Tony Awards administrators have decided to hold an online ceremony this fall to honor shows that opened before the Broadway coronavirus pandemic shook.
The American Theater Wing and the Broadway League – the two organizations presenting the awards – announced the decision Friday morning.
Twenty plays and musicals opened on Broadway during the short-lived 2019-20 season, but only the 18 shows that opened before February 19 will be eligible for the Tony Awards. A revival of ‘West Side Story’ that opened on February 20 and the new musical ‘Girl From the North Country’, which opened on March 5, will not be eligible because too few nominees and voters saw them before Broadway closed March 12th.
The decision comes after months of uncertainty over whether and how to recognize the work that was set on Broadway between May 2019, when a revival of “Frankie and Johnny in the Clair de Lune” opened with Audra McDonald and Michael Shannon, and March 2020, when the pandemic forced all 41 Broadway theaters (along with most others in the country) to close.
The award winners are debating whether to combine the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons for one television ceremony next year, but decided against that attention that it would not be fair to show shows that opened in 2019.
“Although unusual events shortened the 2019-2020 Broadway season, it was a year full of extraordinary work that deserves to be recognized,” said Charlotte St. Martin, the president of Broadway League, and Heather Hitchens, the president of the American Theater Wing, said in a joint statement. ‘We are delighted that this season we have not only found a way to celebrate the incredible achievements of our artists, but also to uplift the entire theater community and show the world what makes our Broadway family so special on this challenging time. The show has to keep going, no matter what – and it will. ”
Tony administrators and regulators will meet next week to discuss what to do about categories – such as original score, and lead actor in a musical – in which not a few contestants are eligible, as award officials want to be sure that they recognize merits. Based on both the president and the distinction rules, options could include: allowing the nominees to choose fewer nominees, or even eliminate categories; and / or require a certain percentage of voters to support a nominee, even in a non-contested category, in order to win a prize.
The price managers hope to stream a ceremony at the end of October, but the date remains uncertain, as are many other details: On which site will it stream? Will there be a socially distant personal ceremony, or will it all be at a distance? Will there be a host? Will there be performances? Will there be non-competitive honors for individuals as shows? And how will the ceremony be funded, given most of the traditional sources of income (ticket sales, sponsorship and licensing) are gone?
Other shows for entertainment industry also have to do with the impact of the pandemic. Both the Emmy Awards and the Country Music Awards are scheduled to take place in September, and Tony officials will be watching to see how those shows are handled. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said in June that it would extend the window for eligibility for next year’s Oscars, and delay that ceremony, until April of February.
The Tony Awards were established in 1947, and have been broadcast on CBS since 1978. This year’s ceremony was originally scheduled to take place on June 7 at Radio City Music Hall.
The closure of Broadway has thrown thousands of people out of work, and has boosted the financial fortunes of many shows.
Sixteen plays and musicals were slated to open between the March 12 shutdown – a British pop musical, “Six,” was scheduled to open that night – and April 23, the cut-off date in question. Two shows that were in previews but never opened – a new play by Martin McDonagh called “Hangmen” and a revival of Edward Albee’s “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” – have said they will not attempt to open after the shutdown; the others are expected to try again this year.
Producers have said they will refund all tickets purchased for performances through Jan. 3, and some shows have announced an intention to open as soon as March, but some industry leaders believe theaters will remain dark for even longer.
Look even further ahead: the status of the 2021 Tony Awards depends on when Broadway reopens. Both “West Side Story” and “Girl From the North Country” would be eligible to win in next year’s awards if they continue performances and re-invite Tony nominees and voters.
