Dramatists Guild Issues Statement Objecting Omission From Tony Awards Broadcast

The Dramatists Guild of America has issued a stern statement regarding the presumed omission of the "Best Book of a Musical" award from the Tony Award Ceremony this Sunday. The full statement from the D.G.A. President, noted Composer Stephen Schwartz, is as follows:

It has come to the attention of The Dramatists Guild of America that at the Tony Award Ceremony this Sunday, the award for Best Book of a Musical will be given off the air, in the hour before the network broadcast begins.

The Guild objects in the strongest possible terms to the exclusion of this award from the live broadcast. We have received assurances in the past that the Tony producers recognize that this is an important award and that they would reinstate it in the show that everybody sees.

As writers we understand that the television show needs to be entertaining in order to attract and hold its audience. And the Guild recognizes that many of its members' brother and sister artists, from designers to choreographers to orchestrators, will be similarly disadvantaged on Sunday night.

Nevertheless, the theater is always spoken of as "The Writer's Medium", as was even said in last year's broadcast. So it seems especially ironic that the awards show that purports to represent the theater gives less recognition to writers than the motion picture industry's Academy Awards.

We strongly urge that the Best Book Award be put back where it belongs. Live, on the air.

Stephen Schwartz
President
Dramatists Guild of America

--

Laura Benanti and Brian Stokes Mitchell will host the Creative Arts portion of the 2009 Tony Awards. At 7pm, viewers will be able to login at TonyAwards.com to watch the Creative Arts categories immediately prior to the CBS Broadcast. It is not yet known which awards will fill this segment, however last year's categories included Best Orchestrations and the Design awards.

Several additional performers were recently announced for this years Tony Awards telecast. Dolly Parton along with the cast of 9 to 5: The Musical; Elton John with the cast of Billy Elliot, The Musical; Liza Minnelli; Stockard Channing; and the band Poison along with the cast of Rock of Ages, will be taking the stage, joining previously announced performances by this year's Tony-nominated Best Musicals and Best Musical Revivals, including: Billy Elliot, The Musical; Guys and Dolls; HAIR; Next to Normal; Pal Joey; Rock of Ages; Shrek the Musical; and West Side Story.

Celebrating Broadway Across America - this year's Tony Telecast will also feature some of Broadway's favorites who are currently touring cities across the United States - Jersey Boys, Legally Blonde The Musical and Mamma Mia! Becky Gulsvig, who is on tour as Elle Woods in Legally Blonde, The Musical, will perform a number from the hit show. The Jersey Boys performance will feature five current actors who are currently playing the role of Frankie Valli, in various performances - Joseph Leo Bwarie, representing the Toronto company; Rick Faugno, representing the Las Vegas company, Courter Simmons, representing the national tour and Dominic Scaglione, Jr. representing the Chicago company, will perform a number together from the show. Michelle Dawson, Kittra Wynn Coomer and Rachel Tyler, who star in the North American Tour of MAMMA MIA!, will perform a song from that international hit.

Presenters for the 63rd Annual Tony Awards include, Lucie Arnaz, Kate Burton, Kristin Chenoweth, Jeff Daniels, Hope Davis, Edie Falco, Will Ferrell, Carrie Fisher, Jane Fonda, Hallie Foote, James Gandolfini, Lauren Graham, Colin Hanks, Marcia Gay Harden, Nicole Kidman, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Lange, Frank Langella, Angela Lansbury, Samantha Mathis, Audra McDonald, Lin-Manuel Miranda, David Hyde Pierce, Piper Perabo, Oliver Platt, Susan Sarandon, Kevin Spacey, John Stamos and Chandra Wilson.

Hosted by Neil Patrick Harris, The Tony Awards will be broadcast live in HD, from Radio City Music Hall on CBS, Sunday, June 7th, 8:00 - 11:00 p.m. (ET/PT time delay). The 2009 Tony Awards are presented by the Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing. To view the live Tony Awards pre-telecast, featuring the Creative Arts Awards, please log onto www.TonyAwards.com at 7:00 p.m. (EST) on Sunday, June 7th. For the first time ever, fans in the New York area are invited to watch the Tony Awards simulcast in Times Square. Live from Radio City Music Hall, the Tony Awards will be simulcast on the Clearchannel Spectacolor HD Screen, from 7:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. and will feature the pre-telecast Creative Arts Awards and the Tony Awards broadcast. Seating will be provided in Duffy Square.