Thursday, July 13, 2017
5 Tony Award Categories That NEED To Be Added!
Theatre Nerds: The Tony’s are one of the — no, the BIGGEST — night for Broadway and theatre nerds all over the world. Every theatre nerd get pumped up for the awards season on Broadway, and screams when the opening number comes on! But, we all know… When they special presenters start to announce the awards, we watch intently, but in the back of our brain, we are thinking about what other categories could be added.
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3 comments:
As a longtime fan of broadway musicals, and the Tony Awards, I was immediately drawn to this article. The section of the article that made me want to comment on it was the addition of a hair and makeup design category to the Tony Awards. I have always felt that hair and makeup designers have been under represented in the broadway community. Though their work typically is lumped under the category of costumes, hair and makeup designers/artists play a large role in how a character looks; Specifically, the artists who execute the designs (some of who are the designers). Having worked professionally as a hair and makeup artist/designer, I know how it feels to be put under the costume designer and not be recognized.
Other categories that were mentioned were best ensemble, song, understudy, replacement, and the re-addition of best newcomer. I think these categories offer the opportunity for more people in the industry to get recognized for their work.
Theatre is an art form that has been practiced since ancient times, so it is only natural that it requires updating. The Tony Awards, some of the most prestigious awards a theatrical production can receive, are an example of a dated practice. I appreciate how this article calls into attention how some areas of technical theatre continue to go unrecognized. Makeup and Hair Design have grown into such an intricate design process as new technologies have developed, that they deserve to have their own award aside from costume design. The article also mentions other valid awards, but one that I disagree with is that of Best Understudy. It is difficult to measure the level of achievement of an actor who has not performed on the stage, even if they have allotted an incredible amount of time and effort to the production. Other members of a show, such as a stage manager and production manager, are also hardworking and essential, but they do not fall into a viable Tony Award category. This does not imply that they are not important, just that it can be difficult to calculate their skill level.
It would be a great idea to add these awards to the Tony Awards. There are so many aspects of theatre that people either overlook or physically cannot see when they go to see a production. Though I am not personally involved specifically in any of these areas and I might not understand the details of their work, it is absolutely necessary for these people to be recognized on occasions such as the Tony Awards. The article is correct, these Awards NEED to be added. In terms of makeup, there are so many instances where the makeup artists would make the characters more realistic come alive, having significant impact on the overall effect of the show. For example, in shows such as Wicked and The Lion King, the makeup artists are undoubtedly indispensable. Ensembles are sometimes more important than the main characters themselves, for they fill in the void of the stage and are the living background that give audience a sense of life and movement alongside the actual sets and backdrop. For understudies, they are so crucial to the production, for they are the safety net when unforeseeable emergencies happen. They are always there to save the day. Everyone has a best song in their opinion, but there are always these few songs that are loved by everyone. These songs deserve to be recognized formally as classics. In the case of replacements, though people sometimes do not appreciate them as much as the original cast because of various reasons, their talents and efforts should still be recognized for they brought new interpretations and new life to their characters. Newcomers should be applauded as well for their hard work and dedication to the business. These people are indispensable to the theatrical world and cannot be overlooked on any given day.
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