Petition to Broadcast Best Book and Score at the Tonys

[NJ_BroadwayGirl]

Posted: 5/14/15 at 1:30pm

Please take a look at this petition for the Tony Awards broadcast to include the awards for Best Book and Best Score this year. This petition is brought forth by the editors at The Interval (great interviews with women playwrights, composers, actresses and more) and no I'm not one of them, just a supporter. They are championing it because with Jeanine Tesori and Lisa Kron nominated (with a good chance to win), broadcasting it will give great exposure to women in the industry.

Like all such petitions it's a long shot, but I thought I'd share the link should anyone want to read more about it: http://the-interval.com/projects/tbs/

You can go straight to the online petition here: https://www.change.org/p/members-of-the-tony-awards-management-committee-broadcast-the-tony-awards-for-best-book-and-score-to-show-women-succeeding

 

 

Updated On: 5/14/15 at 01:30 PM

[Sally Durant Plummer]

Posted: 5/14/15 at 1:32pm

I think they should broadcast this category every year, regardless of the nominations. But it's not gonna capture the popular viewership, is it?

[NJ_BroadwayGirl]

Posted: 5/14/15 at 1:38pm

Yes I agree they should always broadcast it! The Tony broadcast is a hot mess when it comes to capturing popular viewership anyway. I just wanted to share this because I think it's a good conversation.

[TheatreKid3]

Posted: 5/14/15 at 1:39pm

They have shown these two categories the past two years have they not?

[Musical Master]

Posted: 5/14/15 at 1:40pm

I remember that they do broadcast the Best Book and Score awards every time, it's the design awards they kind of glance over.

[theatreguy]

Posted: 5/14/15 at 1:42pm

It varies year to year. Best Score was not shown last year but it was in 2013, for example. Probably because Cyndi Lauper was nominated and the likely winner.

[NJ_BroadwayGirl]

Posted: 5/14/15 at 1:42pm

I think they used to broadcast them but stopped in recent years. I think they're certainly interesting enough categories for the general viewership. But who knows.

[best12bars]

Posted: 5/14/15 at 1:51pm

Maybe if the opening number and superfluous second number were shortened or cut, they could actually showcase the shows and people nominated instead.

[neonlightsxo]

Posted: 5/14/15 at 1:55pm

It's a nice idea but CBS doesn't give a F about an online petition.

Updated On: 5/14/15 at 01:55 PM

[HogansHero]

Posted: 5/14/15 at 4:37pm

The petition is a waste of oxygen. The sole criteria CBS uses for what to broadcast these is whether anyone outside the theatre community has any interest in anyone nominated. On that theory, Sting may get score of the show.

[NJ_BroadwayGirl]

Posted: 5/14/15 at 4:41pm

I'm aware that the petition won't have any actual pull with the network. I just thought I'd share it as an interesting topic of discussion in case anyone here was interested. And sometimes it still feels good to voice your support for something you believe has merit even if you know you won't be heard.

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 5/14/15 at 6:08pm

I thought it made sense for Best Score to not be presented on CBS last year because Bridges closed prematurely, it wasn't nominated for Best Musical, so it probably wouldn't have been right to show it on TV if there wasn't gonna be a performance from The Bridges of Madison County.

I think Best Score will probably end up on TV this year because Sting is nominated.

[jv92]

Posted: 5/14/15 at 7:02pm

Why The Dramatists Guild hasn't petitioned loudly and openly about this is beyond me. I know writers don't and shouldn't work for awards, but I'd think they'd want to have a say in this. I know when this sh*t was pulled when Sondheim was President, he spoke up. 

If I were President of the Guild, I'd protest. If I were a nominee and learned my category wasn't being presented on TV, I wouldn't show up to the ceremony. I'm serious. It's disgraceful. Does CBS think the actors make their material up on the spot? 

 

 

 

[Actriz2]

Posted: 5/15/15 at 1:42am

They tend to broadcast the score category when a big name is nominated (2009 for Elton John and Dolly Parton, 2011 for Parker/Stone, 2012 for Menken's long-awaited win, 2013 for Lauper) so this year they probably will for Sting.

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 5/15/15 at 8:08am

^Best Book of a Musical was aired on CBS in 2011, not Best Score.

[newintown]

Posted: 5/15/15 at 10:21am

I also agree that these are both important enough to include on the show; I'd also add orchestrations, the most undervalued and misunderstood contribution to musical theatre.

That said, no petition is gonna change anyone's mind on anything. But I suppose it makes some people feel like they've maybe actually done something...

[bjh2114]

Posted: 5/15/15 at 10:27am

Personally I'd like them to broadcast Best Choreography.  The viewers actually get to see the work put in during the performances on the telecast, so why not see someone awarded for that work?

[HogansHero]

Posted: 5/15/15 at 11:38am

 
@jv92, as rehearsed elsewhere, petitioning (whether loudly or not) is a waste of time and effort. The guild has no more influence over the network than you do. Whatever Sondheim may have done in the 70s, the landscape has changed markedly. Nominees are of course free to stay home, but one would think they would want to attend to be in the company of others nominated in their show(s) and to participate in the festivities. There are of course famous examples of people who stay away from award shows, and that's a personal choice, but the act of protest you suggest would not even be noticed, and other positives make attending compelling for most folks. Finally, CBS is well aware that actors aren't doing improv, but that has nothing to do with making the airtime they are providing appealing from their perspective. I wouldn't think it needs to be repeated that the Tony show is not about what you want it to be about. 

 

Updated On: 5/15/15 at 11:38 AM

[jv92]

Posted: 5/15/15 at 1:04pm

The Tony show SHOULD be about what I want it to be about, because I'm part of the audience that watches it every year. Maybe they should stop worrying about pandering to the audience they'll never get and put on a show that people who care about the theater will enjoy and appreciate. 

 

[HogansHero]

Posted: 5/15/15 at 1:51pm

"Maybe they should stop worrying about pandering to the audience they'll never get and put on a show that people who care about the theater will enjoy and appreciate. "

Well, for what it's worth, the network believes that it is getting an audience because of its programming, and that without that, the numbers would be even worse. Putting on shows that people who care about the theatre will enjoy and appreciate is not their mission. What you are advocating is equivalent to urging that the show be moved to PBS, where many less people would watch it. Such a notion, however, is anathema to producers who depend on the exposure for marketing. It also raises the important question of who would fund the show on PBS.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 5/15/15 at 5:52pm

If the audience does not watch, ratings go down. If they keep going down, CBS may pull the plug. Sometimes things are necessary but not popular.

[Jeffrey Karasarides]

Posted: 5/21/15 at 7:17pm

Now Michael Riedel is petitioning for Tommy Tune.

Updated On: 5/21/15 at 07:17 PM

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 5/22/15 at 10:21am

Instead of having an army of producers go onstage to accept Best Musical or Play, designate 1 person to go up & say thanks. It looks like Omaha Beach on D Day when they descend on stage. Any one who does an acceptance speech & starts thanking their Grandmothers high school teacher cut them off immediately. If there is a set time limit, apply it to all. I have seen some barely get up there & the music starts playing while others ramble on and on like they are reading War & Peace. The time saved here should free up time to air the awards in question.

Have 1 or 2 less commercials . These people, especially Tune, deserve their due. Met him twice , once outside the Nederlander waiting for a show. The other time was on a subway waiting for a train. He was very approachable and uber friendly & not one of the I am a Broadway star & my **** doesn't stink types. Had a nice conversation both times. Same with Maury Yeston. Met him three times and very nice all 3 times.

Tune and others deserve the respect. To the poster above who said they should show an award to highlight women succeeding, it should not turn into a gender battle. Man or woman, if you win you deserve the respect. You never know but something other than Fun Home might win . Have seen 3 of the 4 nominated shows and will see Fun in a few days. Right now, between Rotten,Visit & AAIP, I am leaning towards Rotten.

Updated On: 5/22/15 at 10:21 AM

[jv92]

Posted: 5/22/15 at 10:50am

I met Tommy Tune once but I was really intimidated to say anything more than "Uh...hi, you're great." because I never realized how friggin' tall he is. I mean...WOAH! He is tall! But seemed very friendly. 

I agree with Riedel--  Tune's numbers are incredibly entertaining, and brilliantly staged. A montage of bits from NINE, GRAND HOTEL, MY ONE AND ONLY and the like would be a hell of a lot more entertaining and inspired than watching Vanessa Hudgens bray her way through "The Night They Invented Champagne." 

Heck, even a CLIP MONTAGE of "Be Italian", "Our Favorite Son" and "We'll Take a Glass Together" would be more entertaining that half the sh*t that'll make it on the telecast.