My gripe with the TONYs this year...

I have a different gripe for the TONY's, but in conversations with people on the Facebook board I was encouraged to post it... So last year the show I am in was running in Chicago, we were invited out to entertain in between commercial breaks. We were treated extremely well, walked the red carpet, I met Liza Minelli and all that. Anyway it resulted in the show being picked up and brought to Broadway.

So along comes TONY time this year, and boy was I thrilled we were up for 3 awards. I was so proud and excited that this year with all our hard work we had earned the right to be there among the rest of Broadway, and part of the real show. I couldn't wait to walk my wife down the red carpet as my date to the TONYs, she wasn't able to be there the previous year, and this was my chance to show her a special evening for all her sacrifice following me across the country and putting her life on hold and putting up with all sorts of shit, while I followed this dream.

New dress, nails, skin, hair done and a bunch of other girl crap I don't even know about, well... Cant describe the disappointment when I found out not only could I not walk the red carpet with her, but couldn't walk it at all... nor could I even escort her to her seat. I had to arrange for her to go with some of the other wives and girlfriends who were left on their own as well, and was lucky to even get her a ticket. I guess I was mistaken when I assumed the TONYs existed to celebrate those who work on Broadway, but I guess we just exist to serve the TONYs.

I got to perform which was great, all the folks back home got to see me and my castmates on TV and for that I am thankful. But I will never forgive the TONYs for denying me the simple act of escorting my wife down the red carpet and into the front of the building and to her seat (I would've gladly retreated and done my performances after, and stayed out of sight). Instead I felt more like I was back in my days of catering, entering thru the back to do my work and otherwise stay out of sight. Going back to the beginning, we were treated better when we were just there as "help" to perform for the commercial breaks. Maybe that seems like a stupid thing to be upset about, but to hell with that, I've earned at least that level of respect, and so has every other performer on Broadway busting ass 8 shows a week.

The Hollywood debate is tricky, and the only thing I can really say about that, although I know its a naive statement, we can only hope that regardless of who is in attendance (or working in a Broadway show), awards are given based on the work itself and not the box office earning power of the person doing the work. Maybe changing that lies in finding a different approach to how/who is doing the voting? Man this is long, sorry to those who have read this far...