NYS Music 20​16

Tag: hamilton

  • Cuomo Signs Ticket Bot Bill Into Law

    New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed a bill this week that calls for harsher punishments for those using automated ‘Ticket Bot’ software to purchase large blocs of tickets for concerts and other events. These tickets often turn up on third party ticket resale sites such as Stub Hub minutes after purchase at a much higher markup.

    The new law, sponsored by Assemblyman Marcos Crespo (D-Bronx) and Senator Andrew Lanza (R-Staten Island), makes using ticket “bots,” or willingly reselling tickets purchased using the software illegal in New York State.

    The use of ticket bots was already illegal in New York but this law toughens penalties beyond the civil level. It carries with it a civil penalty of a $500-$1500 fine and forfeiture of any profit made for anyone reselling tickets purchased using “bots” and rises to the level of class A misdemeanor if the person knowingly uses “bot” software to purchase tickets with the intent to resell for profit.  In a statement, Governor Cuomo said:

     These unscrupulous speculators and their underhanded tactics have manipulated the marketplace and often leave New Yorkers and visitors alike with little choice but to buy tickets on the secondary market at an exorbitant mark-up. It’s predatory, it’s wrong and, with this legislation, we are taking an important step towards restoring fairness and equity back to this multi-billion dollar industry.

    As reported by NYS Music in January, the issue of ticketing “bots” gained widespread attention when New York’s Attorney General Eric Schneiderman issued a report critical of the industry. Several states have anti-scalping laws on the books, but this new law provides the harshest penalties thus far.

    Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda issued a call this July, via a New York Times editorial, to get tough on ticket “bots.” In it, he praised the efforts of the AG and sponsoring legislators in pushing the bill through and called on Governor Cuomo to quickly sign the bill into law, which he did Wednesday.

    At the federal level, Tuesday the Senate, passed the BOTS (Better Online Ticket Sales) Act of 2016. The bill now moves to the House of Representatives for consideration before it can be signed into law.

  • 2016 Tony Award Nominees

    History has its eyes on the hit musical, Hamilton, which has 16 Tony Award nominations in 2016 – the record for nominations in Broadway history.

    I haven’t had the pleasure of seeing any of the New Best Musical nominees, but based on not only the cast recordings, but reviews as well, I’m on Team Hamilton. I’ll be honest, when I first heard about Hamilton last year while it was running off-Broadway, I scoffed at the thought (not knowing at the time that Lin-Manuel Miranda of In the Heights fame had written it). But I haven’t stopped listening to that cast album since it was released early last fall.

    2016 Tony Award It won’t be a surprise when Hamilton takes home most, if not all, of the awards they are up for on June 12, all simply because they deserve it. Plus, I think the Tony Voters are more than happy with the attention and money Broadway is getting thanks to this hit.

    The only “snub” I think we will see is if Leslie Odom Jr. gets the award for his performance of Aaron Burr instead of Miranda earning it for the title role. Although it is based solely on the cast album, I’m rooting for Odom.

    I believe this year we will also see a historic number of  Tony Award viewers. Typically ranked last out of the the EGOT Award shows in viewership, people won’t want to miss the performance of Hamilton. I just hope that it will also shed some light on the other musicals who also deserved their nominations this year. Those include Shuffle Along, Waitress, School of Rock the Musical, and Bright Star.

    As for Best Musical Revival…I think we all know where my opinion stands on that as I had the pleasure of seeing Deaf West’s Revival of Spring Awakening back in January. I think this is another groundbreaking hit that also expands the audience like Hamilton has done for theatre. What I think will really happen with Tony Voters though….I think it’ll be a tough call between Spring Awakening and The Color Purple. Other revivals include Fiddler on the Roof and She Loves Me.

    The Tony Awards will air on Sunday, June 12 at 8pm on CBS.

    The full list of the 70th Annual Tony Award nominees:

    Best musical
    “Bright Star”
    “Hamilton”
    “School of Rock — The Musical”
    “Shuffle Along, Or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed”
    “Waitress”

    Best revival of a musical
    “The Color Purple”
    “Fiddler on the Roof”
    “She Loves Me”
    “Spring Awakening”

    Best play
    “Eclipsed”
    “The Father”
    “The Humans”
    “King Charles III”

    Best revival of a play
    “Blackbird”
    “The Crucible”
    “Long Day’s Journey Into Night”
    “Noises Off”
    “A View from the Bridge”

    Best performance by an actor in a leading role in a musical
    Alex Brightman, “School of Rock — The Musical”
    Danny Burstein, “Fiddler on the Roof”
    Zachary Levi, “She Loves Me”
    Lin-Manuel Miranda, “Hamilton”
    Leslie Odom Jr., “Hamilton”

    Best performance by an actress in a leading role in a musical
    Laura Benanti, “She Loves Me”
    Carmen Cusack, “Bright Star”
    Cynthia Erivo, “The Color Purple”
    Jessie Mueller, “Waitress”
    Phillipa Soo, “Hamilton”

    Best performance by an actor in a leading role in a play
    Gabriel Byrne, “Long Day’s Journey Into Night”
    Jeff Daniels, “Blackbird”
    Frank Langella, “The Father”
    Tim Pigott-Smith, “King Charles III”
    Mark Strong, “A View from the Bridge”

    Best performance by an actress in a leading role in a play
    Jessica Lange, “Long Day’s Journey Into Night”
    Laurie Metcalf, “Misery”
    Lupita Nyong’o, “Eclipsed”
    Sophie Okonedo, “The Crucible”
    Michelle Williams, “Blackbird”

    Best performance by an actor in a featured role in a musical
    Daveed Diggs, “Hamilton”
    Brandon Victor Dixon, “Shuffle Along, Or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed”
    Christopher Fitzgerald, “Waitress”
    Jonathan Groff, “Hamilton”
    Christopher Jackson, “Hamilton”

    Best performance by an actress in a featured role in a musical
    Danielle Brooks, “The Color Purple”
    Renée Elise Goldsberry, “Hamilton”
    Jane Krakowski, “She Loves Me”
    Jennifer Simard, “Disaster!”
    Adrienne Warren, “Shuffle Along, Or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed”

    Best performance by an actor in a featured role in a play
    Reed Birney, “The Humans”
    Bill Camp, “The Crucible”
    David Furr, “Noises Off”
    Richard Goulding, “King Charles III”
    Michael Shannon, “Long Day’s Journey Into Night”

    Best performance by an actress in a featured role in a play
    Pascale Armand, “Eclipsed”
    Megan Hilty, “Noises Off”
    Jayne Houdyshell,” The Humans”
    Andrea Martin, “Noises Off”
    Saycon Sengbloh, “Eclipsed”

    Best book of a musical
    “Bright Star,” Steve Martin
    “Hamilton,” Lin-Manuel Miranda
    “School of Rock — The Musical,” Julian Fellowes
    “Shuffle Along, Or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed,” George C. Wolfe

    Best original score
    “Bright Star,” Music: Steve Martin and Edie Brickell; Lyrics: Edie Brickell
    “Hamilton,” Music and Lyrics: Lin-Manuel Miranda
    “School of Rock — The Musical,” Music: Andrew Lloyd Webber; Lyrics: Glenn Slater
    “Waitress,” Music and Lyrics: Sara Bareilles

    Best direction of a play
    Rupert Goold, “King Charles III”
    Jonathan Kent, “Long Day’s Journey Into Night”
    Joe Mantello, “The Humans”
    Liesl Tommy, “Eclipsed”
    Ivo van Hove, “A View from the Bridge”

    Best direction of a musical
    Michael Arden, “Spring Awakening”
    John Doyle, “The Color Purple”
    Scott Ellis, “She Loves Me”
    Thomas Kail, “Hamilton”
    George C. Wolfe, “Shuffle Along, Or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed”

    Best scenic design of a play
    Beowulf Boritt, “Thérèse Raquin”
    Christopher Oram, “Hughie”
    Jan Versweyveld, “A View from the Bridge”
    David Zinn, “The Humans”

    Best scenic design of a musical
    Es Devlin and Finn Ross, “American Psycho”
    David Korins, “Hamilton”
    Santo Loquasto, “Shuffle Along, Or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed”
    David Rockwell, “She Loves Me”

    Best costume design of a play
    Jane Greenwood, “Long Day’s Journey Into Night”
    Michael Krass, “Noises Off”
    Clint Ramos, “Eclipsed”
    Tom Scutt, “King Charles III”

    Best costume design of a musical
    Gregg Barnes, “Tuck Everlasting”
    Jeff Mahshie, “She Loves Me”
    Ann Roth, “Shuffle Along, Or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed”
    Paul Tazewell, “Hamilton”

    Best lighting design of a play
    Natasha Katz, “Long Day’s Journey Into Night”
    Justin Townsend, “The Humans”
    Jan Versweyveld, “The Crucible”
    Jan Versweyveld, “A View from the Bridge”

    Best lighting design of a musical
    Howell Binkley, “Hamilton”
    Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer, “Shuffle Along, Or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed”
    Ben Stanton, “Spring Awakening”
    Justin Townsend, “American Psycho”

    Best choreography
    Andy Blankenbuehler, “Hamilton”
    Savion Glover, “Shuffle Along, Or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed”
    Hofesh Shechter, “Fiddler on the Roof”
    Randy Skinner, “Dames at Sea”
    Sergio Trujillo, “On Your Feet! The Story of Emilio and Gloria Estefan”

    Best orchestrations
    August Eriksmoen, “Bright Star”
    Larry Hochman, “She Loves Me”
    Alex Lacamoire, “Hamilton”
    Daryl Waters, “Shuffle Along, Or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed”

    Special Tony Award for lifetime achievement in the theater
    Sheldon Harnick
    Marshall W. Mason

    Special Tony Award
    National Endowment for the Arts
    Miles Wilkin

    Regional Theater Tony Award
    Paper Mill Playhouse, Millburn, N.J.

    Isabelle Stevenson Tony Award
    Brian Stokes Mitchell

    Tony Honors for excellence in the theater
    Seth Gelblum
    Joan Lader
    Sally Ann Parsons

    Tony nominations by production
    “Hamilton” — 16
    “Shuffle Along, Or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed” — 10
    “She Loves Me” — 8
    “Long Day’s Journey Into Night” — 7
    “Eclipsed” — 6
    “The Humans” — 6
    “Bright Star” — 5
    “King Charles III” — 5
    “Noises Off” — 5
    “A View from the Bridge” — 5
    “The Color Purple” — 4
    “The Crucible” — 4
    “School of Rock — The Musical” — 4
    “Waitress” — 4
    “Blackbird” — 3
    “Fiddler on the Roof” — 3
    “Spring Awakening” — 3
    “American Psycho” — 2
    “The Father” — 2
    “Dames at Sea” — 1
    “Disaster!” — 1
    “Hughie” — 1
    “Misery” — 1
    “On Your Feet! The Story of Emilio and Gloria Estefan” — 1
    “Thérèse Raquin” — 1
    “Tuck Everlasting” — 1

    Nominations courtesy of tonyawards.com