Venting a bit of union politics here after watching last night's TONY Awards: you didn't need to be there or watching.
But - Carnival Cruise lines was a "network" sponsor of the telecast. And because they must have ponied up a bunch of bucks for the airing; their non-union cast of Hairspray was allowed to do 2 live numbers during the show. Not only that - it was in a prime spot at the end of the program before the major awards were handed out. As I have spouted before - I have nothing against a non-union actor getting work and making an honest living. But the TONY Awards are in a league of their own and celebrating the Broadway community, which is a UNION theater population. Every show, actor and technician is a participant in a trade union that nurtures not only their careers, but the well being of the art form itself. This Hairspray cast had nothing to do with the Broadway season. The show has not been running for years and this had no connection to the original production. If any corporation can buy their way onto the show, what's to say that JC Penney can't have air time for a fashion show or GM Motors could feature a car race. Buy an ad, not a mujsical number. Far fetched or not????
What incensed me even more were two oversights that didn't make the cut because of the purchased performance. Bernadette Peters - icon of the New York theater world - was preempted to a snippet on accepting her lifetime Humanitarian Achievement award. And Actors Equity got a mere mention for the celebration of our 100th Anniversary - not even a presentation or a round of applause!!! I was very curious how the audience there felt about the whole mess and why none of them made any sort of vocal protest or acknowledgement of the fact.
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