Now that the confetti (or a tragic lack of confetti, rather) has settled, the excitement eased, and we're all returning to normal, I wanted to take a moment to address the Tony "drama."
No, I'm not talking about the "diva throw-down" featuring Audra McDonald and Laura Linney.
...or this year's winner for Best New Play. Although " The Ferryman " is certainly a drama worth discussing.
No, this was a moment that even the most devoted theater fans didn't notice until well after the fact...
Yes, a beloved (but un-nominated) performance from this Broadway season was parodied, but not credited during the telecast (gasp). It was an honest mistake, but a mistake that left " Be More Chill," a show that has (more than) survived off of word of mouth and the support of incredibly devoted fans, out in the cold.
And you know what happened when the error was realized? The mistake was addressed, apologized for, and everyone started talking about how much they love the song and the show.
That's right. There was no name calling. No one challenged anyone to a fight (because apparently, that happens now). It's particularly surprising given that (in true 2019 style) most of this happened on Twitter. Sorry, kids, there wasn't even a rap battle (but maybe we could still make that happen?).
Now, I also have to say, that just like any other group of people, the theater community is not perfect. They make mistakes and have room to grow (as the director of " Hadestown," Rachel Chavkin, eloquently stated in her acceptance speech), but this "drama" has been such a wonderful reminder of what civility looks like.
No one accused anyone of anything. In fact, an embarrassing number of compliments were exchanged. And most importantly, even more people now know what (the woefully under-nominated) " Be More Chill " is.
In fact, I might venture to say that more people have discovered this show in the last 24 hours than would have had it been mentioned during the broadcast ... oh my goodness ... was this all a publicity stunt? I wouldn't even be mad, just very impressed.
Now please go learn more about " Be More Chill," all the rest of this year's incredible shows, and the shows being performed near you (I promise you, they're there).
...bi-daily smile...
