Michael in the bathroom Tony’s parody- Page 5

[NievesG]

Posted: 6/11/19 at 12:23pm

I guess I'm in the camp where this was free publicity to a so-so production. A few minutes ago, I received a Tony Award recap email which states toward the bottom: "Watch Josh Groban, Sara Bareilles and host James Corden in a hilarious take on "Michael in the Bathroom" from the Broadway musical Be More Chill (music by 2019 Tony-nominee Joe Iconis)!" That hyperlink is a direct link to the BMC website so again, more promo. I guess it would have been fun to include Salazar but if Iconis knew, then I'm missing what the big deal is.

[Zion24]

Posted: 6/11/19 at 9:00pm

VotePeron said: "Be More Chill did NOT get free promotion, as no one in the general public watching that segment had any way of knowing that wasn’t an original song, or what show it is from."

This.

Kinda surprised by the callous responses here. Be More Chill is not a good play, but Michael In the Bathroom is pretty good song, and certainly the highlight. Evidence that the song is pretty good? Corden parodied it (and beautifully). But regardless of what you think of all that, its clear Iconis and the BMC team werent told in advance, and ONLY the Broadway folk and BMC stands had ANY idea what it is. My friend thought it was a weird but sweet song that Corden wrote- and thats a perfectly reasonable conclusion to draw. I don't think it would have been too hard to have someone intro it with a reference to Be More Chill, or at least mention that its from the show. And while its not a capital offense, it must be infuriating to the producers that they DIDNT get to perform, and instead their song took 4 minutes and promoted them not one bit.

Seems careless more than malicious, but Lin Miranda's instinct (and Corden's and Groban's subsequent attempts to fix it) is correct. This wasn't classy or fair. 

[DrMike3]

Posted: 6/11/19 at 11:09pm

I am out of the BMC demographic, but I honestly thought that James In The Bathroom was funny, wry, and the perfect length. It reminded me of the wonderful NPH number from a few years back when he, Andrew Rannels and Laura Benanti "Kissed L.A. Goodbye," one of my favorite TONY moments ever.

I hadn't heard 'Michael in the Bathroom' previously, so I clicked on it before watching the parody on YouTube and was glad I did. Fun and touching song, although at nearly five-and-a-half minutes I thought it was a little long and self-indulgent. Unlike the Corden/Groban/Bareilles/guest cameo version, which was perfectly bite-sized.

[Joshua Boyd-Williams]

Posted: 6/11/19 at 11:38pm

I'm a little confused here. When people do parody's, they usually don't credit the show that they're doing a parody of. So...why exactly is it all of a sudden such a big deal here? Plus, do creators of shows usually get told that a parody of their show is gonna be performed on any program? I would say that it's just the BMC fans overreacting, but the cast, crew, and even some other well known people have been saying the parody should've been credited. It's just all confusing to me.

[dramamama611]

Posted: 6/11/19 at 11:59pm

No, you are correct.

[Zion24]

Posted: 6/12/19 at 12:36am

Wouldnt that depend on the parody? When there is a medley of songs from different shows, each mocked one after the other, that seems a bit different from picking one song and performing it, alone, start to finish, as its own separate bit, without any mention that its a preexisting tune. I also dont know if we are using the term "parody" correctly- legally this is definitely parody and certainly not actionable, but the Corden performance didnt mock anything ABOUT BMC. It just used that tune and turn of phrase to do a whole separate number. Corden wasnt playing a teenager, or mocking the content of BMC. He just lifted that tune and applied to himself. WHICH IS FINE but strikes me as a bit different than the usual "here i am dressed as Hamilton which the whole country has heard of." 

Can anyone think of any other instance where something like this happened? I can't think of another instance where an entire segment was dedicated to a "parody" number of a show where the VAST majority of viewers would have absolutely NO inkling of its source. And the fact that the Tonys didnt notify BMC (who were petitioning to be allowed to perform!) ahead of time sorta underscores the point. If you think this wasnt discussed in the CBS legal group, I've got a bridge to sell you.

I loved the Corden piece. Im not a BMC fan. This didnt feel right to me.

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 6/12/19 at 9:07am

Wow this was a long thread. I can’t believe I just spent twenty minutes reading it. Just to make it longer, here’s my opinion, which of course is the only one that matters anyway:

1. The majority of people who watch the Tonys, as far as I know, are Broadway nerds like us, who even if they haven’t seen BMC, have seen that song performed by George Salazar on YouTube. It is all over the place and is easily one of the most recognizable songs from any show this season.

2. The parody was clearly making fun of the song itself, because it’s it is as mediocre as it is well-loved. Yes, they were clearly dissing BMC. Part of the deal you make when you are in the performing arts is that you are making yourself open to both praise and criticism. You need to be able to handle both. That’s show biz.

3. I have had TERRIBLE social anxiety all my life and relate very much to the song, but the parody was HILARIOUS and possibly the best part of the broadcast.

[Zion24]

Posted: 6/12/19 at 9:38am

The Distinctive Baritone said: "
2. The parody was clearly making fun of the song itself, because it’s it is as mediocre as it is well-loved. Yes, they were clearly dissing BMC. Part of the deal you make when you are in the performing arts is that you are making yourself open to both praise and criticism. You need to be able to handle both. That’s show biz.."

I dont think the song was making fun of BMC at all- and I firmly believe Corden has every right to mock/makefun of everyone, and have zero objection to him raking anyone over the coals for comedic benefit. In fact, had Corden explicitly made it clear that he was mocking anything about BMC, I'm not sure Iconis would have any basis to gripe. (The vast, vast majority of Tony viewers--including many New Yorkers I know-- watch the Tonys to learn about which shows they wnt to see.

 

Flat out wrong to suggest most viewers already knew what that song is about- thats the Broadway community bubble. BMC, like all shows, is desperate to break out of it)

 

[DRSisLove]

Posted: 6/12/19 at 10:34am

I think it's absolutely absurd that people think they should have been like, "hey, this is from Be More Chill." I think that many of the viewers had probably no idea where it came from, but that's on the producers/ writers of the telecast for choosing such unknown source material.

 

Last year, they did a parody of "Chandelier" by Sia. At no point in the song did they mention Sia. That's how parodies work.

Updated On: 6/12/19 at 10:34 AM

[Kad]

Posted: 6/12/19 at 10:38am

DRSisLove said: "I think it's absolutely absurd that people think they should have been like, "hey, this is from Be More Chill." I think the many of the viewers had probably no idea where it came from, but that's on the producers/ writers of the telecast for choosing such unknown source material.


Last year, they did a parody of "Chandelier" by Sia. At no point in the song did they mention Sia. That's how parodies work."

Yup.

It was an odd choice to directly parody a song that the general public would not know- but just because they don't, doesn't mean the producers needed to announce the source. 

(I do think that the producers refusing to allow BMC a slot even though they were willing to pay for it is shady, if that is in fact true). 

 

[SonofRobbieJ]

Posted: 6/12/19 at 10:50am

Joe Iconis is a first-time Broadway composer with BMC and his score was the only nomination for the show.  Michael in the Bathroom is NOT Hello, Dolly or Chandelier in terms of a song that has truly broken through as some kind of cultural touchstone most people have heard.  And the producers refused them a performing slot of that very same song and then did a full length parody of said song without noting the show for which it's score is nominated score or the composer who wrote that score.  Taken all together, that's some shady sh*t. 

[Zion24]

Posted: 6/12/19 at 11:30am

SonofRobbieJ said: "Joe Iconis is a first-time Broadway composer with BMC and his score was the only nomination for the show. Michael in the Bathroom is NOT Hello, Dolly or Chandelier in terms of a song that has truly broken through as some kind of cultural touchstone most people have heard. And the producers refused them a performing slot of that very same song and then did a full length parody of said song without noting the show for which it's score is nominated score or the composer who wrote that score. Taken all together, that's some shady sh*t."

Exactly. its perfectly legal, technically kosher, but shady (and just plain strange). 

[BroadwayMarley]

Posted: 6/12/19 at 12:03pm

I just don't see what is at all shady about this.  Joe Iconis seemed fine with it.

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 6/12/19 at 12:33pm

Joe Iconis’ best score nomination was filler. It was between Hadestown, Tootsie, and The Prom. Despite this, he will be “Tony Award nominee Joe Iconis” for the rest of his life, and may never have to work again if BMC does well enough in amateur licensing. It’s a miracle the show made it to Broadway at all, so those involved in the production and its teenage fans need to just be grateful and, well, chill.

[orangeskittles]

Posted: 6/12/19 at 9:06pm

And the producers refused them a performing slot of that very same song and then did a full length parody of said song without noting the show for which it's score is nominated score or the composer who wrote that score.  Taken all together, that's some shady sh*t.

I'd be very surprised if that was the full story. It's more likely a financially failing show like Be More Chill couldn't scrape together the money in time, wanted to make some deal, and the Tonys wouldn't allow it. They've let Spiderman, and Godspell all perform despite no nominations, and those shows were way bigger controversies than Starmites 2.0.

A producer making those claims privately on Facebook sounds like they want to save face about how close to the brink they are.

[Zion24]

Posted: 6/13/19 at 12:19am

The Distinctive Baritone said: "Joe Iconis’ best score nomination was filler. It was between Hadestown, Tootsie, and The Prom. Despite this, he will be “Tony Award nominee Joe Iconis” for the rest of his life, and may never have to work again if BMC does well enough in amateur licensing. It’s a miracle the show made it to Broadway at all, so those involved in the production and its teenage fans need to just be grateful and, well, chill."

I am no fan of Be More Chill but this attitude-- they are lucky to even get parodied- is asinine. 

[The Distinctive Baritone]

Posted: 6/13/19 at 1:34am

Zion24, re-read my post. I said Iconis was lucky to have been nominated despite no chance of winning, and that the show itself is lucky to be on Broadway. 99% of new musicals go nowhere, so he basically won the show biz lottery.

[Taryn]

Posted: 6/13/19 at 5:51pm

SonofRobbieJ said: "Joe Iconis is a first-time Broadway composer with BMC and his score was the only nomination for the show. Michael in the Bathroom is NOT Hello, Dolly or Chandelier in terms of a song that has truly broken through as some kind of cultural touchstone most people have heard. And the producers refused them a performing slot of that very same song and then did a full length parody of said song without noting the show for which it's score is nominated score or the composer who wrote that score. Taken all together, that's some shady sh*t."

Yeah, agree with this. They obviously have the right to parody what they choose, and that's all well and good, but it seems strange that they didn't give Iconis or the BMC a heads-up of any kind that it was happening. No, they are not required to legally, but that's not really the point. And while Iconis's public response to the situation was generally classy and non-hostile, I definitely read in it that he wasn't thrilled that they didn't get a heads up and that there was no real moment to connect the parody to the show, hence him asking people to kind of spread the word about what it's from. Because the larger point is this: it's the Tony Awards, the annual celebration of the best of Broadway theatre. Generally I would think of parodies happening at the Tonys as being done in a general celebration of the art, be it a loving parody or more tongue-in-cheek or what have you. I would generally expect from the theatrical community to want to give a nod just to point people in the right direction so that the original piece could benefit from the heightened awareness. There are people who watch the Tonys who don't know all these shows. If they loved the parody, it could be their introduction to a show they might also love -- if they have any reason to know it's a parody of something and not just an original piece written for the awards. You may hate the show yourself, but if someone else loves it and gets the chance to enjoy it, that's an overall good thing. The Tony Awards are, in effect, an ad for Broadway -- it's a business, after all -- and all it really took was a single moment to credit in some way. And the idea that Iconis's message included "no I didn't know about the parody beforehand" and "please help me spread the word about where it's from" means that he was totally cool with the execution is...odd. He's just being polite about it.

[bwaylvsong]

Posted: 6/13/19 at 10:34pm

I saw the show tonight and there were several understudies on, but the cast was very high energy and received a ton of love from the audience. I doubt anyone was fazed.

[haterobics]

Posted: 6/13/19 at 11:03pm

The Distinctive Baritone said: "Iconis was lucky to have been nominated despite no chance of winning"

Aren't nearly 80% of nominees not winners by the end of the night?! You could probably cut a few right out of the gate in every category...

[haterobics]

Posted: 6/13/19 at 11:06pm

Taryn said: "it seems strange that they didn't give Iconis or the BMC a heads-up of any kind that it was happening."

He did know there was going to be some mention of the song, just not how involved it ended up being...

[dramamama611]

Posted: 6/14/19 at 8:47am

And here's the truth that some of you don't want to hear.   It wouldn't have made any difference to the box office if they HAD announced what song they were parodying. NONE.   The people that were likely to "check it out" after hearing, already knew of BMC - those of us that are theater fans.  Nearly everyone else?  They'd also notice it got NO OTHER NOMINATIONS and move on.   For those that are only casual enough fans (ie, not people like us that actively pay attention to bway) this wouldn't have spurned any (or certainly very few) to inquire about a show that only garnered one (losing) nomination.  I'm not trying to throw shade, but some of you are clutching your pearls far more than those actually involved.

 

Again: I can see that it might have been NICE to mention it, but absolutely NO wrong was done.  

[lalala1234]

Posted: 6/15/19 at 12:46am

I also find it hard to believe he has NO idea it was coming, they showed the number at the Dress Rehearsal.... you mean to tell me that of the hundreds(if not thousand) industry people that were in attendance NONE of them were friends with him and told him?

[troynow]

Posted: 6/15/19 at 1:20am

MY GOD!
I am so over BE MORE CHILL and this awful repetitive they are trying to sell to the public!

First off to act like JOE ICONIS had no idea is crazy! Who do you think got the check? JOE! Who do you think made the deal JOE’s team! That song has to be licensed we have unions! he made a deal. and now he want to double down on the promo!

Attacking James Corden, The Tony Comittee or the Broadway League is CRAZY! The notion the show was “slapped in the face” horrible spin! BMC was not nominated and let’s be clear!!!! ALL performances are at the approval of the committee and CBS!

Let’s also be clear that show has horrible numbers, should be closed and never have brought to broadway.

be grateful you got the paradoy and James’ shout out to you. Also let’s be crystal clear, trying to spin the press in your favor here is not helping your box office. this is the bottom line. you lost! close your show, now, that you have spent all your investors’ money and go home!

[BalconyClub]

Posted: 6/15/19 at 2:12am

troynow said: "MY GOD!
I am so over BE MORE CHILL and this awful repetitive they are trying to sell to the public!

First off to act like JOE ICONIS had no idea is crazy! Who do you think got the check? JOE! Who do you think made the deal JOE’s team! That song has to be licensed we have unions! he made a deal. and now he want to double down on the promo!

Attacking James Corden, The Tony Comittee or the Broadway League is CRAZY! The notion the show was “slapped in the face” horrible spin! BMC was not nominated and let’s be clear!!!! ALL performances are at the approval of the committee and CBS!

Let’s also be clear that show has horrible numbers, should be closed and never have brought to broadway.

be grateful you got the paradoy and James’ shout out to you. Also let’s be crystal clear, trying to spin the press in your favor here is not helping your box office. this is the bottom line. you lost! close your show, now, that you have spent all your investors’ money and go home!"

 

Let's be clear is the new literally.