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  • LL Cool J, T.I., And Hugh Jackman Form Rap Trio At Tony Awards

    Hugh Jackman did many things as the host of the Tony Awards held on Sunday. What was most surprising to many was his rap with LL Cool J and T.I. Before rapping, Jackman recalled the time when he auditioned for The Music Man, and said “Broadway composer Meredith Wilson, he might have actually created one of the very first rap songs ever back in 1957.” Jackman was referring to one of the songs from The Music Man entitled “Rock Island.”

    Rappers T.I. and LL Cool J then entered the stage and Jackman said, “I think it’s time we brought The Music Man into the 21st century!”

    The three then start to rap “Rock Island,” much to the delight of the audience. However, not everyone was pleased with their performance. Caroline Moss, a reporter, said “LL Cool J and T.I. are performing “Rock Island” from The Music Man and I no longer want to be associated with theater. Like at all.”

    What do you think of their performance? Watch.

    Another highlight from the Tony Awards was Neil Patrick Harris, who was honored for his role in Hedwig and the Angry Inch, wherein he plays a German transgender who is the lead singer of a rock band. “A year ago I was hosting the Tonys. This is crazy pants!” he said.

    Prior to accepting his award for lead actor in a musical horror, Harris gave a performance from Hedwig and the Angry Inch and gave Sting a lap dance.

    Broadway ballad performances from Idina Menzel and Sutton Foster also received rave reviews from viewers.

    Bryan Cranston, known for playing the role of Walter White on Breaking Bad, won his first Tony, taking home the best lead actor in a play award for portraying former President Lyndon B. Johnson in All The Way.

    The 68th Tony Awards wrapped up with Jackman asking the winners to join him on stage to sing “Lullaby of Broadway.”

    Image via YouTube

  • Tony Awards Dominated By The Ladies

    Tony Awards Dominated By The Ladies

    The Tony Awards on Sunday were ruled by the ladies. A classic performer was honored and several newcomers were highlighted as well.

    Audra McDonald, 43, was honored with her historical sixth Tony for playing Billie Holiday in Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill. She won her last Tony for her performance in Broadway show, Porgy and Bess, in 2012 and was showered with applause and a standing ovation.

    Through tears of gratitude, McDonald thanked her parents, all the women who came before her, and the woman Billie Holiday herself.

    “I want to thank all the shoulders of the strong and brave and courageous women that I am standing on,” she said. “And most of all Billie Holiday. You deserve so much more than you were given when you were on this earth.”

    She told reporters backstage, “I am just completely overwhelmed and grateful and I don’t believe it.”

    Jessie Mueller, who made her Broadway debut in 2012, won over audiences with her remarkable performance as Carole King in the musical Beautiful and was awarded her first Tony for her efforts.

    Carole King said of the woman who so elegantly portrayed her, “At that age, I had no idea who I was and what was good about me and not good about me. It is a gift to see myself as the woman I was then and to actually like myself.”

    Watch Hugh Jackman’s charming opening number for a smile:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRO-pNXUTKw]

    And of course, Idina Menzel, who shot to mainstream fame for Let It Go performed Always Starting Over spectacularly:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9d1tpp2XlBs

    Jessie Mueller beat a hopeful Kelli O’Hara. She was hoping that after five nominations she would finally get that Tony. O’Hara, 38, was nominated as best actress in a musical for her role in the stage version of The Bridges of Madison County.

    She had support from composer Jason Robert Brown, who said of the amazing songstress, “Every composer in this room should be blessed to have Kelli perform their music.”

    Maybe next time, Kelli…

    Lena Hall, 34, also won her first Tony on Sunday for her supporting role as a man in Hedwig and the Angry Inch.

    What a night for the ladies of Broadway!

    Image Via YouTube

  • Audra McDonald Has Record-Breaking Night at Tonys

    When Audra McDonald took home the award for Best Leading Actress in a Musical in 2012 for The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess, she tied Julie Harris and Angela Lansbury for most Tony awards of all time, and she was one win shy of achieving the grand slam of Tonys. As most people expected, it did not take McDonald long to surpass either of those two milestones.

    In a night which celebrated newcomers and classics alike, McDonald took home the award for Best Leading Actress in a Play for her portrayal of Billie Holiday in Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill. The play takes place in a bar in Philadelphia in 1959, just four months before Billie Holiday would die after a lifetime of heavy drinking and drug abuse. McDonald belts out classic Holiday tunes and intersperses the numbers with stories of Holiday’s life, choosing to not skip over the darker details.

    With her win, McDonald surpasses both Lansbury and Harris as the person to have won the most competitive Tony awards in a lifetime. (Harris has six awards, one being a non-competitive lifetime achievement award.) McDonald won her first award in 1994 for Featured Actress in a Musical in Carousel. Two years later, McDonald won the award for Featured Actress in a Play for her performance in Master Class. McDonald would subsequently win two more awards for Featured Actress in a Play thanks to her roles in Ragtime and A Raisin in the Sun. Her 2014 award for Best Actress in a Play means that McDonald has now won an award in every possible acting category, completing the grand slam of the Tonys.

    “I want to thank my Mum and Dad up in heaven for disobeying the doctor’s orders and not medicating their hyperactive girl and finding out what she was interested in and pushing her into the theatre,” McDonald stated in her acceptance speech, shortly before paying homage to “all the shoulders of the strong and brave and courageous women that I’m standing on” – including such women as Lena Horne, Maya Angelou, Diahann Carroll, Ruby Dee, and Billie Holiday.

    While McDonald has already set the mark for others to aspire to for generations to come, her career is far from over. McDonald is only 43 years old, and her career only continues to improve.

    Image via YouTube

  • Idina Menzel, Neil Patrick Harris to Perform at the Tony Awards

    Broadway will be taking center-stage in the entertainment industry in the coming weeks as excitement ramps up for this year’s Tony Awards. This year’s awards show will be hosted by Hugh Jackman, himself a Tony Award winner for his performance in 2004’s The Boy from Oz.

    Joining Jackman on stage will be many of Broadway’s biggest stars, who will perform for an audience of millions. Idina Menzel, Neil Patrick Harris, and Sting are just a few of the celebrities announced this week as performers for the 68th Annual Tony Awards.

    Highlighting this year’s show is Idina Menzel who will be performing a number from If/Then. Menzel has won two Tony Awards in the past: one in 1996 for her performance in Rent and one in 2004 for her role as Elphaba in Wicked. This year the actress is up for Best Leading Actress in a Musical for her role in If/Then.

    Post by Idina Menzel.

    Musician Sting will appear during the show with a song from his upcoming musical The Last Ship. Alan Cumming will take the stage in a number from Cabaret.

    Cast performances will also return as a feature of this year’s Tony Awards. Neil Patrick Harris, former host of the Tony Awards, will lead the cast of Hedwig and the Angry Inch in a musical performance. The cast of Wicked will also appear at the show to celebrate that musical’s 10th anniversary.

    In addition to the performances, the show will be packed with celebrities. Bradley Cooper, Will Ferrell, Kate Mara, Kevin Bacon, Clint Eastwood, Zach Braff, Patricia Clarkson, and many others will take the stage to announce winners.

    The 68th Annual Tony Awards will take place at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on June 8. The three-hour ceremony will be broadcast on CBS starting at 8 pm EDT.

    Image via the Tony Awards

  • Bradley Cooper To Attend Tony Awards

    Bradley Cooper is one of the many Hollywood and Broadway stars that are scheduled to attend this year’s Tony Awards.

    The producers of the awards announced the stars that would be hosting, attending, and presenting on Tuesday. Hugh Jackman will be hosting the event, and Maggie Gyllenhaal, Will Ferrell and Liev Schreiber are set to make a glamorous appearance as well.

    Zachary Quinto, Zachary Levi, Leighton Meester and Ethan Hawke were not up for any awards, however they will be presenting an award. Other presenters include: Emmy Rossum, Kate Mara, Lucy Liu, Patricia Clarkson, Matt Bomer, Anna Gunn, Gloria Estefan, Fran Drescher, Wayne Brady, Carole King, Emilio Estefan, Tony Goldwyn, Vera Farmiga and Alessandro Nivola.

    Below are the 2014 nominations:

    BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN A PLAY
    Samuel Barnett, “Twelfth Night”
    Bryan Cranston, “All the Way”
    Chris O’Dowd, “Of Mice and Men
    Mark Rylance, “Richard III”
    Tony Shalhoub, “Act One”

    BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE IN A PLAY
    Tyne Daly, “Mothers and Sons”
    LaTanya Richardson-Jackson, “A Raisin in the Sun”
    Cherry Jones, “The Glass Menagerie”
    Audra McDonald, “Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill”
    Estelle Parsons, “The Velocity of Autumn”

    BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MUSICAL
    Neil Patrick Harris, “Hedwig and the Angry Inch”
    Ramin Karimloo, “Les Miserables”
    Andy Karl, “Rocky”
    Jefferson Mays, “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder”
    Bryce Pinkham, “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder”

    BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MUSICAL
    Mary Bridget Davies, “A Night With Janis Joplin”
    Sutton Foster, “Violet”
    Idina Menzel, “If/Then”
    Jessie Mueller, “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical”
    Kelli O’Hara, “The Bridges of Madison County”

    BEST REVIVAL OF A PLAY
    “The Cripple of Inishmaan”
    “The Glass Menagerie”
    “A Raisin in the Sun”
    “Twelfth Night”

    BEST REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL
    “Hedwig and the Angry Inch”
    “Les Miserables”
    “Violet”

    BEST PLAY
    “Act One”
    “All the Way”
    Casa Valentina”
    “Mothers and Sons”
    “Outside Mullingar”

    BEST MUSICAL
    “After Midnight”
    “Aladdin”
    “Beautiful: The Carole King Musical”
    “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder”

    BEST BOOK OF A MUSICAL
    Chad Beguelin, “Aladdin”
    Douglas McGrath, “Beautiful – The Carole King Musical”
    Woody Allen, “Bullets Over Broadway”
    Robert L. Freedman, “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder”

    BEST ORIGINAL SCORE (MUSIC AND/OR LYRICS) WRITTEN FOR THE THEATRE
    “Aladdin” Music: Alan Menken, Lyrics: Howard Ashman, Tim Rice and Chad Beguelin
    “The Bridges of Madison County” Music & Lyrics: Jason Robert Brown
    “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder” Music: Steven Lutvak, Lyrics: Robert L. Freedman & Steven Lutvak
    “If/Then” Music: Tom Kitt, Lyrics: Brian Yorkey

    BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A PLAY
    Reed Birney, “Casa Valentina”
    Paul Chahidi, “Twelfth Night”
    Stephen Fry, “Twelfth Night”
    Mark Rylance, “Twelfth Night”
    Brian J. Smith, “The Glass Menagerie”

    BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A PLAY
    Sarah Greene, “The Cripple of Inishmaan”
    Celia Keenan-Bolger, “The Glass Menagerie”
    Sophie Okonedo, “A Raisin in the Sun”
    Anika Noni Rose, “A Raisin in the Sun”
    Mare Winningham, “Casa Valentina”

    BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A MUSICAL
    Danny Burstein, “Cabaret”
    Nick Cordero, “Bullets Over Broadway”
    Joshua Henry, “Violet”
    James Monroe Iglehart, “Aladdin”
    Jarrod Spector, “Beautiful – The Carole King Musical”

    BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A MUSICAL
    Linda Emond, “Cabaret”
    Lena Hall, “Hedwig and the Angry Inch”
    Anika Larsen, “Beautiful – The Carole King Musical”
    Adriane Lenox, “After Midnight”
    Lauren Worsham, “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder”

    BEST SCENIC DESIGN OF A PLAY
    Beowulf Boritt, “Act One”
    Bob Crowley, “The Glass Menagerie”
    Es Devlin, “Machinal”
    Christopher Oram, “The Cripple of Inishmaan”

    BEST SCENIC DESIGN OF A MUSICAL
    Christopher Barreca, “Rocky”
    Julian Crouch, “Hedwig and the Angry Inch”
    Alexander Dodge, “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder”
    Santo Loquasto, “Bullets Over Broadway”

    BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A PLAY
    Jane Greenwood, “Act One”
    Michael Krass, “Machinal”
    Rita Ryack, “Casa Valentina”
    Jenny Tiramani, “Twelfth Night”

    BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A MUSICAL
    Linda Cho, “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder”
    William Ivey Long, “Bullets Over Broadway”
    Arianne Phillips, “Hedwig and the Angry Inch”
    Isabel Toledo, “After Midnight”

    BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A PLAY
    Paule Constable, “The Cripple of Inishmaan”
    Jane Cox, “Machinal”
    Natasha Katz, “The Glass Menagerie”
    Japhy Weideman, “Of Mice and Men”

    BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A MUSICAL
    Kevin Adams, “Hedwig and the Angry Inch”
    Christopher Akerlind, “Rocky”
    Howell Binkley, “After Midnight”
    Donald Holder, “The Bridges of Madison County”

    BEST SOUND DESIGN OF A PLAY
    Alex Baranowski, “The Cripple of Inishmaan”
    Steve Canyon Kennedy, “Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill”
    Dan Moses Schreier, “Act One”
    Matt Tierney, “Machinal”

    BEST SOUND DESIGN OF A MUSICAL
    Peter Hylenski, “After Midnight”
    Tim O’Heir, “Hedwig and the Angry Inch”
    Mick Potter, “Les Miserables”
    Brian Ronan, “Beautiful – The Carole King Musical”

    BEST DIRECTION OF A PLAY
    Tim Carroll, “Twelfth Night”
    Michael Grandage, “The Cripple of Inishmaan”
    Kenny Leon, “A Raisin in the Sun”
    John Tiffany, “The Glass Menagerie”

    BEST DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL
    Warren Carlyle, “After Midnight”
    Michael Mayer, “Hedwig and the Angry Inch”
    Leigh Silverman, “Violet”
    Darko Tresnjak, “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder”

    BEST CHOREOGRAPHY
    Warren Carlyle, “After Midnight”
    Steven Hoggett & Kelly Devine, “Rocky”
    Casey Nicholaw, “Aladdin”
    Susan Stroman, “Bullets Over Broadway”

    BEST ORCHESTRATIONS
    Doug Besterman, “Bullets Over Broadway”
    Jason Robert Brown, “The Bridges of Madison County”
    Steve Sidwell, “Beautiful – The Carole King Musical”
    Jonathan Tunick, “A Gentleman’s Guide to Love & Murder”

    SPECIAL TONY AWARD FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN THE THEATRE
    Jane Greenwood

    REGIONAL THEATRE AWARD
    Signature Theatre, New York, N.Y.

    ISABELLE STEVENSON AWARD
    Rosie O’Donnell

    TONY HONORS FOR EXCELLENCE IN THE THEATRE
    Joseph P. Benincasa
    Joan Marcus
    Charlotte Wilcox

    The awards will broadcast on CBS from Radio City Music Hall on June 8.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Tony Awards 2014: Nominees Announced

    Tony Awards 2014: Nominees Announced

    The nominees for the 2014 Tony Awards were announced Tuesday morning by Jonathan Groff and Lucy Liu, with A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder and Hedwig and the Angry Itch receiving the most nods. Hugh Jackman, who is set to host the awards ceremony which will be broadcast live on June 8 on CBS, made an appearance alongside Liu and Groff, as the stars revealed the Tony field.

    Robert L. Freedman and Steven Lutvak’s comedy musical A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder garnered ten nominations altogether, and the rock musical Hedwig and the Angry Itch, starring Neil Patrick Harris, received 8 nominations. The music and lyrics of Hedwig were composed by Lexington, Kentucky’s own Stephen Trask. Harris was nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical.

    Breaking Bad’s Bryan Cranston was nominated for Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play for his work in All the Way, and Tony Shalhoub received a nod for Act One.

    Nominees for productions include:

    Best Play:
    Act One
    All the Way
    Casa Valentina
    Mothers and Sons
    Outside Mullingar

    Best Musical:
    After Midnight
    Aladdin
    Beautiful – The Carole King Musical
    A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder

    Best Revival of a Play:
    The Cripple of Inishmaan
    The Glass Menagerie
    A Raisin in the Sun
    Twelfth Night

    Best Revival of a Musical:
    Hedwig and the Angry Inch
    Les Miserables
    Violet

    A complete list of the 2014 Tony Award nominees can be found here.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Rosie O’Donnell To Be Honored With A Tony

    Rosie O’Donnell To Be Honored With A Tony

    Rosie O’Donnell isn’t the first person who comes to mind when theater is mentioned, but her philanthropy has garnered her a place in history as an honorary Tony Award recipient.

    The awards administration announced on Tuesday that they want to honor O’Donnell for her efforts in bringing the arts to youth with Rosie’s Theater Kids, a nonprofit organization that provides dance, drama, and music to public school children in New York.

    “We are excited to announce Rosie as this year’s Isabelle Stevenson Award recipient. Rosie exemplifies the spirit and the generosity of the Broadway community through her “pay it forward” mentality within the arts community and beyond. Rosie constantly works to make our world a better place, and unconditional generosity like hers deserves great recognition,” said Charlotte St. Martin, Executive Director of The Broadway League.

    O’Donnell appeared in productions of Grease, Seussical, Love, Loss, And What I Wore, and Fiddler on the Roof and has won an Emmy for her hosting duties, which she has performed three times.

    The Tony Awards will broadcast live on Sunday, June 8 and will be hosted by Hugh Jackman this year.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Cicely Tyson in ‘The Trip to Bountiful’: From Broadway to Lifetime

    Cicely Tyson in ‘The Trip to Bountiful’: From Broadway to Lifetime

    Horton Foote’s 1953 television play plans to make another TV debut this coming weekend.

    Lifetime’s rendition, The Trip to Bountiful, will recreate the original story.

    The story first aired on NBC in 1953 and then went on Broadway the following year. In 1985, it was made into a Hollywood film featuring Geraldine Page and then made another Broadway comeback just last year.

    One legendary actress who is excited to see her Broadway role on-camera is Cicely Tyson.

    Tyson plays Carrie “Mother” Watts, whose final wish is to see her childhood home one last time before she dies.

    The elderly woman lives in a small Houston, TX apartment along with her son Ludie (Blair Underwood) and his handful-of-a-wife Jessie Mae (Vanessa Williams).

    For the most part, Mother Watts feels trapped and really desires to revisit her hometown Bountiful. However, her overprotective son forbids it since she doesn’t have a vehicle.

    There’s obvious tension in the home, as the two ladies don’t see eye-to-eye when it comes to the man that they both dearly love.

    Jessie Mae can be quite self-centered and controlling towards Ludie, so it causes her husband to feel forever in the middle of the women’s drama.

    Tyson describes William’s character as “a piece of work” and their relationship as the typical relationship between in-laws. She believes, however, that Mother Watts’ character possesses one of the strongest willpower throughout the story.

    “She has within her a fighting spirit that cannot be denied, and that is what I like about her,” she said, according to The Buffalo News . “Her feeling that God has kept her here for a purpose she is yet to fulfill, and she is determined to do it despite the odds.”

    Against her son’s wish, Mother Watts leaves home and hops on a train in hopes to see her hometown. She ends up meeting a friend on the train who helps her make her way back home. She then finds out that Bountiful is not the same as she remembers it. (image)

    The film’s message is said to be one that will inspire you to respect and appreciate your elders, which Tyson helps  bring to life through her depiction.

    Williams, who will also star in the re-created film, says that Tyson is an all around inspiring performer.

    “I hope people get a chance to really see another spectacular performance from Cicely Tyson,” she said. “She informed me as an actress. People of a certain generation know her from ‘(The Autobiography of) Miss Jane Pittman,’ which was seared in our brains. To be able to see her again in such a pivotal role was an honor – to be with her and to watch her on a nightly basis.”

    Tyson has already won a Tony Award for her recent Broadway performance. It’s safe to assume that this phenomenal actress will also add an Emmy to her award collection.

    The Trip to Bountiful is scheduled to air on Lifetime this Saturday at 8 p.m.

    Watch the trailer here:

    Image via YouTube

  • ‘Kinky Boots’ Walks Away With 6 Tony Awards

    The 67th Annual Tony Awards were held last night, hosted once again by Neil Patrick Harris. The big news of the night seemed to be Kinky Boots, the Broadway musical that ended the night with six Tony Awards.

    Kinky Boots won awards for Best Sound Design, Best Orchestrations, Best Choreography, and Best Musical. Billy Porter also won Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical for his role in Kinky Boots as drag queen Lola. Pop star Cyndi Lauper (pictured) won the Tony Award for Best Original Score Written for the Theatre, and entranced the audience with a heartfelt acceptance speech:

    Kinky Boots is based on the 2005 movie of the same name. It follows the personal awakening of Charlie Prince, the inheritor of an English shoe factory that saves his struggling family business by manufacturing boots for drag queens.

    After the show, Lauper briefly took to Twitter to brag about her win:

  • Neil Patrick Harris to Host Tony Awards Again

    The Tony Awards announced today that actor Neil Patrick Harris will once again be hosting the annual theater awards show. Harris has hosted the awards show three times in the past, hosting the 63rd, 65th, and last year’s 66th Annual Tony Awards.

    “I’m very excited to be back hosting the Tony Awards at the legendary Radio City Music Hall,” said Harris. “It’ll be more impressive than ever – if my math is correct, it will be 267 times bigger than last year. Oh, wait. No, that can’t… hold on… carry the one… I’m awful at math. But rest assured, the show will rock!”

    This year’s 67th Annual Tony Awards will take place on Sunday, June 9. The ceremony has been held each year since 1947 by The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing. In addition to hosting, Harris will also be co-producing the awards show.

    “Neil is a multi-talented performer whose showmanship, wit and energy command the stage of live events,” said Nina Tassler, president of CBS Entertainment. “He is a master of ceremony, who truly loves celebrating the performing arts with the highest level of entertainment, and it’s quite obvious to the audience he’s having a lot of fun along the way.”

    Harris gained fame in the early 90s for playing the title role on the TV series Doogie Howser, M.D. He has gone on to star in movies, plays, and other TV shows, including the hit network TV comedy How I Met Your Mother.

    Recently, Harris starred in a bizarre and silly series of shorts on the Nerdist YouTube channel called Neil’s Puppet Dreams:

  • Neil Patrick Harris Earns High Marks for the 2012 Tony Awards: Twitter Reacts

    Neil Patrick Harris can apparently do no wrong. After opening the 2012 Tony Awards in true NPH fashion — “Welcome to the 66th Annual Tony Awards, or as we like to call it, Fifty Shades of Gay,” he joked at the show’s opening — the “How I Met Your Mother” co-star kept things light, breezy, and, more importantly, entertaining. At one point during the problem, Harris descended from the ceiling as Spider-Man, stating that “any concerns I had about this ‘Spider-Man’ rig failing have been overshadowed by the searing pain in my junk.”

    Insert even more laughter here.

    Although a lot of people are more concerned with who took home statuettes — Audra McDonald, Judith Light, Christian Borle, and James Corden all took home awards — a large selection of the population tuned in just to see Neil Patrick Harris, who opened the show was an impressive number. Did you really expect anything less from the “Doogie Howser” star? The Los Angeles Times wondered why NPH couldn’t host every awards program, and I’m inclined to agree. Even if you don’t have a vested interest in Broadway, chances are you’ll be entertained by Harris.

    If you missed the telecast, you can check out Neil Patrick Harris’ opening and closing numbers below. After that, take a moment to look over a few Twitter reactions to the actor’s stint as host. As you can tell, a lot of people seem to think the guy is the bees knees. And even if you’re not a fan of Harris himself, you have to admit that the guy knows how to put on a show.

    Before jumping into the clips, have a look at this complete list of winners:

    Musical: “Once.”
    Play: “Clybourne Park.”
    Revival of a Play: “Death of a Salesman.”
    Revival of a Musical: “The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess.”
    Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play: James Corden, “One Man, Two Guvnors.”
    Performance by an Actress in Leading Role in a Play: Nina Arianda, “Venus in Fur.”
    Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical: Steve Kazee, “Once.”
    Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical: Audra McDonald, “The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess.”
    Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play: Christian Borle, “Peter and the Starcatcher.”
    Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play: Judith Light, “Other Desert Cities.”
    Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical: Michael McGrath, “Nice Work If You Can Get It.”
    Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical: Judy Kaye, “Nice Work If You Can Get It.”
    Book of a Musical: Enda Walsh, “Once”
    Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre: “Newsies.”
    Direction of Play: Mike Nichols, “Death of a Salesman.”
    Direction of a Musical: John Tiffany, “Once.”
    Choreography: Christopher Gattelli, “Newsies.”
    Orchestration: Martin Lowe, “Once.”
    Sound Design of a Play: Darron L. West, “Peter and the Starcatcher.”
    Sound Design of a Musical: Clive Goodwin, “Once.”
    Costume Design of a Play: Paloma Young, “Peter and the Starcatcher.”
    Costume Design of a Musical: Gregg Barnes, “Follies.”
    Scenic Design Play: Donyale Werle, “Peter and the Starcatcher”
    Scenic Design of a Musical: Bob Crowley, “Once.”
    Lighting Design of a Play: Jeff Croiter, “Peter and the Starcatcher.”
    Lighting Design of a Musical: Natasha Katz, “Once”

  • Neil Patrick Harris Hits the Promotional Trail for the Tony Awards

    Neil Patrick Harris is truly the master of ceremonies. Not only has the talented actor/singer hosted such award shows as the Emmys and the Tonys, he also performed at the Oscars and worked his own unique brand of wizardry at the World Magic Awards. This June, Harris will return to the Broadway scene to host the 2012 Tony Awards, a gig he seems to enjoy more than anything else.

    “I think the celebratory tone of it makes it my favorite show to host,” the “How I Met Your Mother” co-star explained to Entertainment Weekly. “In the Emmys and in observing the Oscars, it’s a bunch of individuals that hardly know each other that all work in their own business bubbles, and I think the opposite is true on Broadway. Most everyone is a) thrilled to be there, b) even more thrilled to be nominated but c) and I think most importantly, they all know and are supportive of each other, so you end up with this great evening where it’s not a lot of sour grapes.”

    In addition to Harris — this will be his third time hosting, by the way — prospective viewers will be able to see such acclaimed actors, actresses, and musicians as Nick Jonas, Amanda Seyfried, Tyler Perry, Jessica Chastain, Jim Parsons, Paul Rudd, Ellen Barkin, Angela Lansbury, Bernadette Peters, Candice Bergen, Christopher Plummer, James Marsden, Mandy Patinkin, Sheryl Crow, Trey Parker, and Matt Stone. That’s a hell of a lot of talent right there, folks.

    The 2012 Tony Awards is scheduled for broadcast on June 10th, 2012. To help prepare your mind for that much Neil Patrick Harris, some promotional material has been embedded below.