The 74th Annual Tony Awards (2021) - News & Discussion Thread- Page 2

[JBroadway]

Posted: 8/21/20 at 11:37am

I would recommend that everybody making predictions give themselves a refresher on these:

https://www.tonyawards.com/news/tony-awards-eligibility-for-2020-part-1/

https://www.tonyawards.com/news/tony-awards-eligibility-for-2020-part-2/

 

And remember that if an actor is above the title, they are considered leading UNLESS mentioned otherwise in those 2 links above. And the same is true for the reverse: if an actor is below the title, they are automatically featured UNLESS deemed leading in one of the links above. 

To figure out whether an actor was above the title in the program, go to the "program" section for each show and look at the title page: 

https://www.playbill.com/seasons?year=2019

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 8/21/20 at 11:38am

jacobsnchz14 said: "Ugh. The fact that Six barely missed the chance to slip in there..."

As this thread suggests, even had Six opened on March 11th instead of the 12th they still wouldn’t have been eligible since not enough nominatiors and/or voters got the chance to see it.

[Broadway61004]

Posted: 8/21/20 at 11:38am

No clue if this is even being discussed as a possibility, but I wonder if there's consideration to combining plays and musicals this year.  Just have Best Production, Best Revival, Best Actor, Best Actress, etc. with no distinction.  That would essentially give us about the same number of contenders that we would normally have for each category and would solve problems such as only having West Side Story eligible for musical revival (still no clue what they'll do about score though....would really cringe at the thought of Lightning Thief winning by default).

[Jarethan]

Posted: 8/21/20 at 11:41am

Couple of points: 

I am surprised they are doing it, since there is no financial benefit.  The awards will be in the middle of the pandemic and will I suspect they will generate no ticket sales, be seen by many people, etc.  

I assume that they concluded that it would be unfair to the people who opened this season if they combined the two seasons (assuming there is even a 2020 / 2021 season...I am betting Fall 2021 opening) in the next program.

I did not read anything suggesting there would be traditional categories...if they do it a la the Obie awards, the only people who win will win because they are deemed worthy of special attention, rather than fitting into some traditional category.

With a mere 20 shows eligible, IMO it would be silly to try to have traditional categories.  Godknows I have been wrong before.

 

[thedrybandit]

Posted: 8/21/20 at 11:41am

JBroadway said: "Danny Burstein is eligible in the featured category. Leading actor will hopefully go to Isaac Powell, assuming the production is eligible. IMO, no one else in that category is deserving of a Tony, but I guess it'll have to go to Aaron Tveit."

Came here to say something similar. I almost don't want them to do the Tony Awards like this with such a short season, to avoid defaulting to Tveit. He was basically sleepwalking the night I saw MR, and I'd rather see a fuller lead actor category.

[JennH]

Posted: 8/21/20 at 11:43am

Ok, well wasn't expecting this...and yes I see that the committee will determine eligibility, but wouldn't it just be better to wait until next year when things will open if they possibly can? I'm not expecting everything that was open or supposed to open this year to reopen next year, but waiting for when the things that CAN open and therefore can automatically be eligible to me sounds better. We all know Six would be eligible for a lot had it opened. I really just don't see the point of a "half" season. But that's just me.

[HeyMrMusic]

Posted: 8/21/20 at 11:44am

I can see a play winning Best Score or the Committee eliminating the category altogether (this last happened in 1989). It was a slim category even if all the musicals opened as planned.

We’ll also probably see fewer nominations per category, if they do every category. Many categories won’t hit the threshold needed for five nominees under the current rules anyway.

Even though this ceremony will probably always exist with an asterisk, I’m glad it’s happening. We can put this truncated season to rest, have a little bit of closure, and build back up. This will probably save a new production or two when shows try to re-open.

[Kad]

Posted: 8/21/20 at 11:45am

This is such a strange move. They’re gonna struggle to argue why anyone would care, and to do this in a way that isn’t depressing.

The first half of the 19/20 season was... not great. And most of those shows were closed before the pandemic even hit. And as for the surviving shows, who is going to be running out to plan a trip to NYC even for sometime next year?

And then there’s the fact that anyone who wins will return to... not performing at all for the foreseeable future.

What a bummer.

[HeyMrMusic]

Posted: 8/21/20 at 11:52am

People have always said that the Tony Awards are a big commercial for Broadway. Well, we need that right now if Broadway is to come back. Even if this is simply symbolic, I welcome it. There have been less-than-stellar seasons in the past. At least this season has a really good excuse.

[Mr. Wormwood]

Posted: 8/21/20 at 11:59am

I'm glad it's happening. We've had some bad years before (1989, 1995) and it hasn't diminished the prestige of the Tonys. Aside from Score too, I think there are deserving winners in most categories.

I wonder if there's any chance there's a permanent change in the season and the Tonys going to fall. Especially if new shows are opening in late spring to early summer in 2021 (I know that's a big if)

[Broadway61004]

Posted: 8/21/20 at 12:06pm

HeyMrMusic said: "People have always said that the Tony Awards are a big commercial for Broadway. Well, we need that right now if Broadway is to come back. Even if this is simply symbolic, I welcome it. There have been less-than-stellar seasons in the past. At least this season has a really good excuse."

The part that I wonder about this is that it's always a big commercial for Broadway in part because shows pay to perform and therefore advertise themselves.  But if everything is still shut down, are shows going to put up the money to perform?  Are the Tonys going to let them perform for free?  That's one of the big questions about this.

[SouthernCakes]

Posted: 8/21/20 at 12:07pm

Can we get an Erika Jayne in Chicago special appearance?!

[JBroadway]

Posted: 8/21/20 at 12:09pm

Mr. Wormwood said: "I wonder if there's any chance there's a permanent change in the season and the Tonys going to fall. Especially if new shows are opening in late spring to early summer in 2021 (I know that's a big if)"

 

To be honest, I don't understand why the Tony season is on the schedule it is. It doesn't make sense with the way theatre seasons are actually constructed. Non-profit theatres (which make up the majority of theatre in NY, and probably the world) officially start their new seasons in the fall, and commercial theatre tends to follow suit, in the sense that we see a wave of openings in the fall, not the summer. 

By all other metrics, Summer openings come at the end of a theatre season, not the beginning. But the Tonys rule it otherwise because of their schedule, and many casual theatre fans, who only pay attention to Broadway, think that's the be-all-end-all ruling of what "season" things occur in. 

 

Updated On: 8/21/20 at 12:09 PM

[Damiensta]

Posted: 8/21/20 at 12:17pm

Adrianne Warren Tony Winner sounds very very nice.

Laura Patton best featured for JLP

Danny Burstein Best featured MR

Who is lead actor in musical Aaron for MR? I would say Isaac Powell but it might not be eligible.
 

Paul Hilton should have this easily for Featured in the Inheritance.

 

[LesWickedly]

Posted: 8/21/20 at 12:36pm

No idea what to fully expect but absolutely love this. There are worthy winners for everything. I guess the only acting category in musicals that is by default for the most part is if Aaron wins for Moulin Rouge (only other eligible is Chris McCarrell for Lightning Thief). Adrienne and Danny have been close to locks for their respective categories even when we did have a full season (yes Sharon would've also been close to a lock). Lauren was also the frontrunner alongside Patti so I don't really get the fuss. This is just all good news. 

Yes, the nominations might not be the most exciting but who cares! Throw people a bone in this mess of a year. More than anything happy to get closure on these shows.

[SouthernCakes]

Posted: 8/21/20 at 12:44pm

Aaron winning for MR would be an insult to the award. Great voice but some of the worst acting I’ve seen.

[Det95]

Posted: 8/21/20 at 12:51pm

Once Broadway reopens and voters can see shows again I hope the committee will make an exception, and allow the shows that opened this season but we’re deemed ineligible for these Tony’s to compete next time. It would really be a shame if those shows aren’t given their due due to the shutdown.

[VotePeron]

Posted: 8/21/20 at 12:55pm

SouthernCakes said: "Aaron winning for MR would be an insult to the award. Great voice but some of the worst acting I’ve seen. "

This.

[JBroadway]

Posted: 8/21/20 at 12:59pm

Det95 said: "Once Broadway reopens and voters can see shows again I hope the committee will make an exception, and allow the shows that opened this season but we’re deemed ineligible for these Tony’s to compete next time. It would really be a shame if those shows aren’t given their due due to the shutdown."

 

I'm sure they would allow them to compete next year. I think it's unlikely that the committee would disqualify them simply on the basis of timing. I would guess that the only way shows like West Side Story and Girl From the North Country get disqualified entirely (I.e not eligible in ANY season), is if they end up not re-opening (which is a possibility). 

Genuine question for those who are familiar with the voting process: if, say, only some of the voters managed to see a show, is there any chance they could change rules so those shows are still eligible, but only the voters who saw it  can vote in that category? 

[Sutton Ross]

Posted: 8/21/20 at 1:00pm

"Adrianne Warren Tony Winner sounds very very nice.

Laura Patton best featured for JLP

Danny Burstein Best featured MR

Who is lead actor in musical Aaron for MR? I would say Isaac Powell but it might not be eligible.

Paul Hilton should have this easily for Featured in the Inheritance.

Yes to all of these, and I absolutely think Aaron will be nominated for his heartbreaking, gorgeous work in Moulin Rouge! over anything in the extremely problematic WSS. 

[Det95]

Posted: 8/21/20 at 1:03pm

JBroadway said: "Det95 said: "Once Broadway reopens and voters can see shows again I hope the committee will make an exception, and allow the shows that opened this season but we’re deemed ineligible for these Tony’s to compete next time. It would really be a shame if those shows aren’t given their due due to the shutdown."



I'm sure they would allow them to compete next year. I think it's unlikely that the committee would disqualify them simply on the basis of timing. I would guess that the only way shows like West Side Story and Girl From the North Country get disqualified entirely (I.e not eligible in ANY season), is if they end up not re-opening (which is a possibility).

Genuine question for those who are familiar with the voting process: if, say, only some of the voters managed to see a show, is there any chance they could change rules so those shows are still eligible, but only the voters who saw it can vote in that category?"

Given that 1984 a few seasons ago was deemed ineligible because one member of the nominating committee didn’t see the show (At least that’s how I’m remembering that) I don’t think that’s likely. Please do correct me if I’m wrong. 

[uncageg]

Posted: 8/21/20 at 1:07pm

I am a bit confused. Why would "Girl From the North Country" not be eligible because it opened too close to the shutdown? Are they possibly using a date prior to their opening as a cut off date for eligibility?

[HeyMrMusic]

Posted: 8/21/20 at 1:12pm

uncageg said: "I am a bit confused. Why would "Girl From the North Country" not be eligible because it opened too close to the shutdown? Are they possibly using a date prior to their opening as a cut off date for eligibility?"

I think the issue is not enough nominators seeing the shows that opened too close to the shutdown.

[itsjustmejonhotmailcom]

Posted: 8/21/20 at 1:25pm

uncageg said: "I am a bit confused. Why would "Girl From the North Country" not be eligible because it opened too close to the shutdown? Are they possibly using a date prior to their opening as a cut off date for eligibility?"

The eligibility cutoff date is Feb 19.

[itsjustmejonhotmailcom]

Posted: 8/21/20 at 1:27pm

JBroadway said: "Genuine question for those who are familiar with the voting process: if, say, only some of the voters managed to see a show, is there any chance they could change rules so those shows are still eligible, but only the voters who saw it can vote in that category?"

I don't think rules would need to be changed. As it is now, only those who have seen every show in a category can vote in that category (although that rule is for the most part self-policed.) So they could leave it as-is and say only those who saw everything can vote. But the Tony Awards Administration Committee has the power to change or create new rules too.