Coronavirus: Tony Awards postponed after pandemic shuts down Broadway

Less than two weeks after Broadway theaters temporarily closed their doors to help slow the spread of coronavirus, producers of the Tony Awards announced Wednesday that this year’s ceremony is being postponed.

According to The Associated Press, officials have not yet set a new date for the theater awards show, which had been slated for June 7 at New York's Radio City Music Hall. A statement posted to the Tony Awards' official Instagram account said only that the ceremony, which will air on CBS, "will be postponed and rescheduled at a later date."

"The health and safety of the Broadway community, artists and fans are of the utmost importance to us," the statement read. "We will announce new dates and additional information once Broadway opens again. We are looking forward to celebrating Broadway and our industry when it is safe to do so."

Explore>> See the post here

View this post on Instagram

The 74th Annual Tony Awards, scheduled to air live on the CBS Television Network on Sunday, June 7th from Radio City Music Hall in New York City, will be postponed and rescheduled at a later date, in coordination with our broadcast partner. The health and safety of the Broadway community, artists and fans are of the utmost importance to us. We will announce new dates and additional information once Broadway opens again. We are looking forward to celebrating Broadway and our industry when it is safe to do so. #tonyawards

A post shared by The Tony Awards (@thetonyawards) on Mar 25, 2020 at 11:32am PDT

Broadway's shutdown, which began March 12 and will last through April 12, has delayed the openings of several shows, such as "Mrs. Doubfire" and "Diana," the New York Times and the AP reported.

According to Johns Hopkins University, more than 30,000 coronavirus cases and 280 deaths had been reported in New York City by Thursday morning.