Curtain Call: The Tony’s announce virtual ceremony

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Broadway: It seems that the show will go on for the Tony Awards. Charlotte St. Martin, president of the Broadway League, and Heather Hitchens, president and CEO of the American Theatre Wing, announced that the 74th annual ceremony will be presented digitally sometime in the fall, after the live broadcast on CBS was postponed due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Both St. Martin and Hitchens stated that the 2019-2020 season was a year of extraordinary work deserving of recognition and that the decision was made after finding a proper way to celebrate artists, while uplifting the theater community during such unprecedented times.

The Tony Awards Administration Committee finalized eligibility rulings with a February 19th, 2020 cut-off date. This indicates that 18 shows will be considered in the running, with the Broadway revivals of West Side Story and Girl From the North Country not being eligible due to being in previews prior to the Broadway shutdown and officially opening after the date established. The play My Name is Lucy Barton will be eligible in the categories for Best Play, considered jointly for Elizabeth Strout and Rona Munro, Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play for Laura Linney and Best Scenic Design of a Play for Bob Crowley, while A Soldier’s Play will be eligible for Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play for David Alan Grier. Additional details about the ceremony including a streaming date, platform, and nominations will be announced at a later date. 

Ryan Murphy shared a glimpse at his upcoming film adaptation for The Prom. The picture offers a first look at the ensemble cast composed by Meryl Streep, James Corden, Nicole Kidman, Ariana DeBose, and Kerry Washington, among others. Murphy also confirmed that all of the songs by Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguelin’s score from the Broadway production have made the cut for the movie that will premiere on Netflix.

Murphy announced his intentions to adapt the musical as a film in April 2019 after hosting a benefit performance of the musical. He will also bring other Broadway favorites to the streaming platform with a limited series focused on A Chorus Line and the film The Boys in the Band, with Murphy functioning as a producer. The Prom is expected to premiere on Netflix in December.

A new music video for the song “Tight Connection To My Heart” has been released. The Bob Dylan classic is part of the Broadway revival Girl From The North Country and was released as part of Harlem’s Virtual Music Festival. The video showcases actress Kimber Elayne Sprawl, who portrays Marianne in the musical, exploring the streets of Harlem while singing the song.

The musical opened at the Belasco Theatre on March 5th and is directed and written by Conor Mcpherson-Dylan. The premise is set in Duluth, Minnesota, where the Laine family operates a rundown guesthouse. The show features music by Bob Dylan and had previous runs in the West End and Off-Broadway.

Off-Broadway: The Public Theater has issued financial support for freelance theatre artists. The initiative provided $1,000 checks for freelancers who recently worked at the Public on fully staged productions, concerts at Joe’s Pub, or participated in one of the Off-Broadway company’s artist working groups. Artistic director Oskar Eustis stated that the decision was taken to inspire institutions to also focus on the people who do the vast amount of work.

The first round of support granted 386 freelancers financial support during the pandemic, which has caused a shutdown in theaters in New York since March. Eustis also stated that he is working to keep the support going even though he does not feel that the aid is enough. It is likely that a second round of checks will be granted by the end of the year.

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MCC Theatre’s annual Miscast20 is set to take place virtually. The gala will take place on September 13th on MCC’s oficial YouTube channel in a 90-minute broadcast with no additional cost. This year’s lineup will include various Tony winners and nominees including Leslie Odom Jr., Norbert Leo Butz, Andrienne Warren, Joshua Henry, and Philippa Soo, among others. 

The event showcases stars of stage and screen performing songs from roles in which they will never be cast. Miscast20 will also feature a free raffle to win a table for 10 for next year’s gala and a toast onstage with performers after the show. Funds raised help MCC produce Off-Broadway shows and support in-school partnerships that serve New York City’s public high school students. 

The 45th annual Off Off Broadway Short Play Festival has announced its six winning plays. Krista Knight, Shara Feits, Vincent Terrell Durham, Caity-Shea Violette, Gethsemane Herron-Cowards, and Carissa Atallah will all get the opportunity to have their plays published and available for licensing by Samuel French, a Concord Theatricals Company, after being selected out of a group of 30 finalists. The event solely relied this year on reading 500 submissions and a donation to the Vineyard Theatre as a rental fee, in contrast to their in-person festival contest. 

The judging panel was composed of playwrights Will Arbery, George Brant, Larissa Fasthorse, Nambi E. Kelley, Kimber Lee, Madhuri Shekar, and Karen Zacarías, along with New Play Network Executive Director Nan Barnett, and Miami City Theatre’s Co-founder, Susan Westfall. Tony-nominated playwright Dominique Morisseau was this year’s honorary festival playwright. The festival has become a running tradition of unique stories told in their short play series after being founded in 1975.

International: The open air production of Pippin in London is set to extend until September 27th. The production was originally set to play at the Garden Theatre at The Eagle from September 8th to the 20th by presenting a new version of the show under Steve Dexter’s wing. The musical will also include choreography by Nick Winston and the musical direction of Michael Bradley.

Dexter’s vision is composed of a six person production set in the late 60’s, inspired by creator Stephen Schwartz’s earlier version of the show, and will be told by a group of hippie travelers. The company will feature Ryan Anderson, Tsemaye Bob-Egbe, Tanisha Mae-Brown, and Joanne Clifton, among others. Pippin is produced by LAMBCO productions and will require face masks worn throughout the performance by socially distanced audience members.

ORIGINAL THEATRE ONLINE

The Original Theatre Company has announced a digital production of Apollo 13: The Dark Side of the Moon. The show by Torben Betts depicts the story of how the third crew meant to reach the moon returns safely back to Earth after various malfunctions and a momentary loss of communication with ground control. The premise of the show is set in 1970.

The cast includes Christopher Harper, Michael Salami, Tom Chambers, Jenna Augen, and Poppy Roe, among others, with a direction from Alastair Whatley and Charlotte Peters. The Original Theatre Company previously showcased quarantine-friendly presentations of Birdsong and Watching Rosie. Apollo 13: The Dark Side of the Moon will be available to stream October 8th to December 31st on the company’s website.