The 78th Tony Awards were handed out this past Sunday, June 8. Among the big winners were "Maybe Happy Ending" — which took home the most awards with six including Best Musical — and Branden Jacobs-Jenkins' "Purpose," which won Best Play.

But how much do big wins and multiple nominations translate into ticketing success both on The Great White Way in Manhattan and on the road when these shows are primed for touring? We asked some of our top INTIX theater professionals and other experts.

When Tony Gives His Regards to Broadway

Lauren Reid, the president of John Gore Organization, which owns and operates Broadway Across America, says, “The impact of a Tony nomination — and especially a win — helps raise awareness and excitement for new shows. A great performance on the telecast can get amplified on media platforms, reaching millions of new potential ticket buyers. The Tonys catalyze excitement, introduce audiences to new titles and help educate the public on the artistry behind each production. It builds anticipation not only for the shows currently on Broadway, but for the tours those productions will soon launch.”

David Andrews, Senior VP, Ticketing, The Shubert Organization, states, “The impact for a show can be huge, especially after a spectacular Tonys performance. Our team monitors site traffic and sales activity during the Tony Awards telecast, looking for spikes, and it’s fascinating to see how audiences react to the winners and start searching for tickets in real time.”

Crystal Brewe, Chief Marketing & Audience Experience Officer for Ensemble Arts (Kimmel Center) in Philadelphia, calls Tony success the ultimate stamp of approval — like a Michelin star for musicals. She then went on to liken even just a few Tony nominations as “Broadway’s version of rocket fuel. It gives a show a visible boost, especially if used regularly in marketing. It’s like having a stellar job on a resume. It just makes you more marketable.”

She continues, “But a Tony win? That’s jet propulsion! The week after the Tonys, box office numbers can jump by 12% or more, and the glow keeps shows running longer, sometimes by six months to two years longer. Even just performing at the Tonys can send ticket sales soaring, as millions of viewers are suddenly exposed to an actual sneak peek.”

Blumenthal Arts President and CEO Tom Gabbard believes the nominations have their greatest ticket sales impact in Manhattan “during that five-week or so period between nominations and the awards. … I’d rank a great performance as offering by far the biggest boost to interest in seeing a show in New York and on the road. People can get excited watching a performance in the broadcast, and in the numerous repeats afterwards for years.”

Cincinnati Arts Association President Steve Loftin says it is on the individual level where Tony nominations, Tony wins and certainly memorable performances on the live program can have the greatest influence. “It helps to ‘push’ someone up who might have been considering it [to buy a ticket],” he reasons.

Lisa Cecchini is a Managing Partner at New York-based Situation Interactive, which delivers full-service marketing and advertising for live events ranging from theatre to sports. She has presented on this very topic. She says, “Last year, we did some research with The Shubert Organization and Broadway Direct that was presented in an event called ‘The Tony Effect’ in July. The research was based on a survey of over 6,000 theatergoers.”

Key takeaways included a majority of multi-show Broadway ticket buyers who watch the Tony Awards each year to “a Best Performance by an Actor/Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical win is often just as influential in driving sales as a Best Musical/Best Revival of a Musical win.”

More recently, last month, she and her Situation colleagues did some research with Ticketmaster that was presented at an event called "Broadway on the Road". The research was based on a poll of more than 5,000 regional theatergoers nationwide. She says, “Only 40% said that winning the Tony Award for Best Musical or Best Play might make them more likely to purchase that show. Our takeaway is that being the Tony Award-winning Best Musical is not as impactful on the road as it is in New York City.”

Taking Tony on the Road

“Touring Broadway is back, and in many markets, it’s more roaring with new audiences and younger generations than before!” Brewe exclaims.

Tony success can be one of the strongest marketing tools for a touring Broadway show. Reid notes that shows proudly emphasize their Tony wins to establish their credibility, particularly for audiences who may be unfamiliar with the title. She states, “This is especially critical for original stories or lesser-known works that don’t carry the immediate recognition of a famous book, film or music catalogue. A Tony win signals to audiences that the production has been vetted at the highest level, making it a must-see event.”

Jamie Grant of Jamie Grant Management Group says the value of having a Tony-winning show on Broadway has the potential to extend the life of the show with newfound interest. He adds, “A Tony win together with the credentials of a Broadway run can also help touring shows throughout the country. Having said that, we must understand that a Broadway run has a chance to build word of mouth and loyal fans in a way that a one-week run does not have when the show is on the road. The touring theatres are still counting on the value of subscriptions or season tickets to sell less popular shows.”

So, are audiences around the country just as easily sold on a production being a “Broadway show” as a “Tony-winning Broadway show?” We posed that question to Greg Holland, President and CEO of Straz Center for the Performing Arts in Tampa. His response? “I believe a production that is successful on Broadway can succeed on the road whether or not it receives Tony Award nominations. ‘The Great Gatsby,’ for example, is a big success in New York City despite missing major Tony Award nominations.”

Gabbard concurred stating, “Fans want exciting, high-quality theatrical shows that are really memorable experiences. Their expectations for what constitutes something that is worth their time and money have never been higher. But attributes like awards are becoming less and less material to the general public fans that constitute the majority of our ticket buyers. The majority are just out to have a great evening.”

Shubert’s Andrews says, “People come to New York to see a Broadway show for a million reasons, and seeing the latest Tony winning play or musical is a huge reason. The shows’ marketing teams wait with bated breath to see if they can include any awards in their advertising. That said, a hit show with a decent run on Broadway, but no Tony wins, can perform very well both in New York City and on the road.”

It also depends on what award or awards a show takes home on the big night. “A Tony win for Best Musical is very different than Best Lighting Design in the eyes of audiences around the country!” Grant astutely observes.

Old Tony Still Has Box Office Legs

Of course, non-New York audiences are likely to still buy tickets more frequently and consistently to the old familiar standards like “Annie,” “The Phantom of the Opera” and “Les Misérables,” whose Tony Awards glory propelled their initial burst. Is that what INTIX’s “boots on the ground” are seeing?

Brewe says, “There’s no denying the timeless allure of the classics. ‘The Phantom of the Opera’ and ‘Les Miz' are still the comfort food of the Broadway world, drawing fans who want to relive the magic or introduce [the productions] to a new generation. These shows are cultural landmarks, and their enduring popularity is a testament to the power of a soaring score and a chandelier that just won’t quit!”

Loftin says, “There is still a very strong interest in our market for the ‘Blockbuster Shows.’ But there also seems to be plenty of room for the newer shows. I think people realize that all shows cannot be a ‘blockbuster.’”

Holland struck a similar note in his response to our query: “Tony-winning classics such as ‘Phantom,’ ‘Les MIz’ and now ‘Mamma Mia,’ ‘Wicked,’ ‘Hamilton’ and others continue to be hugely successful on the road. But audiences also remain interested in many niche shows and are often looking for something new and innovative.”

Looking Ahead

For a long time, the pandemic factored heavily on whether audiences in New York and elsewhere would come out to support live theatre. It’s been a tough road back for some venues, even those giving their stages over to multiple Tony winners. For others, ticket sales are enjoying a boom period.

Omaha Performing Arts President Joan Squires says, “I can only speak to how our own shows are doing. Here in Omaha, we’ve seen a wonderful return of our audiences and heightened interest in attending our touring Broadway shows. People really do want to gather together, get off their devices and experience live performances.”

Grant observes that overall box office receipts in New York and around the country remain encouraging. He adds, “I wish other disciplines of the performing arts were as healthy as the Broadway musical.”

Looking ahead, Gabbard cautions bookers against giving too much weight to Tony success. He explains, “We have so many great shows like ‘Beetlejuice’ that didn’t get the respect they deserve in New York and then go out on the road and are wildly successful. This season, ‘A Beautiful Noise’ is another one that struggled in New York, goes out on the road and was so successful that it recouped in record time!”

Cecchini says, “It's not necessarily older titles that people are looking for. They are drawn most to existing IP — shows based on books, TV, film and artists they enjoy or celebrity-driven shows. Launching brand new titles not based on existing IP and also without any celebrities in it is a very difficult task. My opinion is that this is more challenging now than ever.”

Reid of Broadway Across America still stresses Tony Awards success as the biggest and best boost for shows wherever they are being staged. She concludes, “While the Broadway brand already carries inherent prestige, a Tony-winning distinction elevates a show even further in the eyes of national audiences. Beyond just validating quality, it adds urgency — people want to experience the show that everyone is talking about!”