Broadway’s biggest night is set to light up NYC’s Radio City Music Hall on Sunday.
The Tony Awards, which were last held in the fall at the Winter Garden Theatre and broadcast in a two-part ceremony, will officially return to their usual summer date.
After a season of several cancellations and COVID-19 outbreaks, the Broadway League announced in March that the award show was able to go on with business as usual — with a few safety precautions in place to keep guests, nominees and performers safe.
So silence your cellphones, and read everything you need to know about this year’s Tony Awards here.
When and where will the show take place?
The 75th Tony Awards are set to take the stage at Radio City Music Hall in Midtown on June 12.
Just like last year, the show will be broadcast in two parts, with a pre-show starting at 7 p.m. ET and the actual awards ceremony that will air on CBS starting at 8 p.m. ET.
Prior to the actual awards ceremony, there will be an hourlong event called “The Tony Awards: Act One” that will feature special performers as well as several honorary awards, streaming exclusively on Paramount+.
As for a red carpet, there are a few options to see all of the glam. NY1 will be live on the red carpet beginning at 6 p.m. EST (check your local listing for channel) while BroadwayWorld will begin red carpet coverage at 4:30 p.m. EST.
What channel or streaming platform is the show on?
The three-hour ceremony will air live on CBS and stream on Paramount+ for subscribers only beginning at 8 p.m. Playbill reported this year’s ceremony is the first in Tony Awards history to be available live nationwide.
Are there COVID-19 safety protocols for attendees?
Nominees and celebrity guests who are sitting in the orchestra section will be required to submit a negative COVID-19 PCR test result before they are allowed either onstage or to perform and have the option to wear a mask while seated, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
“As a significant portion of the orchestra are Tony Award nominees and either going to be on stage and/or performing, it felt necessary to do the same for all of those in the orchestra,” a statement from the Tony Award producers reads.
“Requirements to be on stage include the PCR testing and verification.”
Audience members who are in the mezzanine will be required to wear masks but will not be required to submit a negative COVID-19 test result.
The testing requirement clashes with the current rules of the Broadway League that state masks must be worn at all times while in the theater through June 30, 2022, even though patrons no longer have to show proof of vaccination.
Who’s hosting the show?
Academy Award winner and Tony nominee Ariana DeBose was selected to host the 75th Tonys. She was nominated for playing the title character in the 2018’s “Summer: The Donna Summer Musical.”
Darren Criss and Emmy-winner Julianne Hough will host the pre-award show “The Tony Awards: Act One.”
Who’s nominated this year?
The nominations for the 2022 Tony Awards were announced on May 9, by “Waitress” alum Joshua Henry and “Tina” star Adrienne Warren. You can check out the full list of nominations from the 2021 to 2022 Broadway season here.
This season, Broadway has seen several changes to the Tony Awards eligibility rules due to several shows being postponed or canceled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. This year saw six Best Musical nominations, which are “Girl From the North Country,” ” A Strange Loop,” “Six: The Musical,” “MJ: The Musical,” “Paradise Square” and Billy Crystal’s “Mr. Saturday Night.”
In addition to those musical nominations, this season saw the revival of Meredith Willson’s “The Music Man,” starring Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster, as well as Stephen Sondheim’s “Company,” with Patti LuPone and Katrina Lenk.
It was announced in May that five-time Tony winner Angela Lansbury will receive the 2022 Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theater.
Who’s Presenting?
A star-studded list of presenters announced by the Tony Award producers includes Andrew Garfield, Lin Manuel-Miranda, Nathan Lane and both Paris and Prince Jackson.
The full list includes icons from both stage and screen such as Bowen Yang, Skylar Astin, Danny Burstein, RuPaul, Jennifer Hudson, Billy Porter, Sarah Paulson, Sarah Silverman, Bernadette Peters and several other stars.
Who’s Performing?
You should expect to see performances from nominees “The Music Man,” “Girl From the North Country,” “A Strange Loop,” “Six,” “Company,” “MJ: The Musical,” “Paradise Square” and “Mr. Saturday Night.” The original cast members of the Best Musical Tony winner “Spring Awakening” (2007) will also perform along with the New York City Gay Men’s Chorus.
Officials for the Tony Awards announced several Broadway legends including Phillipa Soo, Cynthia Erivo, Bebe Neuwirth, Kelli O’Hara, Chita Rivera and several others will perform during the live broadcast of the Tonys and the pre-show.
Billy Porter and Bernadette Peters, both previous Tony winners, will also perform during the telecast.
