The Tonys’ Lessons On Broadway

The message after Sunday’s Tony Awards: “Fluff might sell, but seriousness (sorry, “Legally Blonde”) is what the theater community stands by. Now if only art and commerce could join hands and turn out a show that’s simultaneously — and unqualifiedly — a critical and popular hit. Then we’d all be smiling at revenue numbers that, despite their steady climb toward the billion-dollar mark, can’t conceal such darker realities as a slew of multimillion-dollar flops (including “High Fidelity,” “Coram Boy” and the soon-to-be shuttered “The Pirate Queen”) and exorbitant ticket prices that have rendered Broadway a luxury item for the Zagat set.”