Do the Tony Awards really mean that much?

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 5/17/05 at 3:09am

To us fans of Broadway, maybe. But in the long run they don't seem to have much of an impact on ticket sales.

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST just entered its 12th year on Broadway, yet it won one Tony for costumes. PASSION won best musical that year. It closed after an 8 month run.

WICKED opened to mixed reviews and lost the Tony to AVENUE Q. Yet the show is still a sell-out. (In both senses!)

MISS SAIGON lost the Tony for Best Musical to WILL ROGERS FOLLIES yet it ran 10 years to WRF's 2.

KISS OF THE SPIDER WOMAN won Best Musical of 1993, yet it never sold old while TOMMY often did.

Even shows that won Best Musical (LION KING, PHANTOM, RENT) might have still run for years without the awards.

Still I watch the Tonys every year, but I often wonder what non-Broadway fans think of it.

[popcultureboy]

Posted: 5/17/05 at 5:26am

Some of your examples are terribly specific. Shows like Beauty And The Beast and Wicked don't have any need for awards, they have huge HUGE fanbases that don't give two hoots if the show has won every award going or none at all. Similarly, Spamalot could go home empty handed next month and it would have NO impact on their box office.

But the Tonys do have an impact on the winning and losing shows. Sometimes it's negligible and more often than not (in the case of winners) it's short lived. But a lot of shows that go home empty handed tend to close very shortly after the show. Check out the bloodbath that occurred after The Producers won just about every award it was nominated for.

[KMF_NYC]

Posted: 5/17/05 at 6:12am

and the title "TOny Award Winner" must sell tickets on tour...it means something to the business...maybe not the general public...

[musicalsaregreat]

Posted: 5/17/05 at 9:40am

The Tony Awards can have a great impact on a production. I love Ave. Q, but I don't think it would be selling as well if it had not won. Other shows boosted by the Tony's include Titanic, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Contact and Fossee. These shows saw a huge box office boost after winning the awards. Shows like Wicked, Mamma Mia, or the Lion King don't need the boost. Performances have also boosted productions, Bernadette's performance on the Tony's created a great box office boost for Gypsy even though it didn't win any awards.

[Al Dente]

Posted: 5/17/05 at 10:03am

In a word, no. As far as making stars out of individual winners, it doesn't even come close to say, an EMMY. The Tonys have the least amount of "clout" as far as making the powers that be, want to knock down your door.

[popcultureboy]

Posted: 5/17/05 at 10:16am

Other shows boosted by the Tony's include Titanic, Thoroughly Modern Millie, Contact and Fossee.

All of which adds to my short lived theory as they all are now closed.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 5/17/05 at 10:39am

It means something to theatergoers - mostly the out-of-towners who are greatly influenced by ads shouting about Tony wins and nominations.

However, it means nothing to the individual winners - the reason a Tony award is no guarantee of future work to an actor is because the powers that be realize (most being voters themselves)that acting awards are generally not given for quality of work, but for myriad political reasons.

[popcultureboy]

Posted: 5/17/05 at 10:51am

There's also a chance it could be the same thing that happens to any high profile acting award winner. Everyone assumes they're swamped with work offers, so nobody offers them anything.

Posted: 5/17/05 at 10:52am

Pop Culture boy, All. Shows. Close. Every one of them. There has never been a show that has run forever.

Titanic is the premiere example. It was struggling. Half empty houses. Horrible reviews. Audiences were laughing at the sad parts and crying at the funny parts. Not good. Between the Tony awards (and Rosie O'Donnell's constant cheerleeading) the show suddenly became a hit. I could not believe the difference in the Pre-Tony audience and the post-tony audience- not just in size but in devotion! It was as if the Tony Award told them the show was good and they believed it.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 5/17/05 at 10:53am

"...the reason a Tony award is no guarantee of future work to an actor is because the powers that be realize (most being voters themselves)that acting awards are generally not given for quality of work, but for myriad political reasons."

If ever there were one, there's a statement that's going to need some backing up.

There sure are lots of people who speak for lots of people but then lots of people have to wonder exactly who their sources are?

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 5/17/05 at 10:53am

I don't think that really works for Broadway, pop, it's a small community and everyone knows what everyone else is doing, will be doing, and has been offered. Plus, you can win a Tony and not work on Broadway for many years, if ever again.

[bunchamuncha]

Posted: 5/17/05 at 10:56am

Don't some performers negotiate in their contracts bonus' if they win a Tony?

I'd agree with what Raith said about the out-of-towners being more apt to buy a ticket to a "tony winning" production. Much like books that win prizes suddenly become best sellers.

[popcultureboy]

Posted: 5/17/05 at 10:57am

It was just a theory, Rath.

And Joe, yes thanks I know all shows close. But Titanic is the show that opened first of the examples given and that was in 1997 a whole 8 years ago, which in terms of a megahit musical, really isn't that long. What's more, it closed in March 1999, less than 2 years after its Tony win. Which really strengthens my short lived theory.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 5/17/05 at 11:00am

Namo, I'm not going to list my credentials here - you can do a search and find some of them from earlier posts if you need more confirmation. But I'd say that more than a decade of work in Broadway producers' and general managers' offices, along with added years working for managers, agents, and actors, qualifies my "sources". If you don't think so, then you don't have to pay attention to my posts.

Updated On: 5/17/05 at 11:00 AM

Posted: 5/17/05 at 11:02am

Pop, just trying to say that without the Tony win, I think Titanic would have run maybe 60 performances, tops. Yes, it didn't suddenly become "Cats" but it did indeed boost ticket sales, if only for a year.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 5/17/05 at 11:10am

"If you don't think so, then you don't have to pay attention to my posts."

If you're unable to actually specifically site sources by name, then that's the best advice you've ever suggested.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 5/17/05 at 11:12am

I think you mean "cite."

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 5/19/05 at 1:40pm

Stop it you 2! This is supposed to be a civilized discussion.

Back on track now....

Maybe the question is does a Tony win inspire you to see a show that otherwise you might have ignored?

Of the 57 Tony winning "Best Musicals" there are a dozen I have never seen on stage. Some were reviews/specialties like JEROME ROBBINS BROADWAY, that in I way I regret bypassing because there is a show that will never be seen again. Likewise REDHEAD and HALLELUJAH BABY! will probably never be revived.

Others like TWO GETLEMEN OF VERONA I would only want to see so I could cross them off my list. Based on the cast album, it's not a show that I am dying to see.

[HeyMrMusic]

Posted: 5/19/05 at 1:51pm

No, I don't think so. I don't tend to ignore a show as much as I can, I like being open-minded. But other people who are not too familiar with Broadway or theatre might go see a show because it is "Tony Award winning." So it all depends.

~Steven

[Pinguin]

Posted: 5/19/05 at 2:10pm

Tony Awards can bring attention to a piece to the more general theatergoing public (as opposed to the message board following Broadway obsessed community that we all belong to) than before...I mean, Piazza got like a 10 percent boost just last week. I somehow don't think that's a coincidence. Piazza is the kind of show that's dependent on awards to give it clout, it's probably not destined to be a long running show because it's content is not easily suited for kids and tourists, but the Tonys will help at least give it some life.

If you don't know anything about theater, you have to have SOMETHING to go by. If it's Beauty and the Beast, you already know you like the story. If it's Avenue Q, the Tony makes it look like a much stronger choice.

[mikewood]

Posted: 5/19/05 at 2:18pm

Some shows are not planned to run indefinitely. You seem to miss that in your argument.

Anyway, I'm sure Tony's lead to some kind of bump in sales, but there is a sundry of other factors that affect marketability.

so go ahead ....let me have it now!

Updated On: 5/19/05 at 02:18 PM

[Mamie]

Posted: 5/19/05 at 3:22pm

I'm not at all certain that winning a Tony necessarily has any impact on the public outside of the NY area on its own. I don't live that far from NY and most people around here aren't even aware of the Tony's or what they mean. What it CAN mean is that a cast member or members will be invited to appear on shows like Today, Regis, Tonight, etc. where they may talk about their show or even perform a song from the show. THIS is what most of America sees and may be influenced by when they come to NY.

[smartpenguin78]

Posted: 5/19/05 at 3:31pm

While most of the people out there don't realize what the Tony's are or who won them, most still have the vague understanding that they are like the Oscars for Broadway.
So if someone is coming to town and knows nothing about a show, they are a little more likely to pick on that has been singled out with a Tony than one which hasn't. (Unless they know more about it, as with Beauty and the Beast)

[jarred03]

Posted: 5/20/05 at 2:28am

I believe the Tony awards matter more for actors than for the actual show, it helps them get jobs having the title of Tony Award Winner in front of their name.

[TGIF]

Posted: 5/20/05 at 2:52am

I also think it affects when the show closes. I believe that if Little Women got a few more Tony nominaitons it would have held out a few more weeks. While that is not a dramatic difference, it still affects things.