The Tony Awards, named after Antoinette Perry, are annual awards for excellence in theater. Winners are chosen by designated members of the American theater community, with the biggest awards being Best Play and Best Musical. Despite criticisms, the Tonys are seen as a vital part of bringing business and audiences to live theater productions.
The Tony Awards are considered by many to be the equivalent of the Academy Awards for the theater world. Since 1947, the Tonys have been awarded annually to comedies, musicals and revivals of the American theater scene. Currently, awards are presented in 27 categories in an annual show, although some additional awards are presented in separate ceremonies.
Though commonly called Tonys, the awards bestowed by the American Theater Wing and the Broadway League are properly called the Antoinette Perry Awards for Excellence in Theater. The awards are named after Antoinette Perry, an American theater legend and co-founder of the American Theater Wing. Although first awarded in 1947, the Tony Awards did not gain real recognition until 1949, when the famous medallion statuette was first awarded.
Much like the Academy Awards, winners are chosen by designated members of the American theater community. Nominations are made by a select group of approximately 30 theater professionals and voted on by approximately 750 invited theater professionals. With the exception of a few discretionary categories, such as the award for best regional theater, the winners are announced during a ceremony in April each year. Since 1967, the award show has been broadcast on television and since the beginning of the 21st century has gained considerable popularity as a variety show.
The Tony Awards categories cover many areas of theatre, both technical and creative. The biggest awards are for Best Play and Best Musical, accolades considered comparable to winning the Best Picture Academy Award. Other notable categories include acting, directing, and design awards. In 2008, the importance of sound design to theater was finally recognized with the introduction of the Tony Awards for Best Sound Design in both the Theater and Music categories.
Due to history’s incredible tradition in the theater world, Tonys are also awarded and furiously sought for the best revivals. This allows theater companies to receive an alert for outstanding productions of plays and musicals that have been produced previously. Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman and Noel Coward’s Private Lives have both been awarded Tonys in recent years for Best Revival of a Play. The King and I, Fiddler on the Roof and Cabaret all have the honor of winning Tony Awards in both their original productions and in the Best Revival of a Musical categories.
The Tonys suffer from a certain amount of criticism similar to that leveled at the Academy Awards. Critics believe the awards promote the work of a handful of qualified theaters while ignoring the equal or superior work of theater companies that do not meet the eligibility requirements. Only 39 theaters in the New York City Broadway area are designated as eligible for Tony consideration, leaving theaters outside the geographic area with no potential for the beneficial commercial exposure gained by receiving nominations and awards.
Despite the criticisms, the Tonys are seen as a vital part of bringing business and audiences to live theater productions. In an age where it’s easier and more affordable to visit a movie theater, influencing people to choose to spend the additional money and effort to see a theater show is required to keep all live theaters afloat. The Tonys serve an important purpose in the theater community, because while it’s true that Off-Broadway and regional shows may be overlooked by the glamorous awards show, it continues to bring exposure to live theater as a whole and welcome new audiences to the world of the stage.
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