3 days until the last Tony Administration Meeting — Page 2

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#26

3 days until the last Tony Administration Meeting

Posted: 4/29/10 at 12:01pm

Sorry, that's a misunderstanding. I didn't mean scores recorded prior to Tony voting. I meant scores that will receive a commercial recording at some point in their run, so that the music can (at some point) be heard by a wider audience than just the ones who saw the show during its Broadway run.

So that would mean yes to Memphis, no to Fences.

I would go further to say that I support scores that are an intrinsic part of the show over incidental music that is created for one production only and can be replaced with anything else in any other production.

#27

3 days until the last Tony Administration Meeting

Posted: 4/29/10 at 3:23pm

I'm with Mister Matt. How is the Tony Award for Best Score different from the Academy Award for Best Score? Should the Academy get rid of their award because it's only incidental music? The award should be for the best music and/or lyrics written for a show (or movie in the case of the Oscars), as the title of the award states. Period. I don't care if the music is underscoring, incidental, scene change covering, exit music, overture or no overture, sungthrough, totally a cappella... The award is for whatever music and/or lyrics were the best written and/or best utilized in the context of the show.

Play music has been recorded and nominated in the past. I don't see what the big deal is. If it's the best or among the best that year, so be it.

~Steven

#28

3 days until the last Tony Administration Meeting

Posted: 4/29/10 at 3:48pm

It doesn't make sense to me to qualify one commercial product with the criteria that it exists as another commercial product.

Writing music well is hard. With or without lyrics it is a difficult thing to do well. Writing music as underscore is extremely hard and when done well it can be more effective than any any other theatrical element at helping the actor and/or director to convey an emotion. This award is in place, as the name implies, to reward composition for theatre that is substantial and important. It doesn't matter if it's a musical or a play or a dance piece, if it's the best thing done in that season it should get the award. End of story.

For what it's worth, Fences may well end up with a commercial recording based on who the composer is.

#29

3 days until the last Tony Administration Meeting

Posted: 4/29/10 at 4:00pm

But I suppose we can lower our standards in other categories as well - why not Best Costume Design awarded for some clothes briefly glimpsed in a closet on stage? Best Actor going to an audience member who played a lively game of charades in the lobby one night? Best Orchestrations to an a capella song?

That would be hilarious if your analogy made sense. It's not about lowering standards, it's about eligibility. Unless a show is performed entirely in the nude or has no cast, it has costumes. Audience members are not credited as cast. And Best Orchestrations are awarded to orchestrations. Your personal redefinition of a category has nothing to do with "standards", you simply want to change the eligibility of the category and redefine what is considered a score for a Broadway show. Score nominations have only gone out to plays four times in 63 years, so it really is about something remarkable written for the stage that earned a nomination, though no play has ever taken home the prize.

Much Ado About Nothing - 1973
The Good Doctor - 1974
The Song of Jacob Zulu - 1993
Twelfth Night - 1999

Had the current requirements been set in 1990, I think Grapes of Wrath probably would have gotten a nomination over Meet Me in St. Louis.

"What can you expect from a bunch of seitan worshippers?" - Reginald Tresilian

Updated On: 4/29/10 at 04:00 PM

#30

3 days until the last Tony Administration Meeting

Posted: 4/29/10 at 4:05pm

That would be hilarious if your analogy made sense. It's not about lowering standards, it's about eligibility.

Absolutely. At any rate, an a cappella composition with harmonies would fall under vocal arrangement (for the harmonies) and composition (for the actual music and lyrics written), not orchestrations.

~Steven

#31

3 days until the last Tony Administration Meeting

Posted: 4/29/10 at 4:12pm

Precisely. Nobody is saying the award for Best Score should go to the choreographer or set designer. It should go to the composer of an original Broadway score. And if the best music written for a Broadway show happens to be for a play, that's ok.

"What can you expect from a bunch of seitan worshippers?" - Reginald Tresilian

#32

3 days until the last Tony Administration Meeting

Posted: 4/29/10 at 4:54pm

In terms of American Idiot getting a nom for score, I would love to see it happen. I'm going to play a little bit of symantics here...strictly for arguement's sake.

So the category requires the score to be at least 50% new and original. To me, this means that in order to get snubbed, at least 50% of the songs in AI would have to be the exact same as the original Green Day recordings.

As a huge Green Day fan (and huge theatre fan as well) I can tell you that not a single song from the show is exactly the same as the original recordings. Every single song has newly added instrument orchestrations and additional harmonies that cannot be found on the orignal album. So wouldn't that make the AI score 100% original...since every single song has been modified?

Updated On: 4/29/10 at 04:54 PM

#33

3 days until the last Tony Administration Meeting

Posted: 4/29/10 at 5:25pm

phslaxmidi102 - What you described sounds like it would qualify for Orchestrations, but every song from the score was adapted from their albums.

"What can you expect from a bunch of seitan worshippers?" - Reginald Tresilian

#34

3 days until the last Tony Administration Meeting

Posted: 4/29/10 at 6:11pm

Yes, that is the music/vocal arrangements and orchestrations by Tom Kitt, not to be confused with original material written for a show. What you have described makes Tom Kitt the perceived frontrunner to win his second consecutive Tony for Orchestrations.

~Steven

#35

3 days until the last Tony Administration Meeting

Posted: 4/29/10 at 6:46pm

Thanks to both of you for the clarification. Why in the world has there even been discussion about whether or not the should put in for consideration in the category. Sounds pretty cut and dry to me. With a good orator, my argument could probably persuade some people. Ha

#36

3 days until the last Tony Administration Meeting

Posted: 4/29/10 at 6:55pm

Haha, no worries, phslaxmidi102.

Some people may argue that the album, American Idiot, was originally intended to be a throughline story told on stage, similar to the argument made for Tommy. And that's why people think they should petition to be eligible. However, the rules of eligibility were changed after Tommy won Best Original Score. The Tony Awards always make strange inclusions and exceptions to their rules, so we have no idea what's going to happen. The fact that not many original scores have come out on Broadway this year (let alone good original scores) makes people want to urge the producers of American Idiot to petition the score's eligibility. I honestly could see it going either way.

~Steven

#37

3 days until the last Tony Administration Meeting

Posted: 4/30/10 at 10:50am

However, the rules of eligibility were changed after Tommy won Best Original Score.

They were changed four years after Tommy won when State Fair was nominated in the category of Best Score, but only four songs were allowed to be considered its entry into the category. Meanwhile, Victor/Victoria's four songs from the film were excluded from contention and it still was not nominated for Best Score. With the new eligibility rules, State Fair would automatically have been excluded and Victor/Victoria probably would have taken its slot. There is an interesting article in the NY Times about Merrick's law suit against the Tony panel.
Merrick Loses Suit Against Tony Panel

"What can you expect from a bunch of seitan worshippers?" - Reginald Tresilian

#38

3 days until the last Tony Administration Meeting

Posted: 4/30/10 at 11:50am

When do we find out if the best score of the season is eligible?

....but the world goes 'round

#39

3 days until the last Tony Administration Meeting

Posted: 4/30/10 at 11:51am

That's right, Mister Matt. It's so odd to read the fine print for State Fair's nomination that year, literally listing the songs in contention.

~Steven

#40

3 days until the last Tony Administration Meeting

Posted: 4/30/10 at 12:01pm

they did the same thing for Beauty And The Beast if I recall correctly. The score was only partially eligible.

....but the world goes 'round

#41

3 days until the last Tony Administration Meeting

Posted: 4/30/10 at 12:08pm

By the way, the title of this thread suggests the last meeting is occurring today. Is that true? Will we all finally know what's going on in Life?

~Steven

#42

3 days until the last Tony Administration Meeting

Posted: 4/30/10 at 12:09pm

Well yea, that's why I posted my question.

....but the world goes 'round

#43

3 days until the last Tony Administration Meeting

Posted: 4/30/10 at 12:11pm

I'm assuming we'll find out eligibility before Tuesday morning. Hopefully?

~Steven

#44

3 days until the last Tony Administration Meeting

Posted: 4/30/10 at 12:15pm

I guess I should have worded my question better.

What I am really asking is, will there be a press conference to announce the decisions or will some sort of press release be made available to sites like this and playbill.com for example.

Or, will we indeed have to wait until Tuesday morning.

....but the world goes 'round

#45

3 days until the last Tony Administration Meeting

Posted: 4/30/10 at 12:22pm

They always send out a press release after the meeting.

Given that the nominators are meeting this weekend, the meeting is surely occurring today, probably at this very moment.

#46

3 days until the last Tony Administration Meeting

Posted: 4/30/10 at 12:24pm

As Adam suggests above, we should have news very shortly as I just received an email from an industry friend that the meeting ended a little while ago. He knows a few of the decisions (they call the individual shows that made petitions to notify them if they were accepted or rejected) but was not willing to share them with me.

"No matter how much you want the part, never let 'em see you sweat." -- Old Dry Idea commercial

#47

3 days until the last Tony Administration Meeting

Posted: 4/30/10 at 12:26pm

Great, so it's just a matter of time...

~Steven

#48

3 days until the last Tony Administration Meeting

Posted: 4/30/10 at 12:48pm

Nothing about American Idiot's score. So I assume it will be Memphis and The Addams Family nominated.

#49

3 days until the last Tony Administration Meeting

Posted: 4/30/10 at 12:52pm

That's what I think as well. And Enron.

....but the world goes 'round

#50

3 days until the last Tony Administration Meeting

Posted: 4/30/10 at 12:53pm

I am with Taz here, this is the perfect season to remind people that a score can be from a play as well.

David walked into the valley With a stone clutched in his hand He was only a boy But he knew someone must take a stand There will always be a valley Always mountains one must scale There will always be perilous waters Which someone must sail -Into the Fire Scarlet Pimpernel

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