Why was Pajama Game allowed to perform on TONYS and not BIG RVER?

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 6/13/06 at 12:57am

oh right those $500 dollar performances.
Updated On: 6/13/06 at 12:57 AM

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 6/13/06 at 12:59am

Because Big River was rehearsing in LA.

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 6/13/06 at 1:01am

they would have gladly gathered in NYC to do it
A lot of them were at the Roundabout Party that night

[Stagerage2003]

Posted: 6/13/06 at 1:10am

Because Pj Game is still running on broadway and Big River wasn't ... end of story. TONYS Performances are reserved for currently running shows only.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 6/13/06 at 1:13am

Like Side Show, right?

[CurtainPullDowner]

Posted: 6/13/06 at 1:15am

so PJ extended just for thr TONYS?

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 6/13/06 at 1:17am

Well, perhaps it has to do with the fact that Pajama Game is open and running (and will reopen in the fall and needs the national tv exposure), while Big River was LONG closed by the time the Tonys happened. More than that were the financial considerations. Know that the producers of each show that performs on the Tonys typically spend six figures for that spot, between actor's salaries (each performer gets a week's salary), union costs, the cost of building a replica of the set and other expenses. Roundabout is a not-for-profit that is EXTREMELY cost conscious (some would say cheap) and there was no way they were going to spend that kind of money on a show of theirs that closed 9 months before. And as a not-for-profit, it would have been fiscally irresponsible to do so.

Besides all that, do you have something against charity? The show was scheduled to close yesterday. The ONLY way they got Connick to agree to do another week was so that he could raise money for Katrina victims in his native New Orleans. If they hadn't set up this week of charity shows (and incidentally, aside from the $500 tickets, some $110 tickets are still available last I heard for this week), the show would have simply closed as scheduled. How on earth could anyone be possibly bothered by using a Broadway show to raise critically needed funds for people who are desperately in need?

Updated On: 6/13/06 at 01:17 AM

[zzannahk]

Posted: 6/13/06 at 1:22am

i thought kathleen said (this week on 60 minutes or some news program) that they were hoping to re-open, but nothing was decided yet

[RentBoy86]

Posted: 6/13/06 at 1:23am

Touche!

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 6/13/06 at 1:24am

Last I heard, it was a "go" and they were considering theaters.

[zzannahk]

Posted: 6/13/06 at 1:25am

how does that work as far as a different cast, it is re-eligible for tonys?

[inlovewithjerryherman]

Posted: 6/13/06 at 1:27am

highly doubtful.

[MTVMANN]

Posted: 6/13/06 at 1:31am

In Hindsight, perhaps because the PJ Game Won!

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 6/13/06 at 1:32am

No, it's the same production (sets, costumes, direction, choreography and probably much of the same cast) and it's simply a continuation of this same run and thus ineligible (though the new leads may be eligible for the Replacement Tony). It's just a case of them taking a break for a few months, which used to happen all the time (decades ago, back before every theater was air conditioned, some shows would simply close down for the worst summer months and reopen in September).

Updated On: 6/13/06 at 01:32 AM

[BSoBW2]

Posted: 6/13/06 at 1:36am

Not to mention Roundabout had to worry about two shows.