There are two reasons I cannot understand the success of today's Broadway. One is the high cost of tickets. Unless one has lots of expendable income, I can't see spending $100 or more for two hours of entertainment. The second reason is the low quality of Broadway shows. Last night's Tony show opened with a scene from Hell's Kitchen, a loud, screaming, hysterical mess in which the cliched dance steps while well-performed were boring. Despite this the audience was ecstatic with support and fake enthusiasm. The rest of the show was no better. As much as I love Merrily We Roll Along the scene they chose was weak. The only musical scene I thought was good was Water for Elephants in which the skimpy scenery at least offered some innovative choreography. The winners for the most part gave syrupy overlong speeches, full of love for everyone and the full confidence that they had done the world a favor. The best musical went to The Outsiders, yet another movie moved to the Broadway stage to become the darling of the day before being forgotten everywhere but some small theater in Nebraska.  Sorry, but I feel Broadway is a shadow of its former greatness, a collection of over-produced, over-hyped plays and musicals more interested in massaging egos than touching heartstrings.