Serious challenges remain — vanishingly few new musicals are making money — but there is a rich subject and stylistic diversity of offerings.
Now, industry insiders face a lot of tough choices as they determine which shows to honor at Sunday night’s Tony Awards ceremony, which airs at 8 p.m. Eastern on CBS.
Over the last few days, I asked Tony voters which productions, and which performers in leading roles, they deemed the best.
But over the last seven months, the show has steadily won over fans thanks to strong reviews and excellent word-of-mouth; it has clearly won over Tony voters too.
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The recent Broadway season was the most successful since the pandemic, with record-breaking box office receipts, a ton of successful plays, and an abundance of celebrities.
There are still significant obstacles to overcome, such as the fact that very few new musicals are profitable, but the offerings are diverse in terms of subject matter and style. Now, industry insiders must make many difficult decisions about which shows to recognize at the Tony Awards ceremony, which takes place on Sunday at 8 p.m. A. on CBS in the Eastern hours.
I’ve been asking Tony voters over the past few days which productions and which leading actors they thought were the best. These are my forecasts based on conversations with over 25% of the 840 voters.
Expect “Maybe Happy Ending” to win.
When you tell people the plot synopsis of “Maybe Happy Ending,” they don’t want to watch it right away. It’s about two lonely robots in Seoul who go on a road trip and, well, find each other. But because of great reviews and good word-of-mouth, the show has gradually gained popularity over the past seven months; it has also obviously won over Tony voters.
Based on pre-existing material, the show has what I consider to be a significant advantage over its closest rivals, “Buena Vista Social Club” and “Death Becomes Her.”. One factor contributing to “Maybe Happy Ending’s” success is that, in a time when Broadway is dominated by well-known productions based on popular song catalogs, movies, or books, voters consistently express gratitude for the musical’s unique plot and score.
Of course, there are critics who think the four-performer show is too delicate, but there are also a lot more fans who commend Michael Arden’s production for everything from the lavish set to the story, the direction, the performances, and the cutting-edge automation and technology. One voter told me, “And the scenic design came together to support the story in a very unified way.” “It’s delicate and intimate and engaging.”. “.”.
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