MICHAEL RIEDEL
May 23, 2007 -- ON Monday, Jerry Mitchell, the director of "Legally Blonde," called his cast together to relate some exciting news: Although the show wasn't nominated for Best Musical, the producers of the Tony Awards had decided the cast could perform a number on the telecast anyway."We were ecstatic," an actor in the show said yesterday.
The producers of "LoveMusik" - another show snubbed as Best Musical - were ecstatic, as well. They, too, were going to get to strut their stuff on the Tonys.
"It would be a big boost to the future of our show," said Marty Bell, one of the producers.
But yesterday morning, both shows were told the offer had been withdrawn.
What happened?
All hell broke loose, that's what.
For the past 24 hours, the Tonys have been plunged into turmoil.
Producers and Tony officials have been shouting at one another; the two organizations that oversee the awards - The American Theater Wing and The League of American Theaters and Producers - have been at war; and CBS, which broadcasts the Tonys, is fuming because it has so little control over a telecast whose ratings are always in the cellar.
The offer to include "Legally Blonde" and "LoveMusik" on the Tonys broke with a longstanding tradition that only shows nominated for Best Musical or Best Musical Revival get to perform during the telecast.
CBS pushed to include "Legally Blonde," a bouncy, middlebrow show, and the arty "LoveMusik," which features famous songs by Kurt Weill, because the network wants more musical numbers on the telecast.
Over the weekend, Howard Sherman, head of the Wing, signed off on CBS's decision.
Immediately, the producers of the nominated shows - "Mary Poppins," "Spring Awakening," "Grey Gardens" and "Curtains!" - cried foul.
They feared they'd be forced to give up valuable TV airtime to make room for "LoveMusik" and "Legally Blonde."
On Monday, they received crucial support from a group of producers who sit on the Tony Awards management committee, which oversees the telecast.
The producers - Barry Weissler ("Chicago"), Margo Lion ("Hairspray"), Tom Viertel ("Company") and Paul Libin, an executive at Jujamcyn Theaters - argued that the decision would open the floodgates for every future Broadway show, nominated or not, to demand airtime.
They also pointed out the basic unfairness of allowing "Legally Blonde" and "LoveMusik" to be televised, but not "The Pirate Queen" or "Les Miserables."
Sherman and other members of the Wing countered that several performers from those shows were nominated, while no one from "Queen" or "Les Miz" was.
They also said that the Tonys should celebrate all of Broadway, not just the nominees.
The producers fired back: Why not feature performances from "Chicago," "Hairspray" and "The Lion King"? After all, they're part of Broadway - and they're a lot a lot more famous than "LoveMusik."
In the end, the producers won the day. But there's a lot of bitterness around Broadway right now.
Tony officials say CBS is fed up with Broadway's petty turf wars, which the network believes are getting in the way of putting on a good show.
Meanwhile, the producers of "Legally Blonde" and "LoveMusik" are upset about being out in the cold again.
Says Marty Bell: "I feel like the Tony nominating committee kicked me in the teeth and, while I was trying to get up, the Tony management committee kicked me, too."
(Source: New York Post | Theater | Broadway Matinee | Tonys in TV Tiff)
Want to watch "Legally Blonde"? CHECK WHERE IT IS ON!!!
Or, BUY A CD OF THIS SHOW
.Want to watch "LoveMusik"? CHECK WHERE IT IS ON!!!
Or, BUY A CD OF THIS SHOW
.
No comments:
Post a Comment