How the pandemic shaped the shadow nominations landscape for 2022

The list of nominees for the 2022 Tony Awards, announced Monday morning, is a portrait of pandemic theater.

After a truly unique stint on the Great White Way, Tony voters largely shunned this year’s spring celebrity, even for the cast. Plaza SuitesSarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick, MacbethDaniel Craig and funny girlBeanie Feldstein: Tributes to the many fall and early winter shows that have progressed and reopened New York’s theater district after COVID-19 shut it down for nearly two years.

The 2022 nominees scene includes past artists such as Ruben Santiago-Hudson’s solo show. Lacavana Blues And a similar rock-show narrative of the lives of Henry IIIV’s wives. Sixth: Musical – Performances that not only beat known competition and pandemic-weary audiences en route to the nominations, but also used the toughest version of the season’s health protocols (currently in retreat), while also challenging the potential short-term memory advantage of voters for spring. show.

Showcasing around 600 days of creative work (on break), about half of this year’s nominees have already debuted in early 2020, before industry scenes went dark on March 12 at 5pm. when a pandemic swept the world Company, the Lehman trilogy, The Music Man, Hangmen, American Buffalo, Take Me Out, Caroline o Change, Diana, The Musical, The Minutes, Mrs. Doubtfire, Suite Plaza, Clyde’s s dana h

fly over the sunsetWhoever received four nominations, was scheduled to start a preview on the exact day of closing, while others, such as Mary-Louise Parker and David Morse. how I learned to useWhich won three nominations, was on track to be released in late spring.

Upon its return, of the nearly 30 performances nominated for the 2022 Awards, about half were scheduled to open or preview between Broadway’s official opening night, September 14, 2021, and February 1, 2022. Lehmann Trilogy, Sexto: Musical, Girl from the North, MJ, Musician, Clyde, Flying into the Sunset, Mental Problems, Caroline or the Change, Dana H., Skeleton Crew, Diana, Musical, Lacavana Blues s Mrs Dutfair.

Some of these were premieres of Omicron, or any show that had a mid-November to early February review, when the original version of the variant covered Broadway. That’s when the revival and the box office giant a man of musicStarring Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster, it opened for review at the Winter Garden Theater before having to cancel performances for more than a week after the two stars became infected with COVID-19.

The period between Thanksgiving and early February was one of the toughest times of the season, making it much harder to find products than Delta Wave products in late August and September. The high turnover of the COVID-19 version led to a string of cancellations, resulting in the closure of nine separate Broadway shows for one or even a few shows in just one week, one of the busiest and most financially profitable times in history. .

for this skeleton gang, Dominic Morriso’s third record in his acclaimed Detroit cycle (it received three nominations, including Best Play), even previews were pushed back to early 2022 due to its limited run at the Manhattan Theater Club. Its official opening was delayed several times; skeleton gang It is one of the nominees, which also includes musicals. Mrs. Daubtfeier, six s a man of music, whose opening and show times were directly affected by the omicron wave of the winter break. More than 10 of the 29 nominees for spring performances suffered a COVID-related cancellation due to one or more days off.

Omicron Impregnated Locks, which included previous Tony nominees and winners Little irregular pill, not too proud s waitress – They are also represented in this year’s group of nominees. Despite an almost two-year hiatus from production, the reconstruction of the kidnapping of Lucas Hannat’s mother, dana hHe is among this year’s Tony nominees, which represents the end of the season because of the impact of the pandemic.

While other programs like problems in the mind s invite me to go outThose who have won four nominations are limited participants, Dana H., For Girls of Color Who Considered Suicide / When the Rainbow Is Enough s fly over the sunset All closed early, some citing the impact of COVID or low ticket sales during a difficult season.

The two Tony nominees also show how producers took unprecedented steps during the season (after others received Save Our Stages Act relaunch grants) to continue their production despite the shutdown. A girl from a northern country. – which won seven nominations, including Best Musical Direction and Best Orchestration (another big nomination for the duo following Grammy nominations from Conor McPherson and Simon Hale earlier this year) – s Mrs Dutfair, What brought an honor to the lead actor of the musical Rob McCurry, he took a break. This official closure, with the intention of reopening the post-micron, has even replaced these last theaters with the return of spring.

Another way the 2022 Tony nominations have captured the unique nature of the pandemic season is through recognition of its black playwrights. Eight black writers, including the late Alice Children under the direction of Charles Randolph Wright, made their debut not only in one of Broadway’s boldest moments, but also in the same season: a record. Half of these products – Lynn Noteage clydeMorris skeleton gang, Santiago-Hudson Lacavana Blues And baby’ problems in the mind – Received a total of 13 nominations. (Notage has five, Childres has four, Morrisso has three, and Santiago-Hudson has one.)

Hollywood names including nominees Ruth Nega, Sam Rockwell, Jesse Williams, Billy Crystal, Hugh Jackman, Sutton Foster, Mar Wininham, Uzo Aduba, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Phyllis Rashad, Ron Tsefa Jones and Rachel, among others. on Broadway, brings together nominees for leading and supporting actors in musicals and performances.

But the naivety of Parker, Broderick and Craig, all three, missed performances before the nomination deadline, which was eventually extended due to COVID-related opening delays, as well as Feldstein, funny girl With Jane Lynch and The businessKatrina Lenk shows that this season is a more challenging and unpredictable version of live performance, no matter who you are.