"The Base of the Tony is Plastic"

[NYC20042]

Posted: 6/3/05 at 12:59pm

Hunter Foster Says it all in the book Making It on Broadway: Actors Tales of Climbing to the top.

"When my sister won the Tony Award for Thoroughly Modern Millie, people came up to me and said, “Congratulations on your nomination for a Tony.” I wasn’t nominated. I just performed during the ceremony. People assumed I was nominated.

I said to them, “Do you remember who was nominated?”

They said, “No, not really.” People don’t even remember who won.
It happens so fast. I know so many actors who were nominated for a Tony and then couldn’t get a job. It’s just the way it is.

Urinetown and Thoroughly Modern Millie were up for the Tonys
together. Everyone kept saying that Urinetown should beat Millie for the Tony. Our producers kept saying, “It’s not going to happen. Millie will win.”

I asked, “Why? Our show is better!”

Then, someone told me, “There are four unspoken criteria for Tony
voters. Number one is, vote in your best interest. I’ll scratch your back if you scratch mine. Number two is, vote against your enemies. Vote against shows you don’t want to succeed. Number three is, vote for your friends. The last criterion is, vote for the best show.”

That is why Thoroughly Modern Millie won for Best Musical. Millie
was the show that was going to go on the road and make a lot of money. Our producer knew it. Everyone did. It’s not fair. It’s all political.

All of that said, what was remarkable was that my sister won for her talent. She wasn’t a name. It gives me some hope."
HUNTER FOSTER (Pg. 194)

OR PERHAPS SCOTT WISE SAYS IT BEST.....

"A dancer would never think of winning a Tony. That’s like the silliest thing in the world. Dancers don’t win Tonys. The whole thing was so surreal.

When the nominations came up, I thought, “Wow!” When you are
nominated for a Tony, there is so much publicity. I was rooming with Jason Alexander at the time. At the Awards ceremony, I was sitting next to Madeleine Kahn. I was one of the first people out of the gates!

I cried. I laughed. I was hysterical. I walked all over Madeleine Kahn’s feet. Poor thing. I had a speech in my pocket that I was going to read.

By the time I got up there, I reached into my pocket and it was sopping wet. I wasn’t going to sit there and peel open this piece of paper. I am a dancer. I am not an actor. Actors and singers get up there and are so articulate. If you ever see the tape, I barely got anything intelligent out of my
mouth. I could barely get any names out. I didn’t even thank the cast.

They ushered me out, and then there was a barrage of people, pictures, and interviews. I sat next to James Earl Jones at the party.

After the Awards, I got in trouble when I was being interviewed. A journalist really irritated me.

He said, “How do you feel, now that you are a big star?”

I turned to him and said, “Well, who won it last year?” The person got mad because he didn’t know.

The Tony Award does not mean success. It doesn’t mean you are going to work again."
SCOTT WISE (Pg. 195)

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 6/3/05 at 1:02pm

"All of that said, what was remarkable was that my sister won for her talent. She wasn’t a name. It gives me some hope."
HUNTER FOSTER (Pg. 194)"

It's true - we know the "rules," we are fully aware, until someone we love wins. Then it's their "talent." Of course!

[romanov]

Posted: 6/3/05 at 1:09pm

"The Base Of the Tony is Plastic" That's not the only plastic thing about the Tonys.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 6/3/05 at 1:24pm

I was wondering how long it would take romanov to say something bitter. Ten minutes.

[romanov]

Posted: 6/3/05 at 1:34pm

Ya got that right, Sister.

[DayDreamer]

Posted: 6/3/05 at 1:37pm

"Millie was the show that was going to go on the road and make a lot of money. Our producer knew it. Everyone did. It’s not fair. It’s all political."

I'm not doubting it's political, but then you have last year, where 'Avenue Q' beat out 'Wicked'. 'Wicked' is a lot more marketable and likely to make more money than 'Avenue Q', even before it was known that 'Q' was going to set up shop in Vegas...

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 6/3/05 at 1:39pm

But hadn't the Q producers promised the voters a big ol' National Tour, a promise made just in time for voting?

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 6/3/05 at 1:41pm

"Sister"? What is this, 1992? To the delight of my husband, I do not have a vagina.

[BobbyBubby]

Posted: 6/3/05 at 1:42pm

I thought you meant that the base of the actual physical award they receive was plastic. That's a much more interesting topic. hehe.

[MTVMANN]

Posted: 6/3/05 at 1:47pm

I don't think that Millie winning Best New Musical is a Tony injustice, I'm perfectly fine that it won......

[Beergoggles]

Posted: 6/3/05 at 1:48pm

This is my arugeument! I would do anything to be nominated for a tony let alone win one. For me it's not about being a star or gettng loads of work, it's my sole ambition in life to be the best i can be... on broadway lol! I agree with what they're saying about it not being that important. Julie Andrew never got a Tony but she's secured her place in muscial theatre heaven and Lea Salonga is remembered more for her amazing portrayel of Kim than the Tony she won. When i went to see Millie the other night they have splashed all over the poster winner of 6 TONY AWARDS! Most people there were asking what they were... i think if a show is truely appreciated then it's reward is that. Cheyenne hasn't been nominated but he's starring on Broadway and has worked his way up to that by sheer talent... we all knew of him before he got a leading role and we'll probably still be saying how talented he is when the next Tony awards come round despite the fact he wasn't nominated!

*steps off soap box*

Updated On: 6/3/05 at 01:48 PM

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 6/3/05 at 1:53pm

My best girlfriend has a Tony - and of course SHE won it on talent alone! - but really, all I've seen it do for her is add two words to anything written about her.

[Beergoggles]

Posted: 6/3/05 at 2:01pm

two words? broadway star... broadway legend.... show stopper.... i give up

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 6/3/05 at 2:02pm

I think you're kidding, but just in case... "Tony winner".

[Beergoggles]

Posted: 6/3/05 at 2:05pm

damn it that was my next guess... and yes ofcourse i was joking, i might be English but i do have some broadway knowledge!

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 6/3/05 at 2:07pm

:)

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 6/3/05 at 3:44pm

I wouldn't mind winning just to have those two words in my bio. Plus, the trophy would really coordinate well with my coffee table and entertainment center.

[romanov]

Posted: 6/3/05 at 3:50pm

Matt, I checked my calendar. It's 2005,but you're still an idiot.

[CatieElphie1]

Posted: 6/3/05 at 4:16pm

Julie Andrews would have won a Tony, but she refused the nomination because she was pissed that the Tony committee only nominated her out the the rest of her cast...thusly ensuring that she would never win a Tony, no matter how brilliant she actually was.

And another thing...."Winner of 6 tony awards" is much like putting winner of 13 Academy awards...(but what they don't tell you is that they were for Make Up, Costumes, Editing and Lighting...sure they are all important aspects, but the aren't what people go for.)

[baddadnpa]

Posted: 6/3/05 at 4:20pm

IMO, Julie Andrews should not have won a Tony for Victor/Victoria. The entire show was a mess, top to bottom.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 6/3/05 at 4:21pm

Actually, Catie, Ms. Andrews was pissed because the show itself - which her husband directed and they had a lot of money in - did not receive a nomination for Best Musical. Whatever smokescreen she put up, that was the true reason. Her refusing the nomination was a way of grabbing some publicity to make up for the publicity they weren't getting because of lack of nominations. And it worked - who remembers off the top of their head who won Best Actress that year? Not many people. But everyone remembers her publicity stunt of a refusal.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 6/3/05 at 4:21pm

There's nothing I've said that implies idiocy, but you're obviously still bitter about anything Tony. We got it a month ago. You don't like the Tonys. You think the Tonys are a waste of time. You think the Tonys is just a long commercial for New York. You wonder why anyone cares about the Tonys and you care so little you started a thread about how much you don't care about the Tonys and you go out of your way to take every opportunity to show everyone how much you don't care about the Tonys. You hate the Tonys. You don't even like guys named Tony. You refuse to listen to West Side Story because the romantic lead is Tony. You hate Psycho because it starred Anthony Perkins and Tony is short for Anthony. When you were little, you didn't want a pony because it rhymes with Tony. You don't watch Friends because it has Matthew Perry which is the same last name as Antoinette Perry which is the actress the Tony is named for.

In the words of one of my favorite acting teachers (jrb should get this): "Bluh-blah, bluh-blah, bluh-blah."

Updated On: 6/3/05 at 04:21 PM

[CatieElphie1]

Posted: 6/3/05 at 4:26pm

Rath....what can I say...you're a genious...(and that's what I get for only reading half the book....) thanks for that clarification....
wow...julie andrews is so...tricky..........

Mr Matt makes me chuckle...i thought you were serious...for a mintue....

[romanov]

Posted: 6/3/05 at 4:29pm

Matt, I misjudged you. That post was pure genius. I'm serious. However, I am quite fond of Tony the Tiger.

[CatieElphie1]

Posted: 6/3/05 at 4:31pm

indeed...
what else can we hate becuase of the name Tony?