GET READY FOR THE 76TH ANNUAL TONY AWARDS!
Plus, your weekly round-up of theatre news you may have missed!
Welcome to The Scene, your weekly round-up of theatre news you may have missed. In this week’s email:
THE BROADWAY BEAT: How the Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window Revival Cements Lorraine Hansberry’s Legacy | Ellie Kemper to join Peter Pan Goes Wrong for a limited engagement | Shucked book writer Robert Horn and composer Brandy Clark take the stage for the June 7 performance | Broadway's Here Lies Love Changes Course, Is Now Hiring Live Union Musicians
BROADWAY SHOW POLL: Which show would you produce: "Once Upon a One More Time" or "& Juliet"? Cast your vote on this question and more in this week's Broadway Show Poll!
HOT TOPICS: The 2023 most-produced high school plays and musicals; Clue and The Addams Family top the lists! | Winners Announced for 2023 Write Out Loud Contest | Broadway Licensing acquires rights to Leopoldstadt | Lin-Manuel Miranda Launches Theater Directory Aimed at Increasing Backstage Diversity
THE BIG IDEA: Get Ready for the 76th Annual Tony Awards!
The Broadway Beat
SOME LIKE IT HOT LEADS DRAMA DESK AWARD WINNERS - Eight Broadway productions from the 2022-2023 season won multiple awards.
TYNE DALY AND LIEV SCHREIBER TO STAR IN REVIVAL OF DOUBT - The new production will be produced by Roundabout Theatre Company.
THE SIGN IN SIDNEY BRUSTEIN’S WINDOW RESHAPES THE LEGACY OF LORRAINE HANSBERRY - Stars Oscar Isaac and Rachel Brosnahan, producer Jeremy O. Harris and more reveal their new perspective on a playwright the public thought they knew.
AMERICAN AIRLINES THEATRE TO BE RENAMED IN HONOR OF ROUNDABOUT THEATRE COMPANY’S TODD HAIMES - The announcement was made moments before the lights of Broadway were dimmed in honor of the late artistic director.
SHUCKED: BROADWAY, COUNTRY MUSIC, AND CORN – Check out this great segment from CBS Sunday Morning on the Tony nominated Shucked.
Broadway Show Poll
If you could only produce one of the following two shows, which would you choose?
How interested are you in producing Once Upon a One More Time?
It would be high on my list to produce within the next 2-3 years.
I can't see producing it in the near future, but maybe one day.
How interested are you in producing the following show & Juliet?
It would be high on my list to produce within the next 2-3 years.
I can't see producing it in the near future, but maybe one day.
How interested are you in producing Shucked?
It would be high on my list to produce within the next 2-3 years.
I can't see producing it in the near future, but maybe one day.
How interested are you in producing Moulin Rouge?
It would be high on my list to produce within the next 2-3 years.
I can't see producing it in the near future, but maybe one day.
Hot Topics
THE 2023 MOST-PRODUCED HIGH SCHOOL PLAYS AND MUSICALS; CLUE AND THE ADDAMS FAMILY TOP THIS YEAR’S LISTS. - The Educational Theatre Association’s poll also revealed how educators are affected by censorship concerns.
WINNERS ANNOUNCED FOR 2023 WRITE OUT LOUD CONTEST - The contest supports up-and-coming musical theatre writers looking to break into the commercial industry.
BROADWAY LICENSING ACQUIRES RIGHTS TO LEOPOLDSTADT - The Tom Stoppard play is nominated for six 2023 Tony Awards.
LIN-MANUEL MIRANDA LAUNCHES THEATER DIRECTORY AIMED AT INCREASING BACKSTAGE DIVERSITY - The RISE Theatre Directory is intended to promote the hiring of more underrepresented producers, crew members and theater employees.
The Big Idea
GET READY FOR THE 76TH ANNUAL TONY AWARDS!
Get ready to celebrate the best of the 2022-2023 Broadway season, the 76th Annual Tony Awards celebration commences this Sunday, June 11, at 6:30-8:00 PM, ET/3:30-5:00 PM PT, when the first round of Tony Awards, ACT ONE, is presented to audiences on Pluto TV. Viewers can access the show on their smart TV, streaming device, mobile app or online by going to Pluto TV and clicking on the “Pluto TV Celebrity” channel (no payment, registration or sign-in required).
Immediately following the presentation on Pluto TV, the 76th Annual Tony Awards will air from 8:00-11:00 PM, LIVE ET/5:00-8:00 PM, LIVE PT on the CBS Television Network, and streaming live and on demand on Paramount+.
For the first time the Tony Awards will be broadcast live from the United Palace in New York City's Washington Heights. The history of the United Palace begins in 1930 when it opened as one of five Loew’s “Wonder Theatres,” premiere vaudeville and movie houses located in four boroughs and New Jersey. With nearly 3,400 seats the United Palace is Manhattan’s 4th largest theatre, and hosts concerts, movie premieres, film shoots, and other events. The United Palace serves the Washington Heights community by showcasing the performing and visual art of local artists – many of them school children – and housing the non-profit Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance.
This year's Tony Awards faced uncertainty due to the ongoing WGA strike, raising doubts about whether a televised ceremony would occur. Fortunately, after further negotiations, the WGA agreed to allow a modified version of the event to proceed without the risk of a picket line, and it will be aired on CBS.
Academy Award-winning West Side Story actress Ariana DeBose will host the ceremony, which will feature captivating performances by the casts of several Broadway musicals. These include Camelot, A Beautiful Noise, Funny Girl, Into the Woods, & Juliet, Kimberly Akimbo, New York, New York, Parade, Shucked, Some Like It Hot, and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street. Additionally, there will be a special performance honoring this year's recipients of the Special Tony Awards for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre, Joel Grey and John Kander.
The Tony nominations for this year's awards are led by Some Like It Hot with an impressive 13 nods. Following closely behind are the new musicals & Juliet, Shucked, and New York, New York, each receiving nine nominations, along with the critically acclaimed Kimberly Akimbo, which garnered eight nominations. Notably, J. Harrison Ghee and Alex Newell made history as the first nonbinary-identifying actors to be nominated for Tonys.
Since their establishment in 1947, the Tony Awards have been an integral part of Broadway. Named after Antoinette Perry, the co-founder of the American Theatre Wing, these awards recognize excellence in live Broadway theatre. The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing present the awards.
The Tony Awards encompass various categories, including Best Play, Best Musical, Best Revival of a Play, Best Revival of a Musical. Just in case you need a refresher on what any this year’s top nominated plays and musicals are actually about, please check out the follow guide to this year’s top Tony nominated shows:
2023 / BEST PLAY
Ain’t No Mo’ by Jordan E. Cooper
THE STORY: Ain’t No Mo’ dares to ask the incendiary question, “What if the U.S. government attempted to solve racism by offering Black Americans one-way plane tickets to Africa?” The answer comes in the form of an outrageous and high-octane comedy about being Black in today’s America. From the mischievous mind of Jordan E. Cooper, Ain’t No Mo’ seamlessly blends sketch comedy, satire and avant garde theater to leave audiences crying with laughter—and thinking through the tears.
Between Riverside and Crazy by Stephen Adly Guirgis
THE STORY: City Hall is demanding more than his signature, the landlord wants him out, the liquor store is closed — and the Church won’t leave him alone. For ex-cop and recent widower Walter “Pops” Washington and his recently paroled son Junior, the struggle to hold on to one of the last great rent stabilized apartments on Riverside Drive collides with old wounds, sketchy new houseguests, and a final ultimatum in this Pulitzer Prize-winning dark comedy from Stephen Adly Guirgis.
Cost of Living by Martyna Majok
THE STORY: Majok‘s Pulitzer Prize-winning play is about the forces that bring people together, the complexity of caring and being cared for, and the ways we all need each other in this world. Directed by Jo Bonney, this production reunites the acclaimed original stars Gregg Mozgala and Katy Sullivan.
Fat Ham by James Ijames
THE STORY: This deliciously funny, Pulitzer Prize-winning new play by James Ijames reinvents Shakespeare's masterpiece. Juicy is a queer, Southern college kid, already grappling with some serious questions of identity, when the ghost of his father shows up in their backyard, demanding that Juicy avenge his murder. But here’s the rub! Revenge doesn’t come easy to Juicy, a sensitive and self-aware young Black man in search of his own happiness and liberation. From an uproarious family cookout emerges a compelling examination of love and loss, pain and joy.
Leopoldstadt by Tom Stoppard
THE STORY: This passionate drama of love and endurance begins in the last days of 1899 and follows one extended family deep into the heart of the 20th Century. Full of his customary wit and beauty, Tom Stoppard’s latest work spans fifty years of time over two hours.
2023 / BEST MUSICAL
& Juliet by David West Read, Max Martin & Friends
THE STORY: This hilarious new musical flips the script on the greatest love story ever told. & Juliet asks: what would happen next if Juliet didn’t end it all over Romeo? Get whisked away on a fabulous journey as she ditches her famous ending for a fresh beginning and a second chance at life and love—her way. Juliet’s new story bursts to life through a playlist of pop anthems as iconic as her name, including "Since U Been Gone‚" "Roar," "Baby One More Time," "Larger Than Life‚" "That’s The Way It Is,“ and "Can't Stop the Feeling"—all from pop music's #1 hitmaker. Break free of the balcony scene and get into this romantic comedy that proves there’s life after Romeo.
Kimberly Akimbo by David Lindsay-Abaire and Jeanine Tesori
THE STORY: Kimberly Akimbo is the new musical from Pulitzer Prize-winner David Lindsay-Abaire and Tony Award-winner Jeanine Tesori that follows Kim, a bright and funny Jersey teen, who happens to look like a 72-year-old lady. And yet her aging disease may be the least of her problems. Forced to maneuver family secrets, borderline personalities, and possible felony charges, Kim is determined to find happiness in a world where not even time is on her side.
New York, New York by John Kander and Fred Ebb, David Thompson, Sharon Washington, with additional lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda
THE STORY: It is 1946, the war is over, and a resurgent New York is beginning to rebuild. As steel beams swing overhead, a collection of artists has dreams as big and diverse as the city itself. But do these singers, dancers, musicians, and makers have what it takes to survive this place, let alone to succeed? If they can make it here, they can make it anywhere. A brand-new musical by John Kander & Fred Ebb, New York, New York is a glittering love letter to the greatest city in the world.
Shucked by Robert Horn, Brandy Clark, and Shane McAnally
THE STORY: What do you get when you pair a semi-neurotic, New York comedy writer with two music superstars from Nashville? A hilarious and audacious farm-to-fable musical about the one thing Americans everywhere can’t get enough of: corn. Shucked is a new musical comedy that proves sometimes tearing down a few walls, rather than growing them, is the only way to preserve our way of life.
Some Like It Hot by Matthew López, Amber Ruffin, Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman
THE STORY: Set in Chicago when Prohibition has everyone thirsty for a little excitement, Some Like it Hot is the glorious, big, high-kicking story of two musicians forced to flee the Windy City after witnessing a mob hit. With gangsters hot on their heels, they catch a cross-country train for the life-chasing, life-changing trip of a lifetime.
2023 / BEST REVIVAL OF A PLAY
A Doll’s House a new version by Amy Herzog
THE STORY: Jessica Chastain stars in a thrilling reinvention of Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House, adapted by Amy Herzog. This new production makes relevant a story that shocked audiences and brought forth a new era of theatre
The Piano Lesson by August Wilson
THE STORY: A battle is brewing in the Charles household. At the center lies the family’s prized heirloom piano. On one side, a brother plans to build the family fortune by selling it. On the other, a sister will go to any length to keep it and preserve the family history. Only their uncle stands in between. But even he can’t hold back the ghosts of the past. Set in 1936 Pittsburgh, August Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning drama returns to Broadway in a production directed by LaTanya Richardson Jackson and starring Samuel L. Jackson, John David Washington, and Danielle Brooks.
The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window by Lorraine Hansberry
THE STORY: Welcome to 1960s Greenwich Village, where loudly proclaimed progressive dreams wage war with reality. This razor-sharp tragicomical satire of “astonishing force” (The Chicago Tribune) invites us into the apartment of Sidney and Iris Brustein and the diverse and passionate social circle that inhabits it. As a rapidly changing world brings uninvited cynicism to their door, the Burstein’s fight to keep their marriage–with all its crackling wit, passion, and casual cruelty–from being the final sacrifice to Sidney's ideals.
Topdog/Underdog by Suzan-Lori Parks’
THE STORY: Suzan-Lori Parks’ Pulitzer Prize-winning masterpiece, returns to Broadway for its 20th Anniversary Production. Topdog/Underdog, a darkly comic fable of brotherly love and family identity, tells the story of two brothers, Lincoln and Booth, names given to them as a joke by their father. Haunted by the past and their obsession with the street con game, three-card monte, the brothers come to learn the true nature of their history.
2023 / BEST REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL
Into the Woods by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine
THE STORY: A Baker and his wife, Cinderella, Jack, Little Red Riding Hood, and even the Witch all wish for something, but they must learn the responsibility that comes with getting what you want.
Camelot by Alan Jay Lerner, Frederick Loewe, and Aaron Sorkin
THE STORY: Lerner & Loewe’s classic 1960 musical comes to vibrant life once again with a new book by Aaron Sorkin, based on the original book by Alan Jay Lerner. Camelot is a story about the quest for democracy, the striving for justice, and the tragic struggles between passion and aspiration, between lovers and kingdoms.
Parade by Alfred Uhry and Jason Robert Brown
THE STORY: Leo and Lucille Frank are a newlywed Jewish couple struggling to make a life in the old red hills of Georgia. When Leo is accused of an unspeakable crime, it propels them into an unimaginable test of faith, humanity, justice and devotion. Ben Platt and Micaela Diamond star in the Jason Robert Brown and Alfred Uhry musical, reminding us that to love, we must truly see one another.
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street by Stephen Sondheim and Hugh Wheeler
THE STORY: Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street returns to Broadway starring Josh Groban as Sweeney Todd and Annaleigh Ashford as Mrs. Lovett. For the first time since 1980, Broadway audiences will experience Sondheim's Tony Award®-winning score as it was performed in the original production--with Jonathan Tunick's classic 26-player orchestration on an epic scale.
In addition to these and the other competitive categories, several special awards are presented annually. These include the Regional Theatre Tony Award, recognizing outstanding regional theatre companies, the Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre, and the Isabelle Stevenson Award, acknowledging individuals from the theatre community who have made substantial contributions of volunteered time and effort to humanitarian, social service, or charitable organizations.
The Tony Awards have evolved into a significant event, not only within the theatre community but also beyond. With numerous talented nominees competing for awards, this year's ceremony promises to be an exciting and memorable occasion.
To delve deeper into the nominees and the nominated shows, check out the articles below and get fully prepared for tomorrow's Tony Awards.
THE LAST THING BROADWAY NEEDS IS A WEIRD TONYS. IT’S WHAT MIGHT OCCUR - A writers strike and an off-year financially have made this a season of nervous hits.
FINAL TONY PREDICTIONS: BEST MUSICAL — Will Kimberly Akimbo Keep Mariah Carey From Becoming a Tony Winner?
TONY PREDICTIONS: EXPECT WINS FOR KIMBERLY AKIMBO AND LEOPOLDSTADT - One New York Times theater reporter talked to one-fifth of the Tony voters ahead of Sunday’s ceremony. Did they steer him in the right direction?
FOR & JULIET PRODUCER EVA PRICE, ‘JUKEBOX MUSICAL’ IS NOT A DIRTY WORD - The current Tony nominee wants to erase the stigma of what a musical with preexisting songs can be.
WHAT PIVOTING FROM POLICE OFFICER TO PERFORMER TAUGHT COST OF LIVING TONY NOMINEE DAVID ZAYAS - Prior to donning a Tony nominee pin, actor David Zayas sported a police badge as an NYPD officer for 15 years.
CHEERS TO THE TONYS WITH THESE 5 BROADWAY-INSPIRED COCKTAILS - Laurence Maslon, author of I'll Drink to That!, has created five bespoke cocktails inspired by this season's Best Musical nominees. Get the recipes here!
PERFORMANCES ANNOUNCED FOR 2023 TONY AWARDS - This year’s broadcast will feature musical nominees as well as performances by past winners.