Tonys cut ‘Big River’ number

The Broadway production of “Big River” won a Tony Award nomination for best musical revival -- but don’t expect to see a musical number from the show on CBS’ awards telecast next month.

Because only currently running shows may be performed on the telecast, cast members of “Big River,” which closed on Broadway in November, will not be allowed to take the stage when the awards are broadcast live from New York on June 6.

Expecting to appear was Michael McElroy, nominated for best performance as a featured actor in a musical.

The revival of the 1985 musical about Huckleberry Finn originated at North Hollywood’s Deaf West Theatre in 2001 and was presented at the Mark Taper Forum before heading for Broadway. The cast included both deaf and hearing actors, and sign language was interwoven with singing and the spoken word.

The telecast decision is not without precedent. Last year, the musical “Amour” closed in November and received a nomination for best new musical the following May, but no portion of it was performed on the Tony telecast in June.

Bill O’Brien of Deaf West, producing director of the Broadway production, was philosophical Tuesday about the network’s decision. “It is a precedent that had been set, not something that CBS suddenly imposed to single us out,” O’Brien said.

In a statement, Liz McCann, managing producer of Tony Awards Productions, called the ruling a “joint creative decision” by the theatrical and television sides of the awards show.

But the musical’s director, Jeff Calhoun, called it “heartbreaking” that “Big River” -- which kicks off a national tour June 11 in San Francisco -- will be limited to a short video segment, as “Amour” was last year.

“We’re launching this 40-city tour for the whole country to see this Cinderella story that we created, and it’s sad and unfortunate that CBS is not helping us,” Calhoun said. “We were going to do ‘Muddy Water’ with an amazing group of talents.... If that doesn’t warrant exposure on CBS, I don’t know what does.”