The 76th Annual Tony Awards take place on Sunday, June 11, 2023. Continue reading for more details.
Announced last December, CBS will present the “The 76th Annual Tony Awards,” which will broadcast live from the United Palace in New York City on Sunday, June 11, 2023, on the CBS Television Network, and streaming live and on demand on Paramount+.
The 76th celebration will recognize all of the award categories and honor the incredible artistry of the 2022-2023 season. The Tony Awards is presented by The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing.
HISTORY
The Antoinette Perry “Tony” Awards are bestowed annually on theatre professionals for distinguished achievement. The Tony is one of the most coveted awards in the entertainment industry and the annual telecast is considered one of the most prestigious programs on television.
The 2023 American Theatre Wing’s Tony Awards are presented by The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing. At The Broadway League, Lauren Reid is Chair and Charlotte St. Martin is President. At the American Theater Wing, Emilio Sosa is Chair and Heather A. Hitchens is President & CEO.
LOCATION
For the first time, the Tony Awards will be presented at the historic United Palace. The history of the United Palace begins in 1930 when it opened as one of five Loew’s “Wonder Theatres,” premiere vaudeville and movie houses located in four boroughs and New Jersey. With nearly 3,400 seats the United Palace is Manhattan’s 4th largest theatre, and hosts concerts, movie premieres, film shoots, and other events. The United Palace serves the Washington Heights community by showcasing the performing and visual art of local artists – many of them school children – and housing the non-profit Northern Manhattan Arts Alliance.
“We are excited to bring the Tony Awards to the historic United Palace for the first time. As we celebrate the best of this Broadway season and 76 years of the Tony Awards, we look forward to ushering in a new golden age for the show from this majestic, golden age theatre,” said Heather Hitchens, President and CEO of the American Theatre Wing and Charlotte St. Martin, President of The Broadway League.
FORMAT
Emmy Award winner Julianne Hough and star of CBS’ “So Help Me Todd” Skylar Astin will host The Tony Awards: Act One, a live pre-show with exclusive content that is available to viewers for free on Pluto TV – the leading free, advertiser-supported streaming television service — beginning Sunday, June 11 at 6:30-8:00 PM, ET/3:30-5:00 PM PT. Hough, star of last season’s hit Broadway play Potus and Astin, who originated the role of ‘Georg’ in the Tony and Grammy Award-winning musical Spring Awakening, will kick off Broadway’s biggest night with the presentation of the first round of Tony Awards during the exciting pre-show telecast.
Viewers can access The Tony Awards: Act One on their smart TV, streaming device, mobile app or online by going to Pluto TV and clicking on the “Pluto TV Celebrity” channel (no payment, registration or sign-in required).
Immediately following, The 76th Annual Tony Awards with Academy Award winner and Tony Award nominee Ariana DeBose, will air live from the historic United Palace in New York City’s Washington Heights, from 8:00-11:00 PM, LIVE ET/5:00-8:00 PM, LIVE PT on the CBS Television Network, and streaming live and on demand on Paramount+*.
CONTROVERSY
Due to the ongoing strike of the Writers Guild of America (WGA), the ceremony’s broadcast is currently expected to be unscripted. According to reports, requests for a strike waiver were denied by the WGA in May; however, the WGA announced they would not picket the event, allowing the ceremony’s broadcast to continue as planned in an unscripted format.
PERFORMERS
The ceremony will feature show-stopping performances from the casts of Tony Award nominated best musicals and revivals, including Camelot, Into The Woods, & Juliet, Kimberly Akimbo, New York, New York, Parade, Shucked, Some Like It Hot and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.
In addition, the show will feature performances from Joaquina Kalukango, the winner of the 2022 Tony Award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical, the cast of A Beautiful Noise, The Neil Diamond Musical, the cast of Funny Girl, and a special performance for the Tony Award for the 2023 Special Tony Awards for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre recipients, Joel Grey and John Kander.
“CBS has been home to the Tony Awards for more than 40 years,” said Jack Sussman, executive vice president of specials, music, live events and alternative programming at CBS. “We are proud to once again celebrate the best of theater this season, and continue our support for Broadway, the broader theater community and all the incredible artistic talents both on stage and behind the scenes who bring the shows to life.”
KEY NOMINATIONS
The nominees for the 76th Tony Awards were announced on May 2, 2023 by Lea Michele and Myles Frost.
Best Musical
Best Play
- Ain’t No Mo’
- Between Riverside and Crazy
- Cost of Living
- Fat Ham
- Leopoldstadt
Best Revival of a Musical
Best Revival of a Play
- A Doll’s House
- The Piano Lesson
- The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window
- Topdog/Underdog
Best Book of a Musical
- & Juliet – David West Read
- Kimberly Akimbo – David Lindsay-Abaire
- New York, New York – David Thompson and Sharon Washington
- Shucked – Robert Horn
- Some Like It Hot – Matthew López and Amber Ruffin
Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre
- Almost Famous – Tom Kitt (music and lyrics) and Cameron Crowe (lyrics)
- Kimberly Akimbo – Jeanine Tesori (music) and David Lindsay-Abaire (lyrics)
- KPOP – Helen Park and Max Vernon (music and lyrics)
- Shucked – Brandy Clark and Shane McAnally (music and lyrics)
- Some Like It Hot – Marc Shaiman (music and lyrics) and Scott Wittman (lyrics)
From a touring Broadway perspective, we traditionally don’t see many tour announcements from shows currently running on Broadway until after the ceremony. However, of the five nominated shows for Best Musical, four have already announced a tour starting in the 24/25 season. (A West End production of Shucked is set to begin in 2024.)
It is even rarer to have a current touring production be nominated for a Tony, but the revival of Into the Woods has been an exceptional production. We also have an upcoming tour set for Best Revival nominee Sweeney Todd.
By all accounts, this year’s ceremony is expected to be fairly unpredictable–both from a technical aspect and well as who will come out on top, making this event a must-watch for Broadway enthusiasts.
For a full list of nominees, click on this link. You can also print out a PDF ballot here.
*Paramount+ Premium subscribers will have access to stream live via the live feed of their local CBS affiliate on the service as well as on demand. Essential-tier subscribers will have access to on-demand the day after the special airs.
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