Tony Awards & Broadway’s Swings and Understudies

Ugh, here we go again.

GIVE UNDERSTUDIES, STANDBYS, AND SWINGS THEIR RESPECT!!!

While I completely agree. If there was a time to celebrate them, now is the time. Although, why did it have to come from Jenn Cody? I'm still sour from that whole thing a few years ago about the "star/stunt casting".

Literally anyone on Twitter can say whatever they want to be inflammatory, regardless of if it's based in fact, and the Twitter mob will pounce and make anyone involved into a pariah. Nuance, context clues all out the window.

Absolute madness.

OhHiii said: "Literally anyone on Twitter can say whatever they want to be inflammatory, regardless of if it's based in fact, and the Twitter mob will pounce and make anyone involved into a pariah. Nuance, context clues all out the window.

Absolute madness."

What else do you expect from idiot millennials?

In 2018 they had ensemble members back up Josh Groban and Sara Bareilles for the opening number, and at a pause Josh Groban said “Ladies and gentlemen, represented the hardest working men and women on broadway, ensemble members from every nominated musical tonight.” I’ve been imagining something like that this whole time. I can’t imagine it’d be any less right? If it’s just a throwaway mention that’d still be incredibly disappointing.

I would love (personally) to see a number that features a number of understudies and swings, in the principle costumes, singing a medley of songs from their respective shows. I doubt it will happen but how amazing would that be to see promoted on national TV. Sort of a way to prove that just because there is a little paper inside your playbill doesn't mean you are gonna get any less of a performance. In fact, you might even get a better one.

JasonC3 said: "If I was going to bet my life savings on anything, it would be that it will not be a throwaway mention."

Well, it ended up being several throwaway mentions.

I mean, what was everyone expecting? An hour-long tribute to them during the ceremony? I don't say this at all to take away from what they've done all year, but it's only a four-hour broadcast and there are literally hundreds of thousands of people who in some way work on Broadway shows every year. Unfortunately, there can't be huge segments devoted to every single person.

From my recollection, there was practically zero mention of ushers, concessions staff, box office staff, marketing associates, scene shop workers, website developers, board operators, security staff, cleaning staff, sales reps, press agents and so many other people who were also vital to keeping Broadway alive this year. There just isn't time for it. So the fact that Ariana took several moments to mention swings and understudies (plus point out one performing in Six) and I'd say at least a third of the speeches mentioned their swings or understudies in some way is far more recognition than a lot of people who worked on Broadway this year got.

Again, I'm not at all undermining how vital swings and understudies are. Just there's only so much you can do in a four-hour ceremony and it was great to see them at least get as much attention as they did.

uncamark said: "Overreaction has become the mode of the day on social media, as Kate pointed out.

I don't know what it was like on this board, but on Twitter last night there were people saying that if "Strange Loop" didn't start winning, there would be a riot. Folks (and note the spelling), this is not George Floyd being murdered by a cop, it's the frickin' Tony Awards. In the grand scheme of things, BIPOCs and trans people winning an award for a comparatively small if lucrative portion of American theater is not that big a deal. Priorities, folks, priorities. "

And a handful of theater teenagers being hyperbolic on Twitter isn’t worth you climbing on a soapbox. Do you think people were genuinely calling for riots? Lord.