Hedwig Best Revival acceptance speech

[Alessio2]

Posted: 6/11/14 at 4:09pm

I have a legit question about this. Why does the producer of the show get to go up and accept the award and give the speech, when the two creators of the piece, John Cameron Mitchell and Stephen Trask were both there and just standing behind him? I'm being serious with my question as I'd really like to know. Is there a specific reason for this?

I don't know about anyone else, but I would have much rather have heard from the two creators of the show, other then the "hi mom" they managed to squeeze in at the last second.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 6/11/14 at 4:15pm

I think it's a conspiracy.

[madbrian]

Posted: 6/11/14 at 4:23pm

Since this show was classified as a revival, even though it was never on Broadway before, because of the Tonys' rules, the show was never eligible for score, book, etc. Those would have been the awards that the writers would have been eligible. Best Musical and Best Revival awards go to the producers.

[darreyl102]

Posted: 6/11/14 at 4:24pm

I questioned why they did not get to speak except for "Hi Mom". I think it was because the producer went over and they played them out.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 6/11/14 at 4:24pm

Best revival is a producer's award. Mitchell and Trask were intelligible for their categories. They also probably agreed before hand who would give the speech if they won. Sometimes a producer will agree to have the author give the speech, sometimes not. Deal with it.

[Pasdechat]

Posted: 6/11/14 at 4:26pm

Isn't it always like that, e.g. best picture at the oscar's? I assume the reason behind this is that supposedly the producers are the one who team up the creative and production team. As in: the producer helped the composer/ lyricist to go on with their idea, maybe even team them up, finance them, find a choreographer, a theatre, etc, etc. No producer, no show.

[darreyl102]

Posted: 6/11/14 at 4:39pm

"Deal with it."
Rude.

[FindingNamo]

Posted: 6/11/14 at 4:41pm

1102 is very sensitive.

[Alessio2]

Posted: 6/11/14 at 4:43pm

CATSNYrevival- there's nothing to deal with, it really was just a question out of curiosity.

Thanks for your other replies everyone.

Updated On: 6/11/14 at 04:43 PM

[henrikegerman]

Posted: 6/11/14 at 4:45pm

The award for best musical, best revival of a play and best revival of a musical are awarded to the producers not to the book writer or the composer, or, for that matter, the director. Directors of course are eligible for nominations for directing. If the work's considered a new one, then book and score writers are eligible for tony's for those contributions.

The award for best play, in contrast, is awarded both to the producers and the author. A more parallel (to the musical categories) system might present two awards instead of one - best play (that is the best playwrighting) and best production of a play (or, to distinguish it from a revival, best production of a new play). But that is not how the tony's presently do it (although I think at one time they did).

(Alternatively there could, in addition to awards for best score, book of a musical and best play; there could be awards presented to the best production of a musical (whether new or old) and best production of a play (whether new or old)). There are plenty of ways to devise the scheme of what gets awards and what competes with what. Hell, there could just be awards for best lead (male or female) or best featured (male or female) performances without distinguishing as to sex, and/or without distinguishing between musical or play, etc.

If Hedwig had been a new work, and had won best musical, then that award would have still gone to the producers; not the authors.

Of course, that doesn't mean that the authors can't go on stage when the award is presented.

There a parallel between the oscar for best picture and the tony for best musical. The screenwriter and film director are eligible for awards in those categories. But the award for best picture is presented to the producer.

With a revival the award goes to the producers. This is true for revivals of musicals as well as plays. Mitchell and Trask were present on stage but the award went to the producer.

Perhaps the tony's think "the play is the thing" when it comes to a new production of a play, but don't think the same is true when it comes to a musical play, or a revival of a play or musical play.







Updated On: 6/11/14 at 04:45 PM

[macnyc]

Posted: 6/11/14 at 4:57pm

In NPH's acceptance speech for his award, he referenced the fact that Mitchell and Trask were, unfortunately, not eligible. I forget the exact wording, but that was the drift.