I'm going to be in New York the week before/weekend of the Tony Awards, and a friend and I were thinking of slipping away to see a show. Unfortunately, it looks like our best shot at it, timeframe-wise, would be a matinee on Tony Sunday (June 8 ). I was wondering if shows that are nominated typically use a lot of understudies that day (as some of the stars perform at the awards show)? It would definitely influence what show we try to see. Specifically, we're interested in If/Then and Hedwig, but if it was a situation where the "names" were going to sit out, we'd probably see something else and hit those another time. Thanks in advance for any insights!
For those two, I'd doubt it. In Hedwig's case, they'd have to cancel the show-he doesn't have a standby. With If/Then, I'm guessing not, but I don't know. (I have gone to a Tony day mat every year for at least five years now and never had the leads call out.)
It's really a fun day for nominated shows and performers and they will make every effort to be at the show. They'll only call out if they're really sick and don't want to take a risk of having to miss the awards.
Part of the fun of the whole day for nominees is quickly getting out of costume/makeup, running to get hair and makeup done and dressed for the Tonys and arriving on the red carpet all in the matter of hours.
Scratch and claw for every day you're worth!
Make them drag you screaming from life, keep dreaming
You'll live forever here on earth.
"Part of the fun of the whole day for nominees is quickly getting out of costume/makeup, running to get hair and makeup done and dressed for the Tonys and arriving on the red carpet all in the matter of hours."
It also makes for a pretty lucrative day for the wardrobe and wig/makeup departments, as a lot of them get an extra tip for the help they provide a lot of the actors in getting ready for the awards ceremony.