Tony Awards
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Josh Groban is nominated in a marquee category at the 2023 Tony Awards on Sunday June 11. The singer/actor is nominated for best leading actor in a musical for his performance in a revival of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. This is his second nod in that category. Groban has also notched […]
Striking members of the Writers Guild of America have said they will not picket next month’s Tony Awards telecast, clearing a thorny issue facing show organizers and opening the door for some sort of Broadway razzle-dazzle on TV.
The union last week denied a request by Tony organizers to have a waiver for their June 11 glitzy live telecast. It reiterated that in a statement late Monday (May 15), saying the guild “will not negotiate an interim agreement or a waiver for the Tony Awards.”
But the guild gave some hope that some sort of Tony show might go on, saying organizers “are altering this year’s show to conform with specific requests from the WGA, and therefore the WGA will not be picketing the show.” What is being altered was not clear, but it may be to allow a non-scripted version of the Tonys to go on; Ariana DeBose was slated to host the show for a second year in a row.
The strike, which has already darkened late-night TV shows like The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, The Late Show With Stephen Colbert and Saturday Night Live and delayed the making of scripted TV shows, was jeopardizing theater’s biggest night, one that many Broadway shows rely on to attract interest with millions of people watching.
The union — representing 11,500 writers of film, television and other entertainment forms — has been on strike since May 2, primarily over royalties from streaming media. While the guild doesn’t represent Broadway writers, it does represent writers who work on the Tonys telecast.
Tony organizers faced a stark choice after the request for a waiver was rejected: either postpone the ceremony until the strike ends or announce winners in a non-televised reception that would ask nominees to cross picket lines. The decision Monday means the possibility of a third way: A non-scripted show that leans heavily on performances.
That is largely what happened during the 1988 awards, which were broadcast during a Writers Guild of America walkout. Host Angela Lansbury and presenters speaking impromptu and with performances from such shows as A Chorus Line and Anything Goes.
Before the Writers Guild of America decision, a two-part Tony ceremony had been planned, with a pre-show of performances streaming live on Pluto, and the main awards ceremony broadcasting live on CBS and streaming live to premium-level Peacock members.
The big first awards show during the current strike was the MTV Movie & TV Awards, which had no host and relied on recycled clips and a smattering of pre-recorded acceptance speeches. The strike has also disrupted the PEN America Gala and the Peabody Awards, which celebrate broadcasting and streaming media, on Monday canceled its June 11 awards show.
Fifty-six years after they each won Tony Awards for the Broadway smash Cabaret, actor Joel Grey and composer John Kander will receive 2023 Special Tony Awards for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre. The awards will be presented at the 76th Annual Tony Awards, which will air live on Sunday, June 11.
The award may soften the disappointment Kander may have felt on Tuesday, May 2, when his score for New York, New York, on which he teamed with Lin-Manuel Miranda, was passed over for a Tony nomination for best original score.
Grey won featured actor in a musical for his role as the Emcee in Cabaret at the 21st annual Tony Awards on March 26, 1967. (It was the first Tony ceremony to be nationally televised). Kander and his late collaborator, lyricist Fred Ebb, won two Tonys on the night, for best musical and best original musical score.
Kander and Ebb went on to win two additional Tonys for best original score for Woman of the Year and Kiss of the Spider Woman: The Musical.
They also shared a Grammy for the Cabaret cast album and two Emmys, for Singer Presents Liza With a Z (1973) and Liza Minnelli Live From Radio City Music Hall (1993), both starring Liza Minnelli, the star of Cabaret. (Kander and Ebb would have become EGOT winners had they also earned an Oscar.) They were nominated for best original song twice, for “How Lucky Can You Get” from Funny Lady (1975) and “I Move On” from the screen adaptation of Chicago (2002).
Ebb, who died in 2004, did not receive a Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre, nor has Minnelli, though the star did receive a special Tony in 1974 “for adding lustre to the Broadway season.”
Kander and Ebb also received two Grammy nominations for song of the year, for “My Coloring Book” (1962) and “Theme From New York, New York” (1980). Minnelli introduced the latter song in the 1977 film of the same name, but it didn’t become a standard until Frank Sinatra covered it in 1980.
In addition to his Tony for Cabaret, Grey won an Oscar for reprising the role in the 1972 film adaptation. He is one of only nine actors in history to win a Tony and an Oscar for the same role. He has also received Grammy and Primetime Emmy nominations, for Anything Goes and Brooklyn Bridge, respectively.
“Mr. Grey and Mr. Kander are true giants of the theatre, and we are honored to say ‘Wilkommen’ as the recipients of the 2023 Lifetime Achievement Awards,” Heather Hitchens, president and CEO of the American Theatre Wing, said in a statement.
“We are immensely thrilled to honor two legends in their own rights,” added Charlotte St. Martin, president of The Broadway League.
Hosted by Ariana DeBose, the 76th Annual Tony Awards will air live on Sunday, June 11, from the historic United Palace in the Washington Heights neighborhood of New York City from 8 to 11 p.m. ET/ 5 to 8 p.m. PT on CBS. The show will also stream live and on demand on Paramount+.
Several big names from the recorded music world received 2023 Tony nominations. Josh Groban received his second best actor (musical) nod for Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Sara Bareilles received her first best actress (musical) nod for Into the Woods. Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally received their first Tony nods – best original score (music and/or lyrics) written for the theatre for Shucked.
Several more record veterans were nominated as producers of best musical contenders. Max Martin, Dr. Luke, Shellback and veteran music executive Barry Weiss are among the nominated producers of & Juliet. Mariah Carey is among the nominated producers of Some Like It Hot. Jason Owen, Gary Gersh and Sony Music Entertainment are among the nominated producers of Shucked.
In addition, Interscope and Immersive Records are among the nominated producers of Parade, which is nominated for best revival of a musical.
John Gore is assured of winning a Tony this year for best musical. He’s nominated as a producer of all five nominated shows – on his own in the case of Kimberly Akimbo and as part of the John Gore Organization on the other four nominees – & Juliet, New York, New York, Shucked and Some Like It Hot.
Three people received two nominations each in musical craft categories. Jennifer Weber is nominated for best choreography for both & Juliet and KPOP. Scott Pask is nominated for best scenic design of a musical for both Shucked and Some Like It Hot. Natasha Katz is nominated for best lighting design of a musical for both Some Like It Hot and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.
For the most part, the 2023 Tony nominations went about as expected. All five of the nominees for best musical and all four of the nominees for best revival of a musical were picked by pundits as the likely nominees. But there were also some surprises.
Here are some of the most notable snubs and surprises in the musical categories 2023 Tony nominations.
Snub: John Kander and Lin-Manuel Miranda
Image Credit: Bruce Glikas/Getty Images
These two pros have won a combined seven Tony Awards. With his late partner Fred Ebb, Kander won best original score three times for Cabaret, Woman of the Year and Kiss of the Spider Woman—The Musical. Hamilton has won twice in that category for In the Heights and Hamilton. But nobody hits a home-run every time out. They were left off the nominations list in that category for New York, New York. And it’s not as if the show was dismissed by Tony voters. It received nine nods, including best musical.
Surprise: Cameron Crowe
Image Credit: Nina Westervelt for Variety
Almost Famous, the Broadway adaptation of Cameron Crowe’s beloved 2000 film, was “almost” shut out in the nominations. It picked up just one nod, best original score for Crowe and Tom Litt. Crowe won both an Oscar and a Grammy for the film and its soundtrack. Now he’s a Tony nominee for the Broadway adaptation of that same work. Now if they can just figure out a way to turn it into a TV show, Crowe could get an Emmy nod for his masterwork too.
Snub: ‘A Beautiful Noise’
The Neil Diamond jukebox musical failed to land a single nomination. Last year, MJ, the Michael Jackson jukebox musical, was nominated for 10 Tonys, including best musical, and won four, including best actor in a musical for its star, Myles Frost. Will Swenson, the star of A Beautiful Noise, was a 2009 Tony nominee for his featured role in Hair. Diamond and Jackson are both pop music icons, but the shows were greeted very differently by Tony voters.
Surprise: ‘KPOP’
KPOP was passed over for a nomination in the marquee category of best musical, but it received three nods, including best original score for Helen Park and Max Vernon. This mirrors K-pop’s mixed Grammy track record. K-pop acts have yet to crack the closely-watched “Big Four” categories, but BTS has received five Grammy nominations in other categories. This is a classic case of “is the glass half empty or half full?”
Surprise: ‘Some Like It Hot’
The Broadway adaptation of director Billy Wilder’s 1959 film received 13 nominations, more than any other show this year. The film, by comparison, received just six Oscar nominations, including two for Wilder (directing and adapted screenplay) and one for lead actor Jack Lemmon.
Snub: ‘1776’
The revival of this show was shut out in the nominations. The original 1969 production won best musical, beating two powerhouse shows – Hair and Promises, Promises, as well as Zorba, a musical adaptation of Zorba the Greek. Two other high-profile shows – Bad Cinderella and a revival of Bob Fosse’s Dancin’ – were shut out in this year’s nominations.
Mariah Carey took to social media on Tuesday morning (May 2) to celebrate Some Like It Hot scoring more than a dozen Tony Award nominations.
“Congratulations to the amazing cast and crew!!! Couldn’t have asked for better news to wake up to!!!” the Songbird Supreme turned Broadway producer shared on her Instagram Stories.
The musical leads this year’s pack of Tony nominees with 13 nominations, including best musical, best performance by a leading actor in a musical (both Christian Borle and J. Harrison Ghee), best performance by a featured actor in a musical (Kevin Del Aguila), best performance by a featured actress in a musical (NaTasha Yvette Williams), best direction, best book, best original score and more.
Carey, meanwhile, serves more than one function in the musical. Not only is she a member of the production team, but she also lent her voice to the pre-show announcement before the curtain rises. (“Welcome to the Shubert Theater!” she tells the audience each night. “At this time, please take a moment to turn off your cell phones. And remember: The use of photographic equipment and recording devices is strictly prohibited. And now, Some Like It Hot.”)
Should Some Like It Hot take home the Tony for best musical, Mariah would technically be halfway to EGOT status, thanks to the five Grammys she’s collected over the years out of 34 total nominations — including wins for best new artist in 1991 and best R&B song for 2005’s “We Belong Together.”
Check out Mimi’s reaction to her first Tony nomination before it expires here.
Lea Michele, star of the hit revival of Funny Girl, and Myles Frost, a 2022 Tony winner for his portrayal of Michael Jackson in MJ, are set to announce the 76th Annual Tony nominations on Tuesday, May 2.
The nominations announcement will air live from Sofitel New York on the Tony Awards’ official YouTube Page at 9 a.m. ET. Selected categories will be read live on CBS Mornings at 8:30 a.m. ET. A complete list of the 2023 nominations will be available on the Tony’s website immediately following the announcement.
As a replacement (for Beanie Feldstein) in the revival of Funny Girl, Michele isn’t eligible for a Tony nomination. Barbra Streisand received a 1964 Tony nod for best actress in a musical for her performance in the original production.s a
In 2010, Michele received an Emmy nomination for outstanding lead actress in a comedy series for her breakout role in Glee. She was named as one the most influential people of 2023 by TIME, on their TIME100 list.
Frost received the 2022 Tony Award for best leading actor in a musical for his performance in MJ. At 22, he became the youngest actor to ever win in that category. Frost will next be seen in Ava DuVernay’s feature film Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents.
The Tony Awards eligibility cut-off date for the 2022-23 season is Thursday, April 27, for all Broadway productions that meet all eligibility requirements.
The 76th Annual Tony Awards, hosted by Ariana DeBose, will air live from United Palace Theatre in New York City on Sunday, June 11. The celebration will commence at 7 p.m., ET/4 p.m. PT, with one hour of exclusive content streaming on Paramount+, followed by the presentation of the 76th Annual Tony Awards from 8 to 11 p.m. ET live on CBS, and streaming live and on demand on Paramount+.
Academy Award winner and Tony nominee Ariana DeBose will return to host the 76th Annual Tony Awards, which is set to air live coast-to-coast from the historic United Palace in New York City’s Washington Heights on Sunday, June 11. The show will air from 8:00-11:00 p.m. ET/5:00-8:00 p.m. PT on CBS and will stream live and on-demand on Paramount+.
DeBose also hosted last year’s Tony Awards. She’ll be the first person to host back-to-back ceremonies since Neil Patrick Harris fronted the show from 2011-13. Since the Tonys’ first broadcast in 1967, just three other people have served as solo hosts of back-to-back ceremonies – Angela Lansbury (1987-89), Rosie O’Donnell (1997-98) and Hugh Jackman (2003-05).
“I was honored to serve as host last year and even more so to be asked back!” DeBose said in a statement. “So looking forward to celebrating this incredible season and the people who make the work happen. Here’s to adding some uptown flavor to the magic of the Tony Awards!”
“Ariana will host and dance and sing, we’re so thrilled she’s back to do the thing,” said Glenn Weiss and Ricky Kirshner, executive producers, White Cherry Entertainment, in a playful nod to DeBose’s widely panned rap at this year’s BAFTA Awards. DeBose said at the time she wasn’t bothered by the social media criticism, and the quote from Weiss and Kirshner supports the idea that she has taken the jabs in stride.
DeBose received critical acclaim for her performance as Anita in Steven Spielberg’s reboot of West Side Story, for which she received Oscar, BAFTA, Critics Choice and SAG Awards. Onstage, DeBose is best known for her role as Disco Donna in Summer: The Donna Summer Musical, which earned her a 2018 Tony nomination for best featured actress in a musical.
The Tony Awards, which honor theater professionals for distinguished achievement on Broadway, have been broadcast on CBS since 1978.
The Tony Awards eligibility cut-off date for the 2022-23 season is Thursday, April 27 for all Broadway productions which meet all eligibility requirements. Nominations will be announced on Tuesday, May 2.
The Tony Awards are produced in collaboration with Tony Award Productions, a joint venture of the Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing, and White Cherry Entertainment. Kirshner and Weiss are executive producers for White Cherry Entertainment. In addition, Weiss will serve as director.
The 2023 Tony Awards will be held on June 11, 2023, from a new venue – the United Palace in New York. With nearly 3,400 seats, the United Palace is Manhattan’s fourth largest theater. It opened in 1930 as one of five Loew’s “Wonder Theatres,” premiere vaudeville and movie houses.
“We are excited to bring the Tony Awards to the historic United Palace for the first time,” Heather Hitchens, president and CEO of the American Theatre Wing and Charlotte St. Martin, president of The Broadway League, said in a statement. “As we celebrate the best of this Broadway season and 76 years of the Tony Awards, we look forward to ushering in a new golden age for the show from this majestic, golden age theater.”
Radio City Music Hall has been the Tony Awards’ home in all but five years since 1997. The show was held at the Beacon Theatre in 2011-12 and 2016, The Gershwin Theatre in 1999 and the Winter Garden Theatre in 2021.
The 76th Annual Tony Awards will air on CBS, its network home since 1978. The show will also stream live and on demand on Paramount+.
The Tony Awards eligibility cut-off date for the 2022-23 season is Thursday, April 27, 2023. Nominations for the 2023 Tony Awards will be announced on Tuesday, May 2, 2023.
The Tony Awards are produced in collaboration with Tony Award Productions, a joint venture of The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing, and White Cherry Entertainment. Ricky Kirshner and Glenn Weiss are executive producers for White Cherry Entertainment. Weiss will serve as director.
Ariana DeBose hosted the 75th annual Tony Awards, which were held at Radio City on June 12. A Strange Loop was the top nominee with 11 nods. The Lehman Trilogy and a revival of Stephen Sondheim’s 1970 classic Company were the top winners, with five wins each.
The Antoinette Perry “Tony” Awards were founded by the American Theatre Wing in 1947.