Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar
Appreciating and Missing Broadway Texas
RECEIVED Mon., June 28, 2004
Dear Editor,
I am profoundly disappointed in the results of the Austin Critics Awards for 2003. Having looked over the nominees, I was surprised to see Broadway Texas listed among our other local productions. I felt sorry for the other nominees, for they were severely out-classed. Directors Scott Thompson and Richard Byron have put on Broadway-quality shows right here in Austin for years, and their expertly delivered Wizard of Oz was listed in many categories. Certainly, they put on the best musical, and their consistently inspired choreography could not help but be recognized. Even the finely crafted musical direction of Fred Barton was up for an award. And the sad part is: Broadway Texas has closed its doors forever. An extreme shame, considering the high quality of the shows they produced. If they had fault, it was in not trimming back, in trying to deliver the best possible show for their audiences. At least, I thought to myself, here would be a final nod from Austin, an acknowledgement of all the hard work that Scott and Richard have done. They were up for two awards themselves, The Wizard of Oz had a chance at six total awards. How many did they win? Tied for one. How could this be? Perhaps the critics, like too many other Austinites, didn't even see The Wizard of Oz. Maybe it is true – two of the best directors in Austin have left us, and no one took notice. If that is true, how can we ever expect talent to come back and fill the void? Or perhaps we'll just be content with whatever is left. I, for one, will not. Thanks, Austin. Thanks a lot.
I am profoundly disappointed in the results of the Austin Critics Awards for 2003. Having looked over the nominees, I was surprised to see Broadway Texas listed among our other local productions. I felt sorry for the other nominees, for they were severely out-classed. Directors Scott Thompson and Richard Byron have put on Broadway-quality shows right here in Austin for years, and their expertly delivered Wizard of Oz was listed in many categories. Certainly, they put on the best musical, and their consistently inspired choreography could not help but be recognized. Even the finely crafted musical direction of Fred Barton was up for an award. And the sad part is: Broadway Texas has closed its doors forever. An extreme shame, considering the high quality of the shows they produced. If they had fault, it was in not trimming back, in trying to deliver the best possible show for their audiences. At least, I thought to myself, here would be a final nod from Austin, an acknowledgement of all the hard work that Scott and Richard have done. They were up for two awards themselves, The Wizard of Oz had a chance at six total awards. How many did they win? Tied for one. How could this be? Perhaps the critics, like too many other Austinites, didn't even see The Wizard of Oz. Maybe it is true – two of the best directors in Austin have left us, and no one took notice. If that is true, how can we ever expect talent to come back and fill the void? Or perhaps we'll just be content with whatever is left. I, for one, will not. Thanks, Austin. Thanks a lot.
Jay Michael
[Robert Faires replies: All members of the Critics Table who voted on the categories in which The Wizard of Oz was nominated did indeed see the production as well as those of the other nominated musicals. The decisions on the award winners were reached by consensus of the voting members, based on discussions involving numerous factors, and in no way reflect a lack of respect for the talents involved in Broadway Texas. In fact, many of the sentiments you express about the quality of Broadway Texas/Austin Musical Theatre and its loss to the community are shared by the critics and were stated in this paper on repeated occasions, including a feature story published the week that The Wizard of Oz opened ("Down the Yellow Brick Interstate," Oct. 24, 2003, Theatre). The 33 awards and dozens of nominations bestowed on this company during its seven-year existence further testify to the high regard in which the Critics Table held this company and its founders.]
