2023 Tony Awards

[Mister Tee]

It turned out the PlutoTV thing was a positive. I was able to have it on my computer (free) while watching the game on TV. So, I'm among the few who saw the craft awards given out. The rest I zapped back and forth through while my game dwindled to its dreary end.

KImberly Akimbo looked to be the most likely winner after taking book and score, along with two acting prizes. But, amazingly, 6 different musical productions won prizes prior to that final envelope (Kimberly, Some Like It Hot, Parade, Sweeney Todd, New York New York, even Shucked), so there was a modicum of suspense. The number from Kimberly suggested it was very much Jeanine Tesori -- its delicacy reminded me a lot of her Fun Home score.

Can't say most of the other numbers did much for me, though they rarely do. The weirdest thing was that longer-than-longer kiss at the end of the New York, New York performance. Was there a story behind that?

On the play side, Leopoldstadt came in the big favorite and went out that way, taking play/director/supporting actor, with Life of Pi predictably dominating in techs (set/lights/sound). I loved Uranowicz's line about wanting to repay his parents for their sacrifice, but being unable because he worked in the theatre.

The sole contested lead acting prize went to Sean Hayes, rather conspicuously the only white person among the nominees. In fact, until Topdog/Underdog won the revival prize, it wasn't a great night for people pf color -- most categories were dominated by such nominees, but somehow ended up with white winners. Though, later, J. Harrison Ghee and Alex Newell improved the optics a bit. I'm not saying the winners were undeserved -- I'd been told by everyone that Miriam Silverman was so terrific in Sidney Brustein that anyone else triumphing was unthinkable. It just created a weird overall gestalt.

I certainly don't want to say "this show proved they don't need writers", but everything moved along reasonably well and cheerfully, so no one missed scripted patter.

[Big Magilla]

Best Tony show in years. Relatively no banter thanks to the writers' strike.

Good representation of musicals though none of the new ones seem to be all that much. Ironic that ineligible Lea Michele was the one that got the strongest reception singing her audition song from Glee all those years ago.

Well done In Memoriam segment.

[Big Magilla]

Pluto TV? They might just as well be on Pluto the planet!

[Mister Tee]

I may end up not watching, or doing it on delay, as, first, I have no patience for subscribing to Paramount Plus for an hour's worth of content, and, even after that, my Yankees are playing on the ESPN Sunday night game. I can't remember a year I cared less, but I suppose there have been some I'm forgetting.

Amending to correct my ignorance: Paramount Plus is only showing the 8-11PM portion simultaneously with CBS, so there's no need to subscribe for that. However: the craft awards are earlier -- 6:30-8PM -- and they'll be on Pluto TV(?).

I'll still probably opt for baseball, but will watch the CBS stuff at intervals.

[Mister Tee]

According to Friday's Times, their survey of voters suggests my take on nominations day was pretty accurate: Leopoldstadt/probably Kimberly Akimbo though maybe Some Like It Hot/Jodie Comer/Harrison Ghee/Victoria Clark all ahead, and lead actor in a play a mystery (they say Sean Hayes or Stephen McKinley Henderson, though I've heard others advocate Wendell Pierce).

I may end up not watching, or doing it on delay, as, first, I have no patience for subscribing to Paramount Plus for an hour's worth of content, and, even after that, my Yankees are playing on the ESPN Sunday night game. I can't remember a year I cared less, but I suppose there have been some I'm forgetting.

[Big Magilla]

A logical, sensible agreement that should have been agreed to in the first place.

That's all the show should be, really, a presentation of awards without silly banter, with entertainment coming from presentation of scenes/songs from the shows themselves. Maybe they'll have room for more of that without the lame jokes.

[anonymous1980]

The Tony Awards can proceed in an altered form.

[Moviesandpizza]

This may seem silly to say but this is the most stagiest nominee list I have ever seen! I mean they really nominated almost exclusively stage people who have no work on tv or movies to me. Lol silly

[OscarGuy]

The word giant alone implies that they need to be more responsible and provide adequate sources for income for their employees. You're using a rhetorical device that a lot of people use for fast food restaurants. Just because fast food restaurants are considered "lesser" jobs by some doesn't mean that the people who work at fast food restaurants don't deserve to earn a living wage.

I don't think the biggest issue against streaming services is the writer room mentality. It's the residual issue. Because streamers don't do "reruns" and are all first-run forever, that means that the concept of residuals for streaming services is inherently different from the broadcast model. Streaming services need to be more forthcoming with their viewership numbers so as to better provide income for the writers of those programs. The same would be for any other profession working on those (actors, directors, etc.).

[Big Magilla]

He makes a good case for having writers on staff through a series' season and against A.I. generated derivative crap, although he never says what an acceptable minimum number of writers would be needed for that, but isn't that already the case for long broadcast TV series? Extending that work ethic to streamers where the episodes are fewer is a tougher sell for producers who are money men first and foremost.

You can make a case for established TV series being similar to the old studio system where many of the same people are on the payroll for as long as the series lasts, but streamers are more like independent films where the pay is by the job. I don't see how these issues get resolved until and unless it hurts the broadcasters who are apt to opt for more reality-based series where they don't have to pay writers at all.

Writers need a good paying day job if mortgages and health insurance are their main concern. They're not going to get that from the streaming giants.

[Mister Tee]

Magilla, if you're interested in an explanation on those "extra" writers, David Simon does a pretty good job of laying out the situation:

https://twitter.com/MorePerfectUS/statu ... 2942061568

[Big Magilla]

If you say so, but I still don't remember that.

[anonymous1980]

I don't recall previous strikes affecting awards shows.

Let me jog your memory: In the last writers' strike, the 2008 Golden Globes decided to cancel their awards show and just announce the winners via a press conference with entertainment journalists taking turns presenting the awards (I remember Mary Hart and Jim Moret were among them). It was aired live on primetime and the whole thing lasted for less than a half hour. The Critics' Choice went as televised, I believe, but with no script so there were no jokes and banter. I *think* they may have given the SAG Awards a waiver that year (either that or it ended before the ceremony).

[Big Magilla]

Here are the reported issues in the strike:

Minimum staffing on shows, doing screenwriting work effectively for free, asking for the same protections for working on variety shows for streamers as those who work in broadcast (and instead offering a “day rate"), and refusing to even engage on the subject of using AI-generated material.

Minimum staffing? Twenty writers with only five or six who actually write something that will be used?

I don't recall previous strikes affecting awards shows. Why this one would, I don't get. It comes at a really bad time as Broadway is still struggling post-pandemic. Best strategy would probably be to have the awards at a dinner, announce them, and put on a show honoring the winners when the strike is settled. We shall see what we shall see or not see, I guess.

[anonymous1980]

The Tony Awards may not air as scheduled on June 11 due to the writers’ strike.