Tuesday, October 15, 2024

Broadway Closing Until April 13th Throws Tony Award Season Into Jeopardy with Some Shows Finished

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The 2020 Tony Award season is now in jeopardy of being cancelled. There will be no performances until April 13th.

Tonight’s premiere of the British hit, “Six,” is cancelled. Sunday’s opening “The Minutes” is not only over, but the show will likely fold completely. UPDATE: I’m told “The Minutes” will indeed open right after the ban lifts.

Coming in are a dozen new shows for the Tonys including the acclaimed new version of “Company” and Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker in “Plaza Suite.”

Older shows like “Phantom of the Opera” and “Book of Mormon” may not survive the hiatus.

And it’s not just the shows. There are the actors, crews, etc all of a sudden out of work and out of pocket.

Even more concerning will be the businesses around the theater district, from the restaurants to the pizza places, diners, and small shops. Of course, the hotels will suffer as well.

More announcements are coming.

But the biggest problem will be the Tony Awards themselves. Without new shows, the June 7th broadcast on CBS could be cancelled. I hope they will re-think it, and present a show of great Broadway performances anyway.

Roger Friedman
Roger Friedmanhttps://www.showbiz411.com
Roger Friedman began his Showbiz411 column in April 2009 after 10 years with Fox News, where he created the Fox411 column. His movie reviews are carried by Rotten Tomatoes, and he is a member of both the movie and TV branches of the Critics Choice Awards. His articles have appeared in dozens of publications over the years including New York Magazine, where he wrote the Intelligencer column in the mid 90s and covered the OJ Simpson trial, and Fox News (when it wasn't so crazy) where he covered Michael Jackson. He is also the writer and co-producer of "Only the Strong Survive," a selection of the Cannes, Sundance, and Telluride Film festivals, directed by DA Pennebaker and Chris Hegedus.

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