New Tony Category Will Honor Broadway Replacement Stars

The Tony Awards Administrative Committee has announced a new Tony category: Best Performance by an Actor/Actress Recreating a Role. The group also made the first eligibility decisions of the 2005-2006 season.

The new Tony category will allow stars joining shows during their runs to be honored with the prestigious award. In order for a performer to be eligible for a Tony Award in the Best Performance by an Actor/Actress Recreating a Role category, the actor or actress must not have appeared in the role when the production opened on Broadway. They must also be contracted in the role for a minimum of six months of public performances. Additionally, the producers may not submit more than two candidates per "Long-Running" Show meaning all eligible Broadway theater productions that have opened in a prior season, continues to be performed on a reasonably conventional playing schedule, and was eligible for nomination for a Tony Award for Best Play, Best Musical, Best Revival for the Award including both Actor and Actress for any such season. Those eligible for Recreated Role must be playing a role, which was eligible for Best Performance category by a Leading Actor or Leading Actress for the Tony Awards given for the season in which such production first opened. The committee will meet on a case-by-case basis to discuss eligibility of performers who joined productions before the start of this season. In other words, Michele Pawk would likely be eligible for a 2006 Tony Award in this category for her performance in Mamma Mia! which she joins in October. But the committee would have to meet to determine whether Harvey Fierstein, who joined the company of Fiddler on the Roof last season, could win this award. Rosie O'Donnell, Fierstein's Fiddler co-star, is automatically not eligible because she is not scheduled to be with the show for six months or more.

All decisions made today in the acting categories were consistent with opening night credits. The typical rule of thumb for acting nominations is above-the-title billing means a person is considered in the leading category, while below-the-title billing equals consideration for awards as a featured performer. Every situation is different and each year, producers petition for certain people to be considered in a particular way.

It was determined by the Tony Administration Committee that The Blonde in the Thunderbird will be considered in the Special Theatrical Event category. Mark Twain Tonight! did not complete eligibility requirements, and thus the production cannot be nominated for a Tony Award. Another one-person show, Primo, will be considered in the Best Play category.

The eligibility cut-off date for the 2006 Tony Awards is May 10 with nominations being announced on May 16. The 60th Annual Tony Awards will take place on June 11 at Radio City Music Hall.