The benefit of losing?
This throwaway comment about Matilda the Musical, in a round-up of post-Tony Awards Broadway takings, had me puzzled:
Despite losing out on the most coveted Tony, the British import - based on the Roald Dahl story - benefitted from cast members performing a Michael Jackson medley near the beginning of the awards show.
How, exactly, did it benefit? It didn't win, and performing at the ceremony wasn't going to change that. I cannot imagine theatre-goers being influenced to attend the show because the cast performed a medley of completely unrelated numbers.
Or perhaps—as I tell my daughter when she comes last at sports, again—it's all about taking part. Even if it's embarrassing.