"...
Nor was that the first time the committee's rulings had incited legal action. In 1968, NBC, then airing the Tonys and in the perennial search for better ratings, wanted the cut-off date for nominations to be pushed up to March 15 from April 11. The committee agreed, leaving two musicals, "George M!" and "Hair," knocked out of contention for that year. Faster than you could say "Give My Regards to Broadway," David Black and Michael Butler, the respective producers of "George M!" and "Hair," sued in protest. Their legal actions were tossed out of court, and both musicals were Tony-eligible the following season.
For some reason, the 1968 Tonys were just chock-full of rules-related rancor. In a separate decision, the committee also ruled that the nonprofit APA-Phoenix Repertory, which had received multiple nominations the season before, was now Tony-ineligible, claiming the awards were open only to commercial productions. An outcry ensued, and the committee wound up awarding a special Tony to the group, eventually scrapping the rule altogether...." |
