| Envelope Please |
19 May 2003
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Tony Awards: Wasted on Most of America
The Tony Awards nominees were announced last week, and if one were to say, on the streets of Peoria, that "Hairspray" and "Urinetown" were hot plays, a glazed look of confusion would be the reply. Theatre in America means mainly Broadway, which stays mainly in New York. Hence, the Tony Awards mean little outside the provincial island of Manhattan.
It needn't be so, however. Touring companies do exist, some of the larger cities have decent indigenous theatre, and most people will entertain the idea of being entertained at the theatre if given the chance. What is missing is the money.
America is, ultimately, driven by the bottom line on the ledger. To make the theatre a part of the mass culture, a place it held in Shakespeare's day, it has to be profitable to showcase the product somewhere other than the West 50s. And television is the place it can be done.
Give the television networks the chance to broadcast a live performance of the new shows, some revivals, and let them pay for the privilege. Sports in America became a multi-billion dollar a year venture when TV rights came into the picture. Theatre is still trying to turn a profit on the box office. A single performance on ABC, NBC or CBS would put any production currently running in the black.
"It's not the same!" the purists cry. They are right, of course. Nothing can capture the raw energy and joy of live theatre. But wouldn't it be better to have 10 million common Americans watch a play live from Broadway than to waste another night on "Joe Millionaire"?