Spring Awakening wins choreography- Page 2

[DG]

Posted: 6/11/07 at 2:09am

Blue - so what? Do you honestly believe that this whole charade is about rewarding the excellence of theatre within the given category?

Show BUSINESS - how many times must this be stressed?!?

Unless you can come up with a viable reason that an award can NOT be defended - on whatever level - then you have to accept that they are being awarded based on BUSINESS concerns.

Your focus on 'artistic content' is laudable (although, also subjective,) but it has NOTHING to do with what's going on in these events.

I wouldn't care two whits who acknowledges this, except that there seem to be those wanting to enter the BUSINESS who don't recognize that it's a BUSINESS!

[FranklinShepard-Inc.]

Posted: 6/11/07 at 2:39am

That's bitter, DG, really bitter. How come you've become like that??

[clarkstallings]

Posted: 6/11/07 at 2:44am

DG is right.

[DG]

Posted: 6/11/07 at 2:52am

Franklin - no, it's not bitter, it's realistic.

I would be BITTER if I thought this actually represented what counts from an artistic perspective - and I certainly don't!

I don't look to these outside sources to validate my experience of art - that is for me to decide and experience.

My only interest in these proceedings is to see how they're used, and to further understand the process. I might suggest that you give that a try.

And just in general, if the lack of an award has an effect on what you experience, then something's wrong. And if that's not the case, then what's your problem?

[bjh2114]

Posted: 6/11/07 at 2:57am

I threw up in my mouth a little when this award was announced. I was pissed. Sure it didn't deserve Best Book either, but that doesn't bother me as much considering the sweep. However, I don't care how many people say that Jones' choreography was great because it was incoporated into the show. Just because it was modern doen't make it good. Speaking as someone who has studied modern dance and movement for several years, I find his work very underwhelming.

[DG]

Posted: 6/11/07 at 3:09am

"Speaking as someone who has studied modern dance and movement for several years, I find his work very underwhelming."

Which is absolutely your right to feel and think as an individual artist.

HOWEVER, if you were a producer or tour promoter, those 'artistic' considerations become moot. What can be used to sell the product - and how viable is the product overall.

[FranklinShepard-Inc.]

Posted: 6/11/07 at 4:17am

Yeah, I do agree with you in a way. On the other hand, I feel it's not wrong to be angry about it even though the tony voters may have had an artistically odd message to bring forth....

And I still haven't lost the last remaining bit of faith that there is still a little bit about artistic merits in the tony awards.... (even though it's not too much present this year)

[ICEcreamAssassin]

Posted: 6/11/07 at 4:28am

wtf is right!!! totally undeserved

[TommyTunesSon]

Posted: 6/11/07 at 7:29am

I was thrilled that Bill T. Jones won the choreography award - it was the best choreography of this past season, IMHO. Curtains would be my second choice. I disliked Legally Blonde, albeit the choreography was very good. And Mary Poppins didn't come alive for me the way I had hoped (it was hampered by an uncharismatic lead, which affected the way I felt about all of the other aspects of the show - a Mary Poppins without a strong Mary Poppins isn't worth seeing or doing).

[logcabin]

Posted: 6/11/07 at 7:34am

To think that a show with no sets per-say, minimal costumes, a bunch of un-combed kids stomping their feet (choreography?) singing such moving award winning lyrics like "Blah, blah, blah, blah." wins the Tony for Best Musical (among others) is a sad, sad statement about what Broadway is becoming. I am so disappointed in the Tony comittee for even thinking SA deserves all that recognition. Broadway ain't what it use to be.. Sad.

[thesinger]

Posted: 6/11/07 at 8:24am

Spring Awakening is simply a collection of teens who think they are "representing the teens of America today" by screaming, throwing chairs, yelling sexual slurs, and dancing around.

[Night707]

Posted: 6/11/07 at 9:10am

I didn't think Spring Awakening should've won. I was like WTF? I thought the choreography was weird and strange. Curtains should've won. It was like trick or treating for SA.

[Blue-Eyed Wonder]

Posted: 6/11/07 at 9:34am

I'm well aware that most of these awards are not given based on artistic validity. It's all about money and box-office draw, but I still can't believe that anyone with an ounce of dance experience could say that Spring Awakening deserved choreography. Sometimes they can stretch it a little bit, but something like that, when there were three other shows nominate that actually contained real dance, not angsty teens jumping around and making lots of hand gestures.

[erinrebecca]

Posted: 6/11/07 at 9:39am

Frontrow, I love your comment! :) So very true.

[Tchi4Lif188]

Posted: 6/11/07 at 11:09am

Most undeserved award they won last night, in my opinion. And watching then perform after winning that was a complete JOKE. Yes, I have seen the show, so I have seen more than what they performed last night and that show shouldn't have even been nominated for that award. I would have rather any other show win over this. It was just awful.

[Lavieboheme3090]

Posted: 6/11/07 at 11:28am

"Eh. I immediately thought so too, at first - but when you sit back and look at all the other nominees, there really weren't."

You are kidding right? That is joke right? Did you see the Mary Poppins performance right after? They dance they really danced! They did things that most people can not do. Umm good news though! Anyone can now win a Tony good luck everyone!

[mortgageguy79]

Posted: 6/11/07 at 11:33am

I'm glad he won, but I agree, there are other shows out there that may have been a little more deserving.

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 6/11/07 at 11:34am

It should not have got this award

Im a dancer and thats one of the things i look at the most in the theatre and in my opinion the best this year (from nominated shows) were Legally Blonde.
The choreography perfectly captured each character , unlike Poppins what is Dance for the sake of Dancing.Curtains was also good to if not a little stale in places

but Spring Awakening WTF

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 6/11/07 at 11:35am

lavieboheme: Not only did I see MARY POPPINS' performance, but I saw MARY POPPINS on Broadway. The choreography was lacking in every aspect.

[Lavieboheme3090]

Posted: 6/11/07 at 11:48am

Munk, I saw it on Broadway as well, and that Step In Time sequence was on of the strongest, most exciting dance numbers of the season, Borne should have gotten the reward. If the Mary Poppins’ choreography was “lacking in every aspect” you put it, then how do you account for the lack of choreography in Spring?

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 6/11/07 at 11:54am

I agree with Munk im afraid

But i also thing Springs was bloody awful

Poppins does have a great dance number with Step In Time,but thats one song , the rest of the show the dancing is average at best and doesn't match characters or story most of the time(its dance for the sake of dance)

Blonde's choreography perfectly captures the characters and the story and celebrates its score well, Though Jerry Mitchell completely understands choreography in a way many of his piers dont.
Blonde didn't really offer much new in choreography (and as much as i love the show neither did the show) but it worked really well.

[HOUFlip04]

Posted: 6/11/07 at 12:06pm

Spring Awakening should not have even been nominated for Best Choreography. Even Grey Gardens' minamalist choreography was better than that high school modern dance wanna be.

It looks like high school production of non-dancers trying to do their own choreography for West Side Story.