Christopher Bonanos: Has America Whacked the Tonys? - Entertainment on The Huffington Post:
And I still cringe when I see some of the dusty old properties that are pulled out of the trunk. This year, the Roundabout Theater Company dug up a pair of shows fondly remembered by many Broadway theatergoers. The Apple Tree premiered in 1966; 110 in the Shade, in 1963. Both are pretty rusty entertainment machines. This time around, they starred singer-actors with huge voices and outsize stage personalities -- Kristin Chenoweth and Audra McDonald, respectively, both of whom are staggeringly talented, and both shows are nominated for Best Musical Revival. But they're not living parts of the arts landscape, like some revivals; they are charming museum exhibits, impeccably conserved and displayed. The majority of my smart cultured friends -- people with both the brains to appreciate theater and the income to go regularly -- are not just disinterested but actively repelled by a lot of what's up on the boards. "I sit there, and even if it's pretty good, after an hour I just want to start screaming," one of my colleagues said to me recently, explaining why he hates Broadway theater. (This from a man who works on culture coverage every week.)
12:53 PM
Dilettante Archives