Despite the abbreviated Broadway season and the awards ceremony’s postponement due to the pandemic, the Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing announced on Friday that the Tonys will still take place this year, just not in person.
The co-presenters of the annual event did not reveal an exact date for the awards show’s return, but said to expect a digital ceremony at some point in the fall. The event was originally scheduled to take place on June 7 at Radio City Music Hall, but was delayed indefinitely on March 25.
The Tony Awards Administration Committee is also still working on determining eligibility rulings since all Broadway theaters shut down on March 12 by order of Governor Andrew Cuomo as part of the city’s response to slowing the spread of the coronavirus. This shutdown came before 16 Broadway shows scheduled to debut during the 2019-2020 season were able to have their opening night and before half had even started doing preview performances.
In a joint statement, President of the Broadway League President Charlotte St. Martin and American Theatre Wing President & CEO Heather Hitchens said, “Though unprecedented events cut the 2019-2020 Broadway season short, it was a year full of extraordinary work that deserves to be recognized. We are thrilled not only to have found a way to properly celebrate our artists’ incredible achievements this season, but also to be able to uplift the entire theatre community and show the world what makes our Broadway family so special at this difficult time. The show must go on, no matter what – and it will.”
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