Broadway’s Back!, the live two-hour broadcast special immediately following this Sunday’s streaming-only Tony Awards ceremony, will include appearances by Kristin Chenoweth, André De Shields, Jake Gyllenhaal, Audra McDonald, Idina Menzel, Lin-Manuel Miranda, and more, CBS and The American Theatre Wing announced today.
The special, presented live on Sunday, Sept. 26 from Broadway’s Winter Garden Theatre, will be hosted by Leslie Odom, Jr.
Designed as a celebration of Broadway’s return to the stage following the Covid pandemic shutdown, the special (full title: The Tony Awards Present: Broadway’s Back!) airs on CBS from 9-11 pm ET (live) and PT (delayed). The special also will be available to stream live and on demand on Paramount+.
The concert special will include Broadway performers and Tony Award winners re-uniting on stage to perform classics, and will feature performances from the three Tony-nominated Best Musical contenders: Jagged Little Pill, Moulin Rouge! The Musical, and Tina: The Tina Turner Musical.
The line-up of Broadway’s Back! performers and presenters released today also includes Annaleigh Ashford, Kerry Butler, Christopher Jackson, Ruthie Ann Miles, Bebe Neuwirth, Leslie Odom, Jr., Kelli O’Hara, Ben Platt, Jeremy Pope, Chita Rivera, Daphne Rubin-Vega and BD Wong. Additional performers and presenters will be announced later this week.
Earlier this month, Chenoweth announced her first collection of holiday music in more than a decade. Happiness is…Christmas! puts Chenoweth’s unmistakable stamp on a dozen songs celebrating everyone’s favorite time of year.
“The inspiration for this album was light. Light at the end of the tunnel,” says Chenoweth. “It’s been a difficult time for all. With the cover and some of the songs, light is a big theme. I wanted to make a Christmas album for everybody.”
She continues, “I wanted songs on the album that people can enjoy, that make them smile. It’s a fun record, yet intimate — just like Christmas with my family.”
Visit the official Tony Awards website for more information.