Michael Riedel: How Tony-Chasing Producers Screwed Their Own Shows- Page 2

[Buffalo Bill]

Posted: 6/19/15 at 5:17pm

I am curious why the article seemed to focus, in part, on Tom Smedes... but why not just use "...the producer of...." throughout Riedel's rant? 

It seemed like there was a certain frisson between Riedel and Smedes and possibly other producers and that is why Riedel published this story, not that he's so upset about the letters being written.

Does anyone know why? 

Updated On: 6/19/15 at 05:17 PM

[HogansHero]

Posted: 6/19/15 at 5:55pm

well Smedes was A producer of The Visit, but not the lead producer. So far be it from me to attach motives to Riedel, but that may explain it. He may have been on his own, and it could be that the lead producer wanted no part of it.

[jv92]

Posted: 6/19/15 at 6:41pm

"What did he do to the Fun Home women? Do you mean in the Theatre Talk episode with them?"

Yeah. He was just so condescending and flippant with them. Haskins seemed to be genuinely interested in the show and what it has to say. Riedel was cracking glib jokes at the expensive of all four women-- Haskins, Tesori, Kron and Bechdel. 

 

[Buffalo Bill]

Posted: 6/19/15 at 11:29pm

Further, I loved "The Visit" when I saw it, but I am wondering if Smedes was singled out for some particular reason, because the article seemed to focus on him. 

Smedes was smart, I think, to borrow the civil rights phrase "...be on the right side of history..." but maybe folks thought it too cloying, to "on trend" or something.

Ah, well, it was a fun Tony night, anyway, everyone who produces a show on Broadway should be incredibly proud of their work, I'd say.

 

 

 

 

 

[mc1227]

Posted: 6/20/15 at 7:19am

 

Reidel is such a lame bore and I can get more Broadway information from Twitter than anything he writes.  Tom Kiradhy, one of the producers of The Visit, was staging a Twitter campaign for The Visit all along.  It was nothing offensive enough to affect a voter's decision, just enthusastic.  If I was in a show, I would want my producer to sell it since it's in our mutual best interests.

Updated On: 6/20/15 at 07:19 AM

[g.d.e.l.g.i.]

Posted: 6/20/15 at 9:42am

Read it and laugh at it all you want, but there's not a person in the community that wouldn't be capable of similar if pressed to do it for their show.

[Becky]

Posted: 6/20/15 at 1:08pm

"The Avenue Q Tony campaign was witty, funny, clever - not desperate and ridiculously hyperbolic like these letters."

 

It was clever alright. Appeal to the road voters with the promise of a tour in which a Tony win will help make them money...then set up camp in Vegas after getting their vote. All those voters that spoke out feeling duped got no sympathy from me. Heh. Maybe these two shows should have gone that route

[Tag]

Posted: 6/20/15 at 1:16pm

^That Vegas thing was a huge blunder for them.  They could have have SO much more success with multiple sit-downs around North America.

[Becky]

Posted: 6/20/15 at 1:53pm

No sympathy for Q in knowingly screwing over producers after running away with their award, and same goes for voters who abuse their voting privilege.

The Vegas decision bit them in the behind. Karma.

Updated On: 6/20/15 at 01:53 PM

[Kad]

Posted: 6/20/15 at 2:51pm

Oh, please, are we STILL attempting to revive that old "They tricked the voters! That's how they won!" argument?

[Becky]

Posted: 6/20/15 at 4:31pm

"Oh, please, are we STILL attempting to revive that old "They tricked the voters! That's how they won!" argument?"

Simply commenting on a thread about producers' tactics. Didn't say that's the only reason they won, we will never know, but some voters did come out and say that's why they voted for them. Fair commentary. 

But common sense said one show didn't need a win to be a powerhouse and fill houses, and the other one did. If your a road voter with money on the line, who gets your vote? Because we all know votes aren't necessarily about being the "best". Hence, "I was going to vote sentimentally for..." in the article. 

Updated On: 6/20/15 at 04:31 PM