“Though unprecedented events cut the 2019-2020 Broadway season short, it was a year full of extraordinary work that deserves to be recognized,” Charlotte St. Martin, the Broadway League president, and Heather Hitchens, the American Theater Wing president, said in a joint statement. “We are thrilled not only to have found a way to properly celebrate our artists’ incredible achievements this season, but also to be able to uplift the entire theater community and show the world what makes our Broadway family so special at this difficult time. There were 16 plays and musicals scheduled to open between March 12, when Broadway shut down — a British pop musical, “Six,” was scheduled to open that very night — and April 23, which was the scheduled eligibility cutoff date. The awards administrators debated combining the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons for one televised ceremony next year, but as it has become increasingly unclear when Broadway might reopen, they decided to forge ahead with this plan. Producers have said they would refund all tickets purchased for performances through Jan. 3, and some shows have announced an intention to open as soon as next March, but many industry leaders believe the theaters will remain dark longer.

Source: New York Times August 21, 2020 15:00 UTC