Posted on 06/07/2004 4:36:28 PM PDT by RightWingAtheist
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Gay puppets, transvestites, assassins and a pedophile child killer piled up Tony honors on Sunday but those shows will be shunned by Republican delegates at the political party's convention in New York this summer.
Reuters Photo
With thousands of Republicans set to descend on the Big Apple to nominate President Bush (news - web sites) for re-election, convention organizers decided to treat delegates to the glitz of Broadway before they knuckled down to the business of politics.
But Republican organizers, selling themselves as the family-values party, decided to buy tickets to tame shows like "42nd Street" and Disney productions like "Aida" and "The Lion King," avoiding more offbeat fare.
Besides Tony winners such as the naughty puppet musical "Avenue Q" and best play "I Am My Own Wife," about a German transvestite, other hits including Mel Brooks (news)' "The Producers," were vetoed by those arranging Broadway outings.
"The Republicans were so desperate to escape Roger DeBris, the cross-dressing buffoon concocted by Mel Brooks, that they have gone and picked two shows set in France," wrote New York Times columnist Frank Rich, referring to evergreen musicals "Beauty and the Beast" and "Phantom of the Opera."
Other shows approved as appropriate to entertain the faithful before nominating Bush for the November ballot are "Bombay Dreams," "Fiddler on the Roof" and "Wonderful Town."
SEASON OF DIVERSE OFFERINGS
Broadway has often been ridiculed for taking few risks, but this season has been marked by diverse shows that have tackled racial themes, embraced gay culture and explored life's seamier elements.
In a year when gays from San Francisco to Boston have married, Republicans have been so averse to the rise of gay culture in America they have proposed amending the Constitution to outlaw same-sex weddings.
"Last night was the explosion of a lot of Tony cliches," Jed Bernstein, president of the League of American Theaters and Producers, told Reuters.
The biggest winner at the Tonys with five awards was "Assassins," a Stephen Sondheim musical about nine killers and would-be killers of U.S. presidents, including the man who tried to kill popular Republican Ronald Reagan (news).
Three of the four awards for actresses went to African American performers in shows that delve into lives of the disenfranchised in the revival of "A Raisin in the Sun," and new musical, "Caroline, or Change."
Irishman Brian F. O'Byrne won his first Tony for his portrayal of a serial child killer in "Frozen."
"There was a diversity of shows honored," said Bernstein, who said the awards refuted claims made in recent months that the Tony's only honored mainstream, commercial theater.
Give 'em hell, Larry!!!!
My wife and I were in NYC for a few days for our anniversary last summer. One evening we thought we would go down to Broadway and see something. The concierge at our hotel had tickets for all of the top shows but ever single one had gay message or socialists themes. We're not talking the period socialism of Les Miserables but an in your face agenda. Since we couldn't stomach that and didn't want Lion King or some Disney fare we just had dinner and saw a movie.
Why do they have a problem with "The Producers"?
What's so diversified about these shows? They all seem to come from under the same nearest scum rock.
Note to the Broadway set: You're all going to hell, so who gives a crap about your self-absorbed, mutant, perverted shows anyhow?
My wife is dragging me to see something called "Urinetown" on Thursday. Supposedly it's very good, to the point where the Ft. Worth Star Telegram is BEGGING people to come see it. It's also suitable for all ages, even kids.
If it's so good, why the unfortunate name?
"diversity" What a great word!
Ha!! What an OVERUSED word, IMO.
As far as the shows featuring "Gay puppets, transvestites, assassins and a pedophile child killer...": As the saying goes, "Garbage in, garbage out." Why would anyone (Republican, Democrat, Libertarian, Green Party, etc.) want to waste time and money on this kind of absolute trash?
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Gay puppets, transvestites, assassins and a pedophile child killer piled up Tony honors on Sunday but those shows will be shunned by Republican delegates at the political party's convention in New York this summer.
errrr ---- THAT was supposed to be bad? to shun the worst of pserversions???
I would prefer that people who would enjoy that type of fare be sent to iraq/iran for a week or two for a very short vacation - we could make book on how many hours each would lst.
Even with Hugh Jackman, the least watched Tony Awards show ever
I don't think republicans will shun broadway because they are prudes, I think they shun broadway cause they don't care to be indoctrinated to the gay or liberal crap.
"Irishman Brian F. O'Byrne won his first Tony for his portrayal of a serial child killer in "Frozen."
Haven't seen it. Don't want to. Real life, and abused and defiled babies and children are real, and like Hollywood's ~tender~ portrayl of Monster, I cannot watch the creepy, sick depravity that parades as innovation and artistic license, and wonder if these "talents" have dealt with the results of these evil people.
So, lemme see - the same bunch of deranged perverts who create this stuff - also vote for the awards for it - but somehow that little liberal echo chamber casts judgements on folks who would rather not have anything to do with any of it.
Some of the worst movies I ever saw were given four stars by the Philly Inquirer critics.
There's a name for their behavior - a snit.
Well, the agreement is, if it sucks, I can go to the wine bar across the street at intermission.
That's a workable contingency plan...
I was all set to laugh when I first checked out Mel Brooks's movie of The Producers. I'd heard for years it was hilarious. But it turned out to be pretty unfunny. Boring, actually. Could hardly sit through it.
Of course I'm the kind of person who likes Monty Python and the Holy Grail...
I have seen the Producers, and I wouldn't say it was offensive.
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