Hollywood writers’ strike puts the Tony Awards in jeopardy
The Tony nominations have been announced. Voters are scrambling to see the shows they missed. And invitations are going out to the usual series of galas, receptions, panels and parties where nominees with figurine dreams can woo the industry.
But increasingly, Broadway is less about who will win and more about whether there will be a Tony ceremony at all, given the Writers Guild of America strike.
The strike by the union, which represents screenwriters, has messed up Tony’s schedule because the Tonys air on CBS and stream on Paramount+ and the striking workers are at odds with both broadcast and streaming channels. In normal years, members of the guild may write material for the awards show broadcast. And members of the many other involved unions in the entertainment industry will want to show their solidarity with the WGA
This year’s ceremony is scheduled for June 11, but the entertainment industry is bracing for a lengthy strike. At this point, the two sides aren’t even talking.
For Hollywood, the Tony Awards aren’t a priority — it’s a niche ceremony watched by 3.9 million people last year, which is less than other awards shows like the Oscars (18.7 million) or the Grammys (12.5 million).
But for Broadway, the stakes are huge. The Tony Awards are the industry’s biggest marketing moment — a chance to introduce viewers to shows they’ve never heard of, and to remind them of the joys of musical theater — and that kind of reach is especially important now, with Broadway presence that has yet to reach prepandemic levels. Four out of five Best New Musical nominees don’t sell enough tickets to cover their running costs for many weeks, and all could use the box office boost that a win, or even a well-performed number at the awards show, often provides.
“The Tony Awards is the biggest commercial for the industry overall, and for a show like mine, which is unbranded and just about to finally start seeing some lifeblood, it would be devastating not to be a part of it.” of this,” said Mike Bosner, the lead producer of “Shucked,” one of five shows vying for the coveted Best New Musical award.
“Our whole timing from when we opened the show was based on being part of the run-up to awards season when there is a lot of attention for the show and there is national exposure,” he said.
What will happen next is not clear.
The best-case scenario, at least from the point of view of Broadway propellants, is that the WGA will take pity on the theater industry, which was hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, and allow the Tony Awards to go ahead as planned. Broadway officials, according to multiple producers, have already asked the guild to issue some kind of waiver that would allow the show to go ahead, arguing that the theater industry provides jobs for many union workers and is not a party to a dispute between screenwriters and streaming services. (Playwrights and librettists are represented by the Dramatists Guild, but many also work in television and film and are members of the WGA)
But there are other possible scenarios. Organizers could scrap the broadcast ceremony and announce winners through a press release or at a non-televised event, which would significantly reduce the marketing value of the awards. They can choose to pre-record music tracks or segments without a live audience. Or the Tonys could postpone their ceremony, though no one knows how long the strike will last, and some money-losing Broadway shows would likely close rather than hold out in hopes of an eventual price hike.
“I suspect there won’t be any airing,” said Robert Greenblatt, one of the producers of “Some Like It Hot,” which is also nominated for best new musical. Greenblatt knows all sides of the business – in addition to being a frequent Broadway producer, he is also a past chairman of NBC Entertainment and WarnerMedia.
If the Tony’s are delayed or derailed it will damage a lot of shows. “Especially this season, as we are still recovering from the Covid shutdown, it would be extremely devastating not to get that opportunity – to not be able to showcase how many amazing and diverse plays and musicals are currently on Broadway,” said Eva . Price, a lead producer of “& Juliet,” another contender for Best New Musical.
The Tony Awards management committee, which oversees the broadcast, has called an emergency meeting for Monday morning to discuss next steps.
“Everyone is trying to figure it out because it’s very tricky,” said Theodore S. Chapin, a member of the management committee and former head of the Rodgers & Hammerstein Organization. “This is going to be a busy weekend with a lot of calls, because this has been a season with a lot of life, but things are a bit nervous and a big party on Broadway is needed.”
The WGA strike has already affected one awards show: last weekend’s MTV Movie & TV Awards. The host, Drew Barrymore, dropped out in solidarity with the union and the ceremony turned into a pre-recorded affair after the WGA announced it would peck.
On Wednesday, in anticipation of hundreds of protesters marching on picket lines, Netflix abruptly announced it was canceling a large in-person Manhattan showcase it was hosting for advertisers the following week, turning it into a virtual event instead.
Ted Sarandos, Netflix’s co-chief executive, also said he would not be attending the upcoming PEN America Literary Gala at the American Museum of Natural History, a major literary event planned to honor him. In a statement, Mr Sarandos said it would be best if he pulled out “given the threat of disrupting this wonderful evening”.
In 2008, the last time the writers went on strike, organizers of the Golden Globes had to cancel the awards show after the WGA actively staged demonstrations and actors said they would not cross picket lines. Instead, the winners were revealed at a press conference. But during that strike, the WGA did grant exemptions to a number of televised ceremonies, including the Screen Actors Guild Awards.
The organizations that present the Tony Awards, the Broadway League and the American Theater Wing declined to comment; they would closely monitor the situation but would not know how to proceed. Representatives from the WGA and CBS, Tony’s longtime broadcaster, also declined to comment.
Actors’ Equity president Kate Shindle said it was too early to know what would happen.
“The Tonys are so important to our industry, especially while we are still recovering, but at the same time it feels a bit early to make predictions,” she said. “And our priority is always to support employees.”
Shindle said Equity officials were in communication with the WGA and SAG-AFTRA, which represent artists in film, television and radio, about what happens next. “It feels like everyone started talking about the Tony Awards in the last few days,” she said. “The conversation is starting to get louder.”