What to expect at the 77th Annual Tony AwardsExBulletin

SCOTT DETROW, HOST:

Broadway's biggest night is tomorrow. This is the 77th annual Tony Awards. And this year, many of the shows will seem familiar, even if you haven't followed theater. Someone who has followed theater is Jeff Lunden, who covers theater for NPR. Hi, Jeff.

JEFF LUNDEN, BYLINE: Hey, Scott.

DETROW: It's a big year for shows on Broadway – 39 new productions, but a lot of them were based on things that we already know, you know, music or movies or books that have been around for a time. Are any of these repurposed shows and ideas in the running for the biggest awards?

LUNDEN: Yes. And some are even in the running for the biggest award, that of best musical. Alicia Keys has a semi-autobiographical show, “Hell's Kitchen,” which uses many songs from her catalog. This one is up for 13 Tony Awards.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC, “HELL'S KITCHEN”)

ALICIA KEYS: (singing) New York, concrete jungle where dreams are made. There's nothing you can't do.

LUNDEN: And with almost as many nominations, 12, is “The Outsiders,” based on the SE Hinton YA novel and film. It features music by folk duo Jamestown Revival.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC, “THE OUTSIDERS”)

UNIDENTIFIED ACTORS #1: (As characters, singing) It's Tulsa, 1967, and there's only one thing you need to know.

LUNDEN: Then there's Justin Peck's dance rendition of Sufjan Stevens' music, “Illinoise,” and an adaptation of the novel “Water For Elephants.” And only one original musical, but based on history: “Suffs” by Shaina Taub, about the suffragists of the early 20th century.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC, “SUFFS”)

UNIDENTIFIED ACTORS #1: (As characters, singing) So break down the door and keep walking, keep walking, keep walking.

LUNDEN: So are there any hits that go beyond Broadway? Are we talking about the next “Hamilton” or “Book Of Mormon” with one of those musicals in the mix this year?

LUNDEN: At this point, not really, even though “The Outsiders” and “Hell's Kitchen” have sold out in recent weeks. And that's really a problem for Broadway because those kinds of headline shows really drive ticket sales and enthusiasm for all productions. The recovery from the pandemic has been rather flat. Box office and attendance haven't really improved since last year, and overall, Broadway is down about 17% from the last full season before the COVID shutdown. I think there are several reasons for this.

This may be because fewer people in the New York metropolitan area commute to work in Manhattan and may want to stay to see a show in the evening. And the other is that foreign tourists, particularly Asian tourists, are still declining. But the Tony Awards are always a great showcase for Broadway. Even shows that don't win awards are broadcast for four or five minutes, which can generate sales, not just of tickets for shows in New York, but also for those touring around the country.

DETROW: One of the other big themes of the last year has been the great awakenings, right? You know, I think one of the best of them, “Merrily We Roll Along,” with Daniel Radcliffe, Jonathan Groff and Lindsay Mendez, which – and it's the best cover. It was a huge success. What is the story behind this production?

LUNDEN: Well, you know, that show was one of Stephen Sondheim's biggest failures. It only lasted 16 performances. And this revival has somehow resurrected the show. I think it's going to win big. And its only competition, really, is the environmental staging of “Cabaret” with Eddie Redmayne, where audiences can drink at tables and interact with the performers on stage. And I heard anecdotally that some in the crowd were heavy drinkers.

DETROW: (Laughs) You know, we started talking about musicals, but one of the interesting stories this year is that the plays have been more lively than the musicals. Is this unusual?

LUNDEN: It's really unusual. Normally, you know, everyone talks about musicals, which last longer and are more vibrant, but this year is an exceptional year for both revivals and new plays. There are great covers of Ibsen's “An Enemy Of The People”, with Jeremy Strong, “Succession” and Brandon Jacobs-Jenkins' “Appropriate”, with Sarah Paulson. But in the new work category, David Adjmi “Stereophonic” leads the pack, with 13 nominations. It's about a rock band recording an album over the course of a year in the 1970s – think Fleetwood Mac – and the cast all performs original music by Arcade Fire's Will Butler.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC, “STEREOPHONIC”)

UNIDENTIFIED ACTORS #2: (As characters, singing) The old man told me I shouldn't go and that there were things I couldn't know.

LUNDEN: This broadcast seems to indicate the odds of the favorite winning. He has won many other awards. But it's a strong field, so we'll see what happens tomorrow night.

DETROW: Very good. Jeff Lunden covers theater for NPR. Enjoy the Tonys, Jeff.

LUNDEN: Thank you, Scott.

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