Celebrity

Tony Awards Officials Ask Striking Writers to Reconsider Broadcast

Broadway producers and industry leaders say the annual awards show is an important marketing tool for the industry, especially for the financial health of new musicals.

Broadway shows don’t have the huge marketing budgets of Hollywood movies and TV series, so they have to find other ways to build awareness, and awards ceremonies have traditionally been a key part of that. .

The awards ceremony brings many benefits to the theater industry. Award-winning shows often sell tickets to audiences who want to see the most acclaimed productions, and shows that showcase exciting or moving musicals on air see increased box office revenue as a result. is often .

WGA members are on strike for better pay and structural changes in how writers interact with studios, streaming services and networks as the entertainment industry evolves.

At the same time, the theater industry is still trying to bounce back from the turmoil brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. Broadway attendance figures this season remain about 17 percent lower than their last full season pre-pandemic.

One sign of the current economic challenges is that four of the five shows nominated for Best New Musical of the Year are in the red most weeks because the show’s operating costs are higher than its box office revenue. It means that These shows, “Kimberly Akimbo,” “New York, New York,” “Shacked,” and “Some Like It Hot,” can earn prizes by winning prizes or showcasing production numbers on telecasts. I especially hope that it will lead to ticket sales. And the current top-grossing nominee, “& Juliet,” will welcome the opportunity to perform in front of audiences across the country.

Talks are ongoing between theater industry leaders, union leaders and CBS. The Broadway League and American Theater Wing, which co-winners of the Tony Awards, hope the crisis will be resolved soon.

The Tony Awards will likely get by without the June 11th telecast, but in an industry built on optimism, some theater insiders believe that theater people will be more like Hollywood. He remains hopeful that the results he appealed to his colleagues may come to fruition. Compromise.

If broadcast proves to be impossible, many industry leaders seem determined to distribute prizes as scheduled, either at non-television events or simply by announcing the winners. But some believe the ceremony should be postponed and televised until the strike is over.

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