Burning questions abound ahead of Sunday’s 78th Tony Awards, hosted for the first time by Cynthia Erivo and broadcast live from New York’s Radio City Music Hall.
Will Branden Jacobs-Jenkins’ Pulitzer-winning “Purpose” win best play over comedian Cole Escola’s bawdy “Oh, Mary!”? Will George Clooney pull off a win for best performance by an actor in a leading role? Will “Maybe Happy Ending” get a truly happy ending by taking the statuette for best musical? It is, after all, leading the pack with 10 nominations, tied with “Buena Vista Social Club” and “Death Becomes Her.”
This season has been arguably one of the best in recent years for Broadway shows, with fine offerings including “John Proctor Is the Villain,” “Dead Outlaw,” “Real Women Have Curves: The Musical” and “Yellow Face.” Actors hoping to take home a Tony include Darren Criss, Daniel Dae Kim, Mia Farrow, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Sadie Sink, Sarah Snook, Jeremy Jordan, Conrad Ricamora and Bob Odenkirk.
This year will also feature a 10th anniversary reunion performance by the cast of “Hamilton,” as well as a variety of spirited performances by this year’s crop of musical nominees.
So, how to watch it all?
Criss — who was nominated for the first time this year — and Tony-winner Renée Elise Goldsberry will host a live pre-show, “The Tony Awards: Act One,” which begins at 3:40 p.m. Pacific and can be viewed for free on Pluto TV, by clicking on the “live music” channel.
The main ceremony is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. Pacific, directly after the pre-show. It will air live on CBS and be available to stream for subscribers of Paramount+ with Showtime. If you’re a regular Paramount+ subscriber, you won’t be able to watch the show until the following day, when it will be featured as a special on-demand option.
If you don’t have Paramount+, fear not. The streamer is offering a seven-day free trial. If you keep the service past the allotted time, it costs $12.99 per month. The regular Paramount+ plan without Showtime — called Paramount+ Essential — costs $7.99 per month.
