No, I am not blogging LIVE from the Tony Awards (which are at the Beacon Theatre in New York), but the 66th Annual Tony Awards air in about ten minutes, once again hosted by Neil Patrick Harris, who won an Emmy for hosting the 63rd Annual Tony Awards in 2010, and could be nominated for another Emmy next month for hosting last year's ceremony. All of the technical Tonys are handed out before the three-hour telecast, so that the more interesting races can be shown, and so that the musical performances can be accommodated into the three hour telecast (When PBS and CBS both aired the Tonys together, PBS aired the first 10 categories, while CBS aired the rest).
Final Predictions:
Best Play- Clybourne Park
Best Musical- Newsies
Best Revival of a Play- Death of a Salesman
Best Revival of a Musical- Follies
Best Actor of a Play- Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Death of a Salesman
Best Actress of a Play- Tracie Bennett, The End of a Rainbow
Best Featured Actor of a Play- Christian Borle, Peter and the Starcatcher
Best Featured Actress of a Play- Judith Light, Other Desert Cities
Best Actor of a Musical- Jeremy Jordan, Newsies
Best Actress of a Musical- Audra McDonald, Porgy and Bess
Best Featured Actor of a Musical- Michael Cerveris, Evita
Best Featured Actress of a Musical- Jayne Houdyshell, Follies
Best Director of a Play- Mike Nichols, Death of a Salesman
Best Director of a Musical- Jeff Calhoun, Newsies
Best Choreography- Christopher Gattelli, Newsies
Best Book- Harvey Fierstein, Newsies
Best Score- Alan Menken and Jack Feldman, Newsies
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7:58PM- One minute-plus and counting....
8PM- LIVE from New York, it's Sunday Night! Elder Price from "The Book of Mormon" goes to Ricky Martin's dressing room, who shuts the door, then Matthew Broderick, Cynthia Nixon, James Earl Jones, Judith Light all shut the door, and the cast of "The Book of Mormon" perform. (The Book of Mormon, written by the creators of the Emmy-winning animated series "South Park" swept the Tonys last year)
8:02PM- "Would you like a free religious book? It's written by Jesus."
8:03PM- "This Host Will Change Your Life..."
8:04PM- "Welcome to the 66th Annual Tony Awards, or as we like to call it, '50 Shades of Gay'."- Neil Patrick Harris, opening the ceremony
8:04PM- "Like with sequels, the third one comes with quality."- NPH
8:06PM- Harris goes out in song
8:07PM- "Crazy Dance Routines..."
8:08PM- Broadway legend Patti LuPone joins Harris in the opening number.
8:09PM- "The role of Cam will now be played by me."- Jesse Tyler Ferguson
8:10PM- The "Big Finish" of the Opening Number
8:11PM- Paul Rudd presents the first category (Featured Actress in a Play). "She's featured in this production, she's in it." (Rudd answering the question of what is a Featured Actress)
8:13PM- Judith Light (remember her from One Life to Live and Who's the Boss?) wins the Tony for Featured Actress in a Play for "Other Desert Cities".
8:15PM- Nick Jonas (really?) introduces the first Musical Nominee of the night, based off the 1992 movie (nominated for 6 Golden Raspberry Awards) based on the 1899 Newspaper Strike- "Newsies".
8:16PM- The cast of "Newsies" performs on stage (and unlike "Once", they are dancing on the stage)
8:20PM- "Once" won for Best Orchestrations
8:20PM- Commercial Break # 1
8:24PM- Christopher Gattelli won the Tony for Choreographing "Newsies".
8:25PM- "There's a trend of making movies into musicals." "The Towering Infer-No, No, Newsies", "The Exor-Sister Act", "Field of Dreamgirls", "Psycho Calcutta", "The Bridge of the River Kwai Baby", "My Left Footloose" ("Think of the Dance Numbers")
8:26PM- Amanda Seyfried (SI-FRED) presents the category for Featured Actor in a Musical.
8:27PM- Michael McGrath pulls off an upset for Featured Actor in a Musical for his role as Cookie McGee in "Nice Work If You Can Get It", a category that was between former winner Michael Cerveris and "In Living Color" alum David Alan Grier.
8:29PM- Bernadette Peters introduces the Musical Revival Nominee "Follies" (a 1972 nominee for Best Musical).
8:30PM- Danny Burstein (Best Actor in a Musical nominee) performs "The God Why Don't You Love Me Blues" from "Follies".
8:33PM- Another Commercial Break
8:38PM- A performance from "Ghost the Musical"
8:41PM- John Larroquette presents the Tony for Direction of a Musical (followed by Direction of a Play).
8:42PM- John Tiffany wins the Tony for Directing "Once" in his Broadway directorial debut
8:45PM- Mike Nichols wins the Tony for Directing "Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman", which is his record 6th Tony, and he gets a standing ovation.
8:46PM- "You see before me a happy man."- Mike Nichols
8:47PM- "A Salesman has got to dream, it goes with the territory."- Mike Nichols
8:48PM- Ben Vereen presents the next Best Revival of a Musical Nominee, the rock opera "Jesus Christ Superstar" (another 1972 Best Musical Nominee and the first of two Andrew Lloyd Webber revivals nominated tonight).
8:50PM- Josh Young (Featured Actor Nominee) and the cast perform "Superstar" from "Jesus Christ Superstar".
8:58PM- Neil Patrick Harris is hanging down (a la Spiderman) while Angela Lansbury and the President of the American Theater Wing, Theodore S. Chapin are on the stage.
9PM- Jessica Chastain presents the Tony for Actor in a Featured Role in a Play.
9:01PM- Christian Borle (the better half of the Marilyn Monroe musical composing team on "Smash") wins the Tony for Featured Actor in a Play for "Peter and the Starcatcher".
9:03PM- Matthew ("Don't Call Me 'Mr. Shoe'") Morrison presents the next Best Musical Nominee, "Nice Work If You Can Get It", full of extravagant dance numbers, Gershwin tunes, and co-stars Matthew Broderick (and Tony nominee for Best Actress) Kelli (with an I) O'Hara, and the ensemble cast.
9:06PM- Enda Walsh won the Tony for Best Book of a Musical for "Once".
9:07PM- Commercial Break
9:11PM- "Once" also won for Sound Design
9:12PM- James Marsden presents the Tony for Featured Actress in a Musical.
9:13PM- Judy Kaye wins the Tony for Actress in a Featured Actress in a Musical for her role as Duchess Estonia in "Nice Work If You Can Get It".
9:15PM- Ellen Barkin (40 New Productions- Plays, Musicals, Revivals, and Special Events, opened this past season on Broadway) introduces "The Year in Plays" (which includes Peter and the Starcatcher, Master Class, Man and Boy, The Mountaintop, The Columnist, Clybourne Park, Wit, Other Desert Cities, One Man, Two Guvnors, Magic Bird, Seminar, The Best Man, Chinglish, The Lyons, The Road to Mecca, End of the Rainbow, Relatively Speaking, Don't Dress for Dinner, Stick Fly, A Streetcar Named Desire, Venus Fur, and Private Lives)
9:17PM- An excerpt from "Peter and the Starcatcher"
9:18PM- An excerpt from "One Man, Two Guvnors"
9:20PM- An impromptu Judy Garland medley
9:22PM- Commercial Break
9:28PM- Neil Patrick Harris performs a medley of Best Score winners (South Pacific, CATS, Annie, A Chorus Line, Hello Dolly!, Evita, Avenue Q, The Light in the Piazza, Fiddler on the Roof, Les Miserables, Titanic, Rent, The Wiz, and Man of La Mancha, to name a few).
9:30PM- Sheryl Crow presents the Tony for Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics written directly for the stage), of which two of the nominees are NOT Musicals, but Plays.
9:31PM- Alan Menken and Jack Feldman win the Tony for Best Original Score, and Alan Menken finally wins a Tony for Best Original Score, for "Newsies".
9:32PM- "It has been an incredibly long journey for 'Newsies', from the film that made nothing at the Box Office and won us the Razzie for Worst Original Song."- Alan Menken, accepting the Tony
9:32PM- "It never occurred to me that it would take 56 years to accomplish this feat. Look, Ma, a Tony!"- Jack Feldman
9:33PM- B.B. Winans introduces the third Musical Revival nominee, the timeless 1935 classic "Porgy and Bess", featuring Audra McDonald, Norm Lewis, and David Alan Grier.
9:38PM- Peter and The Starcatcher won for Sound Design of a Play earlier...
9:39PM- Commercial Break (first commercial this break is the promo for the film adaptation of "Rock of Ages", the 1980s rock musical based off the stage musical of the same name)
9:42PM- Peter and The Starcatcher also won for Costume Design of a Play.
9:42PM- Tyler Perry introduces the Best Revival of a Play category.
9:43PM- They did it again..."Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman" wins the Tony for Best Revival of a Play.
9:45PM- Josh Groban presents "Once", with the cast of "Once" performing a song from the musical.
9:50PM- Follies won the Tony for Costume Design of a Musical
9:50PM- Commercial Break
9:56PM- Peter and the Starcatcher won for Scenic Design of a Play
9:57PM- "While you were away, Tyler Perry just sold the film rights to 'Porgy and Madea'."- Neil Patrick Harris
9:57PM- Jim Parsons introduces the nominees for Best Play- starting with "Clybourne Park" (about a neighborhood in the 1950s that became a predominantly black neighborhood in the 2000s), then "Other Desert Cities" (about a woman about to publish a memoir about a family tragedy in their past), followed by "Peter and the Starcatcher" (about the journey of the origins of Peter Pan), and finally "Venus in Fur" (about a playwright who writes a serious novel).
10:01PM- Parsons presents the Tony for Best Play, which goes to "Clybourne Park". "Clybourne Park", written by Bruce Norris, wins the Tony Award for Best Play.
10:04PM- Cote D'Pablo introduces the fourth and final nominee for Revival of a Musical (and the other Andrew Lloyd Webber Musical in this category), "Evita".
10:05PM- The cast of "Evita" (led by Ricky Martin) performs a song from "Evita".
10:09PM- Commercial Break, but first "Once" won the Tony for Scenic Design of a Musical
10:11PM- First commercial, the promo trailer for "Les Miserables", coming out to the big screen just in time for Oscar season (aka Christmas).
10:13PM- The cast of "Godspell" performs a medley on the stage from the 1971 musical (normally, performances are reserved for shows that are Best Musical [or Musical Revival] nominees, but this is a good exception), the odd show out of a competitive Best Revival of a Musical category this year
10:15PM- Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin, the stars of the original 1979 Broadway Musical of "Evita", and Mandy and Patti sing lines for Best Revival of a Musical while they present Best Revival of a Musical.
10:17PM- The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess wins the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical.
10:19PM- Harvey Fierstein introduces a LIVE performance on "Hairspray", direct from the Oasis in the Carribean
10:23PM- Commercial Break
10:29PM- Emanuel Azenberg won a Lifetime Achievement Award; Bernadette Peters with the Isabelle Stevenson Award; Actors Equity Association won a Special Tony; The Shakespeare Theatre Company in Washington D.C. won the Regional Tony Award
10:30PM- Deborah Lee Furness presents a Special Tony Award to her husband Hugh Jackman.
10:31PM- Hugh Jackman accepts his Special Tony Award.
10:34PM- "I just got terrible news that the cast of 'Hairspray' has been taken over by Pirates...of Penzance."- Neil Patrick Harris
10:34PM- Candice Bergen presents the Tonys for Leading Actor in a Musical, then Leading Actor in a Play.
10:35PM- Steve Kazee wins the Tony for Leading Actor in a Musical for his role as the Unnamed Boy in "Once". (Looks like "Once" will sweep the Tonys, dontcha think?)
10:37PM- "This ensemble, and this woman (Cristin Milloti) are some of the most incredible people I've worked with."- Steve Kazee
10:37PM- Steve Kazee dedicates his Tony to his mother, who passed away on Easter Sunday.
10:38PM- James Corden (from across the pond) wins the Tony Award for Leading Actor in a Play for his role as Francis Henshaw in "One Man, Two Guvnors".
10:39PM- "To be on a list with you is enough, and holding this, it reminds me there is no such thing as 'Best'."- James Corden, accepting his Tony Award
10:41PM- "She's my baby mama, and I can't wait to marry her."- Corden, acknowledging his girlfriend in his acceptance speech
10:42PM- Raul Esparza and the company from the late "Leap of Faith" perform as the fourth and final nominee for Best Musical, which coincidentally is this musical's one and only nomination.
10:45PM- Once won for Lighting Design of a Musical; Commercial Break...only three more categories left...
10:50PM- Peter and the Starcatcher won the Tony for Lighting Design of a Play.
10:50PM- Christopher Plummer presents the Tonys for Leading Actress in both a Musical and a Play. The latter is up first.
10:51PM- Nina Arianda wins the Tony for Leading Actress in a Play for her role as Bamba in the play "Venus in Fur".
10:52PM- "Sir, you were my first crush...when that whistle was blown in 'The Sound of Music', you made my day."- Nina Arianda, to Christopher Plummer, accepting her Tony Award
10:54PM- "I will not do this again..."- Nina Arianda, upon hearing the "cut-off music"
10:55PM- Audra McDonald wins her first Leading Actress Tony (after four Featured Actress Tonys) to win her fifth Tony, this one for her role as Bess in "The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess".
10:56PM- "I was a little girl with potbelly and Afro puffs and overdramatic. I found the theatre, and I found my home..."- Audra McDonald, accepting her Tony Award
10:58PM- One last commercial break, and one last category, and then the creators of "South Park"- Trey Parker and Matt Stone will present the final award of the evening, the covetous Best Musical category. Who will win? Leap of Faith? Newsies? Nice Work If You Can Get It? Once? Find out in about 2 minutes.
11:01PM- "Winning the Tony Award for Best Musical can transform your life forever."- Matt Stone; Matt Stone and Trey Parker present the Tony Award for Best Musical.
11:02PM- "Once" wins the Tony Award for Best Musical.
11:04PM- "If I Had Time, I Would Sing A Little Song Recapping The Awards..."- Neil Patrick Harris singing a little ditty to close out the show
11:06PM- That's the end of the Tony Awards. Now, I am off to finish the Bryan and Silver Garbage Award Shortlists and edit sketches for tomorrow night's show. And now, the late night news... 'Night, All!
