Tony Awards postponed indefinitely due to coronavirus

The 74th Tony Awards ceremony has been postponed indefinitely due to the novel coronavirus.

The Broadway-lauding ceremony was scheduled to air on CBS, broadcasting live on June 7 from Radio City Music Hall in New York City. It was announced Wednesday that the event will be postponed and rescheduled at a later date.

“The health and safety of the Broadway community, artists and fans is of the utmost importance to us,� read a statement from Tony Award Productions.

“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.�

The indefinite postponement of the ceremony comes after Broadway closed all shows through April 12.

Sixteen high-profile plays and musicals were set to open between March 12, the day Broadway first suspended performances, and April 27, the season’s eligibility cutoff date for the Tony Awards.

Some shows — including the West End transfer of “Caroline, or Change,� the play “Birthday Candles� with Debra Messing and the new musical “Flying Over Sunset� — have announced plans to instead open in the fall.

Other productions — including Martin McDonagh’s play “Hangmen� with Dan Stevens (“Downton Abbey�) and Joe Mantello’s revival of “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?� starring Laurie Metcalf and Rupert Everett — have already scrapped plans to reopen when Broadway eventually does.

The Tonys’ postponement comes after that of the Olivier Awards, the annual ceremony that celebrates the London theater community. Although those nominations were announced earlier this month, the telecast revealing the winners will not air on April 5.

Instead, Jason Manford, who was set to host that event at London’s Royal Albert Hall, will emcee an hour-long special that showcases performances and speeches from various Olivier ceremonies over the last 10 years.