Tony Awards doubles the fun for its upcoming ceremonies

New York, New York – The Tony Awards has announced its hosting pick for the upcoming ceremonies, which will air for the first time in two parts across multiple platforms, and the duo is a pair of Broadway fan favorites!

Audra McDonald (l.) and Leslie Odom, Jr. (r.) will host the 74th annual Tony Awards next Sunday night.
Audra McDonald (l.) and Leslie Odom, Jr. (r.) will host the 74th annual Tony Awards next Sunday night.  © Courtesy: Allison Michael Orenstein & Tony Duran

On Monday, CBS and the Tony Awards aptly announced not one, but two hosts for its upcoming two-part awards broadcast on September 26, and they didn't disappoint.

Leslie Odom, Jr. and Audra McDonald, both multiple time Tony, Emmy, and Grammy Award winners, will helm the show for double the fun.

"Broadway's back, and that deserves more than just a big dance number!" Odom, Jr. said on Monday.

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The Tony Awards Present: Broadway’s Back! will air live from the Winter Garden Theatre and celebrate both Broadway's reopening and the 74th annual awards for the pandemic-shortened 2019-2020 theater season.

"Leslie and Audra are two extraordinary talents, who have captivated audiences from the stage to the screen," said Heather Hitchens, President and CEO of the American Theatre Wing and Charlotte St. Martin, President of The Broadway League, who produce the Tonys. "They are both beloved members of our Broadway community, and we know that fans will look to them for inspiration, comfort and pure joy."

The ceremonies will be a two part event. McDonald will host the festivities from 7 to 9PM EST, which will air exclusively on the streaming service Paramount+ and present most of the night's awards.

Then, Odom, Jr. will take the reins from 9 to 11 PM EST for a live star-studded concert event on CBS. It will include classic and new musical performances, including from the three Tony-nominated Best Musical contenders, followed by the presentation of accolades for Best Play, Best Revival of a Play, and Best Musical.

"I’m elated that the Tony Awards are back!" said McDonald, a record-breaking six-time Tony winner and Best Actress nominee again this year. "I am so glad that we’ve found a way to gather safely to honor and recognize all the incredible work that was done in the 2019-20 season."

"Broadway is a part of my DNA and I’m so thrilled to see it open back up again," said Odom, Jr. "There are so many talented artists going back to work and doing what they love for audiences who have missed these tremendous performances. I’m very happy to host The Tony Awards Present: Broadway’s Back!"

The awards show will kick off next Sunday, September 26 at 7 PM EST on Paramount+.

Cover photo: Courtesy: Allison Michael Orenstein & Tony Duran

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