NEW YORK (AP) – The Tony Awards administration committee has decided that the Broadway musical “Shuffle Along” is a new show, a decision that puts it in the same Tony category as the megahit “Hamilton.”
Whether the show was a revival or brand new was a question mark since it has original songs but a completely new story. The show’s producers, led by Scott Rudin, had lobbied the Tony committee – which will announce nominees on Tuesday morning – to have the show considered a revival, in part to side-step going head-to-head with the very popular new musical “Hamilton.” The Tony committee disagreed Friday, voting the show to be a new musical.
As a new show, “Shuffle Along, Or The Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed” will now face off against potential candidates such as “Hamilton,” ”Waitress,” ”American Psycho,” ”Bright Star,” ”Tuck Everlasting” and “On Your Feet!”
The show, which opened Thursday, explores the groundbreaking 95-year-old musical “Shuffle Along,” one of the first Broadway shows starring, written and directed by African-Americans and the first show with a jazz score.
It stars six-time Tony winner Audra McDonald, Tony winner Brian Stokes Mitchell, Tony winner Billy Porter and Tony nominees Brandon Victor Dixon and Joshua Henry. Savion Glover did the choreography.