2016 Tony Awards Get New Venue, Air Date
NEW YORK (CBS/AP) - The next Tony Awards have found a home - a familiar one but one far from Broadway.
The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing said Tuesday that the June 12 gala will be held at the 2,900-seat Beacon Theatre on Manhattan's Upper West Side, where the Tonys were handed out 2011-12. The announcement also pushed back the day of the ceremony, which had originally been June 5.
The 6,000-seat Radio City Music Hall has long been the preferred home for the awards because of its size and proximity to Broadway. But Radio City will be booked this summer with the new "Rockettes New York Spectacular."
CBS will again televise the event. No host has been announced.
Next year marks the 70th anniversary of the Tony Awards, which were first held on April 6, 1947 at the Waldorf Astoria’s Grand Ballroom. The ceremony is presented by Tony Award Productions, which is a joint venture of the Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing, which founded the Tonys.
The official eligibility cut-off date will be April 28, meaning all productions on Broadway that wish to be included must have opened by that date. Nominations will be announced May 3 live from the Paramount Hotel.
The Beacon is much smaller than Radio City, meaning ticket-rationing and a likely struggle to seat the often large number of show producers. MSG Entertainment, which owns Radio City, also owns the Beacon.
"The 70th Annual Tony Awards" will air live June 12 at 8 PM ET/delayed PT on CBS.
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(The Associated Press contributed to this report)
