The Tony Awards, which commemorate the last set of performances to debut on Broadway before theatres fell dark, have a date: Sept. 26. The gala is scheduled to help a pandemic-affected industry as plays begin to resume. Three of the 25 awards — best musical, best play, and best play revival — will be delivered live on CBS during a show that will mostly be a star-studded concert of theatre songs. However, the majority of the awards, honoring actors, writers, directors, choreographers, and designers, will be presented soon before the performance, during a presentation shown exclusively on Paramount+, ViacomCBS’ subscription streaming service.
The event – awards and performances — is expected to be live and in-person, taking place inside a Broadway theatre, according to the organizers. “Jagged Little Pill,” “Moulin Rouge! The Musical,” and “Tina — The Tina Turner Musical,” the three jukebox shows competing for best musical, will all be asked to play on the televised broadcast. Many elements have yet to be settled, such as which theatre will be used, whether a host will be present, and who will perform.
The four-hour two-platform structure was reached after protracted talks between the Broadway League and the American Theater Wing, the two organizations that present the awards, and CBS, which has televised the show since 1978. The theatre organizations wanted a way to honor the artistry of the abbreviated 2019-2020 season, and CBS pushed to emphasize entertainment value, especially in a year when viewership for many award shows has dropped; CBS pushed to emphasize entertainment value, particularly in a year when viewership for many award shows has dropped; the theatre organizations wanted a way to honor the artistry of the abbreviated 2019-2020 season.
“The ground was moving underneath our feet the entire time, but our goal was to gather as much community and nominee celebration as possible,” said Charlotte St. Martin, president of the League. St. Martin and Heather Hitchens, the Theater Wing’s chief executive, said they were happy with the outcome in a joint interview.
“Everyone wanted to make something that would honor the town, help sell tickets, and appeal to a national audience,” Hitchens explained. “We had some really interesting, in-depth, and passionate talks about how to best achieve those three goals.” They pointed out that all Tony Award categories haven’t been broadcast nationwide in years. Some of the awards were presented on a PBS special that aired just before the CBS broadcast for six years, beginning in 1997, but in subsequent years, many of the design and writing honors have been handed off the air.
“One of the things we’re most happy of is that we got Paramount+ for all of our awardees, and having these honors celebrated on such a large platform is a significant achievement,” Hitchens added. “It’s something we’ve wanted for a long time.” “A live concert event, featuring renowned Broadway entertainers and Tony Award winners returning onstage to perform famous classics and celebrate the joy and beauty of live theatre,” according to a news release. “It’s going to be jam-packed with entertainment that is about Broadway,” Hitchens remarked when asked for more details. There will be more on that later.”
