Hunter Foster creates "Give the Tonys back to BROADWAY" campaign- Page 3
Hunter Foster creates "Give the Tonys back to BROADWAY" campaign
#50Hunter Foster Whines with other non Hollywood actors
Posted: 6/17/10 at 9:36am
I have to say, I understand where your passion is coming from.
But you're opening up a larger issue. You're seeing the Tony Awards ceremony and its blatant backseat approach to theatre in the name of celebrating pop culture as a symbolic sign of the state of Broadway in general.
I won't disagree with you. Broadway is currently in an unhealthy codependent love affair with pop culture. And it was obvious on the Tonys.
But (again) Hunter was talking about the awards show only. Not everything that's "wrong" with Broadway today. You're reading a lot more into it, because it's a hot subject around here.
But to add in comments he never made and then disagree and argue with them is a little weird. He never made those remarks.
"Jaws is the Citizen Kane of movies."
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Phyllis Rogers Stone
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/16/07
#51Hunter Foster Whines with other non Hollywood actors
Posted: 6/17/10 at 9:38am
I liked in the comment Lizzie posted where they said "Violet" Davis.
I kind of agree with just about everyone in the thread, to some extent.
Is Norbert the best example? Hasn't he been desperately reaching for Hollywood cred since forever?
I would love to see the Tonys with virtually no film or tv starts presenting or attending and see how quickly it gets yanked for good. Everyone seems to think it will just "all go to PBS," but I wouldn't consider that guaranteed.
Has Bravo or Lifetime said they wish to air them?
The Tonys were horrific this year, but it's not the fault of Green Day and Michael Douglas.
#52Hunter Foster Whines with other non Hollywood actors
Posted: 6/17/10 at 9:40am
I blame everything on Michael Douglas.
Even the oil leak.
"Jaws is the Citizen Kane of movies."
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#53Hunter Foster Whines with other non Hollywood actors
Posted: 6/17/10 at 9:42amAm I the only person who thought it was kinda cool Mark Sanchez wanted to present at the awards? I mean, it's the last person you'd expect to see there and maybe (just maybe) it gave a little more credibility to musical theater among a few people who would normally just dismiss it.
Phyllis Rogers Stone
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/16/07
#54Hunter Foster Whines with other non Hollywood actors
Posted: 6/17/10 at 9:42amI used to like Catherine Zeta Jones until the Tonys.
#55Hunter Foster Whines with other non Hollywood actors
Posted: 6/17/10 at 9:43am
^true
yep okay, best12bars maybe i jumped 21 guns. 
"it's a dirty little war"
#56Hunter Foster Whines with other non Hollywood actors
Posted: 6/17/10 at 9:43amAnd I'd much rather have Green Day perform than Lea Michele screaming at me again.
eatlasagna
Broadway Legend Joined: 10/6/04
#57Hunter Foster Whines with other non Hollywood actors
Posted: 6/17/10 at 9:44amoh i thought it was cool to see marc sanchez present.. but he looked uncomfortable.. i don't know if it's not used to doing stuff like that and the crowd... or if he was still worried about admitting he liked theater... but whatever... i thought it was cool
Phyllis Rogers Stone
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/16/07
#58Hunter Foster Whines with other non Hollywood actors
Posted: 6/17/10 at 9:47amPerhaps they Tonys could just be a small, untelevised luncheon. Then the focus could REALLY be on theatre (I mean, showing theatre on tv isn't really theatre, is it? It's kind of like how the Amish feel about putting faces on dolls). The acceptance speeches could be as long as the speakers liked and then everyone would be happy. That would really be giving them back to Broadway, no?
#59Hunter Foster Whines with other non Hollywood actors
Posted: 6/17/10 at 9:47am
Yeah, I saw a complaint about Mark Sanchez on the FB group's wall, and wtf? Here is a jock -- A WELL-KNOWN JOCK, NO LESS -- talking about how he likes theatre. And what's wrong with that? There is everything right about it. There is everything right about a guy who comes from a group of people who see theatre as ridiculous and queeny and nothing they would ever go to willingly... and talks positively about it.
Guh. I hate how theatre tries to be inclusive and then a bunch of people start sniping and trying to stay insular.
"This thread reads like a series of White House memos." — Mister Matt
#60Hunter Foster Whines with other non Hollywood actors
Posted: 6/17/10 at 9:59am
There's a difference between "inclusive" and "sacrificial."
You don't invite all these outside pop influences while the very community you're honoring takes a backseat. How clumsy is that?!
"Inclusive" is about striking a balance with everyone, certainly without overshadowing the focus of the celebration. And the balance and focus were really off this year.
I wouldn't want to see an NAACP Image Awards ceremony dominated by famous white movie stars who happened to appear in a black film that year, and have all of them introduced by associating their more famous "white" films. The reason for the celebration should never be overshadowed by a pathetic attempt to attract a larger audience.
"Jaws is the Citizen Kane of movies."
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Updated On: 6/17/10 at 09:59 AM
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Phyllis Rogers Stone
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/16/07
#61Hunter Foster Whines with other non Hollywood actors
Posted: 6/17/10 at 10:00amAnother vote for the private luncheon!
#62Hunter Foster Whines with other non Hollywood actors
Posted: 6/17/10 at 10:02amWell, I highly doubt many people tuned in JUST to see Mark Sanchez. But he made for a good talking point.
"This thread reads like a series of White House memos." — Mister Matt
#63Hunter Foster Whines with other non Hollywood actors
Posted: 6/17/10 at 10:03amA private luncheon with no cameras! And don't tell ANYONE who wins, unless they have an Equity Card or a cast album collection of over 500 recordings.
"Jaws is the Citizen Kane of movies."
blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22
blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22
Phyllis Rogers Stone
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/16/07
#64Hunter Foster Whines with other non Hollywood actors
Posted: 6/17/10 at 10:03amThat would keep it all about the work and the artists. And THE THEATAH!
Phyllis Rogers Stone
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/16/07
#65Hunter Foster Whines with other non Hollywood actors
Posted: 6/17/10 at 10:04amAlso, I feel a harshly worded, all caps, semi-coherent Facebook status message is coming.
#66Hunter Foster Whines with other non Hollywood actors
Posted: 6/17/10 at 10:05am
Guh. I hate how theatre tries to be inclusive and then a bunch of people start sniping and trying to stay insular.
You said it. Can't have it both ways. What makes people think that Bravo or Lifetime, or even PBS would want to air them if CBS dropped them? They could well end up like the Olivier Awards - untelevised.
And, like it or not, the real point of the Tony telecast is to try and get people interested in theater. It is the New York theater community's only chance to reach out to people beyond the Tri-State area. And that is why they try and bring in more well known celebrities - so that they will (hopefully) extol the virtues of theater to an audience that may not be very familiar with it. And it it helps to create a few new theater lovers, then IMO it's done it's job.
Or they cave to pressure and include no movie, TV, music, or sports stars - only actors whom no one outside of Manhattan has ever heard of. It may please theater purists, but I don't know how many people they would reach, and how long such an awards show would last on CBS.
EDIT: I also think that most of the blame for the quality, or lack thereof, of the Tony Awards show this year rests with the producers of the show than the people who attended it.
"You drank a charm to kill John Proctor's wife! You drank a charm to kill Goody Proctor!" - Betty Parris to Abigail Williams in Arthur Miller's The Crucible
Updated On: 6/17/10 at 10:05 AM
#67Hunter Foster Whines with other non Hollywood actors
Posted: 6/17/10 at 10:06am
"Also, I feel a harshly worded, all caps, semi-coherent Facebook status message is coming."
Oh, Phyl, I hope so.
"Jaws is the Citizen Kane of movies."
blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22
blocked: logan2, Diamonds3, Hamilton22
#68Hunter Foster Whines with other non Hollywood actors
Posted: 6/17/10 at 10:09amLizzie, one of the comments re: Mark Sanchez that annoyed me the most was someone I follow on Twitter saying that "we people don't do sports." Speak for yourself, but I was a four year swim team member in high school and follow baseball pretty avidly. People are allowed to like more than one thing, even if it's sports and theatre.
When I see the phrase "the ____ estate", I imagine a vast mansion in the country full of monocled men and high-collared women receiving letters about productions across the country and doing spit-takes at whatever they contain.
-Kad
Phyllis Rogers Stone
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/16/07
#69Hunter Foster Whines with other non Hollywood actors
Posted: 6/17/10 at 10:12amI, for one, think we should withhold all judgment until @BroadwayGirlNYC weighs in on the matter.
#70Hunter Foster Whines with other non Hollywood actors
Posted: 6/17/10 at 10:21am
I personally think it's great to have mainstream stars come on to the Tony's. However, I was annoyed this year, not because of the stars, but because of the self-loathing attitude Tony producers seem to have. As mentioned before, the horrible opening act was essentially saying "Look how great Broadway is...as long as it uses mainstream pop music". And in regard to Green Day, I understand the motive behind it and its necessity to bring in some viewers, but there was NO need to give them a 2 song set.
I know it's not a universal favorite, but IMO last year's opening (tech issues aside) was pretty damn good/effective. It actually celebrated Broadway for being Broadway and accomplished the Tonys goal...it made me interested to see some of those shows in NYC. Not to mention, it demonstrated how to properly insert a pop act(Poison) without it becoming the star of the evening.
Wicked Tour (2/26/08); Wicked Bway (7/1/08); HAIR (7/1/09); Rock of Ages (7/2/09); Wicked Bway (7/3/09); Mary Poppins Tour (8/2/09); Wicked Tour (11/18/09); Wicked Tour (12/5/09)
Phyllis Rogers Stone
Broadway Legend Joined: 9/16/07
#71Hunter Foster Whines with other non Hollywood actors
Posted: 6/17/10 at 10:23amAre you suggesting they should have tried to kill Green Day after their set?
#72Hunter Foster Whines with other non Hollywood actors
Posted: 6/17/10 at 10:25am
"Broadway is currently in an unhealthy codependent love affair with pop culture. And it was obvious on the Tonys."
AMEN!
It was also disheartening to see so many headlines like: "Broadway Goes Hollywood At The Tony Awards", "Hollywood Takes Over Tonys" and "In New York, Tony Awards Red Carpet Looks Alot Like Hollywood". Le sigh.
I do understand and appreciate, however, the very delicate balance regarding this whole situation. We want exposure outside of New York, but without losing the integrity of the work we're trying to honor and celebrate. Perhaps with the change of venue for next year, there's an opportunity to re-examine the show as a whole - especially considering the ratings being down 8% despite the huge Hollywood influence.
#73Hunter Foster Whines with other non Hollywood actors
Posted: 6/17/10 at 10:25amI was more or less referring to the length of performance, but a falling set piece would have been entertaining...and got the Tonys mentioned on mainstream media for a few days lol.
Wicked Tour (2/26/08); Wicked Bway (7/1/08); HAIR (7/1/09); Rock of Ages (7/2/09); Wicked Bway (7/3/09); Mary Poppins Tour (8/2/09); Wicked Tour (11/18/09); Wicked Tour (12/5/09)
#74Hunter Foster Whines with other non Hollywood actors
Posted: 6/17/10 at 10:33am
"Leslie Kritzer Hey guys! I say we take it to PBS where it truly belongs. Where people appreciate love and respect the arts."
These people are hilarious. If they did win a Tony and it was aired on PBS, watch them be pissed because only a limited audience saw them accept the award.
