Anyone else fed up with the tony awards?

[Zenachick]

Posted: 6/5/05 at 11:19pm

I look foward to watching the Tony Awards every year and every year I end up being bored out of my mind, but today I was really mad when the end of the show once again had to be cut short because of time. There are a few categories that should be allowed to finish their speeches-one of them being 'best musical.' The awards show has so much extra junk in it that it runs over and the category that many people watch the show to see is jiped on time. I love Hugh Jackman's voice, but there was no reason for him to sing two numbers-even if he was the host.
Anyone else feel similarlly?

[BluCat500]

Posted: 6/5/05 at 11:21pm

...a bit annoyed, but i don't think I'll ever help looking foward too it every year and watching it avidly, at this point being frustrated and argueing about some of the wins is just part of the routine

[mebice]

Posted: 6/5/05 at 11:24pm

*rises hand timidly*
Yes...hated the somewhere number...especially because they showed that financial services commercial during EVERY commercial break with that song. I think I heard that song a total of 10 times...and 9 of them were at least decent.
I mean I can't believe they cut off all those people and then cut their mics...thats just not right.
one thing is for sure...the timing was OUTRAGEOUS throughout the whole thing...a couple people got fired tonight ...thats for sure.

*runs aways to hide*

[Broadway_freak]

Posted: 6/5/05 at 11:27pm

Are the Tony's always this boring and drawn out? The one last year was pretty good, especially Donna Murphy from Wonderful Town. She made the Tony's for me.

[NYC_or_Bust]

Posted: 6/5/05 at 11:29pm

I think Jackman is the most versatile ACTOR there is. I love watching him perform, but I mean the entire number he did in the audience could def. have been cut and let the Best Musical speech have more time. I wasn't impressed with the way they did the speech (them and a few others), but regardless, I don't think there should be all kinds of showy nonsense when there are speeches and performers from current shows that could be filling that time AKA CHITTY CHITTY F*CKIN BANG BANG!

AHHHH I am so mad! How magical would that have been to get the car to fly over that little section of VIPs but oh well...can't do it over again. I guess we'll just have to wait till the revival of CHitty to see if they'll get to perform

[ConvinceMe2]

Posted: 6/5/05 at 11:32pm

I thought it was better than last year's show; but that's not saying much. I can't imagine anyone but the most dyed-in-the-wool theater fan watching it. Don't know why CBS even shows it. If anyone actually did tune-in, they surely tuned-out by 9:00.

[Zenachick]

Posted: 6/5/05 at 11:33pm

I just wonder who makes all of the decisions for this awards show-it never gets good ratings becuase of how longs and sometimes dull it is. That commercial with the song 'somewhere' was awful. It was so slow and dull.

[DreamFlyer22]

Posted: 6/5/05 at 11:51pm

So, wait... Hugh was the HOST??! Coulda fooled me. After the first hour he was the amazing invisible man who only pops in for a pointless singing/dancing cameo or two.

[VIETgrlTerifa]

Posted: 6/5/05 at 11:55pm

I did enjoy this year better than last year, but I agree with many here. I didn't enjoy Hugh's numbers at all and could've definitely been cut. I mean they could have used the time to showcase more of the plays and at least show a clip of the Tony nominated revival of Pacific Overtures.

However, all the things I didn't enjoy about this telecast didn't stop me from enjoying the show and having a good time just celebrating this season of theatre.

[Brodybaby03]

Posted: 6/6/05 at 12:01am

I was COMPLETELY over it!
Hugh did disappear and that was insane. Aretha Franklin....how can anyone assosciated with Theater consider it a worthy tradition to continue this "tradition" of pop singers...coming out of NOWHERE to BUTCHER songs by some of Broadway's BEST! How is Aretha Franklin in her Weave and Moo Moo a fitting 75th Birthday tribute to SONDHEIM!
AND PS!
WHO THE HELL WAS FILMING THIS THING the Camera angle was like from the mezzanine Half the time! I can't AFFORD Spamalot tickets so can't you at least let me see them damn show on the Tonys , the camera was so far away I couldn't see anything going on, they showed Jerry Orbach's picture for all of 3 seconds...that was VERY nice of them, Marlon Brando for a split mili second....The song selections were TERRIBLE>...what the HELL was with Light in the Piazza?
It was a mess. Putnam County was brilliant. They gave people all of 10 seconds to make a speech it was just a slap in the face to theater fans.

[DreamFlyer22]

Posted: 6/6/05 at 12:05am

Good to hear I wasn't the only one who scoffed at this "tradition"... A) I didn't know doing it for the first time the previous year made it a tradition, and B) WHY continue it anyway?? Didn't people hate it last year, too?

[rKrispyt]

Posted: 6/6/05 at 12:07pm

my sentiments exactly dreamflyer22 - when they went into their "last year we started a tradition by inviting mary j. blige..." ...well, words can't express the groaning and overall stomach churning.

Yeah - people hated it last year too - or at least, I know of no one who liked it. It took time away, and what the hell was the point again? Oh yeah, to try to get non-theatre folk to tune in by dangling 'pop star/hollywood celebs who aren't theatre related' in front of their face. Thanks for ruining our Tony's with that by the way...no, really, it's okay, I didn't wanna hear what the people who won actually had to say, why would I wanna do that? No man, I'm watchin' for the desperate housewives and the grammy winners - and it's a nice filler inbetween the grammy's and the oscars...

Seriously, is there anyone to write to to say "I beg of you, stop the madness!! Save the Tony's broadcast while there's still time!!" ?

[Roxie_Hart]

Posted: 6/6/05 at 12:21pm

I agree 100%. The fact that that stupid commercial kept playing "Somewhere" and then we had to listen to them sing it AGAIN was so not necessary. I was really angry at them for cutting off both Norbert and the SPAMALOT folks. Time management, people.

[My Fair Lady]

Posted: 6/6/05 at 12:38pm

I enjoyed the Tonys, but I hated "Somewhere" and Hugh didn't really need his songs. He's amazing, but was there really a point in him singing "Never Gonna Dance"? However, it was much better than last year.

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 6/6/05 at 10:41pm

As someone who has been watching the Tony telecasts every year since the 25th anniversary edition in 1971 I have seen the great ones, the OK ones and the truly awful ones.

For me, this one was OK.

Part of the cross each telecast has to bear is the quality of the nominated musicals, since they provide the entertainment. In weak seasons when even the nominated shows are not strong the energy of the telecast lags. When there are some strong nominees, and some genuine uncertainty as to who will win, the telecast feeds on that energy. There is nothing more boring than having presenters read a list of nominees, open an envelope and announce a winner except, of course, listing to that winner read a list of endless thank yous to lovers, family, agents and 5th grade teachers! And THAT is what makes up the bulk of all awards shows.

I think a montage of scenes showcasing the nominees would be far more interesting. And rather than allowing them to make speeches, the winners should perform. Dramatic actors can perform a short monologue. Musicals stars can perform a key solo from their shows. When Best Play wins, we can see a brief but compelling scene from the production. And the Best Musical can perform an extended production number at the end of the telecast.

This would eliminate the need for the hosts to introduce presenters who do some usually unfunny scripted banter all of which wastes time and pulls us away from what the Tonys (and the theatre in this case) is all about: ENTERTAINMENT.

[justme2]

Posted: 6/6/05 at 11:12pm

"And rather than allowing them to make speeches, the winners should perform. Dramatic actors can perform a short monologue. Musicals stars can perform a key solo from their shows. When Best Play wins, we can see a brief but compelling scene from the production. And the Best Musical can perform an extended production number at the end of the telecast."

This is a fantastic idea! I think that would definitely be a step in the right direction.

[cturtle]

Posted: 6/6/05 at 11:12pm

i've been watching the tonys for years also, and it USED to be a very tight and throughly entertaining 2-hour show. i hate to see it go the way of the oscars with a "comedy" host who adds nothing to the precedings and "filler" that only makes the show that much longer and tedious. it has been done well in the past, and it can and should be done well again.

[bwayfan3]

Posted: 6/7/05 at 12:00am

I have to say. I think the Memorial tribute this year was the worst, most tasteless thing I've ever seen. I think it rivaled Rob Lowe and Snow White at the OScars.

[justme2]

Posted: 6/7/05 at 12:08am

HAHAHAHA!

I had forgotten about Snow White and Rob Lowe at the oscars! That was a travesty that was well worth watching.

[nmartin]

Posted: 6/7/05 at 12:37am

This year was the first time since the year of Ragtime and The Lion King that I watched the Tonys. I won't watch them again for several more years.