WHAT’S HER NAME? TONY YOU SAY? A BROADWAY RANT AND A FRINGE PLUG

Wow. This is how out of it I’ve been; what a lost month May was. The Tonys are this Sunday. That annual night where the world of Broadway tries to pretend that it is still a major part of this country’s cultural landscape by showcasing how much basically mediocre theater one can see at $100 a pop just snuck up on me, and as it did, I realized that for the first time ever (well, at least since I moved to NYC in 1996), I have no vested interest in anything.

My original job in New York at HBO was a godsend for many reasons, but none less than the fact that at the time I was allowed to expense all my theatre. Not just for me, mind you; two tickets, because who wants to go to a play alone. (Well, I would, but why not share the wealth?) I think one of the first shows I went to upon arriving in New York was the revival of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum starring Nathan Lane. Back then — between 8-9 years ago — the top price ticket for a Broadway musical was $65. AND, I got reimbursed. For everything. I saw so much theater my first two years in New York, it was absurd; and it included everything from major Broadway shows like The Lion King, The Life and Titanic (blech) to smaller off- and off-off-Broadway shows at companies like Playwrights Horizons, the Atlantic Theater Company, Second Stage, La MaMa, New York Theater Workshop, Theater for a New City, etc. Ahh those were the days.

Those days are long gone for me, sadly. The theater I have gotten to the last few years has mostly been thanks to a family member coming to town and wanting to spend some cash. I’d love to subscribe again to many of the rep companies around town, but it’s just too expensive. And while TKTS is a great service, even half-price of a $100 ticket is still $50 … that’s almost five movies — and that’s assuming I don’t pay for one and sneak into four others. I also refuse to pay for the “cheap seats” because they’re not so cheap. You spend $65 or $70 for a balcony seat that is a mile away from the stage, way on the side, and doesn’t allow you to actually see the faces of the actors? It’s not worth it. If I’m going to spend that much, I’ll shell out the additional $30 for a seat that allows me to actually see the show.

Still, I’d love to get to more theater, and I’m very sorry that I can’t have greater insight into the respective merits of this year’s Tony nominees. I think this is the first time that I haven’t seen any of them. While Spamalot and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels are the behemoth’s in the musical category, the show I’m most interested in is by far The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, and I will make it a point to see it very soon … somehow. (I’m upset I didn’t get to its more affordable pre-Broadway production at Second Stage as I had originally intended.) It’s the latest work from the mind of William Finn, possibly the most talented and creative writer of musical theater alive today (after, of course, Sondheim). Listen to the soundtracks of March of the Falsettos and Falsettoland and you’ll see what I mean. I can’t actually say that Spelling Bee is a better show than Spamalot or Dirty Rotten Scoundrels (or the fourth nominee The Light in the Piazza), but it certainly has the Avenue Q mantle of little-show-that-could compared to the two blockbuster productions, even if it does have such a great pedigree.

I’ve heard good things about most of the straight play nominees, but I know even less about them. I really have to work on this because it’s upsetting to me. One of the reasons I moved to New York was due to my love and devotion to theater. One of the reasons I want to move back downtown is to be closer to more of the smaller (and therefore more affordable) theaters, although you always take your life in your hands anytime you go to a play … well, really anywhere in this town.

And speaking of taking your life in your hands to see theater, you know what’s just around the corner? That’s right: it’s this year’s edition of the New York International Fringe Festival. I’ve always been fascinated by how the Fringe is programmed. Sure, you hear about the successes that get off-Broadway transfers (like Debbie Does Dallas: The Musical) or even become big Broadway hits (the very clever musical theater satire Urinetown), but really the vast majority of what I’ve seen at the Fringe has been crap. Granted, I never get to as much as I’d like, and I’m sure I’m missing plenty of great, innovative and interesting work, but it seems that the Fringe is always trying so hard to be be so huge and comprehensive that the standards aren’t always that high. And the shocking thing is they don’t accept everything.

I will never forget about 5-6 years ago, I believe, I went to a show that a friend was performing in. It was literally the worst piece of theater I’d ever seen in my life. Worse than any of the craptastic plays performed at my high school. It was absurd and tedious and boring … and I’ve done my best to block-out almost everything about it, yet I still remember that it had something to do with alien abduction. Other things I’ve seen at the Fringe have run the gamut from being mildly amusing to downright awful. And you know, I LIKE theater. I LIKE seeing theater that succeeds in a small space with no budget; no bells and whistles. My favorite work of my own was when I directed a production of David Mamet’s The Duck Variations at UCLA about 15 years ago (oy, I’m old!), and I just stuck my two actors on a bench in the sculpture garden on campus — because they’re characters are two old guys on a bench. Simplicity isn’t bad — bad writing is bad! And there’s often too much of it at the Fringe.

Nevertheless, even with these negative associations with the Fringe, I absolutely applaud them (them being The Present Company who produces the annual theater festival) for the work they do. And talk about affordable? There probably is no better deal in town (at least for theater) than going to as many Fringe shows as possible, so this year, obviously depending on job prospects and time commitments, I do plan to spend a lot of time on the LES in August. Who knows, maybe I might even go to a Newbie Meeting and try to get involved.

In any case, do CBS a favor and watch the Tonys on Sunday night. And do yourself a favor and check out this year’s schedule of Fringe shows.