NEW YORK (AP) — Striking members of the Writers Guild of America have said they will not picket the broadcast of next month’s Tony Awards, clearing up a thorny issue facing show organizers and opening the door to a kind of of Broadway riot on TV.
Last week, the union turned down a request by Tony’s organizers to have a waiver for his dazzling June 11 live broadcast. He reiterated this in a statement Monday night, saying the union «will not negotiate an interim agreement or a waiver of the Tony Awards.»
But the guild gave some hope that some sort of Tony show could go on, saying that the organizers «are modifying this year’s show to meet the specific requests of the WGA, and therefore the WGA will not be picketing the show.» show». What is being changed is unclear, but it may be to allow an unscripted version of the Tonys to continue.
The strike, which has already darkened late night tv shows like «The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,» «The Late Show With Stephen Colbert,» and «Saturday Night Live» and delayed the making of scripted TV shows, he was jeopardizing the theater’s biggest night, one in which many Broadway shows rely on attracting the interest of millions of people watching.
The union, which represents 11,500 writers for film, television and other forms of entertainment, has been on strike since May 2 primarily from broadcast media royalties. Although the Guild does not represent Broadway writers, it does represent writers working on the Tonys broadcast.
Tony’s organizers faced a stark choice after the waiver request was rejected: postpone the ceremony until the strike ends, or announce the winners at a non-televised reception that would ask nominees to cross picket lines. Monday’s decision means the possibility of a third way: an unscripted show that relies heavily on performances.
That’s largely what happened during the 1988 awards, which aired during a Writers Guild of America strike. Host Angela Lansbury and the hosts speak impromptu and with performances from shows like «A Chorus Line» and «Anything Goes.»
Prior to the Writers Guild of America’s decision, a two-part Tony ceremony had been planned, with a pre-show of performances broadcast live on Pluto, and the main awards ceremony broadcast live on CBS and broadcast live. to Peacock premium tier members.
The first big awards show during the current strike was the mtv Movie And Television Awards, which had no host and was based on recycled clips and some pre-recorded acceptance speeches. The strike has also disrupted the PEN America Gala. The Peabody Awards, which celebrates broadcast and streaming media, canceled its June 11 awards show on Monday.