Tony Awards set for fall digital broadcast
The 2020 Tony Awards, which were originally expected to be held on June 7 at Radio City Music Hall and broadcast live on CBS before the pandemic occurred, will instead be presented online in the fall. Since the beginning of the Broadway shutdown, there has been considerable uncertainty over when and whether a Tony Awards honoring the most recent season would even occur. “Though unprecedented events cut the Broadway season short, it was a year full of extraordinary work that deserves to be recognized,” Broadway League president Charlotte St. Martin said in a statement. More than a dozen shows were scheduled to open between the date the shutdown began in March and the deadline for Tony Awards eligibility in late April. “West Side Story” and “Girl from the North Country,” which both opened shortly before the shutdown, will not be eligible for awards consideration, apparently because an insufficient number of Tony nominators and voters saw them before the shutdown. Some regular award categories may be eliminated due to an insufficient number of eligible shows or artists. It is unclear what the digital ceremony will consist of, when and where it will be broadcast and whether it will include any kind of performances.
Apple family logs onto Zoom one last time
The Apple family of Rhinebeck, New York is returning for one last Zoom session. Playwright and director Richard Nelson will complete his trilogy of plays written expressly as Zoom conferences featuring the Apple family during the pandemic with “Incidental Moments of the Day,” which will premiere online on Sept. 10. It follows “What Do We Need to Talk About?” (which premiered on April 29) and “And So We Come Forth” (which premiered on July 1). The Apple family was also the subject of a separate quartet of plays loosely linked to national political milestones. Returning cast members include Stephen Kunken, Sally Murphy, Maryann Plunkett, Laila Robins and Jay O. Sanders.
Playbill narrows star search to 10 finalists
Following 2,658 video submissions from aspiring musical theater performers, 10 finalists have been selected for Playbill’s Search for a Star contest. The public can view their entry videos at Playbill.com and vote for a winner through Thurs. Aug. 27. The winner of the contest will receive, among other things, a personal meeting with director-choreographer Susan Stroman (“The Producers”).
‘Boys in the Band’ and ‘Utopia’ receive broadcast dates
The film adaptation of the starry Broadway revival of Mart Crowley’s landmark gay drama “The Boys in the Band” will premiere on Netflix on Sept. 30. The cast includes Jim Parsons, Zachary Quinto, Matt Bomer and Andrew Rannells. In similar news, Spike Lee’s film recording of David Byrne’s Broadway mega-concert “American Utopia” will premiere on HBO on Oct. 17.
This week’s streaming recommendations:
- “The Gifts You Gave to the Dark” (drama written for digital media about a man who cannot visit his dying mother due to his exposure to COVID-19), through Oct. 31., irishrep.org.
- “Tolerance Party: #1 ‘Ice-Breakers’” (live interactive performance in which six strangers receive a group task during a video chat), Tues. Sept. at 8 p.m., thecelltheatre.org.
- Goodnight, Tyler (drama about a boy who returns from beyond the grave to protect his legacy,, Thurs. Aug. 27 at 7 p.m., nationalblacktheatre.org.
