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2018 Tony Awards Challenge
2018 Tony Awards Challenge

Audience Rewards Launches 2018 Tony Awards Challenge

The Tony nominees have been announced, and many of our favorite shows will be squaring off against each other for the coveted top prizes in Best Play, Best Musical, and Best Revival, not to mention the myriad acting, writing, and design awards. What could be more exciting than that? How about the 2018 Tony Awards Challenge, an interactive game that will puts theater fans all over the world head-to-head to accurately predict the winners of this year’s accolades.

Audience Rewards and the 72nd Annual Tony Awards will launch the 2018 Tony Awards Challenge, an interactive game that invites theatre fans to predict who will win the Tony Awards.

Beginning today on the heels of the announcement of the Tony Nominations, fans will be invited to visit TonyAwards.com to play the game for free. Similar to fantasy football, fans can start their own ‘leagues’ and play against friends and family. On Sunday, June 10th, fans can tune-in to the Tony Awards live on CBS to cheer on their favorites. Their picks will be updated in real time on the mobile-friendly TonyAwardsChallenge.com site. Throughout the telecast, players will see how they rank compared to other players.”

“For anyone who loves Broadway, we think it’s a lot of fun to be able to play along with the Tonys — it’s like fantasy football for theater fans,” said Audience Rewards CEO Charles Flateman. “We’re thrilled to give theatergoers the chance to share their enthusiasm with friends and family through this game, in partnership with the Tony Awards this year.”

The challenge will be to correctly guess the winners in all 26 categories. Competitors who have their finger on the pulse of the current Broadway season will be vying for the prize of free Broadway tickets for a full year. And regardless of accuracy, all players will be entered to win two tickets to the invitation-only 2019 Tony Awards’ dress rehearsal.

“Audience Rewards has created a fun and interactive way for theatergoers to be part of Broadway’s biggest night!” said Charlotte St. Martin, president of The Broadway League, and Heather Hitchens, president and CEO of the American Theatre Wing. “We love this opportunity, which allows the Tony Awards to engage with Broadway fans from around the globe.”

The Tony Awards Challenge is presented by Audience Rewards, the Official Rewards Program of Broadway & The Arts. Similar to a frequent-flyer program, Audience Rewards enables members to earn points for purchasing Broadway tickets and redeem them for more tickets, merchandise, and behind-the-scenes experiences.

Airing June 10 on CBS, live from Radio City Music Hall in New York City, the Tony Awards are presented by The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing. This year, the show will be hosted by two superstars of the pop-music industry who have taken their talents to Broadway in recent years: Sara Bareilles, composer-lyricist (and on- and off-again star) of Waitress, and Josh Groban, who was Tony-nominated last year for his starring role in Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812.

The 26 Tony Award categories that competitors will have to predict are as follows:

Best Play

Best Musical

Best Revival of a Play

Best Revival of a Musical

Best Direction of a Play

Best Direction of a Musical

Best Score

Best Book

Best Choreography

Best Leading Actress in a Musical

Best Leading Actress in a Play

Best Leading Actor in a Musical

Best Leading Actor in a Play

Best Featured Actress in a Musical

Best Featured Actress in a Play

Best Featured Actor in a Musical

Best Featured Actor in a Play

Best Costume Design of a Musical

Best Costume Design of a Play

Best Scenic Design of a Musical

Best Scenic Design of a Play

Best Lighting Design of a Musical

Best Lighting Design of a Play

Best Sound Design of a Musical

Best Sound Design of a Play

Best Orchestrations

Mark Robinson is the author of the two-volume encyclopedia The World of Musicals and maintains a theater and entertainment blog at markrobinsonwrites.com.