New Tony Category

What do you think?

I've seen Best Ensemble and Best Understudy suggestions, but what about Best International Play and Best International Musical?

The Oscars have a Foreign Film category. Why not the Tony's?

Considering many kinds of performing art originated in other countries (commedia, puppetry, plays in general, etc), I think we should recognize them here in the U.S.

I think, however, that this might be too much for the Amercian Theatre Wing to handle. Should have Best International Play, Musical, Revival of a Play, and Revival of a Musical, no? Too much, plus the Tony voters probably wouldn't be able to see them all. It's easier to see a foreign film than to go to another country to see a live performance.

Perhaps condensing it into just Best International Production?

What do you think?

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Updated On: 7/28/04 at 01:50 AM

So, let me get this straight, in an era where in most years we have a hard time coming up with even four first rate nominees for "Best Play" and "Best Musical" -- when shows that were critically panned and/or have already closed have to be nominated in order to just fill out each category with four nominations -- you want to have a category that further subdivides the two main categories?

Best International Production????? So, what would have been even the ONE show that would have qualified for that category this last season, let alone the FOUR shows that could have made up that category (if, what you're taking about are international shows on Broadway)?

The Tonys honor Broadway, not world theatre and they have zero interest in honoring anything that didn't play in one of the their theatres and have made them money. Remember that the League of American Theatres (a fancy name for the small handful of folks that own all the theatres on Broadway) is the co-producer of the Tonys -- they created these awards to honor themselves -- period. It's impossible to get the 725 Tony voters to see all two dozen or so shows that are nominated for awards each year that are playing right in the Broadway district (half of the voters are from out of town and fly in to see the two or three favorites in the week before the big show -- they don't even try to see all the nominees in town ... you think you could somehow get them to fly all over the world to see all of the nominees for some "International" award for shows that they're not making any money from?).

The Tonys have nothing whatsoever to do with "excellence" in theatre, even in the US, let alone worldwide. It's a marketing tool, an annual national commercial bought and paid for by a small group of theatre producers. They don't honor Off-Broadway (which for decades has been the center of new American plays) and their Regional award is a joke. They don't concern themselves with even the best of NY theatre, so why would they even consider a category for theatre thousands of miles away?

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Updated On: 7/28/04 at 05:34 AM

When Harvey Fierstein accepted his tony he even said there should be a tony for ensemble

I agree that the tony's is more of a commerical, but its the most entertaining commerical ever. going back to the topic, i think the "BEst Ensemble" award should be given. Without the ensemble the show would/could be very boring. A good show has a good ensemble.

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I think it's unfortunate that they don't have a category for Best Musical Direction...musical directors can have such a huge impact on the show as a whole.

I think Ragtime means the script for play, not a musical.

Margo - that will be a $5 fine each for truth, logic and common sense. We outlawed all three on these boards.

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I completely agree with the ensemble thing. They deserve recognition as well. I don't know how they could give an award for understudies, though, because there is no set date for them to perform, so the Tony voters wouldn't know when to see them. It'd be a hit-or-miss thing, and that would be difficult to judge.

Yes, the Tonys are a big marketing scheme, but they might as well advertise for more shows that are off broadway.

Updated On: 7/28/04 at 05:24 PM

I'd like to have some Tonys for Ensemble and Script as well.
But considering the network is a time Nazi when it comes to that award ceremony, all I'm gonna have are dreams.

OMG!!! A BRILLIANT IDEA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Adam so should play Fiyero!! let's have another Adam and Idina reunion!!

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Margo - First of all, I didn't mean international shows on Broadway, I meant around the world. West End, Germany, Japan, etc.

Regardless of all of that pish posh you mentioned (all in which I already knew), I believe theatre should still be recognized worldwide.

Theatre is one of the most underrated forms of art. Anyone can sit at home and pay a monthly cable fee to watch television, or drive 10 miles to go to a movie theatre and see a film for $8.

Broadway, however, is in New York City. And although shows do tour, there is only one theatre in the city it travels to. Some states don't even get the show. And paying $30-100 per person may seem pricey for a family, when they can go to a movie for much cheaper.

It is a shame. The best form of art - live theatre - deserves so much more.

The Tonys SHOULD be about appreciation. Yes, it is just one big commercial - one big commercial with poor ratings. "Who cares about the Tonys? I didn't see any of these shows, I don't know any of these people, why should I watch? Law & Order is on, screw the Tony's!"

But alas, I'm living in a dream world. Things won't change.

Anyway, continuing living in my dream world:

Best Ensemble, Best Sound Design, Best Technicial Direction, and Best Understudy/Standby should all be included.

Also, I think even shows that are not nominated should also get the chance to perform. Perhaps before the show, when the technical awards are being given out, these shows could perform, and then highlights could be shown during the telecast.

[And if anything in my post didn't make sense - it is because I haven't gotten sleep for the past three days].

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I can definitley see Adam playing Fiyero, but he could do better. It's such a nothing role...

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In my fantasy world, I want Adam to play Jonathan in TTB.
He'd be perfect, but I'm aware it'd probably be very painful for him. Raul still rox.