Were this year's Tony Awards only a superficial nod to diversity?

The next season, however, featured predominantly white shows: “A Doll’s House,” “Chicago,” “Titanic” and a Broadway revival of “The Gin Game.”

[...] without structural changes, this unusually diverse Broadway season is unlikely to continue.

[...] much of the diversity being touted is simply tied to one group, African Americans.

Since the awards began – 1929 for the Oscars, 1947 for the Tonys – over 95 percent of all nominees have been white, with the Tonys recognizing more people of color by 1 percent.

The Tonys recognize twice as many black artists, but the Oscars recognize three times as many Asians and Latinos.

Since the Asian American Performers Action Coalition started collecting data on Broadway’s diversity nine years ago, the group has made some notable discoveries.

[...] the numbers for last season’s nonwhite roles dropped, to 22 percent from 25 percent.

According to a 2016 American Theatre magazine article, a recent study from the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs found that 81 percent of the 346 theater designers polled were Caucasian.

[...] the opening song is a classic establishing number; Hamilton and his comrades captivate the audience with a charm song; several major characters sing an “I want” song, which has traditionally been used to develop characters and reveal their motivations; and romances and their love ballads intertwine with a “big-canvas plot,” or a broad historical storyline that traces Hamilton’s rise and fall.

According to Deadline, commercial partners had no artistic or financial control and could not benefit financially from the trial run at the Off-Broadway Public Theater.

While it brought attention to the advantage white actors tend to have when the vast majority of Broadway productions feature white casts and white characters, it also led Actor’s Equity to intervene after a lawyer charged that the notice violated New York City Human Rights law.

In an industry that is otherwise dominated by white males, it’s the first show in Broadway history to be written, directed and performed by black women, while also being financed by black women.

Besides nominations for Best Play, Best Direction (Liesl Tommy), Best Actress (Lupita N'Yongo), Best Featured Actress (Pascale Armand) and Best Costume Design (Clint Ramos), “Eclipsed” was the only nominated play featuring a diverse cast that wasn’t a musical.

According to a 2015 Huffington Post article, awards help market any product and bring in more revenue.