“Forget everything that we know about the theatre as it’s structured right now and start from the ground up. Let’s go back to the theatre being about the artists.”
This is literally what we are talking about in Chautauqua!
On Saturday night I had the opportunity to speak with Michael Riedel who, as any theatre fan would know, is the infamous theatre journalist from the New York Post. He’s an extremely influential critic that is known for his no-nonsense writing and refusal to sugar coat the truth, and has also been credited with single-handedly killing shows before they’ve opened, so I’ve heard. (Though to his credit, most of these shows weren’t worthy of being housed in a Broadway theatre anyway.)
As most of the New York theatre world knows, it was announced this week that the press was no longer eligible to cast votes for the TONY Awards. The reason behind this rash decision was because the producers of the TONY Awards believed the critics were biased voters, whilst the producers of the shows themselves were the only ones deemed unbiased. This doesn’t seem to make sense to anyone… except perhaps the producers whom are backing the shows and making all of the profits.
To say I was excited (as well as it being a bit nerve-wracking!) when Mr. Riedel agreed to chat with me was an understatement, but after a few games of phone tag, I was finally able to get a hold of him. Here is what he had to say:
Allison: Where were you and what were you doing when you first heard that the press wasn’t going to be eligible to vote for the TONYs anymore?
Michael Riedel: I was actually getting a nosebleed taken care of at St. Vincent’s, so when I first heard, my mind was more occupied with stopping my nosebleed than anything else.
A: Understandable! Did you read it in the paper, or did someone tell you?
M.R.: Several of my colleagues in the press called to tell me. My first thought was, “Oh, thank God I don’t have to sit through some of the crap that’s on Broadway anymore!”
A: What do you think it will take to get the TONY committee to reverse their decision?
M.R.: Frankly, I don’t care if I’m a TONY voter or not. It’s not really interesting. The TONY Awards are a crass commercial awards show. It’s not really about artistic merit anymore. Producers are just trying to sell tickets to shows like Shrek, 9 to 5, and Legally Blonde, and it’s really their awards ceremony so they’re allowed to do what they want to. I think that the press should go off and create their own awards show. The press should say, we’re going to give awards to the designers, directors, and actors – the people who make theatre. Let the producers go do their own thing. Let the TONYs continue to be about honoring a group of nameless producers.
A: I loved your article in the Post on Friday. Was the feedback mostly good or bad?
M.R.: Some people thought it was incendiary, but it was meant to be a joke. I don’t care what the TONY Awards say anyway, it’s been compromised for many years. For example, they demand that you nominate four shows in every category, even though there are some shows, like Shrek, that are garbage, and don’t deserve the nomination. They are basically saying that we need to nominate four shows that we can put on performances on CBS from, that can be deemed entertainment. Really all it does is make for a dull mainstream telecast. It’s not about the shows artistic merit and if they really deserve the nomination.
No one should think that the TONYs are about artistic integrity. When Isabelle Stevenson (former president of the American Theatre Wing) was alive (she passed in 2003) was the last time the awards still had any integrity intact. She really believed in the integrity of the theatre and putting the artists first. The TONYs have since marginalized the artists and the art of theatre. Let them [the producers] run off with the telecast. Let the three women in Mamma Mia run around in space suits if that’s what they thinks makes for good television.
A: You said that the press should be allowed to view the shows anytime they want to if the producers aren’t going to play by the rules. I think that there would be chaos in producing offices if the press were allowed to come to any performance they wanted to…
M.R.: I think the first night press list is ridiculous. Back when shows were first in previews, the producers used to discount tickets. Tickets are full price for previews now! I agree that every show needs a few weeks to settle in and get its sea legs, and two weeks is enough, I think. I think the producers should tell the critics in previews if the show is not fully finished and then invite them back three weeks after opening and review it again after it is. Take Shakespeare in the Park for example, they have six weeks of previews, and the press is allowed to come during the last week before opening.
The press should do what it wants to do if it’s going to be muscled out of the TONY Awards. The producers charge as much money as they can [for tickets], and if we were allowed to come whenever we pleased, the producers would behave just as the press is acting now. To be honest, most of the critics are fans who wanted to find a way to be in the theatre. They started keeping a blog - no offense, darling - or somehow found a way to write for Playbill.com and will now do anything to get free tickets.
Tickets are outrageously priced but there are still balcony seats, and many people sit in the balcony because it’s all they can afford. If the press wanted to come and review the show whenever they wanted to, they could sit in the balcony. Sadly, the press wants free tickets though, so they’ll be put up with being pushed around by producers.
A: I heard one of the reasons was because it’s costing producers a lot of money to give the press tickets to their shows around TONY time. Hasn’t all of the press seen it by that time anyways?
M.R.: That’s a legitimate reason. The critics get tickets to see the show before it opens, but then, if the show is nominated for the TONYs, they get tickets to see the show AGAIN. The TONY committee could say that the press could still be voters but not entitled to two more free tickets, but unfortunately they didn’t say that. Out of the 800 current TONY voters, only about 100 are from the press.
A: Well, thank you so much for talking with me. Is there anything left that you’d like to say to theatre-goers or the TONY committee?
M.R.: The reason why the producers are cutting us out is because they’re currently all about big name shows – shows with mainstream appeal (i.e. Shrek) that are going to bring in the most money. The press is a bit of a wild card whom tend to vote for the more artistic shows and not the big name. What is unfortunate about the artistry of theatre – shows like Next to Normal, or Spring Awakening – shows that might not have wide appeal, they won’t have a chance. They are really only supported by the press.
Now that they’ve cut us out, we will be seeing more and more crass commercial shows winning more TONY Awards. The integrity of the TONY Awards will continue to be compromised.
I think the press should be feistier; this is a strike against them, but they could certainly strike back. They should break the rules and start doing things on their own terms. Everything is directed at the TONY Awards – we should mock them, ridicule them. As the saying goes, the only way to save the theatre is to demolish it.
A: What’d you mean by that exactly?
M.R.: Blow it up completely. Forget everything that we know about the theatre as it’s structured right now and start from the ground up. Let’s go back to the theatre being about the artists. And if the TONYs remain, why should they only be about Broadway? Why not celebrate off-Broadway, and off-off-Broadway ,too? The theatre has become complacent and again, all the journalists are looking for are free tickets so they won’t say anything. I think the critics shouldn’t be supporting it; they should go off on their own and promote only the theatre that is genuinely artistic and good. Perhaps New York critics should put a ban on New York theatre altogether until there’s actually something good again. Until then they should only review British theatre, which is thriving right now – I was just there two weeks ago. Because really, where would the TONYs have been without it this year? After all, there would have been no Mary Stuart, Billy Elliot, or God of Carnage without London.
Thank you again to Michael Riedel for speaking with me!
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journalethix liked this
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ntusa reblogged this from thatgirlallison and added:
artists.” This...literally what we are talking about in Chautauqua!
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thefamouschronicles reblogged this from thatgirlallison and added:
renegade theater critic,...being excluded from voting
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