Tony Awards Set Question

[Mr. Wormwood]

Posted: 7/1/20 at 12:33pm

I've been watching some old Tony performances just to help get me through until I can see live performances again and I had a question that I'm just curious about

When you see a re-created set on a Tonys broadcast at Radio City or wherever they are being held, is that the exact same set that has been transported or is it a re-creation or is it a little bit of both? Like are the sets themselves new but the set details brought over from the Broadway theatre?

Just curious!

[Justin D]

Posted: 7/1/20 at 12:40pm

I've wondered this also

for example

1988 awards was held at the Minskoff, yet phanrom was there, candelabra and all. 

the clip starts with the boat onstage and ALL the candles rise up, they even have the black wings/legs from the show, which makes me wonder, was this done as a split presentation, where the boat part was filmed earlier at the majestic for the broadcast and inserted in, then Music of the Night performed live at the minskoff? because at the end there is a wide shot so the candles on stage were at the minskoff.

[BrodyFosse123]

Posted: 7/1/20 at 1:03pm

The entire THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA section was pre-filmed at the Majestic Theatre. Only their bows at the end were live at the Minskoff Theatre, hence the dark stage behind them with only the large set pieces slightly visible. Same concept was done for the 1983 Tony Awards which was held at the Gershwin Theatre. CATS performance of “Memory” was pre-filmed at the Winter Garden Theatre to showcase the musical’s elaborate set design.

[Broadway61004]

Posted: 7/1/20 at 1:28pm

They may bring a few tiny pieces over, but otherwise, yes, it's a brand new set for the Tony awards.  Almost all shows have performances the afternoon of the Tonys, so it would be virtually impossible to do the show, load up the set, get it to Radio City to tech and be ready for the ceremony.  More and more shows are now using projections of their actual sets at the Tonys since that's obviously significantly easier than building anything new or moving anything over.

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 7/1/20 at 3:35pm

I believe it was far more common for shows to be pre recorded when the tony awards were held at true broadway theatres and not Radio City. Also, lately most shows have used the LED screens far more often and physical set pieces are non existent unless it’s something like Once on this Island.

Updated On: 7/1/20 at 03:35 PM

[LegallyBroadway2]

Posted: 7/1/20 at 5:04pm

I can answer this with first hand experience. 

Practically nothing is taken out of the theatre for the Tony Awards.

The Dress Rehearsal is Sunday morning, and ends as the crews are beginning a preset at the individual theaters for the Sunday matinee. There is absolutely no time to track props or set pieces throughout midtown. 

Costumes and wigs often do travel as the cast will dress at the theatre and bus over, but never set pieces, and rarely any props. 

A Tony Awards performance is expensive for these reasons, including the fabrication of any physical items. 

Sometimes props/pieces built for the Tony's might end up on tour... but most often these items are discarded or stored after the performance. 

[Mr. Wormwood]

Posted: 7/1/20 at 6:47pm

Thank you for the information! Wow, that is a lot of work for the Tonys but obviously the exposure is a huge opportunity.

Also interesting that filming in their own theater used to be a thing but that was at the heart of the whole Scott Rudin-Dolly debacle

Updated On: 7/1/20 at 06:47 PM

[chewy5000]

Posted: 7/1/20 at 9:28pm

On a related note, I guess that they keep the faux proscenium set that they appear to have been re-using at Radio City since 2004 in storage? Although I imagine it's been rebuilt a few times over the years.

[615theatreguy]

Posted: 7/1/20 at 9:30pm

LegallyBroadway2 said:

Sometimes props/pieces built for the Tony's might end up on tour... but most often these items are discarded or stored after the performance."

I’m not sure how accurate this is, but I was once told that the bubble used on the Wicked 2nd national tour was the one built specifically for the Kristin Chenoweth/Hugh Jackman moment at the 2003 Tony’s.  I thought that was cool! 

I also think the clock/small dragon set piece used in the Wicked performance is in the Gershwin ground floor lobby. 

[Tag]

Posted: 7/1/20 at 11:00pm

You also have to remember a set built purposely for a certain theatre and it's dimensions wouldn't necessarily look good on the Radio City stage.

Also I imagine the ghastly LED walls used for the last few years have helped costs with some producers. 

[Broadway61004]

Posted: 7/2/20 at 8:56am

Mr. Wormwood said: "Thank you for the information! Wow, that is a lot of work for the Tonys but obviously the exposure is a huge opportunity.

Also interesting that filming in their own theaterused to be a thing but that was at the heart of the whole Scott Rudin-Dolly debacle"

This was Rudin's whole argument in that debate, that they used to be able to do this, so why not now?  The answer was that the Tonys didn't want to make an exception for any one show as they were worried that every show would then start asking to do that.  (Now as to why they transitioned away from performances on shows' own stages to performances at Radio City in the first place is another question that I'm not sure on, but I would suspect it had to do with the cost and logistics of camera crews being sent all over town to different theatres, as well as now being able to charge more for the audience members at the Tonys since they're seeing several live performances.  But as far as why they wouldn't allow Rudin to film from the Shubert, that was why.)

[BentleyB]

Posted: 7/2/20 at 12:35pm

We were at the Tony's last year and other than smaller set pieces that were even smaller than the original production's (like Emmy's Bedroom in "The Prom" the rest of the sets were all LED.

[sparksatmidnight]

Posted: 7/4/20 at 12:44am

If I could choose, I'd certainly watch recordings done in the actual theatres with a full set than those boring LED mock-ups (but then again, that's also becoming more and more used)

[dearalanaaaa]

Posted: 7/4/20 at 12:39pm

I cannot begin to imagine the logistical hell that Great Comet of 1812 had during the 2018 Tony's. Didn't they invite 50+ fans to go on stage with them, had numerous props, including Anatole's violin (? fiddle?) along with their massive ensemble? I refuse to believe that was an LED set unless everybody sitting on it didn't exist either. How did Malloy pull that off? It's my favorite performance of all time for the Tony's, but reading this thread makes it seem like that was an impossible production to put on at Radio City.

[itsjustmejonhotmailcom]

Posted: 7/4/20 at 2:06pm

dearalanaaaa said: "I cannot begin to imagine the logistical hell that Great Comet of 1812 had during the 2018 Tony's. Didn't they invite 50+ fans to go on stage with them, had numerous props, including Anatole's violin (? fiddle?) along with their massive ensemble? I refuse to believe that was an LED set unless everybody sitting on it didn't exist either. How did Malloy pull that off? It's my favorite performance of all time for the Tony's, but reading this thread makes it seem like that was an impossible production to put on at Radio City."

With the exception of the simple risers the on-stage audience was sitting on, those were indeed LED screens (the curtains, paintings, etc.)

[LeftofLinus]

Posted: 7/4/20 at 5:53pm

dearalanaaaa said: "I cannot begin to imagine the logistical hell that Great Comet of 1812 had during the 2018 Tony's. Didn't they invite 50+ fans to go on stage with them, had numerous props, including Anatole's violin (? fiddle?) along with their massive ensemble? I refuse to believe that was an LED set unless everybody sitting on it didn't exist either. How did Malloy pull that off? It's my favorite performance of all time for the Tony's, but reading this thread makes it seem like that was an impossible production to put on at Radio City."

I was a part of this and it was the most incredible experience.  The banquette seating was on the lift at Radio City but the rest was all LED screens.  The entire cast and crew of Comet were incredibly kind, helpful, and welcoming to the 50+ of us picked to take part.  One of the coolest experiences I've ever had.