The 70th Annual Tony Awards will be airing next Sunday, June 12, and I think there is one general consensus: "Hamilton" will sweep away the rest of the competition. Is there even a point in tuning in?
I will start by saying that I think "Hamilton" is a remarkable show. I am lucky enough to have seen it twice (once off-Broadway and once during previous, before the album was released and the entire world was suddenly able to marvel at it), and I wholeheartedly believe it deserves to win many of this year's awards, Best Musical included. I will not even be mad if they take home every acting category.
But for this Broadway season, I am not 100-percent team-"Hamilton." Believe it or not, I believe there's been some work on the stage this past year that exceeds "Hamilton;" they just didn't get the media attention. I'm talking specifically about "Spring Awakening."
For those of you who don't know about last fall's revival of "Spring Awakening," this production was brought over from L.A.'s Deaf West, a theater company focused on making theater more accessible for the deaf and hearing-impaired. The entire show was signed. A handful of the cast members were disabled; in fact, this was the first Broadway musical ever to have a performer in a wheelchair.
I was floored by this production. I still regret that I didn't see it a second time during its limited run. Although it is only nominated for three Tonys, it deserves every single one.
Theater has become a hobby for the wealthier percentage- I don't think anything proves that like "Hamilton," whose cheapest tickets still run at hundreds of dollars. But the audience of "Spring Awakening" was filled with people who don't get to normally see shows, because very few try to make theater accessible. If I had to guess, I would say half the audience was hearing impaired. And they could understand every single word. I balled during curtain call when I saw hundreds of people raise their arms and sign "applause" and "thank you" to the stage. "Spring Awakening" provided more than catchy tunes; it provided an experience to those who normally do not get one.
Currently, Deaf West has a kickstarter campaign going to get them to the Tonys. I only hope they succeed so that everyone has a chance to get a glimpse of this work of art. I've said several times that if "Spring Awakening" was a new musical this year, it would give "Hamilton" a run for its money-- at least it would if the Broadway world wasn't run by money, and instead by artistic integrity. Just a food for thought.
I'm not saying that "Hamilton" doesn't deserve Tonys. I'm saying that in a year where a director had the integrity to showcase performers with disabilities, actors who major broadway producers would never even glance at, that should be acknowledged. Lin Manuel Miranda can take all of the awards for writing; he's earned them. Please, give Michael Arden the recognition he deserves for bringing his beautiful vision to life for both the benefit of the audience and the actors.
