What's Up - Your guide to what's happening in Fayetteville, AR this week!
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T2 WHATS UP! June 12 - 18, 2022 TV FEATURE BY DANA SIMPSON TV Media N ow that the 2022 awards season is well underway, fans of the performing arts are reminded of a rare, coveted, ac- ronymic title: EGOT winner. Be- stowed upon those who have won all four major awards in the United States performing arts scene — an Emmy, a Grammy, an Oscar and a Tony — the honor is one of the highest in the indus- try. It's true that the Oscars and the Grammys have already taken place this year (and the Daytime Emmys are scheduled to air June 24), but one awards show prom- ises to make waves on small screens across North America this week. The 75th Annual Tony Awards airs live Sunday, June 12, on CBS and Paramount+. Named for Antoinette Perry, the multitalented wartime leader of the American Theatre Wing who had recently died, the first Tony Awards were held in 1947 and designed to honor the best in live theater performance. Now three-quarters of a century later, the tradition continues; this time from Radio City Music Hall in New York City, just steps from one of the world's most famous theater districts: Broadway. Back in full swing following a series of delays and postpone- ments during the coronavirus pandemic, this year's event fea- tures a pre-show event, named "The Tony Awards: Act One," hosted by American actor/sing- er/songwriter Darren Criss ("Glee") and former "Dancing With the Stars" professional Juli- anne Hough. While that seg- ment will only be available to stream on the platform, the Tony Awards show itself will be si- mulcast across both the stream- er and its home network. Hosted by Academy Award winner Ariana DeBose ("West Side Story," 2021), this year marks the first time in history that the four-hour event will be broadcast live from coast to coast. While the nominees in- clude 34 shows that span several different genres and a total of 26 awards categories, only one show has managed to rake in 11 nominations of its own. "A Strange Loop," the Pulitzer Prize-winning musical from Mi- chael R. Jackson ("Only Chil- dren" at NYU's Frederick Loewe Theatre), will likely walk away with at least one Tony this year, given its nominations in nearly half of the ceremony's catego- ries. It tells the story of Usher (newcomer Jaquel Spivey), a Black, queer writer who is writ- ing a play about a Black, queer writer named Usher, who is, in turn, also writing a play about a Black, queer writer named Ush- er. As the show's title suggests, Usher is stuck in a "strange loop," a term coined by Ameri- can cognitive scientist and au- thor Douglas Hofstadter (of "Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid" literary fame). Some of the categories within which "A Strange Loop" is nomi- nated are Best Musical, Best Mu- sical Score, Best Actor in a Musi- cal (for Spivey), Best Direction of a Musical (for Stephen Brack- ett of 2019's "Be More Chill") and Best Book of a Musical. Also seeing several nomina- tions at this year's awards are Bentonville Acupuncture 5 x 5 continued on page T10 Ariana DeBose, seen here at the 2022 Oscars, hosts the 75th Annual Tony Awards And the award goes to... www.nwaonline.com Did you know those images are available for purchase? IT'S EASY! Just go to nwaonline.com, click on "Photos" in the top menu bar and use the search to fi nd the photo you want. Then just click "Purchase" for sizing options. You can also have the image put on a coff ee mug, mouse pad, key tag, holiday ornament and more! Did you see a photo in our newspaper or on our website that you would love a copy of? Check it out!