New Tony Awards Category is crap...

Of all the possible choices and they go with THAT? I guess I'm just a strong supporter for Broadway ensembles. Who was it that in a recent TONY awards tele-cast said there SHOULD be an award for best ensemble? I think that's a much better category..I mean, provided, BEST MUSICAL would include the ensemble, having a category particularly for them could do a number of things for the show (i.e. boost ticket sales)...If you've got a great star, great story and great ensemble...wouldn't you think that could sell? I don't know anyone leaving a show that says "Wow, (stars name) was amazing, but that ensemble....YIKES"

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NYC, I have actually left a show not liking the ensemble.

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Yeah, I think it's a shame that ensemble isn't being recognized, but that's not going to sell tickets. A Tony-winning replacement is.

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And from a logisitical point of view, nominating 5 ensembles creates a ticketing headache you can't even begin to imagine.

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It's all political. The Tony's are crap. It's nice to be recognized for your achievements, but they aren't the be all and end all. The best man rarely wins anyway. The underdog walks away empty handed, unless by chance some crazy publicity stunt occurs to save the Tony committees behind and they rightfully award the character show/person that year. It's just one big huge endless conspiracy.

Broadway has become crap. The sacredness of theatre has been diminished. The minute it became Disney-a-fied and Hollywoodized it fell into a point of no return.

This category doesn't surprise me in the least. Congratulations Brooke Shields and Rosie O'Donnell. Now maybe you'll get the "recognition" you "deserve"?

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I recognize that there have been many award worthy performances from replacements, but I feel like this is a slippery slope. While I doubt that the Tonys will never become the unwieldy kind of award shows that the Emmys and Grammys have become, I feel this is a line that doesnt need to be crossed. I think it would be sad if Brooke Shields won a Tony for Wonderful Town a year after Donna Murphy lost for the same role.

Am I being too much of a traditionalist?

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The bitterness on this thread is hysterical.

"The Tony's are crap."

I'm sure every person who has won one says EXACTLY the same thing. And I'm even more sure they don't care what you think about it.

"It's just one big huge endless conspiracy."

That's right....and they are coming to get you next....

See what happens when you stop taking your schizo meds?

"Broadway has become crap. The sacredness of theatre has been diminished. The minute it became Disney-a-fied and Hollywoodized it fell into a point of no return."

And what have you written or produced that is more worthy of Broadway? Firstly, theatre is an art, not a religion, and is therefore not "sacred". Secondly, all art forms change and evolve. If they didn't we would still be watching operettas and minstrel shows on Broadway. What has become crap is the narrowmindedness of the so-called "fans" of theatre.

"This category doesn't surprise me in the least. Congratulations Brooke Shields and Rosie O'Donnell. Now maybe you'll get the 'recognition' you 'deserve'?"

Perhaps they will. And perhaps you will get the "recognition" you "deserve" as well.

"The Tonys are, of course, not about who is most talented."

Actually, most of the time, they are. It's the category of Best Musical that is usually the cause for debate and relies heavily on campaigning efforts of the producers. The biggest problem is that we all assume that whoever is voting should think like us, and they simply do not.

This category has been a long time coming, especially after Reba's critically acclaimed performance replacing Bernadette Peters in Annie Get Your Gun. London's Olivier Awards honoring the West End has had this category for some time.

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Updated On: 9/26/05 at 01:48 PM

"Crap" is perhaps a bit too strong a term for my taste, but I do not think the category is needed.

Yes, there are very talented people who take over roles, but the cream is the one who originated the part. Rather than take away from the originators, let the Tony stand for something. Let Reba McIntyre take the chance and come in in a new production.

Will we have featured women who are less than household names in a play competing in the same category as musical men who are recognized stars? Or will we have 8 new performing categories?

What if the producer does not give out comps to their show? Will that mean that those eligible from that show be excluded? I cannot see how the producers of Wicked (for example) will want to shell out 1400+ comp tickets again. Those 1400 tickets represent $140,000 which is a lot of money.

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I belive a Broadway Season is much like a high school year book. It should be immortalized, and that's what the TONYs are for. They are a constant reminder of THAT season. I think it's really stupid to press on into next year's award show and give someone a Tony for a show that qualifies in last year's season for every OTHER category.

I've seen plenty of shows -POST TONYs ,that set pieces have changed...So does that mean the set designers should be allowed to qualify next season for a TONY?

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So does that mean the set designers should be allowed to qualify next season for a TONY?

No, because currently there is no category for Best Set Redesign.

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Matt, i just want to say i love you

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I keep thinking how good Barrett Foa is in Ave Q and would love to see him nominated. But I also think John should have won instead of Hugh, so it's kind of a slap in the face. And more or less it goes to the best written part with a very good performer in that slot.

Actually I would love for Hugh Panero to get this for Phantom. But he might be in line already for Lestat, you never know.