How Can There Be Tony Awards Without all the Expected Shows That Were to Open??? “Tony Awards sets February eligibility cutoff date” The eligibility cutoff date for the upcoming Tony Awards is Feb. 19, 2020, Tony Award Productions confirmed Friday.
— The eligibility date would mean that “West Side Story” and “Girl from the North Country” would not be in consideration for any Tony Awards as part of the 2019-2020 season. Those two productions are expected to be under Tony Awards consideration for the 2020-2021 season. …
— With “West Side Story” out of consideration, the musical revival category would not have any potential nominees. Two other possible contenders for the 2019-2020, “Caroline, or Change” and “Company,” were unable to open due to the closure of Broadway theaters on March 12.
— Without “Girl from the North Country,” the potential nominees for the best musical category would include “Jagged Little Pill,” “Moulin Rouge!” “The Lightning Thief” and “Tina.”
— Under the current Tony Awards guidelines, Rob Rokicki’s score for “The Lightning Thief” would be the only potential musical nominee for Best Original Score. The scores for the other contenders are largely comprised of music that was not originally written for the musical. …
— “Six,” which could have been a possible best musical contender in the 2019-2020 season, was unable to hold its opening as scheduled for the evening of March 12. In addition to “Six,” 15 more productions were scheduled to open before the original Tony Awards eligibility date of April 23. ” by Broadway News’ Caitlin Huston – http://bway.ly/12k3hb
“Unemployment Is Rampant. So This Theater Is Giving Freelancers Money.” by The New York Times’ Michael Paulson – “The Public Theater, a leading Off Broadway nonprofit, is giving small grants to several hundred freelance artists as many grapple with the impact of joblessness and expiring unemployment benefits. The theater said it has given $1,000 “financial relief payments” to 368 people including technicians and crew members like carpenters, truck drivers, engineers and programmers; teaching artists, who facilitate classes, workshops and talkbacks; and members of working groups, which support artists as they develop. “Freelance theater workers are in total economic distress, almost universally,” said Oskar Eustis, the Public’s artistic director. “It feels pathetic — this isn’t enough money — but it’s just what we can do right now.”” http://bway.ly/4bim86
BOOK: “James Lapine Will Release a New Book, ‘Putting It Together’, About the Creation of Sunday in the Park with George” by BroadwayWorld – “The book is titled Putting It Together: How Stephen Sondheim and I Created “Sunday in the Park with George”, and will be released on April 21, 2021.” http://bway.ly/ehbfhj
FILM:
“The Boys in the Band Movie Is Heading to Netflix This September” by Broadway.com‘s Lindsey Sullivan – “Netflix has announced that its new film adaptation of … The Boys in the Band … will arrive on September 30.” http://bway.ly/t5pje8
“MGM’s Ridley Scott-Lady Gaga Gucci Film Eyes Robert De Niro, Jared Leto, Al Pacino, Adam Driver, Jack Huston & Reeve Carney” by Deadline’s Justin Kroll – http://bway.ly/pxm4u1
FILM INDUSTRY: “New Safety Standards for Moviegoing as U.S. Theaters Reopen” by The New York Times’ Brooks Barnes – “To help convince the rest of the country that moviegoing is safe, Ms. Colligan and the chief executives of the four largest theater chains in the United States … appeared together via Zoom on Friday to announce uniform health protocols: mask requirements, limited capacity, no condiment stations, plexiglass partitions and enhanced air-filtration systems (or at least in top working order).” http://bway.ly/b668cg
REGIONAL:
“Berkeley Rep actors allege contract violations, union failures, following hastily written streaming agreement” by The San Francisco Chronicle’s Lily Janiak – “The actors claim that the agreement’s terms, and Berkeley Rep’s execution of those terms, violated their contractually protected rights. … On Friday, Aug. 14, after much back-and-forth, Berkeley Rep offered the actors their full original contracts.” http://bway.ly/gcmgfp
“Lillias White, Tony Shaloub, Dan Lauria and More to Join Berkshire Playwrights Lab’s Off the Cuff Series” by BroadwayWorld – “The second and third installments of the Off the Cuff series will take place Wednesdays, August 19 and August 26 at 6:00 pm.” http://bway.ly/r675vr
ACROSS THE POND: “A Six-Person, Open Air Production of Pippin Will Play London” by Broadway.com‘s Lindsey Sullivan – “London’s outdoor Garden Theatre at The Eagle will present the staging, which will feature six performers. Directed by Steven Dexter, the show will run from September 8 through September 20.” http://bway.ly/4pgyx6
AWARDS: “National Alliance for Musical Theatre Selects Winners for 15 Minute Musical Challenge” by Playbill’s Dan Meyer – “The National Alliance for Musical Theatre has announced 12 winners from its 15 Minute Musical Challenge.” http://bway.ly/wx09kx
GRANTS: “Black Theatre Alliance of Philadelphia Announces Micro-Grants” by American Theatre – “The coalition will award $200 grants to 20 Philly artists and roll out programming to support Black artists.” http://bway.ly/jhdssx
ONLINE:
“Harriet Harris to Play Eleanor Roosevelt in New Online Play by Mark St. Germain” by TheaterMania’s David Gordon – “Harris will play Eleanor Roosevelt in Mark St. Germain’s Eleanor, a new play to be presented by Barrington Stage Company. Eleanor will be directed by Henry Stram.” http://bway.ly/6fvcxd
“Russell Tovey Joins Digital Theatre Work No Masks by Theatre Royal Stratford East” by Playbill’s Dan Meyer – “The piece will air as part of Sky Arts’ broadcast launch this September.” http://bway.ly/lhd3m8
“New Digital Play to Depict Ill-Fated Apollo 13 Mission” by Playbill’s Ryan McPhee – “Original Theatre Company’s production of Apollo 13: The Dark Side of the Moon will stream beginning October 8.” http://bway.ly/jl5whq
NYT: “To Test Spread of Coronavirus, These Scientists Put on a Concert” by The New York Times’ Thomas Rogers – “They were not typical concertgoers, but volunteers in an elaborate study by a team at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg called Restart 19. Each attendee, outfitted with a digital location tracker and hand disinfectant laced with fluorescent dye, were carefully positioned on seats as part of one of the first experiments by scientists to track the risks of coronavirus infection posed by large, indoor events.” http://bway.ly/k974u9
BROADWAY BABY: “Lea Michele and Husband Zandy Reich Welcome a Son: ‘They’re Extremely Grateful,’ Source Says” by People’s Jen Juneau – http://bway.ly/j8axo7