This year’s Tony Award nominations will be delayed by nearly a week, the awards’ administrator said on Friday, because enough actors have been infected with the coronavirus that it is difficult for award nominees to can watch all qualifying performances.
The Broadway Federation and American Theater Wing, the presenters of the awards, said the nominations will be announced on May 9, instead of May 3. The awards ceremony itself will still go on as scheduled. on June 12.
The change reflects abnormal interruption The coronavirus pandemic has plagued this movie season. Many shows – on Broadway, Off Broadway, across the country, and in the UK, Canada and elsewhere – have been forced to cancel performances and move schedules because of coronavirus cases.
On Broadway, several shows have scrambled to open before the eligibility deadline, which was supposed to be April 28, but will now be May 4. Four shows – “Paradise Square,” “Macbeth” ”, “Plaza Suite” and “A Strange Loop” – canceled many performances because of the coronavirus case. (Among those who tested positive was the star “Macbeth” Daniel Craig and the stars of “Plaza Suite” Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick.)
Even now, when all the shows are running, some actors are still out. That has made it difficult for nominees to see all of the eligible shows with all the qualified performers on stage.
There are six shows scheduled to premiere next week, including “Funny Girl,” “The Skin of Our Teeth,” “A Strange Loop,” “POTUS,” “Mr. Saturday Night” and “Macbeth”.
