The Tony Awards on Sunday are sure to paint a happy face on the Broadway season that just concluded with record high ticket sales of $1.7 billion and branded shows that will look to viewers of the CBS telecast like old friends.
Disney’s there, with “Frozen.” Nickelodeon’s there, with “SpongeBob SquarePants.” Harry Potter’s there, with “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child.” The Plastics are there with “Mean Girls.” The Boss is there with, you know, the Boss. Even Broadway’s vaunted Golden Age is well represented, with “My Fair Lady” and “Carousel.”
The majority of these shows do not need a Tony to pump up sales. Even the front-runner for best musical, “The Band’s Visit,” is already selling tickets through February. With the exception of “SpongeBob SquarePants” — whose snoozy box office really could use a Tony boost to complement its reef of fins-up reviews — the contenders this Sunday look to have settled in for profitable runs.
