SHOULD "A Chorus Line" and "Les Miserables" be eligible for Tony Awards?

Riedel: http://www.nypost.com/seven/11292006/entertainment/theater/re_creations_muddle_tonys_theater_michael_riedel.htm

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PLenty of revivals are eligible in the revival and acting categories, although I'd agree that direction and choreography should omitted.

Riedel:

November 29, 2006 -- SHOULD "A Chorus Line" and "Les Mis erables" - two re vivals that are pretty much carbon copies of the original productions - be eligible for Tony Awards?

That question is being hotly debated in Shubert Alley right now, and it's sure to be a sticky one for the Tony Award administration committee, the powerful group of theater executives that decides which shows and artists are eligible for Broadway's top prizes.

The committee meets Thursday to begin sorting out eligibility issues - although questions about "A Chorus Line" and "Les Miserables" probably won't be resolved until a second meeting in January, a source says.

"But they are certainly in the air," this person adds.

A radical position being floated is that because both shows are reissues rather than reinterpretations, neither should be eligible for Best Revival of a Musical.

"A Chorus Line" sticks to the blueprint laid down in 1975 by the show's creator, Michael Bennett (who died of AIDS in 1987), while "Les Miserables" is essentially a national tour spruced up for Broadway.

Neither has been radically restaged in the same way as such past Tony-nominated revivals as "Chicago," "Cabaret," "Annie Get Your Gun," "Sweeney Todd" or "The Pajama Game."

Read on...
RE-CREATIONS MUDDLE TONYS - Michael Riedel

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The Tony Committee changes the rules practically every year, so to claim a three-year gap on Broadway as eligibilty for a revival is ludicrous. I agree with Reidel on this one. Les Miz is merely the tour. Other than a few cuts, I see nothing new in the revival (except the direction looks even worse than it did on the tour). Personally, if the show is a carbon copy of a previous production, it should be deemed ineligible in ALL catagories (including the acting ones).

"Says a Tony Award source: "There's a lot to deal with here. We'll probably f - - - things up somehow. It's what we do best."

Priceless.

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ABSOLUTELY!!!!!!

I think the compromise mentioned in this article seems fair. The cast of both shows shouldn't been punished by not even being considered for a Tony, assuming there are those in both shows that do deserve it. If I could travel to New York, the only revival I would be interested seeing is the Les Mis revival, and maybe "The Apple Tree" because of Kristen. The rest of the revivals just don't interest me.

Updated On: 11/30/06 at 03:34 PM

I want both of them to win. Both amazing pieces of theatre. A Chorus Line isn't ground breakingly different, but Les Miz was reorchestrated, no? I think they should still be up ther eas nominees, and I hope at least they get nominated.

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I'm glad they finally settled it all out.

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Stalker, I'm just guessing, but due to the point of view you express and your...how shall I put this....way with words, I would be shocked beyond belief if you told me you were actually:

1.) Older than 16 years old

and

2.) Around to see the original production of THE ODD COUPLE to know whether or not this revival was merely just a restaging of the original.

I doubt Joe Mantello even saw the original production, let alone copy it. PLEASE.

THE ODD COUPLE was eligible, it just completely sucked.



And I think that A CHORUS LINE and LES MIS should be eligible for Best Revival and the performers. It won't bother me one bit if they deem them eligible, as LES MIS doesn't have a snowball's chance in hell of getting nominated.

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Rob Bartlett was good, but deserved no award.

Nathan Lane got through it unscathed...but was terribly miscast.

It was a horrible production. The award committee's and the critics agree.

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Cynical is a good way of putting it, Margo.

Upon seeing the show and realizing how absolutely waseful and horrible it was, it made me loose a lot of respect for Mantello.

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Yes, Broderick was just as bland on Broadway.