My Last Hope for a Tony Award is… Pink?

The announcement that Pink will host the Tony Awards on June 7 took theater insiders by surprise this month. Many have expressed their disbelief, with one person outright stating, “This is ridiculous!” while another seemed to find the news amusing but didn’t stick around to elaborate.

I wouldn’t label it either ridiculous or fantastic, honestly. It feels more like, well, hopeless.

There’s trouble, and it’s big—capital T big, if you will. The Tonys, which celebrate a handful of small productions across just 13 blocks in midtown Manhattan and Lincoln Center, had only 4.9 million viewers last year. Sure, that’s an increase since the pandemic, but it’s nowhere near the 8.4 million who tuned in back in 2016 during the “Hamilton” craze.

And here’s the kicker: even with what you could call their best numbers since 2001’s “Gulp,” they wouldn’t have even made it into last year’s top 100 broadcasts. Apparently, folks at home would rather watch something like CBS’s “Truckers,” starring Justin Hartley.

This year is set to bring some significant changes, even if you’re not familiar with “Caroline or Change.”

Raj Kapoor, a two-time Oscar winner, has taken over from White Cherry Entertainment, the long-time producer of the Tonys since 2004. Pink is Kapoor’s first notable decision, and it feels oddly monumental.

To my knowledge, Pink is a rare choice for host—perhaps the only one without a direct link to Broadway. She’s never performed on the iconic stage, hasn’t co-produced a show, and has certainly never sold overpriced drinks there.

She makes Keanu Reeves seem like an old Broadway pro.

While one of her songs does appear in “Moulin Rouge! The Musical,” that’s about as far as her Broadway ties go. Yes, many songs are featured in the show, but does that really qualify her?

In her statement, Pink mentioned feeling “unusually unwell.” She even questioned whether one needs to have a Broadway background to host the Tonys. “That seems fair and right,” she remarked, but then added that her enthusiasm came from her daughter’s excitement for the event, which is pretty adorably relatable.

But will Pink really draw in more viewers? It’s kind of hard to believe she was the top pick. Apparently, ABC has been struggling to recruit hosts, and hosting the Tonys isn’t exactly a high-profile gig.

And to top it off, Pink hasn’t released any new music in three years.

Honestly, I’m over this idea that star power automatically leads to high ratings. It’s outdated now. No matter who is hosting, the awards show isn’t some kind of lottery.

The ideal situation for broadcast TV would be for a musical to capture the public’s attention, just as “Hamilton” did back in the day.

Yet, this season is shaping up to have the fewest new musicals since 1995, when only two were nominated: “Sunset Boulevard” and “Smokey Joe’s Cafe.” There appears to be little interest in productions like “Two Strangers.”

I’m not counting on Pink’s fan base to magically boost the Tony ratings.

The Tony Awards have always been a niche event. Regardless of the shifts in hosting, making them mainstream may be an uphill battle. If that 5 million viewers isn’t worth it to CBS, we could see a change in where the Tonys air soon.

Broadway needs those 5 million older viewers—those who feel familiar with names like Audra, Patty, and Bernadette. They represent the core audience.

If CBS’s attempts to revamp the awards don’t pan out, Broadway might have to start contemplating its own future, especially with the Oscars looking to navigate their own path in a couple of years.