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| Hands off the Tonys | Screenwriters are striking at the heart of Broadway | |
| Posted by: TheBroadwayMaven (DavidBenkof@gmail.com) 07:05 am EDT 06/01/23 | |
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| From today's Broadway Maven Weekly Blast: The Tony Awards broadcast is Broadway’s annual opportunity to shine well beyond New York City. Tourists buy tickets to see shows that won — or had great musical performances. Theatergoers who never visit New York learn from the Tonys which shows to see on tour. And the entire Broadway world has one night to celebrate what makes the art form special. But at this year’s broadcast on CBS June 11, the talented Tonys team won’t be able to do its best work. That’s because the Writers Guild of America (whose members pen much of the witty banter in awards shows) is on strike and twice refused to grant the Tonys a waiver. It was openly prepared to demonstrate in front of the Tonys, knowing that the heavily unionized Broadway community would not cross a picket line. Please note that the WGA isn’t a Broadway union. Its members write for screens, not stages. To be fair, screenwriters have good reason to be upset, with streaming and other rapid changes in the industry making the life of the scribe ever harder – all while the threat of AI displacement looms. But that is not a Broadway controversy. The WGA is a Hollywood-oriented union that chose to make a splash in its labor struggle by essentially holding Broadway hostage. Now, several leading Broadway playwrights including Tony Kushner and Jeremy O. Harris have been celebrated for “saving” the Tonys with a “compromise” between the award show and the WGA (which includes many playwrights who also write for screens): • There will be no picket line; • Most Broadway people will be able to participate in the Tonys, which will be televised; • WGA members will stay home, instead accepting their awards via pre-taped video or by proxy; • Lin-Manuel Miranda will not write his planned opening number; • The previously written script has been scrapped; and • Instead, expect unadorned award announcements, improvisation, and plenty of shoutouts to the WGA. Such a solution undercuts the professionalism – and the fun – of the Tonys and benefits only the relatively small number of Broadway people who also belong to the film and TV writers union (including Kushner and Harris and company). Truly saving the Tonys would have involved... (read the rest at the link below) |
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| Link | Hands off the Tonys | Screenwriters are striking at the heart of Broadway |
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| re: Hands off the Tonys | Screenwriters are striking at the heart of Broadway | |
| Posted by: eclecticguy212 02:41 pm EDT 06/02/23 | |
| In reply to: Hands off the Tonys | Screenwriters are striking at the heart of Broadway - TheBroadwayMaven 07:05 am EDT 06/01/23 | |
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| "witty banter?" Really? | |
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| I know you won't respond, but... | |
| Posted by: JAllenC3 09:22 am EDT 06/01/23 | |
| In reply to: Hands off the Tonys | Screenwriters are striking at the heart of Broadway - TheBroadwayMaven 07:05 am EDT 06/01/23 | |
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| You argue that a waiver should have been issued because the WGA writes for screens and not stage, but what are the Tonys other than a television show. All the things you complain aren't happening for the Tonys because they didn't get a waiver are things that are being written directly for the screen. As someone else said, this post is anti-union and gross. |
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| re: Hands off the Tonys | Screenwriters are striking at the heart of Broadway | |
| Posted by: Ncassidine 08:24 am EDT 06/01/23 | |
| In reply to: Hands off the Tonys | Screenwriters are striking at the heart of Broadway - TheBroadwayMaven 07:05 am EDT 06/01/23 | |
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| Yeah, I'm not clicking your advertisement, but this post is anti-union and gross. | |
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| re: Hands off the Tonys | Screenwriters are striking at the heart of Broadway | |
| Posted by: Singapore/Fling 09:58 am EDT 06/01/23 | |
| In reply to: re: Hands off the Tonys | Screenwriters are striking at the heart of Broadway - Ncassidine 08:24 am EDT 06/01/23 | |
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| 💯 | |
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| re: Hands off the Tonys | Screenwriters are striking at the heart of Broadway | |
| Posted by: Ann 07:45 am EDT 06/01/23 | |
| In reply to: Hands off the Tonys | Screenwriters are striking at the heart of Broadway - TheBroadwayMaven 07:05 am EDT 06/01/23 | |
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| Without reading the rest, in my opinion, supporting unions helps everyone, and sometimes you have to sacrifice "fun" to be on the side of what's right. | |
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| re: Hands off the Tonys | Screenwriters are striking at the heart of Broadway | |
| Posted by: Thom915 03:14 pm EDT 06/01/23 | |
| In reply to: re: Hands off the Tonys | Screenwriters are striking at the heart of Broadway - Ann 07:45 am EDT 06/01/23 | |
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| Very true, Ann. The one part though of the WGA's actions I do not understand is asking WGA members to stay home. There is no picket line to cross. That would indeed be problematic not only for WGA members. The WGA says that its members can tape their acceptance speeches should they win. Surely pretaping one's speech is closer to writing for the program than a speech delivered pff the cuff in the excitement of the moment. Who is not going to write down their remarks and thank you's in advance of the taping. It would be far easier to just ask them not to use any written material should they be on the stage accepting their award. I also feel certain whether live or taped any WGA member is going to make a statement in support of the union and the strike. So what is the rationale behind this "invisible" picket line? | |
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| re: Hands off the Tonys | Screenwriters are striking at the heart of Broadway | |
| Posted by: MockingbirdGirl 03:36 pm EDT 06/01/23 | |
| In reply to: re: Hands off the Tonys | Screenwriters are striking at the heart of Broadway - Thom915 03:14 pm EDT 06/01/23 | |
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| So what is the rationale behind this "invisible" picket line? I would imagine: To demonstrate solidarity with the writers who cannot go to their jobs, awards shows, etc. |
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| re: Hands off the Tonys | Screenwriters are striking at the heart of Broadway | |
| Posted by: Thom915 11:49 pm EDT 06/01/23 | |
| In reply to: re: Hands off the Tonys | Screenwriters are striking at the heart of Broadway - MockingbirdGirl 03:36 pm EDT 06/01/23 | |
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| That would possibly be understandable were they asked not to participate at all but since they are allowed to tape an acceptance speech if they should win the award for which they are nominated, they are in effect "participating." The only thing they are not allowed to share in the excitement of being present when their name is announced and receiving the congratulatory wishes of those who might surround them as well and to offer their support to those others (directors, actors, designers, composers etc) who made their work award worthy. As far as other award shows go, there are not likely to be any since I doubt the Emmys, Grammys, Oscars and what have you will go forward while the strike is on. And writers can certainly go to the award shows which are not broadcast. I don't think there is any request e.g. to not attend the Drama Desk Awards on Tuesday. Well, they didn't solicit my opinion and I do support the goals of the strike so, as a viewer I will have to put up with this rule whether I agree or not. | |
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