No Surprise Here
Filed under: Broadway BabiesContinuing its downward trend…
The Tony Awards on Sunday were the lowest rated ever on CBS.
Broadway makes billions each year, yet people have no desire to watch it on television!
Posted: June 16, 2008 at 2:11 pm



first?
OMIGOD!! It was SOOO boring! I stopped watching it after 5 minutes.
That's because it is gay as hell. Only NYC has enough gay people to support musical theatre.
P.S. Yet another loser idiot who jumps in to type "first". Congrats, you won, you are now the gayest person in the world.
well that sucks. it was quite an entertaining program this year. it's a shame nobody saw it.
Kinda like Perez Hilton: His website makes thousands of dollars per year and yet nobody has any desire to see him on Television (ratings proves it so shut your pie hole about how much you love him… the general public doesn't!)
the NBA makes more - and there was a little game on at the same time…LAKERS/CELTICS
1st
[b]I LIKE CACA![/b]
WOW! It's almost as bad of a turnout as 'your' 'clothing line'!!!!
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
more people watching the NBA finals. That's why.
Having this show on a Sunday is one of the reasons it isn't highly viewed. I spend must of my Sundays getting ready for Monday! It was a great show this year and I feel sorry for the people who missed it.
boring
I dont think I've ever even heard of the Tony Awards..
I don't understand… the Tony Awards is the best award show out there. Everyone who has ever won one really deserves it. There is so much love and hard work involved. Plus, this year's show was great! Whoopi was a fabulous host.
I'll go to broadway if I want to see broadway!
CACACACAC CAACACA LOZLZOZL
wait the tony awards were this week?
that's a shame. I watched it,most of the performers were excellent this year, especially Crybaby!
well, at least i know i was one of the few who DID watch it
i love broadway, its a shame not many people watched
Broadway is a New York experience. Doesn't matter how you spin it or how many Hollywood celebrities and reality show rejects are heavily promoted to lure people in. The point is, you actually have to be in New York to see it. So for most TV-watchers that don't live in NYC or can't afford to visit (which was me until a year ago), the Tony awards is just another awards show with a few people that you maybe kinda recognize. Unless you're an actor/theater nerd like me. SO glad to be living in New York now!
I thought it was great this year! So much better than last year! It's a shame people can't appreciate theater simply because so and so says it's "gay."
I thought it was good. I actually watched the whole thing instead of falling asleep halfway through like past years.
You guys have our Kerry Ellis (British) from Tuesday in Wicked! Goooo Kerry!
No idea what time Tonys were on but the NBA Finals were on!! HELLLLLLOOOOOOOOOO!!!! Bad Timing ! GO LAKERS !!!!
i had no idea it was even on.. maybe they should promote it more. I love musicals and love the Tony's. But I am sorry i missed it.
aaliyah
The thing is, only people who have seen the shows will find it interesting.
That's really dissapointing! I loved watching them this year. They might not have been fantastic, but I wish they were doing better :-/
Broadway makes billions??? I can see maybe hundreds of millions but no way billions…
i don't know much about the new broadway shows, but i did watch it and it was entertaining.
and the RENT tribute was fantastic.
No. People have no desire to see the award show…
I didn't even know it was ON. Did they advertise for it at all?
No Perez. No one gives a shit about meaningless awards shows.
These people already make tons of money, we don't need to watch them pat each other on the back as well.
No one gives a fuck!
Yes the Tony's sucked but In the Heights won for best musical which is amazing! It's a phenominal play!
I gotta say, this year sucked pretty bad. None of the shows that opened were worth anything, hence them having to bring back older shows. I love theater, but i think I can safely say, the last good tony's were in 2004. Legally Blonde and Spring Awakening last year were great, but two shows in four years..not so good.
I watched it and it was amazing. Though I have to be truthful, the only reason I watched it was to see the Rent tribute (mainly just Idina Menzel) but the whole thing was actually surprisingly good. Pity not many people saw it… bad timing with the NBA finals though. And I believe the Much Music awards were on too at the same time.
I think people really enjoy seeing Broadway shows - just not award shows.
Basketball + a combination of waaaaaay too many award shows. MMVAs were on too. All these award shows last for a few hours, way too long to hold the attention of most, esp. those who have not seen the shows. These shows are also quite pretentious, made for those in the industry, not the average person, who cares little for technical aspects.
How do they expect to get ratings with Caryn Elaine Johnson(Whoppi Goldberg) hosting it. I really wonder why they keep pushing her in peoples face. Granny needs to retire.
ummmm perez u should read the article.. it said ratings were up five percent this year…
len brennan won a tony!!!! fair play tya len
Hey - maybe they should have held it at Hot Topic - I hear they draw crowds….NOT! Perez, you're a stupid west coaster with no interest in anything but giggling and trendy shit.
who watches this show anyways, gay people?
The public love Broadway musicals but we couldn't care less about award shows. Most of us do not live in New York. We never see anything except traveling shows and we see very few of those. So we have no emotional investment in the actors and actresses. We don't even know who they are. That makes for a very boring evening of television because everyone who is a part of that inner circle is congratulating and celebrating and we have no clue who they are. It's really hard to care who wins the awards if we don't know any of the contenders.
Have you ever priced a Broadway show ticket? They ought to get rid of all those shows. It's turned into a fashion show anyway.
To be fair though, they were absolute rubbish compared to 2004….
Actually Broadway has never made a billion dollars…they came close this year but the stagehand strike ruined it. CNN reported today that Broadway made $937.5 million this year.
THATS CAUSE EVERYONE WAS WATCHING HGTVs DESIGN STAR. OMG SO GOOD>
That's because it was B_O_R_I_N_G and irrelevant to most everyone except the winners themselves. It's too niche. Even Woopi couldn't light the fire under TONY's butt.
None of the shows deserved the Tony for Best New Musical. It was kind of a crap year.
The Tony awards were on?
Yawn, like I ever watch them
Dear Veege,
Try getting out once in a while. There is more to life than commenting on Perez Hilton and life in suburban Columbus, Ohio. Maybe you should just go to a mall and have dinner at Olive Garden - I think you would find that interesting.
Most of the shows nominated are pretty boring and the biggest turnoff of all was the performance from RENT!! Are you fucking kidding me? The reason it is closing down is because no one wants to see it ever again!!! Why do they keep going back to this show like it was the greatest thing ever to happen on Broadway? I've gone out of my way to avoid Rent for years because what I have seen and heard has been absolutely AWFUL. Let it die, people. Seriously. I would have rather seen something from a newer, better show like Spring Awakening than shit that sucked 15 years ago. Just a thought.
That's too bad! The show last night was great!! Loved the whole thing!!
Especially Patty Lupone!! Such an awesome singer!
Hey, I boycotted the TV show BECAUSE of the high ticket prices! Seems to be the fault of those damned unions!
Broadway doesn't make billions. In fact Broadway has never cracked the billion dollar mark in revenue. It is the gold ring that they are still aspiring to. Get your facts right>
Re: Alex – 100 percent true. Stew was robbed by the ultra-mediocre piece of manure that won Best Musical. Honestly - if I want to see a bunch of untalented spics and wetbacks cavorting and screaming like someone put ants in their pants, I'll just drive down to Tijuana….
i LOVED it!
the origional cast of RENT and Liza Minnelli on stage within seconds of each other???? a fag hags wet dream come true!
those sad little people who didn't watch from beginning to end (like i did) missed a spectacular show.
i
I think it also had to do with the state of the current B'Way season: In The Heights and Passing Strange were the two biggest original shows, yet the crowd they draw in aren't the usual Tony watching Fans. Yes, the shows are good within themselves (though I am not a fan) their fans arent the type that would spend their Sunday night watching the Tony Awards. The only reason a majority of the people who did tune in was because of Patti LuPone's performance, and the Rent Reunion (which happened to be a HUGE disappointment)
BROADWAY DOES NOT MAKE MILLIONS A YEAR YOU F**KING MORON>>>GO EAT ANOTHER TWINKIE
i watched it. i
i watch TV all the time and didn't see any promos for the Tony Awards. So go CBS plus we were too busy watching Lakers/Celtics.
PEREZ IT WAS HORRIBLE!!!
the musical shitt was just awful! i tried to watch it but it just sucked SO bad!
I watched because of Whoopi and to see the old shows. South Pacific was terrific…but, Patti Lapone was making me cringe. How dare she try to do a part that was done by Ethel Merman and Roz Russell so much better. Patti I don't know how anyone could watch you. You have no talent…I couldn't stand Evita or you.
As a broadway whore …I watched the entire broadcast and LOVED IT! I just wish they allotted some more time for the RENT crew! Come 'on that musical was the reason youngsters (twenty-somethings) headed back to B'way!
I didn't even bother to watch!!
NBA PLAYOFFS…HELLO!
I love the Tony Awards. It let's you see a snap shot of what is on Broadway & since I live in CA it helps me decide what I want to see when the shows national tours start. How can you not be moved when a legend like Patti LuPone sings? I loved last nights show. It is a shame people don't try it out, it is such a good family program.
I enjoyed watching them. Its one of the only awards shows I actually care about! And the performances were really great… I really want to see "In the Heights" now.
But then again, I am a theater/musical theater freak, so that probably explains it.
P.S. We musn't forget that the Celtics and Lakers were playing that night too. I know of a couple of broadway AND sports lovers (yes, they do exist…) who opted to watch that instead.
well the shows this year werent really blockbusters. not tourist traps really meaning people will flip past it and will be like huh whats that and not watch it i guess. i was at it i thought it was great.
I love the Tony's! I watched it last night and loved it. The ratings don't suprise me though, i wish more ppl took the time to watch. i think they would LOVE it like me.
Re: I DO –
amen! loved it too.
I think it's probably because it was on so late…where I live, it didn't even start until 9, and on a Sunday, people just aren't going to get in to it if they're going to have to stay up.
Plus, the really hyped appearance by the original cast of Rent was really disappointing, and there was NO publicity at all. If a friend of mine hadn't told me that it was on, I wouldn't have watched. But The Heights looks awesome, and Whoopi did a pretty good job!
the Tony awards are for Broadway Shows-which take place here in NY. I don't know why they are even televised-how many people are actually able to see the shows? Even living 20 minutes from Manhatten, I have not seen a show in a long time-even buying your tickets at tckts-the half priced ticket booth, the shows can be very expensive. It would be interesting to know the actual # of people who get to see a broadway show.
Just like how the people in Anaheim, CA are *shocked* when no one in Northern California loves Disneyland as much as they do, New Yorkers shouldn't wonder why no one likes the Great White Way as much as they do. Unless you grew up watching those shows, no one gives a fuck.