Relive NPH's Tonys Rap!

Relive NPH's Open Number at the Tonys!

Tonys Live Blog Part Two!

And I'm back!  The dog has been put out and we're back to my Tony Awards stream of unconsciousness.  Now, where were we?

Samuel L. Jackson is presenting Best Play.  No surprise, it's War Horse.  I wrote the winner down before he opened the envelope.

Joel Grey is introducing a scene from Anything Goes!!!  It's the best thing I've seen on Broadway since West Side Story.  OMG, you have to see it!  Seriously, if you haven't seen it, call the airlines right now, book a flight to NY, and go see this show!

Sutton Foster is an amazing star! 

It's Vanessa Redgrave and James Earl Jones.  Two legends.  Vanessa always looks lit from within.  

Christie Brinkley is shimmying out on stage, channeling Marilyn Monroe.  She looks beautiful for her, or any, age.  As Kathy Griffin would say, I want the name of her dentist.  

It's NPH and his amazing Company co-stars including Patti LuPone, Stephen Colbert, Martha Plimpton, Christina Hendricks, and on and on.  Did I hear him say it was coming to movie theaters?  I have to look that up. (UPDATE:  I did and it will be shown in various theaters around the country on June 16th at 7:30 PM and June 19th at 12:30 PM). 

Kelsey grammar is here to present Best Revival of a Musical.  It's Anything Goes!!!  Did I tell you it's the best thing I've seen on Broadway since West Side Story?  Well, it is!  Go see it!  

Tyne Daily looks lovely.  It's the death reel.

Harry Potter is looking cute.  He's here to present Best Actress in a play and it goes to Frances McDormand.  She's in a jeans jacket, striped gown, no make-up and stringy hair.  Is she in character?  I get that she's an artist and a free spirit and not into glam, but when you're likely to win a Tony Award, couldn't you at least comb your hair?  She seems moved by the award, though.  

Best Actress in a Musical is Sutton Foster!  Tears!  Emotion, Gratitude!  Her dresser is leaving for Cape Cod!      

Love her, love her talent, love her dress, not crazy about the color. 

It's Martha Wash!  The Tonys gay quotient just exploded!  It's Raining Men and the cast of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert!  It's a crazy, rainbow, glitter explosion and if there are any straight men left watching, they've just turned to the game.

Catherine Zeta Jones.  Now that's how a movie star wears red.  Smashing.  She's presenting Best Actor in a Play to...who?  Mark Rylance in Jerusalem, beating out Brian Bedford for The Importance of Being Earnest.  What an upset!  He's accepting his award and talking about walking through walls.  A few people laugh nervously.  Is he tripping?  (UPDATE:  He was quoting from his favorite poet).

Best Actor in a Musical is Norbert Leo Butz, as expected.  Love him.  

Best Musical is being presented by Chris Rock.  He's joking about how we all know who the winner will be.  I don't think that joke is very fair.  All the nominees deserve their moment in the spotlight.  

He was right.  It's Book of Mormon, of course.  

And the show ends with NPH's amazing rap-recap of the show.  He's a huge talent.  

Good night, Broadway fans!  Until next year!

 

Tony's Red Carpet!

Just a few notes from the Tony Awards Red Carpet:

Judith Light in Go-To-Hell Red, dripping in gold!  Spectacular!  Too much?  No Way!

Red is obviously the color of the night.

Sutton Foster is getting banged by Bobby Canavale and she's about to win her 2nd Tony.  Some girls have all the luck (line stolen from LC NY Bureau Chief Doug).

Al Pacino has lost his mind.  Is he auditioning for Hair?  His date is 98% collagen.

Beth Leavel in blood red with Tony Sheldon.  Does it get any better?

OK, my guests are here, time to uncork the champagne.  More later. 

How to Succeed on Broadway

“Obviously, it would be incredible to be nominated, but I care much more about John Larroquette getting a nod for Best Actor [in a Featured Role in a Musical.] I’d love him to win because he’s so brilliant in our show. It is disappointing if you’re not nominated, but it is such a strong year for musicals on Broadway and there are others who are very worthy of getting the nods.”

--Daniel Radcliffe, giving a classy response to a question about his Tony snub.  By all accounts, he's a hard worker and a good guy.   

Tony Nominations!

I'm sure you were all up this morning watching Matthew Broderick and Anika Noni Rose announce the 2011 Tony nominations.  What?  You weren't?  Don't feel bad, I wasn't either since I'm a working stiff and had to show up.  But don't fear, I've still got all the scoop.  It's a big day for The Book of Mormon with 14 nominations followed by The Scottsboro Boys with 12 and Anything Goes with 9.  It was a bad year for Hollywood stars with minimal starfucking.  It was a star-heavy year on the Great White Way, but it is Broadway veterans (Patti LuPone, Donna Murphy, Victoria Clark) who are celebrating today.  There were no nominations for Robin Williams, Daniel Craig, Hugh Jackman, Kiefer Sutherland, Chris Noth, or Ben Stiller, though female stars including Frances McDormand, Edie Falco, and Judith Light were honored.  Enough talk!  Here are the nominations:

Best Play


Good People
Author: David Lindsay-Abaire

Jerusalem
Author: Jez Butterworth

The Motherf**ker with the Hat
Author: Stephen Adly Guirgis

War Horse
Author: Nick Stafford


Best Musical

The Book of Mormon
Catch Me If You Can
The Scottsboro Boys
Sister Act


Best Book of a Musical

Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
Alex Timbers

The Book of Mormon
Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone

The Scottsboro Boys
David Thompson

Sister Act
Cheri Steinkellner, Bill Steinkellner and Douglas Carter Beane


Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre

The Book of Mormon
Music & Lyrics: Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone

The Scottsboro Boys
Music & Lyrics: John Kander and Fred Ebb

Sister Act
Music: Alan Menken
Lyrics: Glenn Slater

Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
Music & Lyrics: David Yazbek


Best Revival of a Play

Arcadia
The Importance of Being Earnest
The Merchant of Venice
The Normal Heart


Best Revival of a Musical

Anything Goes
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play

Brian Bedford, The Importance of Being Earnest
Bobby Cannavale, The Motherf**ker with the Hat
Joe Mantello, The Normal Heart
Al Pacino, The Merchant of Venice
Mark Rylance, Jerusalem

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play

Nina Arianda, Born Yesterday
Frances McDormand, Good People
Lily Rabe, The Merchant of Venice
Vanessa Redgrave, Driving Miss Daisy
Hannah Yelland, Brief Encounter

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical

Norbert Leo Butz, Catch Me If You Can
Josh Gad, The Book of Mormon
Joshua Henry, The Scottsboro Boys
Andrew Rannells, The Book of Mormon
Tony Sheldon, Priscilla Queen of the Desert


Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical

Sutton Foster, Anything Goes
Beth Leavel, Baby It's You!
Patina Miller, Sister Act
Donna Murphy, The People in the Picture


Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play

Mackenzie Crook, Jerusalem
Billy Crudup, Arcadia
John Benjamin Hickey, The Normal Heart
Arian Moayed, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo
Yul Vázquez, The Motherf**ker with the Hat


Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play

Ellen Barkin, The Normal Heart
Edie Falco, The House of Blue Leaves
Judith Light, Lombardi
Joanna Lumley, La Bête
Elizabeth Rodriguez, The Motherf**ker with the Hat


Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical

Colman Domingo, The Scottsboro Boys
Adam Godley, Anything Goes
John Larroquette, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Forrest McClendon, The Scottsboro Boys
Rory O'Malley, The Book of Mormon


Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical

Laura Benanti, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
Tammy Blanchard, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Victoria Clark, Sister Act
Nikki M. James, The Book of Mormon
Patti LuPone, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown


Best Scenic Design of a Play

Todd Rosenthal, The Motherf**ker with the Hat
Rae Smith, War Horse
Ultz, Jerusalem
Mark Wendland, The Merchant of Venice


Best Scenic Design of a Musical

Beowulf Boritt, The Scottsboro Boys
Derek McLane, Anything Goes
Scott Pask, The Book of Mormon
Donyale Werle, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson


Best Costume Design of a Play

Jess Goldstein, The Merchant of Venice
Desmond Heeley, The Importance of Being Earnest
Mark Thompson, La Bête
Catherine Zuber, Born Yesterday


Best Costume Design of a Musical

Tim Chappel & Lizzy Gardiner, Priscilla Queen of the Desert
Martin Pakledinaz, Anything Goes
Ann Roth, The Book of Mormon
Catherine Zuber, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

Best Lighting Design of a Play

Paule Constable, War Horse
David Lander, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo
Kenneth Posner, The Merchant of Venice
Mimi Jordan Sherin, Jerusalem


Best Lighting Design of a Musical

Ken Billington, The Scottsboro Boys
Howell Binkley, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Peter Kaczorowski, Anything Goes
Brian MacDevitt, The Book of Mormon


 Best Sound Design of a Play


Acme Sound Partners & Cricket S. Myers, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo
Simon Baker, Brief Encounter
Ian Dickinson for Autograph, Jerusalem
Christopher Shutt, War Horse


Best Sound Design of a Musical

Peter Hylenski, The Scottsboro Boys
Steve Canyon Kennedy, Catch Me If You Can
Brian Ronan, Anything Goes
Brian Ronan, The Book of Mormon


Best Direction of a Play

Marianne Elliott and Tom Morris, War Horse
Joel Grey & George C. Wolfe, The Normal Heart
Anna D. Shapiro, The Motherf**ker with the Hat
Daniel Sullivan, The Merchant of Venice


Best Direction of a Musical

Rob Ashford, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Kathleen Marshall, Anything Goes
Casey Nicholaw and Trey Parker, The Book of Mormon
Susan Stroman, The Scottsboro Boys


Best Choreography

Rob Ashford, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Kathleen Marshall, Anything Goes
Casey Nicholaw, The Book of Mormon
Susan Stroman, The Scottsboro Boys


Best Orchestrations

Doug Besterman, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Larry Hochman, The Scottsboro Boys
Larry Hochman and Stephen Oremus, The Book of Mormon
Marc Shaiman & Larry Blank, Catch Me If You Can


Recipients of Awards and Honors in Non-competitive Categories


Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre

Athol Fugard
Philip J. Smith

Regional Theatre Tony Award

Lookingglass Theatre Company (Chicago, Ill.)

Isabelle Stevenson Award

Eve Ensler

Special Tony Award

Handspring Puppet Company

Tony Honor for Excellence in the Theatre

William Berloni
The Drama Book Shop
Sharon Jensen and Alliance for Inclusion in the Arts