Posted: 6/4/19 at 10:33pm
Have any of you ever actually attended the Tony awards? What was the experience like? Was it worth the cost of the tickets? For reference, I’m someone that is impressed to know I’m in the same room as people I admire and just being able to see them. (I know that kind of sounds weird but anyways) What are your thoughts?
Posted: 6/4/19 at 11:09pm
Posted: 6/4/19 at 11:20pm
Posted: 6/5/19 at 2:16am
I paid to sit in the top tier of the balcony one year with two of my friends. I think we paid 150 dollars each. It was a year when Hugh Jackman (I think) was hosting. We had a great time and the lobby was particularly fun because there were a ton of famous artists everywhere. Stephen Schwartz was up for Wicked and he came over and said hello because I had met him one summer after he had written Godspell. There are people who are paid to be seat fillers. I do not know who hires them. Perhaps it is through Radio City Music Hall.
Posted: 6/5/19 at 6:50am
Went last year and it was one of the most fun experiences I have had. They let us enter around 6:00 and everyone was taking photos on the staircase. The pre-show awards started promptly at 7:00 until about 7:58. During commercial breaks for the live telecast they also handed out awards.I also had an upper level seat and the sightlines were still perfect. It is a long night, but I thought it flew by.
Posted: 6/5/19 at 6:57am
Posted: 6/5/19 at 8:28am
how does one snag a seat filler position? I always thought the Tony Awards would be sold out.
Posted: 6/5/19 at 8:38am
Wick3 said: "how does one snag a seat filler position? I always thought the Tony Awards would be sold out."
RE: Being sold out: I just went on Ticketmaster and there are seats available--if you're willing to pay between $500-$700. You can also sign up to be a seatfiller on certain websites. I found this one...http://www.tvaudiences.tv/.
Posted: 6/5/19 at 8:40am
Wick3 said: "I always thought the Tony Awards would be sold out."
That’s not what quite what “seat filler” means in this context. It’s not like papering a house. The idea is that the performers and presenters have to get up from their seats in the middle of the show to...well...perform and present. And because they do not want any empty seats to be visible on television, they pay people to temporarily sit in those empty seats while the performers and presenters are occupied. The seat-fillers don’t just get to sit and watch the show leisurely. They have constantly be getting up and moving around the theatre at the direction of the powers that be.
Posted: 6/5/19 at 8:46am
Exactly what JBroadway said. It's not a leisurely time where you get to watch the awards being presented. You might sit while a presenter goes up onstage, but I feel like you're constantly moving around to fill empty seats, and then moving around during commercial breaks so seats don't look empty when it comes back. It's more like work.
Posted: 6/5/19 at 8:47am
I loved gong back in the day when my dad was an executive. We always got orchestra seats on the isle (rows like TT, WW,SS and were usually behind/in front of design nominees, but one year I was in front of Boy George)
As you young kid (I think I had just finished 5th grade the first time we went in 2003) it was thrilling to watch all the work that goes into filming an event of this scale for television. It was also allot of fun to watch the set changes between production numbers
Anyway, in regards to paying the price of tickets, we only paid for one year (I wanted to be in the room one last time as an adult, it was also very important to me that I be able to use two hands to count the number of times I attended) and the seat was the front row of the first Mezz (different type of energy there, but a better view). I think if you really love a particular production/host/nominee, it is a special experience I can highly recommend
I have all my Tony Playbills/tickets framed and hung on my wall in front of my bed so they are the first thing I see when I wake up in the morning and need a little inspiration to keep following my dreams and doing what I love
PS, the ceremony never felt overly long to me. I would always make sure I ate a bigger meal earlier in the day and bring a protein bar in the pocket of my tux if I needed it
Updated On: 6/5/19 at 08:47 AM
Posted: 6/5/19 at 9:16am
oh cool! I didn't know what a seat filler was but that makes sense. It does sound more like work and obviously you have to go alone and wear a tux as you'd be sitting in the prime space area.
Posted: 6/5/19 at 10:07am
The Tonys? No.
Posted: 6/5/19 at 10:22am
I’be been twice. My friend and I won the Tony student lottery in 2014 which was a fun time in itself, I wish they did that again. It was $40 I think for the top mezzanine but it was a perfect view and we had the best time. Saw plenty of nominated people on the way out too. Bought a ticket to go back the next year with some friends, and had an equally great experience. Perfect view, and still saw a lot of people. It’s a very unique and cool experience to see behind the scenes like the creative awards, the awards they give out during commercial breaks, and setting up for the upcoming performances etc. I thoroughly enjoyed both my experiences, and if tickets hadn’t ridiculously increased in price (I paid $300 in 2015 and this year the lowest price tickets were like $550), I’d definitely go back at some point.
Personally, if you’re able to save up for it and go I would totally recommend it. Once in a lifetime experience.
Posted: 6/5/19 at 12:12pm
Yes, my friend and I attended the 1998 show when "The Lion King" & "Cabaret" swept. It was a thrilling evening. Rosie O was the host, and the opening number was a Diva salute with Betty B singing "Memory," Patti L singing "Don't Cry For Me Argentina" and Jennifer H singing "And I Am Telling You."
Our tickets were $125, and we were front row of the first balcony at Radio City. We got fitted for our tuxes a few days before the show, after flying in from LA. We were there for a week to see all the new shows.
Angela Lansbury presented, Natasha Richardson won for "Cabaret." It was quite an incredible night.
Updated On: 6/5/19 at 12:12 PM
Posted: 6/5/19 at 12:31pm
