On paper, it’s good news for Broadway producers: the Tony Administration Committee recently announced that the number of nominees could be expanded from four to five in the following categories: Best Play, Best Musical, Best Play Revival, and Best Musical Revival. This would only be in effect if there were at least nine eligible productions. Conversely, if there were less than nine, the committee ruled that the nominees could be reduced to three.
The ruling means that a deserving show which may have just missed the cut could now be included. That may well be the case this season when the nominations are announced on April 9, leading up to the June 8 annual Tony telecast, which will be hosted by Hugh Jackman. Let’s just consider the category of Best Musical, since this is the only one that guarantees a boost at the box office. The conventional wisdom holds that “The Bridges of Madison County” and “Bullets Over Broadway” — unless it shockingly stumbles — are assured of nominations. Also likely to be nominated are two well-reviewed shows: “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder” and “After Midnight.” In the past, that would be it. But should the nominators choose to exercise the new rule, it means that “Beautiful,” “Rocky,” “If/Then,” and “Aladdin” have a chance to duke it out for the fifth slot. (It doesn’t appear that the now-closed “Soul Doctor,” “A Night With Janis Joplin,” and “First Date” are in the running; an exception might be the short-lived “Big Fish.”)
What’s at stake for the producers are prestige and the consequences of diverting capital to pay for a campaign to trumpet the nomination and for a production number on the Tony telecast. The prestige part is easy: the nomination gives the producers bragging rights — a not insubstantial perk (you’d be surprised by how many big-money investors come aboard because they want to win a Tony Award). It also allows the production to promote the show on Broadway and on a national tour as having been “Tony-nominated.” The rub comes when the lead producers of a musical have to decide how much capital to devote to a Tony campaign, which can run thousands of dollars, and how they will pay for the segment on the telecast, to which a nomination entitles them. The four-minute opportunity to raise a show’s profile before a national TV audience is a no-brainer for a show that is a hit. For example, “Beautiful,” the Carole King jukebox musical, is raking in the dough. But for a show that is struggling to stay alive, like the critically-acclaimed “Bridges of Madison County” or “Gentleman’s Guide,” it can be a dicey proposition. Do you spend the money on keeping the show running or divert the funds to pay for a segment on the telecast, which can cost tens of thousands of dollars and reap little in return? The only ones certain to receive financial dividends from the addition of nominees are media advertising departments. But the Tony Awards, which have always purported to be about saluting excellence in the theater, have just widened the playing field. And that’s probably for the best, although it won’t stop the second-guessing about which show was unfairly snubbed.
