Striking Hollywood writers who have thrown the US entertainment industry into turmoil will put down their picket placards for one night next month to allow Broadway’s theatre community its moment in the sun. Under an agreement reached this week with the Writers Guild of America (WGA), the Tony awards will be broadcast. But failing a settlement in the interim, the event is expected to go ahead without a formal introduction or any scripted patter to join up the razzle-dazzle of acceptance speeches and musical numbers.
The union’s beef is with Hollywood film studios, not New York theatres. But in an unintended consequence, one of Broadway’s biggest stars, Lin‑Manuel Miranda – whose musical Hamilton won 11 Tonys in 2016 – withdrew from delivering the introduction in solidarity with his fellow writers. That may ring bells for UK football fans, who recently watched matches shorn of commentary due to Gary Lineker’s standoff with the BBC.
