The biggest night for Broadway has been postponed indefinitely as the outbreak continues.
On Wednesday, March 25, Tony Award Productions announced that the 74th Annual Tony Awards would be “postponed and reschedule [for] a later date.” This comes months in advance of the initial show date, which was slated to air on CBS on Sunday, June 7.
The company stated that “We are looking forward to celebrating Broadway and our industry when it is safe to do so,” adding that the health and safety of audiences and artists is their first priority.
Around this time of year, the streets of Broadway would normally be buzzing with new openings of plays and musicals, in order to meet the eligibility deadlines. However, since Broadway closed on March 12, the brightly lit stages and theatre halls are now dark and quiet. Many shows have chosen to close before even opening, including highly-anticipated Tony Award contenders such as “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” and “Hangmen”.
The full statement reads:
“The 74th Annual Tony Awards, scheduled to air live on the CBS Television Network on Sunday, June 7th from Radio City Music Hall in New York City, will be postponed and rescheduled at a later date, in coordination with our broadcast partner. The health and safety of the Broadway community, artists and fans are of the utmost importance to us.
We will announce new dates and additional information once Broadway opens again.
We are looking forward to celebrating Broadway and our industry when it is safe to do so.”
Impacts of the pandemic have already had devastating effects on the industry. While Broadway producers negotiated an “emergency relief” agreement with the Broadway League, ensuring workers would be paid for the first few weeks of closures, there is still a lot of uncertainty among the community.
The news also comes shortly after four-time, Tony Award-winning playwright Terrence McNally passed away from coronavirus-related complications.
featured image source: Facebook / TONY Awards