updated On: 4/28/12 at 06:08 PM

[HeyMrMusic]

Posted: 4/28/12 at 9:24pm

Do people actually know what sound design is? How about direction, how do you judge that? What's the difference between good choreography and good dancing?

While I do agree that many people don't fully comprehend what orchestrations are, there's no denying that it's an integral part of the fabric of a show, one that stays with a musical long after sets and lights are taken down. It's part of a show's identity. The existence of a category honoring orchestrations only helps educate what it is.

I personally do think it's a category that should remain a competitive category and not a "special" one. To Tony voters, some questions you should ask yourself: Did you like what you heard? Was the way the music occurred appropriate to the show? Did the music you heard excite you or make you feel a myriad of emotions (in a good way)? Was it overwhelming or did it sound too fake with the use of synthesizers?

See... not too hard to figure out. At least, it's not harder than thinking, "Wow, that was a great stage picture. Good job, director" or "I love the way the sound design enhanced my experience of the show."

Also, I do believe that Spring Awakening deserved that Tony for Orchestrations. But, it should have been shared with Simon Hale, whose brilliant string orchestrations make the show in my opinion. I can't believe he didn't share in the win. It's true that most winners in this category were won by Best Musical (or Revival) and/or Score winners, but think about it: the orchestrations are essential in making a musical and/or score successful. It's not a coincidence that score/orchestrations are linked, just like Best Direction and Best Musical/Play/Revival. And anyway, when is a category ever accurate in awarding the best each time?

[Kad]

Posted: 4/28/12 at 11:59pm

I have a friend who does orchestrations- he says that, more often than not, orchestrators become the scapegoat of many problem productions simply because few understand what they do.