Are The Producers Of BILLY ELLIOT Comping Every Tony Voter To See The Show Three Times?

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 4/27/09 at 12:45pm

If all three boys are being combined into one nomination, and assuming that they are nominated, are the producers going to provide three comps for each Tony voter so they can see every contender in the slot?

There are approximately 750 Tony voters. That's 2250 comped Orchestra/Front Mezzanine seats. A lot of money. $284,625 to be exact.

I suppose they will have to if the boys are nominated.

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 4/27/09 at 12:47pm

Also, with the fact that a set schedule for the three boys isn't published, wouldn't this be very difficult to accomplish for all Tony voters?

[being.jeremiah]

Posted: 4/27/09 at 1:03pm

At This Performance

DAVID ALVAREZ
TRENT KOWALIK
KIRIL KULISH

will all be playing Billy
at random numbers.

Oh what fun.

[sgv123]

Posted: 4/27/09 at 1:15pm

^ They did that for the 1st birthday in London, so that may be a possibility here for the 1st birthday.
Updated On: 4/27/09 at 01:15 PM

[adamgreer]

Posted: 4/27/09 at 1:21pm

Why would anyone ever expect something rational and logical from the Tony Awards committee?

They're going to nominate all three Billys, and probably award them for the sole purpose of the publicity it will bring.

There's no way the producers are comping every voter three times to see each Billy. Which means technically, each voter who votes in that category without seeing them all will be committing fraud.

As much as I enjoyed the two Billys I saw (Kiril and David), the more I think about this, the less right it seems to nominate them. A special award would have been the way to go.
Updated On: 4/27/09 at 01:21 PM

[LoveIsCompany]

Posted: 4/27/09 at 1:28pm

No, each Tony voter was given comps to one performance of Billy Elliot.

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 4/27/09 at 1:30pm

Then how can they vote to give a Tony Award to two people whose performances they never saw?

[musicman117]

Posted: 4/27/09 at 1:38pm

This is exactly why i didn't like the idea of the boys being nominated as Best Leading Actor. If they wanted to acknowledge the boys, it should have been a special award. If the boys are indeed nominated (which is looking apparent) it would be nominating the role and not the actor, which, in my opinion, is wrong. The role can be commended in the best book and best score categories. Best Actor should be about the actor creating the role. If they are nominated jointly, it would be a publicity stunt. I understand the role is difficult, but you just cannot nominate a role for best actor.

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 4/27/09 at 1:39pm

I have seen all three original Billys (two of them twice) and I can say with 100% certainty that they all deserve to win the Tony Award for Best Actor.

However, I completely agree with Foster...it's crazy to think that the voters will be voting for someone (two people in fact) that they did not see in the role.

[adamgreer]

Posted: 4/27/09 at 1:48pm

Whether or not one person who has seen them all thinks they should win is irrelevant. The 700-odd voters will have not seen them all.

When those voters sign their ballots, stating they've seen all the nominated performances, they will each be committing fraud.

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 4/27/09 at 1:58pm

If a specific Tony voter has seen both Kiril and David, but wanted to see Trent, would the "rotation" be made available to that Tony voter?

[adamgreer]

Posted: 4/27/09 at 1:59pm

Probably not, seeing as how that schedule often changes at the very last minute. I've seen the name on the lobby board get changed after 7 PM, when there is an 8 PM curtain.

[WithoutATrace]

Posted: 4/27/09 at 2:07pm

Then it is virtually impossible for every Tony voter to see all three Billys.

Did the three Billys win the award in London? Was the fact that not every voter saw each Billy contraversial there too?

[wickedrentq]

Posted: 4/27/09 at 2:31pm

I'm not sure how it was accomplished, but the Tony nominators saw all 3 Billys, but the rest of the voters have seen one.

[winston89]

Posted: 4/27/09 at 2:41pm

WithoutATrace,

The three Billy's did win the award for best actor in London. I don't think it caused any trouble there. I think that most people were happy to see such young actors win the award. They did it that way in London because each of them were playing the role equally through out the week which is why I wouldn't be shocked if they did it this way in America for the same reason.

[sgv123]

Posted: 4/27/09 at 2:50pm

All four Billys won it in Sydney as well. Having 4...they each performed the show less. I don't ever remember any problems in London or Sydney with that decision.
Updated On: 4/27/09 at 02:50 PM

[WhizzerMarvin]

Posted: 4/27/09 at 3:10pm

Do the voters really all sign something saying they've seen all the nominees in all the catagories? If so I'm sure MANY of them are lying.

[boyfromoz2]

Posted: 4/27/09 at 3:26pm

There was absolutely no questions asked when the four Sydney Billys won their Helpmann Award or when the five Melbourne Billys won their Green Room Award - it was just accepted and even applauded by some.

I don't get the big deal. Why does it matter which one they saw? They're ALL incredible dancers, singers and actors who completely do justice to the role.

Was there a big fuss about the Mimìs, Rodolfos, Musettas and Marcellos from the 2002 La Boheme revival? As I recall the main couple were triple cast, with the other two having two casts. Were they eligible for Tonys?
Updated On: 4/27/09 at 03:26 PM

[Wanna Be A Foster]

Posted: 4/27/09 at 3:31pm

The LA BOHEME triple-casts were awarded one single Tony Honors for Excellence in Theatre.

They were deemed INELIGIBLE for regular Acting nominations.

I don't get the big deal. Why does it matter which one they saw? They're ALL incredible dancers, singers and dancers who completely do justice to the role.

How are voters supposed to know that they ALL are "incredible dancers, singers and dancers who completely do justice to the role" if they don't get to see ALL of them?

[adamgreer]

Posted: 4/27/09 at 3:33pm

No.

The La Boheme cast received a special award that year.

The year Swan Lake played Broadway, the only "swan" eligible for Best Actor was Adam Cooper, who performed opening night. The other swan, whom he rotated with, was not eligible.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 4/27/09 at 3:40pm

Do the voters really all sign something saying they've seen all the nominees in all the catagories? If so I'm sure MANY of them are lying.

Oh, that's merely a formality that has not been followed 100% for a very long time. Whether or not their comps were picked up are supposed to be reported to the committee, but there are ways around that and I'm sure not everyone checks very closely. I knew a Tony voter who simply could not get to NYC for every show, especially those that closed rather quickly. When I asked him one season about Aida winning the Tony for score, he simply replied, "Well, it won by default because it was the only musical score this season." After that, the Tonys made sense to me.

[ratherbewhaling]

Posted: 4/27/09 at 3:40pm

I think it's ridiculous that they're predicted to win. The tony voters will be awarding the popularity of the show rather than the actual "best actor"

[Theatreboy49]

Posted: 4/27/09 at 3:44pm

This is why they should have been given a special award. I think it is unfair to the other nominees if they get voted against when they dont see two of the three actors.

[defyingravity07]

Posted: 4/27/09 at 3:48pm

I don't get the big deal. Why does it matter which one they saw? They're ALL incredible dancers, singers and actors who completely do justice to the role.

Well if you say that then it must be true. They really are NOT incredible singers.

[LoveIsCompany]

Posted: 4/27/09 at 3:48pm

The voters only saw one Billy, and it was luck of the draw as to which they saw.