The 74th Annual Tony Awards will celebrate outstanding performances of the 2019-20 Broadway season on Sunday, September 26. The return of the Tonys comes after shows came to a halt during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
Award-winning singer and actress Audra McDonald will host the awards show from Radio City Music Hall in New York City beginning at 7 p.m. ET, streaming exclusively on Paramount+. Acclaimed actor and singer Leslie Odom Jr. will then take over at 9 p.m. ET for the night's second half: "The Tony Awards Present: Broadway's Back!" on Paramount+ and CBS television stations.
"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," McDonald said in a statement. "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."
"Broadway is a part of my DNA and I'm so thrilled to see it open back up again," said Odom. "There are so many talented artists going back to work and doing what they love for audiences who have missed these tremendous performances."
"The Tony Awards Present: Broadway's Back!" will include special performances from the Tony nominees for Best Musical: "Jagged Little Pill," "Moulin Rouge! The Musical," and "Tina: The Tina Turner Musical." It will also include live presentation of the Tony Awards in three top categories: Best Play, Best Revival of a Play and Best Musical.
The night will include performances from stars including David Byrne and the cast of "American Utopia," John Legend and the cast of "Ain't Too Proud," Lin-Manuel Miranda and the cast of "Freestyle Love Supreme," and a reunion of the cast members of "Hairspray."
Artists appearing on the show also include Annaleigh Ashford, Kristin Chenoweth, André De Shields, Jake Gyllenhaal, Christopher Jackson, Audra McDonald, Idina Menzel, Ruthie Ann Miles, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Bebe Neuwirth, Leslie Odom Jr., Kelli O'Hara, Ben Platt, Jeremy Pope, Chita Rivera, Daphne Rubin-Vega and BD Wong.
How to watch the 2021 Tony Awards
What: The 74th Annual Tony Awards and "The Tony Awards Present: Broadway's Back!"
Date: Sunday, September 26, 2021
Time: 7 p.m. ET for the 74th Annual Tony Awards
9 p.m. ET for "The Tony Awards Present: Broadway's Back!"
Location: Radio City Music Hall and the Winter Garden Theatre in New York City
Online stream: Paramount+ beginning at 7 p.m. ET
On TV: Your local CBS station beginning at 9 p.m. ET
Note: Streaming plans are subject to change
