Abstract
Recent Broadway theatre seasons consistently saw record-breaking numbers of admissions and grosses, with musicals’ ticket sales making up 78–89% of annual Broadway grosses. The annual Tony Awards continue to serve as an influential theatre industry establishment that helps define a Broadway musical as exceptional and worthy of audiences, especially the awarding of the ‘Best Musical’ category (which can statistically have a profound impact on a production’s longevity). This article offers comprehensive surveying and discussions of significant components of a musical’s initial Broadway success in the 21st century. All 82 musicals that were nominated for or won the ‘Best Musical’ Tony Award between the years 2000 and 2019 are assessed for their source material and original Broadway run length. Subsequent discussions center on diversity and genres of musicals recognized by the Tony Awards, followed by conclusions and predictions of the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on Broadway’s future and the influence of the ‘Best Musical’ Tony Award. The results of this study display observable patterns among the musicals surveyed, including screen (film/tv) being the most prominent source material and at least a 10–12 month run after the Tony Awards ceremonies for all ‘Best Musical’ winners.
Highlights
Every year, multitudes of musical theatre fans eagerly await the Tony Awards’ announcement of which Broadway musical wins the coveted ‘Best Musical’ award
The findings of this article aim to contribute to the existing scope of research among nominees and winners of the ‘Best Musical’ Tony Award and to further dialogues on possible predictable patterns among theatre’s most prestigious award system
Since every step of birthing a Broadway musical comes with high risk, data from the first two decades of the 21st century appear to prove that being nominated for—and, especially, winning—the ‘Best Musical’ Tony Award is highly impactful for an elongated Broadway run, which, in turn, increases the chance of a musical becoming an industry and cultural ‘success’
Summary
Multitudes of musical theatre fans eagerly await the Tony Awards’ announcement of which Broadway musical wins the coveted ‘Best Musical’ award. This article argues that being a nominee or a winner of the ‘Best Musical’ Tony Award is the most crucial aspect for a Broadway musical’s journey towards measurable success, in both the observable beginning two decades of the 21st century and in the upcoming third decade following the devastating. Trends of previous 21st-century ‘Best Musical’ Tony Award winners and nominees are explored to discuss measurable patterns among these recognized musicals, with focus placed on comprehensive statistical surveying of source materials and original Broadway run lengths. This article provides an up-to-date analysis of the unprecedented impacts of COVID-19 on Broadway (in comparison to previous shutdowns), concluding with speculations of future trends and predictions of increasing levels of influence that the ‘Best Musical’ Tony Award may possess in post-pandemic Broadway
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