Michael Riedel's Views on the Tony Awards — Page 2

"Why do people expect too much from musicals anyway?" There are 2 schools of thought here, which overlap somewhat. There is the idea that theatre is simply putting on shows & hoping to turn a profit. Then there is the idea that theatre can be so much more than that, it can be transcendent (sp?) & intelligent and can have something to say about life & love & the world at large.

I have not yet seen ITH, but I understand that it is enteraining but not all all innovative. I believe that is the point Riedel is making.

As for Stew being a jerk, I don't know about him personally, but I thought the funny glasses thing was just out of place, like wearing jeans to a black tie event.

Could it just have been that the Tony Voters preferred In The Heights? (I know, Bizarre thought).

And how can he say that Passing Strange is groundbreaking? especially with this statement

"The really groundbreaking rock musical of the year - "Passing Strange," about a young musician's coming of age - proved too edgy for Tony voters."

Hes just described Spring Awakening

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I don't know what reviews you read, but every one that I read praised the show from top to bottom, so I don't know what you're talking about.

Isherwood's in the Times took the whole "what is this exactly?" stance. It was a positive review, but I felt that when critics were asking is this a musical or a concert it's indicative of how people can dismiss the show as "not a musical". in the last week or so I read a lot of "avant-garde" being thrown at it as well. I primarily work in downtown theater, so PS wasn't avant-garde to me at all, but I can see how it may have been such to traditional Broadway audiences and Tony voters.

just my take on it.

Trying to figure out how a "hopelessly old-fashioned show" has so many posters saying things like "I don't want to see a hiphop musical" or "I don't like rap in a show."

Methinks Reidel is just upset because he felt the need to print wrongly so many times that the tides were turning and that PS was going to win...and well, he was wrong on both counts.

By calling the ITH win an "upset," he's trying to do a little revisionist history. As we all know, most of the pundits (with very few exceptions) picked ITH as the frontrunner and winner.

What upsets me most is his clear bitterness and need to bring down the show that deserved this award...it's as if he said to the PS producers who were buying him dinner "Well, even if it wins, I'll make sure to let people know they didn't deserve it! MWAHAHAHAHAH!!!" It's sour grapes and very childish to print something like that when every other respectable media outlet is praising the winners and celebrating Broadway.

Riedel is just pissy because his predictions were incorrect.

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I've always felt that Riedel wants to be a theatre critic but doesn't want to have to write a 1,500 word essay on every show he sees. So he settles for being a gossip columnist.

I agree with him that this was one of the livliest and most entertaining Tony telecasts in years.

All the extra numbers came at a price when major awards (beyound just the 8 design awarsd) were given bwteen 7 & 8 before the telecast. We did not see PASSING STRANGE win Best Book. We did not see the Choreograpger award. And we did not see the award for Best Revival of a Play.

But... maybe they are on to something. Give the awards in the afternoon, then do the program with generous samples of each show and announce the winners throughout, ending -of course - with the awards for Best Play and Best Musical.

The winners can give their endless thank-yous on the Tony webcam.

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"ITH" winning was not an upset at all.

Riedel is just being an idiot.

<< The only true upset would have been Cry Baby winning Best Musical. The other three were perfectly viable contenders. >>

Totally agree ! (although if "ITH" did not win, I would certainly have been pulling for "Xanadu" !!)

Ugg, Riedel...
I loved In the Heights, and have yet to see Passing Strange (but it's on my "too see" list).
I think that ITH deserved to win... it's a really strong show. I think the groundbreaking part of it is a more truthful representation of Latino culture. I know Riedel wants them welding guns and knives, but that isn't a fair representation.
Basically Riedel is full of it.

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I'm sorry but I'm one of those old-fashioned theatre queens that likes "conventional" musicals. I loved ITH.

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For many at BWW, the Tonys exist solely as a reason to bitch. For that matter, Broadway exists solely as a reason for them to bitch.

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They bashed the show for months leading up to the Tonys. And today the bashing continues from the same old posters, after the fact. And now they want the show run out of town, by Sunday.

The same could be said of Xanadu.

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I guess I'm going to be slaughtered for saying this, so I wont be posting on this board any more. I don't think that either ITH or PS are particularly good, innovative, ground-breaking, and all the other heaps of praise that each receives from their adherents, resulting in a new onslaught on the other. They're just not that good, IMO -- nothing to go ballistic about, just not all that good. Xanadu was the best in a season not particularly distinguished for new musicals. When the next buster musical comes along, I think it's goodbye to both, if not before.

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Updated On: 6/16/08 at 01:55 PM