Special Will Celebrate the Return of Live Theatre with Unforgettable Performances and Commemorate the 74th Annual Tony Awards for the 2019-2020 Broadway Season in a Four-Hour Event Across Multiple Platforms
New York, NY (May 26, 2021) – CBS and Tony Award Productions will celebrate Broadway’s highly anticipated return of live theatre with a multi-platform event, THE TONY AWARDS® PRESENT: BROADWAY’S BACK! on Sunday, September 26 (9:00-11:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network and available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+ and the CBS app.
The evening will kick-off with the presentation of the American Theatre Wing’s 74th Annual Tony Awards® at 7:00 PM ET/4:00 PM PT live exclusively on Paramount+. The streaming presentation will honor the outstanding shows, performances and artistry of the 2019-2020 Broadway season, which was brought to a halt by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Tony Awards are presented by the Broadway League and The American Theatre Wing.
Immediately following, THE TONY AWARDS PRESENT: BROADWAY’S BACK! will air on the Network, bringing the excitement of Broadway to viewers through a live concert event, featuring superstar Broadway entertainers and Tony Award winners re-uniting on stage to perform beloved classics and celebrate the joy and magic of live theatre. The re-opening of Broadway will be further celebrated with special performances from the three Tony nominated Best Musical contenders, followed by the live presentation of three Tony Awards, including Best Play, Best Revival of a Play and Best Musical. Other winners will be celebrated throughout the broadcast.
“After this devastating past year and a half for our industry, our city and for the entire world, we are excited to finally be able to celebrate the return of Broadway, our Tony Award nominees and winners in this new and exciting format,” said Charlotte St. Martin, President of The Broadway League, and Heather Hitchens, President and CEO of the American Theatre Wing. “There is nothing that compares to the magic of live theater—and we are thrilled to be able to share its celebratory return and the incredible talent and artistry of the abbreviated 2019-2020 season with theatre fans everywhere.”
“We are thrilled to bring the best of Broadway to television viewers who have been through so much without the joys, comfort and excitement that live theatre provides,” said Jack Sussman, Executive Vice President, Specials, Music, Live Events and Alternative Programming, CBS Entertainment. “With the combined power of CBS and Paramount+, the show will honor this year’s Tony Award nominees and winners in a new format unlike any other, and celebrate the iconic music, memorable performances and unique personalities that make Broadway so special.”
Additional information about the special will be available in the coming months.
THE TONY AWARDS® PRESENT: BROADWAY’S BACK! will be produced in collaboration with Tony Award Productions, a joint venture of The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing, and White Cherry Entertainment, the team behind the annual Tony Awards® telecast. Ricky Kirshner and Glenn Weiss are executive producers for White Cherry Entertainment. Weiss will serve as director.
About the Tony Awards
The 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 Theatre Wing, David Henry Hwang and Theodore Chapin are Co-Chairs and Heather A. Hitchens is President & CEO.
Sponsors for The Tony Awards include: Carnegie Mellon University – the first-ever, exclusive higher education partner; City National – official bank of the Tony Awards and presenting sponsor of the Creative Arts Awards; MAC Cosmetics – official makeup partner; People/EW – official magazine partner; Playbill; Sofitel New York – the official hotel of the Tony Awards; Rainbow Room – official partner of the Tony Nominee Luncheon; Passion Roses – the official rose of the Tony Awards; and United Airlines – the official airline of the Tony Awards for over 20 years.
