The Deck Chairs on TITANIC

Robert J. Elisberg: Why the Tony Awards are Flopping on TV - Entertainment on The Huffington Post

An interesting analysis, but one that kind of misses the point. Among the many problems with the Tonys:

*The specifics of the theatre scene in New York are both unfamiliar and irrelevant to the huge majority of the national audience given that shows don't tour as often, as long and as well cast as they once did.

*Show music is no longer the basis, or even a basis, of the pop repertoire. At best it imitates what's going on in popular music, and not particularly ably. Insofar as general audiences feel a connection to what's happening, they're bored.

*In part because of the above point and in part because the economics of theatre are just different, there are fewer productions every year, and more of those are safe bets, desperate commercial vulgarities, and (mostly from the nonprofits) stabs at snob appeal. The few shows dutifully trotted out on stage usually include at least one real dud that made the cut just because there have to be exactly four nominees.

The Tonys are bad in a few unique ways (and I agree with some of Elisberg's proposed remedies), but for the most part they're the symptom. The disease afflicts theatre itself.