NEW YORK (CelebrityAccess) — After a 15-month hiatus, the American Theatre Wing announced that the Tony Awards will return as a live event this year on September 26th.
Now in its 74th year, the Tony Awards will feature an awards gala honoring the outstanding shows, performances, and artistry of the 2019—2020 Broadway season, which was brought to a halt by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The awards gala will be followed by The Tony Awards Present: Broadway’s Back, a live concert event featuring Broadway entertainments and Tony Award-winners on stage performing classic show tunes.
The concert will celebrate re-opening of Broadway with special performances from the three Tony-nominated Best Musical contenders, followed by the live presentation of three Tony Awards, including Best Play, Best Revival of a Play, and 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 Tony Awards and concert will be broadcast live on CBS and on the streaming on demand platform Paramount+
The Tony Awards® Present: Broadway’s Back! will be produced in collaboration with Tony Award Productions, a joint venture of The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing, and White Cherry Entertainment, the team behind the annual Tony Awards telecast. Ricky Kirshner and Glenn Weiss are executive producers for White Cherry Entertainment. Weiss will serve as director.
