Commercials for the Tony Awards

[beacon1]

Posted: 5/28/06 at 10:07pm

I saw a couple of different commercials for the Tony Awards tonight. (There's even a clip from Barefoot in the Park--which surprised me.)

I was wondering what kind of viewership numbers are expected this year.

[Yankeefan007]

Posted: 5/28/06 at 10:09pm

The people on the board and nobody else, like usual?

[beacon1]

Posted: 5/28/06 at 10:13pm

Hasn't there been a concern that another year of low ratings and it'll be shoved to PBS?

[Just_John]

Posted: 5/28/06 at 11:21pm

eww than for sure noone would watch it. Didn't it have pretty high ratings last year and won an emmy??
Updated On: 5/28/06 at 11:21 PM

[Thesbijean]

Posted: 5/28/06 at 11:23pm

They are hoping that Oprah will help boost ratings, but I think this year will not be anything higher ratings wise than past years.

If only it were the 1970's, when the Tonys were watched...

[CapnHook]

Posted: 5/28/06 at 11:37pm

With no host, they gotta boost all the presenters names.

Julia Roberts, Glenn Close and Oprah are big. Then they have Harry Conick Jr. and Eric McCormack, Hank Azaria, etc. Plus its the 60th annual awards which boost it minutely.

I have zero expectations for a ratings increase, but I'm hopeful they will at least not drop. For SOME reason I have a gut feeling it'll rise.

They gotta market this thing. And Oprah better plug it on her show!

[Broadwayluva]

Posted: 5/29/06 at 10:39am

i have to say, i really like the commercials i've been seeing so far!

[Colle]

Posted: 5/29/06 at 11:21am

I hope they get good ratings, because I think the broad cast might be moved to cable eventully if it gets bad ratings, and I don't have cable and probably will not be getting it in the near future.

[withoutlovewithoutU]

Posted: 6/1/06 at 2:25pm

Maybe I'm out of the loop, but why isn't there a host?
My mom said she saw an add where they were showing alot of Matt Broadrick and nathen clips, what's up with that?

[ken8631]

Posted: 6/1/06 at 2:46pm

Since I'll be there, it might be dissappointing during commercial breaks when the host usually comes out to entertain the crowd (as Hugh did perfectly).

I haven't seen any of the commercials yet, but I basically only watch shows through TIVO now, and zoom through all the commercials.... So I may be missing them....

[jensen11us2]

Posted: 6/1/06 at 3:04pm

Yeah I am in the same boat. I had a blast during the breaks when Hugh came out. I recall last year they had video clips of random interviews and what not maybe they will have some more this year. I know it's not nearly as entertaining as that young man that was allowed to come up and sing on stage, but mayeb we will have a few laughs!

[Gothampc]

Posted: 6/1/06 at 3:05pm

"Maybe I'm out of the loop, but why isn't there a host?"

Because they are stupid. People expect a host. The idea of 60 presenters will make the show disjointed. Who welcomes the audience? Who says "thanks for watching, goodbye"?

The real reason is that nobody wanted to be the host. All the big names didn't want to do it, and nobody knows the little names.

[jensen11us2]

Posted: 6/1/06 at 3:09pm

I know its so sad. I thought they should have asked Ellen! They may have I am not sure but I thought she would have been great.

[CapnHook]

Posted: 6/1/06 at 3:11pm

The commercial during the broadcast of the game show thingy was quite good.

[James2]

Posted: 6/1/06 at 3:34pm

Are any of them on youtube yet?

[ken8631]

Posted: 6/1/06 at 3:37pm

I wonder what they will do during commercial breaks this year with no host? There are a LOT of commercials!!!!

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 6/1/06 at 3:45pm

CBS renewed the show last year for another couple of years, I believe. Despite the low ratings, they say they and their advertisers like demographics of the people who watch the show (folks who can afford to travel to New York, pay for hotels and buy $110 theatre tickets; they're also on average better educated). That's why you see a lot of fancy wine and luxury car commercials (Mercedes etc....) during the telecast. Not sure how long that commitment will continue (given only 6 million peple watched it the last couple of years it's amazing it's gone on as long as it has), but apparently it won't be going to PBS or wherever in the immediate future.

It's never going to do well ratings-wise nationally. Theatre can't be mass marketed like film, tv or music so the number of people who can ever see a given show in tiny, thus limiting broad appeal. More people will watch the lowest rated lousy WB sitcom this week than will see WICKED in an entire year of soldout performances. The Tonys have been inviting major celebrities to be part of the telecast for years and the ratings continue to drop. While they can continue to do that, the thing that used to separate the Tonys from all the other awards shows was that every year they put on the classiest and most entertaining show of the year. Broadway people are the greatest singers and dancers on the planet and the show always made a point of showcasing that. The Alexander Cohen years from the early 70s to the mid 80s were remarkable shows that featured Broadway legends (as well as newcomers) doing what they do best, doing tributes to important THEATRE composers and choreographers and recreating showstoppers from the past and present. And you know what? The ratings were solid year after year -- not GREAT, but a heck of a lot better than they have been on the past decade.

Somewhere along the way, the powers-that-be thought that just throwing celebrities -- ANY celebrities -- on the stage was enough to get people to tune in (clearly it's not) and they forgot about the kind of production values that was the show's hallmark for decades. It was when the Tonys started to try and look like the Grammys or MTV Awards or whatever that the ratings started to plunge. Personally I adore Mary J Blige and Aretha Franklin and own many of their albums, but they just don't belong at The Tonys. The Tonys should be an unapologetic celebration of theatre and a demonstration of why Broadway does it better than anywhere else in the world. When the people who run the Tonys get back to that and stop worrying about attracting a "young demographic" -- that ain't ever gonna happen -- maybe the show will get back to what it's suppose to be and the ratings will stop dropping year after year.

[uncageg]

Posted: 6/1/06 at 4:08pm

Commercials have been running here in Denver for about 2 weeks. The two I have seen have not mentioned any of the names of the 60 presenters. One appeared to be made before the announcement but the second looks as if it may have been done after as it shows shots from nominated shows.

I will be there also and hope they find something fun to do during the breaks. That was something I was looking forward to.

[ken8631]

Posted: 6/1/06 at 4:11pm

I agree with Margo.... Hopefully they will get back to what Broadway people do best....

It is still fun to attend though!

[bare_nakedlady]

Posted: 6/1/06 at 4:22pm

"Hasn't there been a concern that another year of low ratings and it'll be shoved to PBS?"

Although, as Margo pointed out that this should not happen too soon, didn't PBS, in the past, show the First Ten awards? I seem to remember that. And, if they would do that again, it wouldn't be so bad.

[jensen11us2]

Posted: 6/1/06 at 4:24pm

I totally agree. They need to bring it back to its roots and stop trying to get this new crowd. I am sure that they will show some of the same video things during the comercial breaks like they did last year and maybe a cleb or two might pop out. I am looking forward to it because its the 60th Aniversary so I am sure there are going to be some nice treats, and the after parties are always my fav. Does anyone know if there are doing that thing again where they have the first hour on PBS, and if so who is hosting that? Because last year it was Idina and the year before was Marrisa.

[Gothampc]

Posted: 6/1/06 at 4:32pm

The moment it jumped the shark was when Liza Minnelli and Lorna Luft did a medley that included "If Momma was Married".

That was the moment that the theater gods turned their back on the Tonys.

[uncageg]

Posted: 6/1/06 at 4:47pm

I just saw a commercial the other day and was surprised that they weren't showing Oprah and Julia as presenters. It just said celebrating 60 years with 60 stars. But they didn't name any stars!!!

[EponineAmneris]

Posted: 6/1/06 at 6:00pm

I have seen a couple of different commercials so far that I like and I hope the ratings will be up this year.