I don't think their announcement was "so" early. Tours for the 2012-2013 season have already been booked. It makes sense that they would want to get their name out there for the following season, especially with the Spring Road Conference coming up in May.
Also, I don't think anyone on the nominating committee as a vested interest in whether a show is touring or not. Here's a list of this year's members:
John Arnone - Scenic Designer
Victoria Bailey - Executive Director, Theatre Development Fund
David Caddick - Music Supervisor
Kathleen Chalfant - Actor
Hope Clarke - Stage Director/Choreographer/Actor
Douglas J. Cohen - Composer/Lyricist/Playwright
André de Shields - Actor
Bert Fink - Senior Vice President/Communications, Imagem USA/R&H: An Imagem Co.
Michael Greif - Director
Kathryn Grody - Actor/Writer
Paulette Haupt - Director of the Music Theatre Conference at The O'Neill Center
Mark Hollmann - Composer/Lyricist
Abe Jacob - Sound Designer
Robert Kamlot - Retired General Manager
Anne Kauffman - Director
Moisés Kaufman - Director/Playwright/Artistic Director, Tectonic Theater
Pia Lindström - Former Reporter/Theatre Critic
Todd London - Artistic Director, New Dramatists
Pam MacKinnon - Director
Donna McKechnie - Actor/Choreographer
Susan Rice - Playwright/Screenwriter
Mervyn Rothstein - Retired Writer and Editor, The New York Times
Susan H. Schulman - Director
Tobie S. Stein - Director, Graduate Program in Performing Arts and Management, Brooklyn College
Rosemarie Tichler - Theatre Educator/Author
Robert Viagas - Playbill Program Director/Editor
Carol Waaser - Retired Actors' Equity Association Official/Company & Stage Manager
Chay Yew - Playwright/Director; Artistic Director, Victory Gardens Theatre, Chicago, IL
Updated On: 4/5/12 at 10:45 PM
