Tony Award TV Ratings

[yankeefan7]

Posted: 4/29/16 at 11:12pm

Just curious if anybody thinks the incredible popularity of "Hamilton" will have a big effect on the Tony Award TV ratings.

[aaaaaa15]

Posted: 4/29/16 at 11:42pm

I don't know about a big effect but I'd be shocked if they didn't go up.

[Wilmingtom]

Posted: 4/30/16 at 3:16am

Hamilton's popularity is largely contained within the showbiz community.  I doubt that my mid-western sisters and their husbands have any notion of it.  The Tonys are watched by theater enthusiasts, whether or not there's a Hamilton in the mix.  But what if the enthusiasts think, "Well, Hamilton's going to sweep - I don't need to watch."  It could have the opposite effect on the ratings. But I don't see that happening.  Us diehards will whatch no matter what which is still no guarantee of great ratings.

Updated On: 4/30/16 at 03:16 AM

[Broadway Forever2]

Posted: 4/30/16 at 3:36am

yankeefan7 said: "Just curious if anybody thinks the incredible popularity of "Hamilton" will have a big effect on the Tony Award TV ratings.

 

"

I'm conflicted. I definitely understand the argument that only theatre buffs watch the Tony's and if htey know that Hamilton will win all the awards then they won't watch. It depends.

[aaaaaa15]

Posted: 4/30/16 at 3:39am

Well Hamilton wont win all the awards, not even all the ones it's eligible for. There's also all the play categories and the performances to watch for. 

[Broadway Forever2]

Posted: 4/30/16 at 3:46am

aaaaaa15 said: "Well Hamilton wont win all the awards, not even all the ones it's eligible for. There's also all the play categories and the performances to watch for. 

 

"

yeah obviously not and I'm not even sure I agree with the analysis I gave haha. I'm just talking about perception among viewers. I've seen that explanation about people not watching in another article as well.  And I can sorta see point broadway is a very niche market not like films where when Titanic won all those awards the ratings broke records.

 

However that could just be anti-Hamilton sentiment. The ratings could go up a bit.

[After Eight]

Posted: 4/30/16 at 8:21am

"Well Hamilton wont win all the awards, not even all the ones it's eligible for."

 

Yes it will. It has to.

 

In any case, I won't be in the tv room when it happens. I'll be listening to something delightful like Wonderful Town or La Belle Hélène. Or maybe I'll just read a good book. Thank heavens we still have pleasurable options!

 

As for tv ratings, maybe there'll be a championship basketball game or something else for sports fans in the same time period. Perhaps there are more of those than fans of you know what. But with the media blitz we've seen, who knows? Certainly if I were forced to choose, I'd take basketball!

[dramamama611]

Posted: 4/30/16 at 8:40am

I doubt it will make any discernible difference.  Just because that show has grabbed the nation's attention, doesn't mean those folks care about watching the awards.

[pupscotch]

Posted: 4/30/16 at 8:48am

Some might watch until Hamilton's performance, and then stop watching.

[madbrian]

Posted: 4/30/16 at 8:54am

CBS will promote the crap out of Hamilton's performance before the show.  If they're smart, they won't have them perform too early in the show.  Yeah, it'll help ratings, but probably not too dramatically.

[After Eight]

Posted: 4/30/16 at 8:59am

 

 

I suspect they'll wait until the end to award best musical, knowing that the entire world will want to see the ultimate apotheosis.

[Wick3]

Posted: 4/30/16 at 9:02am

I don't really follow TV ratings but how did the Tonys do back in 2011 when Book of Mormon was *THE* show to watch? Or back in 2004 when Wicked was *THE* show to watch only to be upset by Avenue Q? 

If those years went well for TV ratings, then this year will probably do well too. 

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 4/30/16 at 9:02am

After Eight said: " 

 

I suspect they'll wait until the end to award best musical, knowing that the entire world will want to see the ultimate apotheosis.

 

"

They always give out best musical last.

[Wick3]

Posted: 4/30/16 at 9:15am

pupscotch said: "Some might watch until Hamilton's performance, and then stop watching"

Given Hamilton performed "Alexander Hamilton" on the Grammys, which song(s) do you guys think Hamilton will perform on the Tonys?

 

[yankeefan7]

Posted: 4/30/16 at 9:33am

"Some might watch until Hamilton's performance, and then stop watching."

 

Very true and too bad they could not perform twice, once at the beginning and once at the end of telecast - lol.

[yankeefan7]

Posted: 4/30/16 at 9:35am

"Given Hamilton performed "Alexander Hamilton" on the Grammys, which song(s) do you guys think Hamilton will perform on the Tonys?"

 

Maybe "The Room Where It Happens" ?

[DramaTeach]

Posted: 4/30/16 at 9:41am

I'm also hoping for "Room Where It Happens."  It shows off Leslie Odom Jr. while still giving other cast members a chance to have their moments.  Perhaps they'll do a medley (American history in 3 minutes) to really give everyone a chance to shine.

[sarahb22]

Posted: 4/30/16 at 9:47am

This might be an odd choice, but I was listening to the OCR the other day and thought that 'Yorktown' would make a great Tony performance.  It has most of the characters, a great rock beat, and showcases one of the pivotal events in our nation's history.  That said, it'll probably be "The Room Where it Happens".

[non-stop26]

Posted: 4/30/16 at 11:57am

Given Hamilton performed "Alexander Hamilton" on the Grammys, which song(s) do you guys think Hamilton will perform on the Tonys?

 

 

"

Maybe they'll do a medley like some other shows have done. If not then I hope for "The Room Where it Happens".

[BroadwayConcierge]

Posted: 4/30/16 at 12:14pm

Wilmingtom said: "Hamilton's popularity is largely contained within the showbiz community."

This is a false statement.

[Jay94]

Posted: 4/30/16 at 12:59pm

I agree that people outside of New York and LA probably don't know or don't care about Hamilton. It might make a marginal difference but it's not like that many people have actually seen the show yet in the grand scheme of things.

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 4/30/16 at 1:03pm

We normally watch from beginning to end.With all of the suspense sucked out air in the musical category (except revivals), we might channel surf back and forth. We have given up on the Oscars after this year's debacle so who knows about the Tonys. Luck to all nominees.

[aaaaaa15]

Posted: 4/30/16 at 6:33pm

Jay94 said: "I agree that people outside of New York and LA probably don't know or don't care about Hamilton. It might make a marginal difference but it's not like that many people have actually seen the show yet in the grand scheme of things."

I think you are underestimating the power of the internet with teenagers and other young people. There are youngsters all over the country who are obsessed with this show, whether they have seen it or not. Sure, your aunt from the midwest may not have heard of it, but if you know any teenagers who keep up with pop culture, they absolutely will have.

There are numerous TV shows (The Simpsons, SNL, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, The Mindy Project and more) that have all referenced Hamilton in their new seasons on the basis that their audiences know what it is. I think it's difficult to realize how big it is for those who aren't into theatre when we all knew about it before it even started off-broadway.

[ChiTheaterFan]

Posted: 4/30/16 at 7:02pm

As someone going to see a high school performance in small town Wisconsin tonight, I can tell you Hamilton fever has swept the nation. It may be mostly in young theater fans, but I think sometimes you guys forget there are a ton of theater buffs outside of New York. And the Internet makes all of this accessible. I don't know how much that will transition to Tony viewership though. Probably depends on CBS's ads in part. I'm sure there will be some increase but I don't think it's bound to become the oscars or anything. 

 

Its much the way Rent fever swept through me and my fellow drama nerds twenty years ago when I was in high school. When you think about it, it's quite remarkable that frenzy happened before the Internet. (But I didn't watch the Tonys until I started seeing shows in New York.)

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 4/30/16 at 7:08pm

Doubt it will make enough of a swell in the ratings for C BS to say they want to reup for 5 more years. It might be up. Who knows. Time will tell