By 
Today I sat down on my couch with a delicious pork chop and wild rice lunch to watch last night’s Tony Awards on my DVR. I’m not sure why I watched, as I don’t keep up with musical theatre very well and I barely see any Broadway theatre in general. As I sat through the opening number, a series of musical performances from what I assume are big shows this year, I couldn’t help but think of how “pretty good” it was. Not great, not good, just pretty good.
But boy, it sure was better than the musical opening of the Oscars this year. That was god awful! You’d think they could do a better job of making awesome musical openings for these huge award shows, but maybe they can’t. Maybe whoever writes these openings and shows, are completely incapable of writing material that isn’t reliant on shitty, months old pop culture references.
Hello? Award show writers? You suck! booohhhggghhhhh!
I also don’t really understand a televised awards ceremony for live theatre. Thank goodness they riddle the program with film and TV celebrities so that the at-home audience can feel like they know some of these people. But jeez, does anyone know these directors, actors, lighting designers, etc.? I understand that people who do hard work should be recognized, but I think they should be recognized within their own community in a non-televised awards ceremony… especially if the writing is going to be as terrible as it is.
So why do I watch it? And why do I watch any celebritorial award programs? I definitely don’t care who wins. I guess I watch it because other people do. Which, I know, if other people were jumping off a bridge, yada yada yada. But I can’t find any other reason.
I am your drone, I will do what you do.
Maybe its just because I want it to be entertaining and I want to walk away from it saying something better than just, “you know, this year it wasn’t that bad.”
And as far as musical openers go, I think a big reason I don’t like them, is because I would love to write a big musical number for an awards show. I feel I could honestly do better.
Here is a video of a musical opening I wrote once for Theatre of Ted. I was a junior in college, there was no budget, and it was actually the first thing Keith and Tinz ever did together. Also, there is artistic nudity and nonsense abound.
(Not safe for work. Unless your workplace is OK with nipples and dicks.)
