Tony Award Recap 2009

First things first: Congratulations to Neil Patrick Harris for being a grand and grandly brilliant openly gay emcee!!!

A grand opening with the exception of the god awful 'Rock of Ages'.

A brilliant finale by the afore mentioned Neil Patrick Harris.

A finale that needed to be written and/or refined as the awards were announced. I can't believe the envelopes were opened prior to the announcements. Therefore the updates were remarkable!

But:

Is anyone in the world able to get Liza off a stage. Damn bring back the hook.

When did Anne Hathaway become her own personal STD spreading herself around? Someone must find a cure to get rid of her once and for all. She's is the biggest reason to bring back the hook! Is there no award show that is free of this woman's presence? Damn but she's everywhere How does this horror knows when the camera is on her? Who the hell is she 'doing'?

Does Dolly Parton have to hog EVERYTHING? Could she not find it in her still amble bosom to let her cast do their own thing?

And yes the Shrek thing and James Gandolfini could be twins separated at birth.


And there were highlights in the awards ceremony:
1. The three 'Billy Elliot's' sharing the Tony for Best Actor in a Musical
2. The brilliant Alice Ripley for the Best Female Performance in a musical. FINALLY!!!
3. The ever wonderful Angela Lansbury winning her 5th Tony.
4. The gifted and always amazing Marcia Gay Harden winning Best Actress in a Drama.
5. Best Director Stephen Daltry who also directed Kate Winslet to her Oscar win this year. He certainly has had a very great year.
6. Kristen, Audra and Bebe just being there is always something to cheer about!!
7. Who is Aaron Tviet in 'Next to Normal' and when is he coming for a visit? I believe I am now officially dubbed a dirty old man.
8. Matt Cavenaugh in 'West Side Story' may finally be the Tony worth fighting a racial turf war over. When is he coming to visit. And when did he steal Mandy Patinkin's Jewish accent as well as mine? No problem as he is just bringing it closer to the original concept.
9. Does everyone who plays Anita (Karen Olivio) in 'West Side Story' have to win an award?
10. Haven't producers learned that unless 'America' is the selling point the best revival will not be be 'West Side Story'.
11. Has 'Hair' proven it is the most innovative musical of ALL time?

and lastly:
How much of Jane Fonda is still human and how much is bionic?

the opening:




the finale:



'next to normal'



'billy elliot' winners. do they 'get it" that they were given the award by the brilliantly divine audra mcdonald? one day maybe.




'hair'



(i beg you forgive the intrusion of the horrific hathaway)


(click speaker for music):

so all being said and done i bought the cast albums of 'next to normal' and the cast recording of the revival of 'west side story' today. Tony you have done your job well.