With Broadway scheduled for its return to the stage in September, the Tony Awards are following suit. The Broadway League announced that the 74th Annual Tony Awards, which celebrate the performances of the COVID-halted 2019-2020 Broadway season, will take place on September 26 at 7 p.m. on Paramount+.
Immediately following that, Paramount+ and CBS will air The Tony Awards Present: Broadway’s Back!, a live concert and presentation of the final three Tony Award categories – Best Play, Best Revival of a Play, and Best Musical. The broadcast will also celebrate the other winners from earlier in the evening, as well as live musical performances from the nominated contenders for Best Musical.
“After this devastating past year-and-a-half for our industry, our city, and for the entire world—we are excited to finally be able to celebrate the return of Broadway, our Tony Award nominees and winners in this new and exciting format,” said Charlotte St. Martin, President of The Broadway League and Heather Hitchens President and CEO of the American Theatre Wing, in a statement. “There is nothing that compares to the magic of live theatre—and we are thrilled to be able to share its celebratory return and the incredible talent and artistry of the abbreviated 2019–2020 season with theatre fans everywhere.”
“We are thrilled to bring the best of Broadway to television viewers who have been through so much without the joys, comfort, and excitement that live theatre provides,” said Jack Sussman, Executive Vice President, Specials, Music, Live Events, and Alternative Programming at CBS Entertainment. “With the combined power of CBS and Paramount+, the show will honor this year’s Tony Award nominees and winners in a new format unlike any other, and celebrate the iconic music, memorable performances, and unique personalities that make Broadway so special.”
The Best Musical nominees set to perform at the event include Jagged Little Pill, Moulin Rouge, and Tina, The Tina Turner Musical. The full set of nominees is available at the Tony Awards website here: https://www.tonyawards.com/nominees/.
New York officials paved the way for Broadway to return just recently, allowing full capacity attendance beginning in September. A trio of heavyweights – Hamilton, The Lion King, and Wicked – will return on September 14th, while Hadestown announced its plans to return on September 2, the earliest scheduled resumption of a show on the Great White Way.
