update: The Outer Critics Circle has also postponed their nominations and awards indefinitely. The season is over.
The 2019-2020 theater season is basically over.
CBS and the Broadway League have cancelled the Tony Awards for June 7th. They will be rescheduled when a better time can be figured out.
Broadway went dark on March 13th and was supposed to return on April 12th or 13th. But that seems unlikely now.
The eligibility period for the Tonys was supposed to end on April 24th. But now that’s moot.
Some shows have already closed before actually opening, like “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf” and “The Hangmen.” But now more will close, or try to open in the fall. The best thing the Tonys could so is have their show the first week of December. For CBS, that would conflict with the Kennedy Center honors. (I may have more on the latter soon.)
The financial hit to the Shuberts, Nederlanders, Jujacymyn Theaters, all of it is calculable– it’s hundreds of millions of dollars. It’s also devastating to the ancillary businesses in marketing, publicity, advertising, not to mention the actors, crews, etc. And then there all the local businesses that depend on Broadway in the theater district.
Rosie O’Donnell did such a good job Sunday night with her fundraiser. Please donate to the Actors Fund, to Equity’s Broadway Cares, and all the related theater charities if you want to see shows come back in the fall.
