Theater News

Don't Forget to Watch the Tony Awards

Favorite Broadway stars vie tonight for one of the theater industry’s most prestigious awards.

Editorial Staff

New York City

June 7, 2015

Fun Home Tony nominees Sydney Lucas (Small Alison) and Michael Cerveris (Bruce) in a scene from the much-nominated new musical. — *Fun Home* Tony nominees Sydney Lucas (Small Alison) and Michael Cerveris (Bruce) in a scene from the new musical, which has received 12 nominations.
(© Joan Marcus)

The 2015 Tony Awards will take place tonight at Radio City Music Hall. The ceremony is one of the most highly anticipated events of the year within the theater industry, so don't forget to dig out your feather boa, prepare your ballot, and watch along at home. The broadcast will air at 8pm ET on CBS.

Broadway favorites Kristin Chenoweth (who is also nominated for an award for On the Twentieth Century) and Cabaret Tony winner Alan Cumming will host. The evening's special performances include Josh Groban, who will be joined by more than 175 performers — the most performers in a single number in Tony Awards history. In addition to performances by every currently running musical that opened this season, viewers can expect Jennifer Lopez, Nick Jonas, Kiesza, Harry Connick Jr., Jennifer Grey, Joel Grey, Dulé Hill, Judith Light, Patina Miller, Bernadette Peters, and Phylicia Rashad to take the stage. Bradley Cooper, Neil Patrick Harris, Jim Parsons, and many more will present.

This year's list of Tony nominees is led by the new musicals Fun Home and An American in Paris, which received 12 nominations each. The special Tony Award winners are Hedwig and the Angry Inch creator and sometime star John Cameron Mitchell as well as Tommy Tune, who has been selected for the Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre Award. In addition, Stephen Schwartz will receive the Isabelle Stevenson Award and Cleveland Play House will receive the Regional Theatre Award.

For the first time this year, the telecast will include the presentation of the "Excellence in Theatre Education Award." The annual award recognizes a theater educator in the United States who has demonstrated impact on the lives of students and who embodies the highest standards of the profession. A panel of judges from the American Theatre Wing, the Broadway League, and Carnegie Mellon University selects the finalists and winner, which was announced last week as Corey Mitchell of North Carolina.

Established in 1990, the Tony Honors for Excellence in the Theatre are awarded annually to institutions, individuals, and organizations that have demonstrated extraordinary achievement in theater, but are not eligible in any of the established Tony Award categories. This year's winners are Adrian Bryan-Brown, Arnold Abramson, and Gene O'Donovan.

TheaterMania will be covering the action all night. So follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for live updates.