Will it be the phony Tonys again this year?
Jeremy Gerard, editor and critic for Bloomberg.com, delivers a damning indictment of the Tony Awards voting process. This veteran reporter of the New York theater scene says "in the three decades since I began reporting on the Tonys, there's been one constant: Phony Tony voting is as much of a tradition as thanking agents and praising the Almighty."
For Gerard, "the voters only obligation is to see each of the 36 shows that opened this season. Many of them -- hundreds, in fact -- didn't bother, even though they certify their attendance when casting their ballots." Describing these 797 voters, Gerard says, "League members — producers and theater owners from New York and around the country — make up more than half of the voters. They are followed by members of the press and representatives from the various unions."
He offers many examples of low voter turnout at shows in contention. For "Thurgood," a one-man show about the Supreme Court justice featuring lead actor in a play nominee Laurence Fishburne, less than 40% of voters attended. And only about half of the voters have seen the still running "Les Liaisons Dangereuses," up for five Tony Awards including best revival and lead actor in a play (Ben Daniels). Gerard says he called 23 league members around the country and only four had seen Tom Stoppard's play "Rock 'n' Roll" which closed in the spring and starred another lead actor nominee Rufus Sewell.
Gerard thinks, "ensuring an honest vote wouldn't be difficult to do. The press agents keep tabs on all the members of the press who show up; how hard would it be for the league and unions to do the same? A certified vote would make the Tonys more than just a popularity contest."
While about 25 theater professionals determine the Tony Award nominations, the TV and movie academies canvas their entire memberships to come up with the best overall works. And the various branches such as actors and directors nominate their colleagues. (In the case of the Emmys, panels review the Top 10 vote getters in certain races and weigh in with their choices for the final five.)
For most Academy Awards races, voting is open to the entire membership who must certify that they have seen all the contenders before voting in a category. But we know this is not always the case. Ernest Borgnine and Tony Curtis were proud to announce that they had not watched "Brokeback Mountain" before voting in 2005.
For the Emmy Awards , the final vote is restricted to those members who participate in viewing panels. These hardy souls spend hours watching the various contenders and rank the shows and performances.
To read the full commentary by Jeremy Gerard - click here
Image: American Theater League
