UPDATE, May 16, 9:30 AM EST The New York Times reports, “
This year’s Tony Awards ceremony, which had been in doubt ever since Hollywood’s screenwriters went on strike earlier this month, will proceed as scheduled in an altered form after the writers’ union said Monday night that it would not picket the show.
“As they have stood by us, we stand with our fellow workers on Broadway who are impacted by our strike,” the Writers Guild of America, which represents screenwriters, said in a statement late Monday.
“A disruption could have been damaging to Broadway, which sees the televised ceremony as a key marketing opportunity, particularly now, when audiences have yet to return to pre-pandemic levels. Several nominated shows have been operating at a loss, holding on in the hopes that a Tony win—or even exposure on the broadcast—could boost sales.
“The union made it clear that the broadcast, which is scheduled to air on CBS on June 11, would be different from past ceremonies.”
UPDATE, May 15, 3:30 PM EST: Deadline reports, “No decisions were reached at today’s emergency meeting of the Tony Awards Management Committee, a get-together in which contingency plans were discussed in light of last week’s news that the June 11 ceremony will not be televised on CBS due to the Writers Guild of America strike.
“The key issue to be determined is whether or not the Tony organizers will stick to the June 11 date, televised or not. Sources close to the situation say that Tony organizers are making a last-ditch effort to convince the WGA to issue the strike waiver that would allow the June 11 ceremony to go on as planned with CBS airing the broadcast and Paramount+ streaming the event.”
UPDATE, May 15, 9:00 AM EST The Tony Awards Management Committee is meeting today, Monday, May 15, to discuss the next steps.
As first reported by the Hollywood Reporter, the striking Writers Guild of America denied a request for a waiver to allow for the Tony Awards to air on CBS and stream on Paramount+ on June 11.
This week, this season’s Tony Awards Management Committee—which is comprised of eight representatives of the Broadway League, including president Charlotte St. Martin and well-known producers Jordan Roth and Scott Sanders, and eight representatives of the American Theater Wing, including president Heather Hitchens—formally petitioned the Writers Guild for such a waiver, noting how much financially struggling Broadway shows depend on exposure from the Tonys telecast for a box office bump. (This season, shows hanging on in hopes of a Tonys bounce include the front-running musicals Some Like It Hot and Kimberly Akimbo and the play Leopoldstadt.)
Stay tuned for updates (Magic 8 Ball says, “Future is Unclear.”)
And remember, while the air date may change, the nominees will remain the same. Download your Tony Ballot and be ready for the big event.
