This year’s Tony Awards share special ties with Rockford theater

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WIFR) - Rockford has its share of connections to Broadway, including Tony Award winners, nominees, and a list of talented natives that have graced Manhattan’s theater district.

But there’s a special connection between the Forest City and the awards show this year―shared by the hosting theater and one of Rockford’s most charming venues: The Coronado Performing Arts Center.

“The Coronado’s restoration team also restored this year’s host venue, the United Palace,” Friends of the Coronado shared Wednesday. “There are hardly words to adequately express the impact EverGreene Architectural Arts, Inc. has had on historical preservation across America.”

Over a three-year renovation period, EverGreene artists and design team members restored the Coronado’s historic scagliola, ornate plasterwork and other delicate details that make the 1927 theater glisten.

The $18.5 million restoration project, spearheaded by the non-profit organization Friends of the Coronado, concluded in January 2001.

This year’s Tony Awards will broadcast live from the United Palace, located in Manhattan’s Washington Heights neighborhood. Viewers will hear about the theater’s history and restoration work when they tune in Sunday, June 11, for the 76th Annual Tony Awards on CBS or Paramount+.