Livestreaming events to celebrate the Tony Awards
A view of the marquee at Radio City Music Hall, where the Tony Awards are traditionally held. (Photo by Jemal Countess/Getty Images for Tony Awards Productions)
Two digital events will honor the Tony Awards on June 7.
The first will air on streaming platform Broadway on Demand and TonyAwards.com, with support from the American Theatre Wing and the Broadway League, the co-presenters of the Tony Awards, at 6 p.m. on June 7. The second will air at 7 p.m. on Broadway.com and its YouTube channel.
The announcements come as CBS, which traditionally broadcasts the Tony Awards, scheduled a "Grease" singalong in the original Tony Awards time slot, drawing ire from the theater community. The ceremony itself, originally set to take place on June 7, remains postponed to an indeterminate date.
Both streaming events serve as fundraisers for the American Theatre Wing's education and professional development initiatives and for the Broadway League Foundation's program to train young artists around the country.
"Given all the devastating ways that this pandemic has affected our educational system, providing educational and training opportunities to those who otherwise might not have access feels more vital than ever before," Charlotte St. Martin, president of the Broadway League, said in the press release about the Broadway on Demand special. "In these uncertain times, helping the next generation of artists flourish is the best way I can think of to remain optimistic about the future of Broadway!"
The live stream events are not intended to replace the 2019-2020 ceremony, according to a spokesperson for Tony Award Productions.
The earlier Broadway On Demand event is scheduled to run one hour, allowing viewers to watch both specials. The organizers of both specials were aware of the other's event and the American Theatre Wing and Broadway League are in support of both, according to a spokesperson.
The Broadway On Demand event, created in "celebration of the Broadway community," will be directed by Lonny Price and written by Karey Kirkpatrick, Steve Rosen, David Rossmer, Kate Wetherhead and Lauren Yee. It will feature musical direction and supervision by Jason Howland and choreography by Sarah O'Gleby.
Broadway.com's "Show of Shows" will be directed by Paul Wontorek, the editor in chief of Broadway.com, with Charlie Rosen serving as music supervisor, producer and orchestrator. Further details will be announced at a later date.
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