Some of pop, rock, and country music’s greatest to be honored during Broadway’s biggest night
The Boss’ Broadway run has earned him a Tony Award. The American Theatre Wing’s annual extravaganza honors excellence in American theatre, specifically Broadway musicals.
Last year, Bruce Springsteen began a stint on the Great White Way with a solo acoustic show at the Walter Kerr theatre called Springsteen on Broadway. During the show, Springsteen shares stories from his life, career, and reads from his memoir Born to Run. Just him onstage with a guitar and piano, the show contextualizes some of the Boss’ biggest hits with stories from his life. The stripped down evening has received rave reviews from both music and theater critics, and has extended to the end of 2018.
This week, the American Theater Wing announced that Springsteen will receive a Special Tony Award for his run. The show brought renewed, broader attention to New York theater. So much so that tickets must be distributed via a Ticketmaster lottery system.
Also announced — along with all regular category nominations — were Special Tony recipients Chita Rivera and Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber, both receiving their award for Lifetime Acheivement in the Theatre. The category for Springsteen’s special award, and that of legendary actor John Leguizamo, have yet to be announced.
This year, the Broadway lights shine brighter with more star power than usual. Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, Lady Antebellum, and more celebs are nominated for Best Score of a Musical for Spongebob Squarepants: The Musical. Pop stars Josh Groban and Sarah Barielles will co-host the telecast. The former made his Broadway debut in Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812. The latter wrote and later starred in the musical Waitress.
The 72nd Annual Tony Awards will be broadcast Sunday, June 10th at 8 pm live from Radio City Music Hall in New York City. It airs live in the Eastern and Central time zones, and will be delayed for the West Coast on CBS.
