Yesterday, the Tony Awards Administration Committee announced that the 74th annual Tonys will present three special awards for the 2019-20 Broadway season. The recipients of 2020 Special Tony Awards are the anti-racism advocacy organization Broadway Advocacy Coalition and two shows from the season that are set to return to Broadway this fall: American Utopia and Freestyle Love Supreme. The ceremony will air on September 26, starting with the awards presentation at 7:00 p.m. ET on Paramount+, followed by The Tony Awards Present: Broadway’s Back! on CBS and Paramount+.
The Broadway Advocacy Coalition is an arts-based advocacy nonprofit dedicated to using storytelling in dismantling systems that perpetuate racism. Founded in 2016 by Jackie Bell, Amber Iman, Cameron J Ross, Britton Smith, Adrienne Warren and Christian Dante White, BAC has grown into a multidisciplinary organization that unites artists, legal experts, and community advocates on issues from criminal justice reform to education equity to immigration. Below is their video “What Now?” about supporting BIPOC leaders as theaters reopen.
American Utopia began as an album in 2018. Later that year, the theatrical concert that included songs from the album, as well as the Talking Heads and David Byrne’s solo career, toured around the world, including a Broadway run. Spike Lee’s film of the show opened the Toronto International Film Festival and premiered on HBO earlier this year. The show returns to Broadway on September 17, with David Byrne and all the original musicians. Below is the trailer for the HBO film.
Freestyle Love Supreme was created by Thomas Kail, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and Anthony Veneziale in the basement of the Drama Book Shop in 2004 and worked its way to Broadway in 2019. The show features a comedic improvisational musical structure and rotating cast, who create the show live every night with the audience contributing words, ideas, and inspiration. Freestyle Love Supreme will return to Broadway for a limited engagement on October 7. Below is the trailer for the Hulu documentary about the show.