By now you probably know that SPRING AWAKENING won multiple Tony Awards including Best Musical for 2007 and the Tony for Best Play was bestowed upon THE COAST OF UTOPIA, among other awards. What you may not have known is how those winners were determined. The Tony Awards are presented by Tony Award Productions, a joint venture of the League of American Theatres and Producers and the American Theatre Wing. In between numerous benefits and events last week leading up to the 61st Annual Tony Awards on Sunday night, Charlotte St. Martin, Executive Director for the League, took time out of her busy schedule to talk Tonys.
The Tony Awards were first established in 1947 and voting was limited at that time to members of the board of the American Theatre Wing and of entertainment industry performer and craft unions. Voting eligibility was expanded in 1954 to include other theatre professionals and today there are approximately 750 eligible voters, a number that fluctuates slightly each year. “Generally, it’s all of the full-members of the League which is about 500 – 550, then it’s the Board of Directors of the American Theatre Wing, it’s a certain number of critics and a certain number of trade representatives,” St. Martin said.
Also included are members of the governing boards of Actors' Equity Association, the Dramatists Guild, the Society of Stage Directors and Choreographers, United Scenic Artists, and the Association of Theatrical Press Agents and Managers; persons whose names appear on the opening night press list; members of the Theatrical Council of the Casting Society of America; and active members of the League.
Nominations are determined by the Tony Awards Nominating Committee, a rotating group of up to 30 theatre professionals selected by the Tony Awards Administration Committee. Nominators serve for consecutive three-year terms. They are asked to see every new Broadway production or at least to refrain from voting in any category in which they have not seen all of the nominees. The Committee then meets on the Monday evening following the Tony eligibility deadline. They vote for the nominations on secret ballots supervised by the accounting firm, Lutz & Carr. The results are then announced early the following morning. Voting for the Tony Awards takes place in the weeks before the June awards ceremony by secret ballot. “It’s a pretty secretive, very well-guarded process,” explained St. Martin. In fact, it’s quite similar to how Academy Award-winners are only known in advance by the accounting company until the envelope is opened live on stage.
There are currently 25 competitive Tony Award categories and ties do occur from time to time. Though they have represented the pinnacle of theatrical excellence since their inception, the American Theatre Wing's Tony Awards have evolved over the years. Particularly, the number and designation of the various categories have changed. For example, although the awards were established in 1947, there was no Tony for Best Play until the following year when MISTER ROBERTS by Thomas Heggen and Joshua Logan was so honored. The first Best Musical award had to wait two years to make its debut as well. KISS ME, KATE was the first musical to receive that award, in 1949. The award for Special Theatrical Event dates only to 2002.
Millions of people tuned-in on Sunday to find out not only who won for Best Musical or Best Play but to also watch the dazzling performance numbers showcasing the Great White Way’s finest. St. Martin agreed by saying, “I love live entertainment and I love to see what these talented people do. I like it of all the award shows, always best, because there’s more live entertainment. It’s not just about awards.”
By: Beth Cox
