Hunter Foster creates "Give the Tonys back to BROADWAY" campaign

[CapnHook]

on Facebook:

A group for all actors, directors, writers and fans who want to see the Tony awards given back to who it belongs to: US!! No more movie stars invading Radio City, no more rock bands playing more than one song; we want Broadway stars as presenters and Broadway people performing. And if that means leaving CBS for Bravo or Lifetime or TNT, then so be it! We've had enough!

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=102274489824156

[TheatreFan4]

Oh... he's pissed...

[mallardo]

He's got a job what's he complaining about?

[LizzieCurry]

Oh lordy.

Yes, what we need is for theatre to be EVEN MORE closed-off...

[Jordan Catalano]

How many movie stars that were there weren't part of the Broadway community as well?

[Mildred Plotka]

I'd like to start a "Give Broadway Back to Broadway" campaign and make Million Dollar Quartet my first target.

[Marquise]

Hunter Foster is utterly ridiculous. By his way of thinking then Angela Lansbury had no business stepping onto a Broadway stage as she was largely known as a movie actress when she made her Broadway debut. The list goes on.

If we keep "movie stars", who are essentially just actors like any other off the stage should we anticipate his FAT ASS stay away from movies and television?

WHAT A FRIKKIN' MORON.

[Mildred Plotka]

But...but...but...He was nice to me at the stage door AND added me as a friend on Facebook!

[TheatreFan4]

I wonder what Sutton thinks...

[Kad]

No more scores composed of popular music! Right, Hunter?!

[LizzieCurry]

Does he really not care about alienating a large segment of his own industry?

[CATSNYrevival]

I'm going to have to agree with Marquise on this one. I understand his frustration, and something does need to be done, mostly with the quality and production values of the broadcast, but this is not a solution.

[CapnHook]

Many theatre performers are on board with his campaign: Tony Yazbeck, Jen Cody (his wife), Erin Maguire are some I recall from the list.

[TheatreFan4]

Donna Vivino is on there too.

[Marquise]

Well then they should tell Sutton to stay off SVU before Television actors get pissed and start their own facebook campaign to keep Broadway folk off of television shows. They don't want them showing up at the EMMY awards either because, y'know they aren't television actors. That also goes for virtually the entire cast of glee. They belong on the stage and not contaminating television with their "uppity" presence.

[CATSNYrevival]

^ See. When you reverse the situation it just shows how stupid it is. Someone should post a similar comment on the facebook page.

[Marquise]

Then it'll just spill over to the Film community. NO Lin-Manuel we paid you handsomely for the rights to your big hit IN THE HEIGHTS but guess what, you ain't starring in it. Why? Because you are "just a theater actor" no one outside of Times Square knows who YOU are. You're not a MOVIE STAR. You're not bankable. Theater actors should stay on the stage. Television actors should only be allowed to make television shows and Movie Stars should only be allowed to star in films.

Oh and don't even get me started on recording artists. They should be heard and not seen. No theater, tv or films for you. You only get to record.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Marquise, one great post after another on this thread, don't have much to say because you've pretty much made the point very clear. How ridiculous. While I agree it's pretty annoying to have Green Day singing for such a long time during the opening, I don't get the ill towards film actors who had so many wonderful performances this past season. It's not like the Tonys go ga-ga over film actors just because, Julianne Moore, Denzel Washington himself (for JULIUS CAESAR), Julia Roberts, Katie Holmes, etc were some of the huge stars who were completely snubbed by the Tony committee. Ugh.

[InfiniteTheaterFrenzy]

I think that the facebook group and its point are being misinterpreted by several posters on this thread.

The statement made by Hunter Foster, and agreed with by the members of the group, is that the MAIN FOCUS of the Tony Awards should be Broadway.

Hunter articulates that the Tonys need "no more rock bands playing more than one song". This is indicative of the whole idea of the group. It's not saying that there shouldn't be ANY mainstream culture at the Tonys- it's saying there was an excess this year of content not truly pertinent to Broadway.

The group is saying: we'd rather have Raul Esparza and Laura Benanti presenting than Mark Sanchez.

[CATSNYrevival]

Look at the pictures on the group page. He's posted pictures of Liza Minnelli, James Earl Jones, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Audra McDonald, Matthew Broderick and a slew of other theatre actors who work in various genres.

[InfiniteTheaterFrenzy]

He didn't post those. Some girl did.

[InfiniteTheaterFrenzy]

(And every single photo celebrates a true Broadway moment of the sort that were seriously lacking this past Sunday.)

[CapnHook]

To be FAIR, his campaign is to "give the TONYS back to BROADWAY." He doesn't say he has issue with Hollywood stars being on Broadway. I interpret his "mission statement," if you will, to promote the desire to have BROADWAY host, present, and perform on the TONYS.

Now, Sean Hayes, Catherine Zeta-Jones, and Scarlett Johanson are making their Broadway debuts, so it was very much justified for them to be there. I don't really get Hunter Foster's point...other than Green Day.

[Marquise]

I posted all of my comments to the Wall of that ludicrous facebook group.

[Marquise]

I don't really get Hunter Foster's point...AT ALL.