Bruce Springsteen - special Tony Award disgust

[binau]

Posted: 6/17/18 at 8:34am

So let me get this straight. Bruce Springsteen uses Broadway as a rental agency - charging obscene amounts of money for some concerts and taking up some prime Broadway real estate in the process - and then get rewarded a Tony Award?

Meanwhile, Bernadette - a genuine Broadway star - doesn't get nominated for Follies. And receives nothing for her amazing replacement performances in A Little Night Music and Hello Dolly. This is bull****!

#givethetonysbacktoBroadway  

[JBroadway]

Posted: 6/17/18 at 8:45am

She may have been the only one of the 4 leads in Follies to not get nominated, but she was also the only one of the 4 to walk away with a Tony that night. Don't forget she was given the Isabelle Stevenson Tony that year. 

[Scott19]

Posted: 6/17/18 at 8:49am

The special Tony was announced a while ago. And you’re posting this now??

Those who have have seen Springsteen on Broadway know that it is much more than just a concert. It’s an autobiographical monologue with music which was one of the best things that I’ve seen on stage in recent years.

Love me some Bernadette. And she’s had some good Tony love over the years.

Sorry you are so upset

Updated On: 6/17/18 at 08:49 AM

[dramamama611]

Posted: 6/17/18 at 9:04am

Broadway IS a rental space.  Anyone with the money (and timing) can get that done.

 

Sorry for your outrage.   I'm pretty sure Ms Peters holds none of the animosity that you do.   It's totally different people that determine noms v special Tonys. 

[HogansHero]

Posted: 6/17/18 at 9:07am

The Tonys are about making money, nothing else. Bruce makes them money, Bernadette does not. 

If you give the Tonys back to Broadway, there will be less money to produce shows. There will be less shows produced. Will you be happy then? 

Broadway, like most things in life, is a compromise. People who don't compromise usually lose in the end. That said, Bruce was not a compromise. His show was (to me at least) better as theatre than at least two of the plays nominated this season, and his songs were better than three of the musicals.  

[adamgreer]

Posted: 6/17/18 at 9:09am

Springsteen getting a Tony has nothing to do with Peters not being nominated for Follies or not receiving a special Tony for her recent replacement work. I fail to see the connection here.

[EdEval]

Posted: 6/17/18 at 9:14am

From the way he performed at the Tonys he didn't deserve it. Playing only four chords over and over and talk sing about his family in Jersey was dull when he could and should have rocked the place down which he didn't.  A very luke warm reception afterwards.  Bruce should have done better.

[ColorTheHours048]

Posted: 6/17/18 at 9:16am

I don’t like Bruce Springsteen and I sure as hell won’t be seeing his show, but his “taking up valuable real estate” is putting money into the pockets of commercial producers who will use those newly fat wallets to fund other projects.

Maybe I’m not the audience for his show, but I can at least see the value in his show playing to sold out houses 5 times a week - for both his fans and for future producing endeavors.

[Huss417]

Posted: 6/17/18 at 9:28am

Hey we have two shows that want our theatre. The choices are Bruce Springsteen or Margaritaville.

[Andy51]

Posted: 6/17/18 at 9:38am

I still tend to think it is a category mistake to treat the Springsteen show as theatre.  Many musicians (particularly folk musicians) incorporate a good amount of autobiographical material (and other reflections) into their shows without anyone believing that they have just witnessed theatre.  Theatre, at least as I (non-dogmatically) conceive of it, involves at least some element of the actor's craft.  Springsteen may be a good storyteller, but part of his appeal is that he is presenting his authentic self rather than acting.  I have no problem with Springsteen performing on Broadway.  But I do think the Tony perpetuates what is arguably a problematic conflation of performing in a theatre on Broadway with performing theatre.  

[LxGstv]

Posted: 6/17/18 at 10:01am

I just think it should be noted that he’s not actually paying for the theater, they just offered it to him rent-free. Which I’m sure will only outrage the OP even more.

[Jonathan Cohen]

Posted: 6/17/18 at 10:08am

Unless something has changed from their original deal, Springsteen is not paying rent on the Walter Kerr Theatre. The deal that was struck is he can play there for free, the alternative was the theater remaining closed because of Amelie's unexpected flop, and Jujamcyn keeps all of the concession sales. 

Which makes the high ticket prices for Springsteen on Broadway that much more offensive. Other than his wife appearing for a couple of songs, Springsteen is doing a one man show meaning low overhead, but despite his working man persona, most tickets are between $300-$800. (I paid $800 for a pair of tickets which is no one's fault but my own, but it's still greedy. Both things can be true.)

Having seen the full show, I thought the self indulgent endless intro to My Hometown was the most irritating part the entire night, and have no idea why they used it on the Tonys. 

All of that said, Bruce Springsteen's show was still better than many of the shows that were nominated, and as he was given a Tony out of competition, his award is not taking one away from anyone else. He wasn't even the only person to receive a special Tony for a one man show this year, John Leguizamo did too.  

 

[JBC3]

Posted: 6/17/18 at 11:18am

qolbinau said: "So let me get this straight. Bruce Springsteen usesBroadway as a rental agency - charging obscene amounts of money for some concerts and taking up some prime Broadway real estate in the process - and then get rewarded a Tony Award?

Meanwhile, Bernadette - a genuine Broadway star - doesn't get nominated for Follies. And receives nothing for her amazing replacement performances in A Little Night Music and Hello Dolly. This is bull****!

#givethetonysbacktoBroadway"

apples and oranges or Bruces and Bernadettes

as much as I love Bernadette, nothing to equate here.

[BroadwayConcierge]

Posted: 6/17/18 at 12:15pm

If his show is as boring as his Tonys performance was, then he definitely doesn't deserve a Special Tony.

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 6/17/18 at 12:16pm

Bernadette was woefully miscast in Follies.

Build a bridge and get over it.

[poisonivy2]

Posted: 6/17/18 at 1:02pm

Bernadette's croaking and warbling just about ruin that album of Follies for me. Next I bet you're going to bring in how it's all the fault of the liberal progressives and their tolerance of other religions as the reason Bernadette didn't get a Tony for Follies.

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 6/17/18 at 1:35pm

poisonivy2 said: "Bernadette's croaking and warbling just about ruin that album of Follies for me. Next I bet you're going to bring in how it's all the fault of the liberal progressives and their tolerance of other religions as the reason Bernadette didn't get a Tony for Follies."

The accuracy.

[binau]

Posted: 6/17/18 at 1:43pm

poisonivy2 said: "Bernadette's croaking and warbling just about ruin that album of Follies for me. Next I bet you're going to bring in how it's all the fault of the liberal progressives and their tolerance of other religions as the reason Bernadette didn't get a Tony for Follies."

Well three things:

1. I obviously mentioned Bernadette because it's me, but it's not my main point. I would rather the award have gone to no one than Bruce Springsteen. It was just an example of a real Broadway legend who could be deserving of a special Tony Award. I do understand the reasons why they probably gave it to him though, which I believe Hogan et al. have covered well in the thread.

2. I only would claim that tolerance of intolerance, such as in the example you provide, relates to outcomes such as oppression of gay people and women. But I realise that so called progressives prove time and time again they don't care about gay people or women, especially if they happened to be born in a muslim community.

3. The reason Bernadette didn't get a Tony for Follies is because of bad taste, that's all (and looking back, it was quite a competitive year). If you listen to "In Buddy's Eyes" and can only hear 'croaking and warbling' I actually feel sorry for you, lol. But when it comes to taste I guess you either got it, or you ain't.

Updated On: 6/17/18 at 01:43 PM

[Sondheimite]

Posted: 6/17/18 at 1:52pm

And I guess the entire nominating committee, voters for the awards that Peters was nominated for (and lost) that year, and many members of this board (along with general audiences, as Follies did not come close to making it's money back) just don't have taste?

Updated On: 6/17/18 at 01:52 PM

[binau]

Posted: 6/17/18 at 1:58pm

Yes, exactly.

[Huss417]

Posted: 6/17/18 at 2:21pm

"I only would claim that tolerance of intolerance, such as in the example you provide, relates to outcomes such as oppression of gay people and women. But I realise that so called progressives prove time and time again they don't care about gay people or women, especially if they happened to be born in a muslim community."

I try to not get involved in these conversations. But what facts are you basing this reprehensible statement on? And what this had to do with your original post is so far out of the topic. 

Updated On: 6/17/18 at 02:21 PM

[TotallyEffed]

Posted: 6/17/18 at 2:23pm

Don’t bother arguing with this delusional, hateful person. Not worth it!

DELUSION!

[binau]

Posted: 6/17/18 at 2:27pm

It is in response to poisonivy2's post directly referring to it (which I agree has nothing to do with the topic, so I don't think we have to go down this path and I'm not wanting to get blamed for derailing this thread when I didn't even bring it up). But in case you are looking to understand what I'm speaking out, the issues are often covered in some of these sources. Essentially, the issue I'm referring to is one that a fraction of so called progressive people suddenly become not so progressive in defending gay rights, the truth and women's rights when they are under attack by right-wing religions that don't originate in Western countries (even if the victims are the people they are meant to care about most, such as gay muslims). But I've spoken about this topic to death* (no pun intended given the severe outcomes for gay people can involve their death!), so I agree that there is no need to get into it further. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Homosexuality_and_religion

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Hitchens

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Harris

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richard_Dawkins

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_in_Islam

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_in_Islam

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regressive_left

https://www.reddit.com/r/exmuslim/

Updated On: 6/17/18 at 02:27 PM

[Jonathan Cohen]

Posted: 6/17/18 at 2:38pm

PThespian said: "I can’t speak for all the Unions, but I can tell you that the Front of House staff gets paid for eight shows a week even though it doesn’t play that many.

If it’s similar for the other unions that might help explain part of the reason why ticket prices are so high."

Not working in the industry, it wouldn't even occur to me that the staff at the Kerr were being adversely affected by Springsteen's lighter performance schedule, but I'm glad to hear that doesn't appear to be the case. 

I'm sure that's not the main reason I was paying $400 a ticket for mezzanine seating but at least the profits from those crazy high ticket prices are getting spread around a little.   

[BroadwayRox3588]

Posted: 6/17/18 at 2:41pm

I just love when threads get thrown out of whack and off-topic by the person who started the thread