Beacon Theatre Tony Awards

[wrightstateboy45]

Posted: 6/18/11 at 8:24am

Am I the only one who actually liked the Tony Awards at the Beacon Theatre more? I thought they did a superb job with the set design this year and it didn't looked to cluttered or cheesy. I love Radio City Music Hall, but I've always hated how they designed the stage when it comes to the show...IMO it looked a little tacky. I love the inside of the Beacon and really thought the show from a visual stand point looked very very polished and chic!

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 6/18/11 at 9:31am

Didn't the red carpet have to be outside Fairway, though? That's kind of a negative.

[frogs_fan85]

Posted: 6/18/11 at 9:57am

The red carpet was behind the theater actually, not on Broadway.

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 6/18/11 at 9:58am

Oh, ha. They kept saying "across the street" so I assumed they meant outside the grocery store.

[best12bars]

Posted: 6/18/11 at 10:21am

I definitely liked it better and noticed an improvement on TV.

Is the stage at Radio City Music Hall bigger than this (sister theatre) stage? It feels that way. I always thought the performances were getting swallowed up at RCMH, and I didn't feel that way this time.

I think the Beacon is a better choice, especially because of the telecast.

[broadwaydevil]

Posted: 6/18/11 at 10:39am

Yes - Radio City Music Hall has a much larger stage than the Beacon, which I agree made some of the performances feel very lost. The only major negative with the switch is the number of people who usually were able to attend decreased dramatically, which is pretty unfortunate for people who worked tirelessly on their respective shows this year.

[ReggieonBway]

Posted: 6/18/11 at 11:11am

The only people who didn't like it are on these boards. It was the best Tony Award ceremony I've seen since I've been old enough to appreciate them. NPH was a fantastic host.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 6/18/11 at 11:29am

Had they used the 175 th Street as was once proposed they would have had about 500/600 more seats plus a georgeous lobby. Unfortunately, its uptown location would have been a logistic nightmare.

[broadwaydevil]

Posted: 6/18/11 at 11:39am

Reggie - I never said I didn't like it. I actually thought it was the best Tony Awards in years. All I did was point out one negative aspect.

[Q]

Posted: 6/18/11 at 12:15pm

I thought the change in venue made it more like being able to participate in the NYC theater community honoring itself, rather than watching yet another over-produced spectacle for the masses. There was a bit of 'soul' to this event, which I never felt in the cavernous music hall.

[best12bars]

Posted: 6/18/11 at 1:58pm

I think the Beacon is a good compromise. It's larger than a Broadway theatre, so you can get more industry people, friends, and fans in to see it and it has a grander feel, but it's not too big, like Radio City, where the performances are dwarfed on that stage and much of the excitement and personality is swallowed up by the sheer size of the venue.

[ReggieonBway]

Posted: 6/18/11 at 2:55pm

"Reggie - I never said I didn't like it. I actually thought it was the best Tony Awards in years. All I did was point out one negative aspect."

I never said you didn't.

[MyLife]

Posted: 6/18/11 at 3:21pm

Smaller house SHOULD mean increased ratings, albeit only a few hundred more..

[dramamama611]

Posted: 6/18/11 at 3:48pm

Lots of folks that might have otherwise GONE to the Tonys watched it in mass places: like Times Square or a party. Only one screen -- regardless of how many people may have watched.

I, too, liked the Tonys. It was not a fault of the program that most of the winners were not suprises. (I totally did not appreciate Chris Rock, however)

[broadwaydevil]

Posted: 6/18/11 at 4:27pm

Reggie - since I was the only who said anything negative, I assumed you were referring to me. If not, my mistake.

[erikinthecity2]

Posted: 6/18/11 at 6:21pm

Liked the new venue, but can we get a new Production Designer? I am not in love with the brickwork and marquee look anymore. It's old, it's been done. Let's bring something more interesting to the look of the Tonys.

[everythingtaboo]

Posted: 6/19/11 at 12:41am

I just loved the fact that there were no real sound issues, and seeing as they use the same TV production company, I blame all those past problems on Radio City. Don't know why, just do.