Tony Catergories They Should Have — Page 2

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#26

Tony Catergories They Should Have

Posted: 5/23/11 at 3:56am

I know that this is kind of a funny-edged series of posts... (at least I hope so) ...but as a musician and composer, et al., I think the only really essential addition to the Tony stuff-and-nonsense is "Best Musical Director", which was once an award. I mean, really, if they're going to worry over "Sound Design"... HUH? (whose work I realllly can't imagine most Tony Voters comprehend) ...then the artists who develop, devise, collaborate-on, and nightly "control" the work of a musical onstage, should clearly be awarded. I mean, really... Best Sound Design of a Play???? and NO awardee for keeping a LIVE-MUSIC MUSICAL "happening" from first rehearsal to opening night? Gimme a break!

#27

Tony Catergories They Should Have

Posted: 5/23/11 at 4:59am

Biggest Shill

#28

Tony Catergories They Should Have

Posted: 5/23/11 at 6:59am

Isn't best Play or Best Musical really saying best ensemble? The truest sense: all the elements, all the actors working together to create the best of the best.

Best replacement would be a logistical nightmare. Some roles have more than 1 replacement in a year - how often are the tony voters going to return to see the same show? So many of them are from out of town. They can't even get to the shows that close before nominations, they'd never be able to see every replacement. And then of course the field would be HUGE....replacements of only Tony winning roles? Of any Tony NOMINATED role? Of any Tony ELIGIBLE role?

You'd be asking every voter to see every show still running every year. Ridiculous.'

I do wish they didn't eliminate theatrical event.

If we're not having fun, then why are we doing it? These are DISCUSSION boards, not mutual admiration boards. Discussion only occurs when we are willing to hear what others are thinking, regardless of whether it is alignment to our own thoughts.

#29

Tony Catergories They Should Have

Posted: 5/23/11 at 8:07am

peerjb, I agree that it would be nice to see music directors get recognized, but I think it's a logistical nightmare.

With Sound Design, since you brought it up, you can hear the end result when you see the show. If the voices are clear and the sound effects used to strong effect, I know it's because of the sound design. It might be someone else's original idea, but ultimately the sound designer was in charge of executing it. Even if you don't fully understand the job, you know at a base level that what you hear during a show (how good the sound is) is a result of sound design.

With a Music Director, you don't directly see everything they did or didn't do. I've worked as a music director on productions where I was responsible for every note onstage and in the pit, and I've worked on productions where I was used as a glorified piano player while the director wouldn't even let me finish teaching a song before deciding he didn't like it and personally changing the score to suit his desires. You can't tell by watching and listening alone what the Music Director did. Could it be a particularly strong group of actors compensating for a weak music director? Or what about a great music director doing everything right but being stuck with a leading man who can't hold a note? Does the former get nominated because his butt was covered by the actor instead of the latter who got saddled with a bad singer?

I think the work of a music director is just too flexible and hidden to award in a simple way. People think the score sounds so good because it's a great score or was boosted by great orchestrations, but I've met very few people who give credit to the music director for helping to mold a score for opening night.

#30

Tony Catergories They Should Have

Posted: 5/23/11 at 8:42am

"Isn't best Play or Best Musical really saying best ensemble? The truest sense: all the elements, all the actors working together to create the best of the best."

Best Play/Musical is judging the combined creative merits of the show. It's the creative team that's being judged, not the actors. That's why people complain when shows are nominated for best score, best director, best scene design, etc. and not best musical. By your logic, Curtains should have won Best Musical simply because David Hyde Pierce won the Tony.

Like a firework unexploded
Wanting life but never knowing how

#31

Tony Catergories They Should Have

Posted: 5/23/11 at 9:49am

- Best Soundtrack
- Hottest person to get naked on stage
- Most annoying Flash banner ad on BroadwayWorld
- Best Marquee
- Best Patti LuPone performance of the year

"I'm seeing the LuPone in Key West later this week. I'm hoping for great vocals and some sort of insane breakdown..." - BenjaminNicholas2

#32

Tony Catergories They Should Have

Posted: 5/23/11 at 10:50am

Best replacement would be a logistical nightmare. Some roles have more than 1 replacement in a year - how often are the tony voters going to return to see the same show?

What if the producers of each show could put forward a limited number of replacement performers for consideration (perhaps just one)?

#33

Tony Catergories They Should Have

Posted: 5/23/11 at 10:56am

Gatorgory: Most Bloodshed

AntiTony: Most Obnoxious Language

#34

Tony Catergories They Should Have

Posted: 5/23/11 at 2:54pm

If we're going to have best musical director, then we should have best pit player. You know, so that people with talent can be recognized and then maybe that will encourage some kind of revival in having real musicians instead of pre-recorded sounds.

So my vote goes to Best Song

Best Music Director
And Best Instrumentalist.

#35

Tony Catergories They Should Have

Posted: 5/23/11 at 4:19pm

I really don't think there needs to be any more categories. I was adamant about wanting Best Sound Design, and we debated the merits of it here on BWW.

I was quite pleased, a year later, when they added the category with two awards (one for play and one for musical). I'm sure it was because of our thread.

But I can't see a need for any more. Makeup isn't really merited (although I could see a special award being given for a particularly outstanding show), and Musical Direction is one of those nebulous categories like Best Stage Manager or stagehand. They've had awards for them in the past and dropped the categories.

"Jaws is the Citizen Kane of movies."

blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22

#36

Tony Catergories They Should Have

Posted: 5/24/11 at 9:55am

I personally wouldn't be a fan of Best Song if they added it. I just feel like one great song within the rest of a mediocre score isn't really deserving of recognition (and if it's a great song within a great score it can already be recognized there). To me that would be like giving out Best Actor and Best Monologue--great monologues can be a part of mediocre performances, but unless the performance on the whole is outstanding it really shouldn't be recognized at the awards in my opinion.

Agree with Best Ensemble though and I think Best Music Director is a great idea in theory, but I worry that because so many orchestrators are serving as MD's for their shows now, that it would turn into just awarding Best Orchestrations twice (not that musical direction and orchestration are the same thing by any means, but let's face it--voters are stupid and may not think of said differences when voting).

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