Broadway’s Back! Tony, Emmy, and Grammy award-winning singer and actor Audra McDonald and Tony, Grammy award-winning, and two-time Academy Award nominated actor and singer Leslie Odom Jr. will host the live presentation of the 74th Annual Tony Awards.
Now, follow us on this. The Tonys this year will be a four-hour multi-platform event to celebrate the return to live theatre. It will begin on the streaming service Paramount+ live from the Winter Garden Theatre in New York City on September 26th at 7:00 PM, ET/ 4:00 PM, PT.
Audra McDonald will host the exclusively live-streamed Paramount+ event that is set to honor the outstanding shows, performances, and artistry of the 2019-2020 Broadway season, which was brought to a halt by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Later the same night, Leslie Odom Jr. will host the CBS Broadcast special event titled The Tony Awards Present: Broadway’s Back! This celebration is billed as “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 show will include special performances from the three Best Musical Tony nominees (Jagged Little Pill, Tina: The Tina Turner Musical, and Moulin Rouge! The Musical) as well as a live presentation of three Tony Awards, including Best Play, Best Revival of a Play, and Best Musical.
“Broadway is a part of my DNA and I’m so thrilled to see it open back up again,” said Leslie Odom, Jr. “There are so many talented artists going back to work and doing what they love for audiences who have missed these tremendous performances. I’m very happy to host The Tony Awards Present: Broadway’s Back!”
This will be the first time in 13 years that the host of The Tony Awards will be non-white. Whoopi Goldberg was the last person of color to take on the honor of hosting duties in 2008.
“I’m elated that the Tony Awards are back! I am so glad that we’ve found a way to gather safely to honor and recognize all the incredible work that was done in the 2019-20 season,” said Audra McDonald. “While we look back, my greatest hope is that this event marks the beginning of a new era for Broadway—one with renewed commitment to inclusivity and belonging as well as appreciation for the sacred experience of live theater.”
