The Tony’s Twisted Path: ‘Can You Believe We’re Here?’


The backups became the heroes of the season: One night “Come from afarNine out of 12 artists were on standby, including alumni and members of tour companies who had flown in to help. “Thoughts of a Colorful Man”, the playwright to save a night; director in “Macbeth” did the same. Last week, on “Girl From the North Country,” actor Anthony Edwards, best known for “ER,” stepped onto a script after just an hour of rehearsal and was eager to help out with a show starring his Tony-nominated wife, Mare. . Winningham.

This resourcefulness has reduced show cancellations, but hasn’t eliminated them. “Moulin Rouge!”, which won a Tony Award for best musical last week, canceled four performances, while “The Skin of Our Teeth” canceled three.

And dealing with Covid has been costly. For example, a mid-range production, a remake of Tony’s nominated “Caroline, or Change,” spent an additional $10,000 to $15,000 each week on pandemic containment, according to Sydney Beers, executive producer of the Roundabout Theater Company that produced the show.

Roundabout increased spending on immigration lawyers – the show’s Tony-nominated star, Sharon D. Clarkeand six members of his creative team are British and travel was still restricted when rehearsals resumed. The theater kept the extra backup knowing that Covid could lead to more absenteeism. And he assembled a three-person Covid security team that ran 7,000 PCR tests over the three months of the show, testing each employee at least three times a week and sometimes daily depending on caseloads in the city.



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