Michael Riedel's unhinged post-Tonys column

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 9/27/21 at 11:55am

Oy vey.

This is probably the truest sentence and illustrates why SLAVE PLAY did not win, but everything else is crazypants: "But behind the scenes, Broadway people were annoyed. To accuse them of being racist, exclusive and elitist gnawed at them."

https://nypost.com/2021/09/27/a-tony-awards-shocker/

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 9/27/21 at 11:59am

Um, it's the NY Post. It's a rag, he's ridiculous and they openly endorsed Trump.

He doesn't matter.

[ErmengardeStopSniveling]

Posted: 9/27/21 at 12:07pm

Sutton Ross said: "Um, it's the NY Post. It's a rag, he's ridiculous and they openly endorsed Trump. He doesn't matter."

Those are correct statements about the Post as a publication, and we know Riedel's views well, but this is still kind of a surprise by Riedel's standards. He is still widely read by theatre folk, his two books are excellent, and he is in close contact with many in the biz.

[ViniFromBrazil]

Posted: 9/27/21 at 12:27pm

I don't think any Tony voter goes after Riedel anymore for anything. Too many leaks.

Slave Play is an inferior play to The Inheritance and Mary-Louise Parker was a shoo-in for the lead actress win, as well as Christmas Carol for the technical categories. It only got 12 nominations because there was nothing else to nominate. I don't know why people are so surprised.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 9/27/21 at 12:27pm

I'm one of the few people who enjoy Reidel's columns. This one, though, seems to be just a bunch of words slapped down haphazardly to fill space.

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 9/27/21 at 12:30pm

^ Correct. 

[RippedMan]

Posted: 9/27/21 at 12:36pm

What's unhinged about it? He seems to be just pointing out that Broadway, as a whole, has been pretty damn inclusive. I don't see any fault in that. 

[Mr Roxy]

Posted: 9/27/21 at 12:53pm

Glad we no longer go. Now entertainment comes second to diversity and inclusion etc etc.Pure enjoyment no longer enters the mix.First rate drama forget it unless we have a quota for actors and playwrights..I enjoyed all the August Wilson plays I saw. I enjoyed certain actors but not once did I think I had to like a certain actor because of skin color.MLK is turning over in his grave right now

.Glad I have cd's and videos which will remind me of the Broadway we used to know and love.

Updated On: 9/27/21 at 12:53 PM

[SpiritualGangster]

Posted: 9/27/21 at 1:04pm

RippedMan said: "What's unhinged about it? He seems to be just pointing out that Broadway, as a whole, has been pretty damn inclusive. I don't see any fault in that."

Agreed. That’s what I got out of it as well.

 

[Jordan Catalano]

Posted: 9/27/21 at 1:06pm

I think it could have been worded a little more delicately but that’s how I read it, as well.

[BdwyFan]

Posted: 9/27/21 at 1:08pm

Plus, Just look at the long list of producers on The Inheritance (many are voters) as compared with the number of producers on Slave Play. The math alone. Not to mention The Inheritance is a much better play. Should not be a surprise at all.

[MayAudraBlessYou2]

Posted: 9/27/21 at 1:08pm

Normally I would agree that Michael is losing it and his articles annoy me. But this doesn't read unhinged to me at all? Don't know why op used that descriptor.

Yes it was shocking that Slave Play won NOTHING. But the twitter cries of "racist" seem misplaced. Charles Fuller just became a Tony winner for "A Soldier's Play" (it also won a top category of the night if folks have trouble remembering that). And "The Inheritance" won Best Play, which is written by an openly gay latino author. How is that not a diverse choice? It's just not the diverse choice that people THOUGHT would happen.

Sloppily written? Yup. Unhinged? Nope.

[BWAY Baby2]

Posted: 9/27/21 at 1:11pm

Good column by Reidel.

[jv92]

Posted: 9/27/21 at 1:13pm

I abhor Riedel as a personality, I disagree with his politics, and I think he’s a sh*tty writer/“historian” (note the quotes) and has no regard for Broadway or theatre beyond $$$ and “scandal.”  Having said that, this is the first time I’ve agreed with him in about 15 years. I didn’t detect his usual racism or misogyny in this, and it’s a nice reminder of the sociopolitical goodness this field and industry has done and is capable of. We have lost sight of that amongst all the hang-wringing. 

[bdn223]

Posted: 9/27/21 at 1:27pm

SpiritualGangster said: "RippedMan said: "What's unhinged about it? He seems to be just pointing out that Broadway, as a whole, has been pretty damn inclusive. I don't see any fault in that."

Agreed. That’s what I got out of it as well.

"

What I got out of Riedel post was basically, Broadway may not be perfect, but Slave Play's producer's Tony campaign was "You must award Slave Play with Best Play because its diverse and not because its a great play", and voters were offended by that. The fact that A Soldier's Play won best revival of a play, a play that also deals with black themes and experiences, counters that narrative. In truth Tony voters have been heavily embracing plays that deal with the black lived experience in the Best Revival of A Play category for the past decade, with 4 of the past 11 winners being such plays. I should point out that of these 2 were deemed "classics" and as such won for Best Revival of a play despite being for the play's first Broadway production.

The bottom line is Broadway establishment is arguably the most progressive of all of the entertainment establishments (Film/Television/Music), and telling them they are not and are as problematic as some right wing politicians is a very easy way to burn a bridge or in this case lose an award.

[uncageg]

Posted: 9/27/21 at 1:31pm

RippedMan said: "What's unhinged about it? He seems to be just pointing out that Broadway, as a whole, has been pretty damn inclusive. I don't see any fault in that."

 

Also agree.

 

[Dancingthrulife2]

Posted: 9/27/21 at 1:51pm

Slave Play is a much inferior play to The Inheritance, which imho is dragged out and overly melodramatic when we had plays like The Sound Inside, where the playwright actually knows what they are doing. Slave Play is simply dramaturgically unpolished, provocative in an interesting way but inherently superficial. It would be an insult if it actually won, which I am glad it did not.

[everythingtaboo]

Posted: 9/27/21 at 1:51pm

While I think the article is basically words for the sake of words, I do think it's worth a look to wonder how the most nominated play ever went home empty-handed. Could it be a rejection of the hype? Could be with time, the hype died down and they saw the production in a different light? Could it be they were over Jeremy O. Harris in general? So many options more, but it still is worth investigating.

I wish they could do what I think the Hollywood Reporter does, and have a series of anonymous interviews voters explaining who they voted for, who they rejected, who they didn't even bother to see.

[JSquared2]

Posted: 9/27/21 at 1:54pm

Every single word in this column is 100% correct.

 

Slave Play was lousy.

 

 

[ViniFromBrazil]

Posted: 9/27/21 at 2:05pm

bdn223 said: "SpiritualGangster said: "RippedMan said: "What's unhinged about it? He seems to be just pointing out that Broadway, as a whole, has been pretty damn inclusive. I don't see any fault in that."

Agreed. That’s what I got out of it as well.

"

What I got out of Riedel post was basically, Broadway may not be perfect, butSlave Play'sproducer's Tony campaign was "You must awardSlave Playwith Best Play because its diverse and not because its a great play", and voters were offended by that. The fact thatA Soldier's Playwon best revival of a play, a play that also deals with black themes and experiences, counters that narrative. In truth Tony voters have been heavily embracing plays that deal with theblack lived experience in the Best Revival of A Play category for the past decade, with 4 of the past 11 winners being such plays. I should point out that of these 2 were deemed "classics" andas such won for Best Revival of a play despite being for the play's first Broadway production.

The bottom line is Broadway establishmentis arguably the most progressive of all of the entertainment establishments (Film/Television/Music), and telling them they are not and are as problematic as some right wing politicians is avery easy way to burn a bridge or in this case lose an award."

 

This is crazy. Jeremy O. Harris is annoying et cetera but there was no marketing for this play that slightly inferred that if it had not won the Tonys, then the voters were racist. This seems totally like something that was in people's heads and they are choosing to manifest it because it helps them prove a point and "own the libs".

I have seen both plays before shutdown and "The Inheritance" is just a better play, point blank, period. I have not seen "Christmas Carol" but if it was a technical marvel, then it also deserved the technical awards. The only category I would give to "Slave Play" is Best Featured Actor for Ato Blankson-Wood, but then again I did not see "A Soldier's Play".

The point is that to go on and say that Tony voters (that according to Riedel himself are very liberal and not behind the times) were talking crap about the play in secret fearful of being canceled is not only demeaning to the play, but to the voters as well! The point that "Slave Play" was telling the audience that the U.S.A. is racist therefore the play was frowned upon is just idiotic because it implies the voters are a monolithic group that can't think for themselves and need to sneakily have their voices heard, only for Michael Riedel of all people to make this exposé and be the sound of reason. It's ridiculous.

Finally, the comparison to "A Soldier's Play" is actually very on point, given that apart from "The River Niger" the Negro Ensemble Company never had a healthy relationship with mainstream theater and Broadway, so the odds that it could win the Tony in 1982 are pretty slim.

[gibsons2]

Posted: 9/27/21 at 2:44pm

In principle I agree with the article, that blaming racism on the fact that the Slave Play didn't win yesterday is incorrect. I didn't see The Inheritance, so I can't judge which play is better. I'll leave it to those who saw both productions. What really was asinine in the article is the claim that the theater, when it became an early safe space and support medium for gays during the AIDS epidemic, automatically became diverse and non-racist. Being gay friendly doesn't mean not racist. Why Riedel made this false equivalency, is beyond my understanding. 

[uncageg]

Posted: 9/27/21 at 3:13pm

gibsons2 said: "In principle I agree with the article, that blaming racism on the fact that the Slave Play didn't win yesterday is incorrect. I didn't see The Inheritance, so I can't judge which play is better. I'll leave it to those who saw both productions. What really wasasinine in the article is the claim that the theater, when it becamean early safe space and support mediumfor gays during the AIDS epidemic, automatically became diverse and non-racist. Being gay friendly doesn't mean not racist. Why Riedel made this false equivalency, is beyond my understanding."

He wasn't saying that at all. He was using it as an example of how Broadway embraced the gay community at the time. Had nothing to do with racism. And he is right. You twisted his words and added yours to slam him for something he didn't "claim".

 

[gibsons2]

Posted: 9/27/21 at 3:22pm

uncageg said: "gibsons2 said: "In principle I agree with the article, that blaming racism on the fact that the Slave Play didn't win yesterday is incorrect. I didn't see The Inheritance, so I can't judge which play is better. I'll leave it to those who saw both productions. What really wasasinine in the article is the claim that the theater, when it becamean early safe space and support mediumfor gays during the AIDS epidemic, automatically became diverse and non-racist. Being gay friendly doesn't mean not racist. Why Riedel made this false equivalency, is beyond my understanding."

He wasn't saying that at all. He was using it as an example of how Broadway embraced the gay community at the time. Had nothing to do with racism. And he is right. You twisted his words and added yours to slam him for something he didn't "claim".

"

Maybe reread the article once more, he implies just that

[uncageg]

Posted: 9/27/21 at 3:28pm

No need to reread it. I understood it the first time, hence my comments.

[joevitus]

Posted: 9/27/21 at 3:31pm

RippedMan said: "What's unhinged about it? He seems to be just pointing out that Broadway, as a whole, has been pretty damn inclusive. I don't see any fault in that."

Nor I.