Guardian answers all your questions about the Tonys for UK readers

[pagageno]

Posted: 6/8/12 at 4:57pm

David Cote of Time Out New York pens this snarky primer to Sunday's Tony Awards: As US TV braces itself for this year's Tonys, find out why they are seven hours long, who might give an embarrassing speech, and whether James Corden can beat Philip Seymour Hoffman...
Guardian primer on the Tony Awards

[rjm516]

Posted: 6/8/12 at 5:27pm

What an a&*hole. They are not 7 hours but are probably the shortest of all awards telecasts; the presenters are happy to be there because they are mostly Broadway people and nominees; and I doubt anyone is infuriated by any group of performers working their butts off trying to keep a whole lot of people employed. Etc. Why does he hate the Tonys so much? It makes it seem like he hates theatre, which is probably not his intent. Such a jerk.
Also this is hardly 'everything we need to know about the Tonys' since it doesn't mention at all how to watch them in the UK.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 6/8/12 at 5:37pm

I rather heard the disdain for theater in his tone as well. I thought I was being too sensitive a yank when I read the article.

[Gaveston2]

Posted: 6/8/12 at 5:40pm

I agree. If only the article were half so clever as its author thinks it is.

[bdn223]

Posted: 6/8/12 at 5:57pm

I also love how he treats American theater and the Tonys like pieces of **** compared to London and the Oliviers. Yes te Tonys have issues with being politically and monitarily motivated, but at least its voters are qualified unlike the Oliviers panel of 7 random people....
Also American theater especially musicals are held to a higher standard. What does it say when the only places in brittan where "great" plays are written are Domar and the National...? On the note of musicals, when was the last British musical created with substance over spectacle...or how many are their in general? The only one that comes to mind is Billy Elliot, which relied greatly on spectacle. And to those who mention LesMiz...it was originally written in French and premiered in Paris. The West End has ever created a In the Heights, Next to Normal, or RENT... musicals that have sustance of that of a play...answer is never. Yes this season may not of been a great showcase, but in general the clear difference between Americal musicals and British muiscals is the American musicals choose substance over spectacle, while British musicals choose te later of the options. ALW vs Sondhiem has a clear victor...

Updated On: 6/8/12 at 05:57 PM

[MusicalBoy]

Posted: 6/8/12 at 6:23pm

I kinda resent the English snobbery against American theatre, I feel very fondly about both, and the Americans are usually very good to British actors and shows (remember War Horse last year), so bdn223, let's not start a tradition of criticising all British musicals for no good reason, especially when you can't spell British.

[Phyllis Rogers Stone]

Posted: 6/8/12 at 6:29pm

Or panel.

[DeNada]

Posted: 6/8/12 at 6:56pm

From a British perspective, there's no disdain for theatre in that article - it's merely being extremely sarcastic. You may all be interested to realise that David Cote is an American and the theatre editor of Time Out New York...

I don't think American theatre is held to a higher or lesser standard than British theatre, and I don't actually think that's the insinuation of the article (other than the "where's the great British play to win Best Play" comment). If Clybourne Park wins the Tony, is that better or worse than the Olivier it already has? And BDN, did you pay any attention to the Oliviers this year and the nominees for Best Musical - in particular London Road, the verbatim musical about the effect of serial killings of prostitutes in South East England? Why can't we just celebrate good theatre in all its forms?

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 6/8/12 at 7:11pm

lol it's sarcasm people, chill out

[hermajesty]

Posted: 6/8/12 at 7:12pm

I think he has a prob with America...............long live America

Updated On: 6/9/12 at 07:12 PM