HOLLYWOOD, Calif. — As a longtime rock star, Bret Michaels certainly knows his way around a stage. That only makes Sunday's incident at the Tony Awards, in which he was injured by getting knocked to the ground by a stage prop, all the more disheartening, his rep says.
"Bret has performed live, with Poison or solo, for over 20 years and on a daily basis is around pyro, lasers and a moving light show," Janna Elias, a rep for Michaels, wrote in a statement published on his official Web site. "He understands that there is always an element of risk in any live performance, but Bret entrusts his safety to the crew whose job it is to make sure the show goes off without a hitch and should any member of the band be in harm's way that they do not complete the gag."
"However in this situation Bret was not on his stage but was at the mercy of the Tonys," she continued. "He was performing on the Tonys stage and had the reasonable expectation that that safety of the artist was a priority and at no time did he do anything over the top or outlandish that would have put himself or others in a dangerous situation."
Michaels was on stage with his fellow band members at Sunday night's Tony Awards at Radio City Music Hall, where Poison performed their hit song "Nothin' But a Good Time." As he exited the stage, Michaels was struck by a large sign being lowered from the ceiling, resulting in a fractured nose and three stitches to his lip.
"The severity of this injury is not being taken lightly as symptoms from head and neck injuries at first may seem like nothing and sometimes do not present for days," said Elias. "At this time the full extent of his injuries remains to be seen until all x-rays are back."
Elias expressed disappointment with how the incident was handled by officials at the Tony Awards, perhaps even hinting that legal action could be in store.
"With all due respect to everyone working the Tony awards somewhere down the line there was a lack of communication and the prop should have been immediately halted until Michaels was clear," she wrote. "Sunday morning at rehearsals, Bret was never informed that the descending set piece existed, let alone would be moving into position as he was exiting the stage."
"I find it surprising that a Tony spokesperson would brush off this incident with a comment stating 'Mr. Michaels missed his mark' with no mention of concern for his condition," she continued. "If everyone at the Tonys were aware that Bret missed his mark then they should have been aware enough to stop the set piece from hitting him or at least slowed it down until he cleared the stage. I feel had this incident happened to Liza Minnelli, Dolly Parton or Elton John the Tonys would have at least issued a letter of concern."
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