The Tony's: Neil Patrick Harris

2009 opening

2011 opening

2012 opening

need i say more?

yes!!!

closings

 and

so for god's sake watch neil and the tony's tonight

(i love this guy) 

ok ok one more with hugh jackman

The Tony's: 'Pippin' Will Rule at Last!!!

 
i love 'pippin'. i love the score, i loved bob fosse's choreography. i always loved his choreography! 'pippin' introduced me to the great jill clayburgh who played catherine. jill was replaced by betty buckley and that was my introduction to her brilliant voice. i saw 'pippin' a lot.

i am rooting for the revival to win the tony tonight for best revival naturally.

here are two numbers from the revival cast as they performed on 'good morning america' and 'letterman'.

'corner of the sky' and 'magic to do'

'simple joys'

 i'm betting on petina miller to win best actress in a musical.

Neil Patrick Harris Talks Tony Hosting This Sunday on Letterman

Extra Extra Read All About It: Neil to Host Tony's for 4th Time

thank god. nobody does it better.

2012 opening

neil and hugh jackman duet 2012

the special appearance by the cast of 'company' 2012

2012 closing

Josh's Juke Box: 'On My Own'

from the soundtrack of my life.
since i showd the poster art for 'les miz' yesterday this beauty of a song needs a revisit.

and i was dared by another blogger to name my top 100 songs from musicals. i'm up to 136 as of today. HA!
yet with a lot of thought i have come up with one that i must say is my favorite. 'on my own' from 'les miserables'

and here to sing it is the once and future eponine, samantha barks, brilliant rendering it. this is from the 25th anniversary concert of lez miz. miss barks will thankfully reprise the role in the film version coming in december.

One Last Look at the Tony's 20012

the best presenters of the night were patti and mandy singing to each other

the musical number from jesus christ superstar was better than anything presented from this year's nominees

And the Tony Winners Are

Best Musical
Once
Best Play
Clybourne Park
Best Revival of a Musical
Porgy and Bess

Best Revival of a Play
Death of a Salesman

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical
Audra McDonald, Porgy and Bess
 
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical
Steve Kazee, Once

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play
Nina Arianda, Venus in Fur

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play
James Corden, One Man, Two Guvnors

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical
Judy Kaye, Nice Work If You Can Get It

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical
Michael McGrath, Nice Work If You Can Get It

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play
Judith Light, Other Desert Cities

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play
Christian Borle, Peter and the Starcatcher

Best Direction of a Musical
John Tiffany, Once

Best Direction of a Play
Mike Nichols, Death of a Salesman

Best Score
Alan Menken and Jack Feldman, Newsies

Best Book
Enda Walsh, Once

Best Choreography
Christopher Gattelli, Newsies

Best Scenic Design of a Musical
Bob Crowley, Once

Best Scenic Design of a Play
Donyale Werle, Peter and the Starcatcher

Best Costume Design of a Musical
Gregg Barnes, Follies

Best Costume Design of a Play
Paloma Young, Peter and the Starcatcher

Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Natasha Katz, Once

Best Lighting Design of a Play
Jeff Croiter, Peter and the Starcatcher

Best Sound Design of a Musical
Clive Goodwin, Once

Best Sound Design of a Play
Darron L West, Peter and the Starcatcher

Best Orchestrations
Martin Lowe, Once

Audra and Judith Win Drama Desk Awards

and here's hoping audra and judith take home a tony also this coming sunday. i love these two actresses.

The Tony's: Best of Broadway Tonight

once again joyfully hosted by neil patrick harris

some tony nominated and/or winning memories

from 'cats'

from 'next to normal'

from 'south pacific'

from 'la cage aux folles'

from 'mame'

from 'a chorus line'

from 'chicago'

from 'spamalot'

from 'evita'

from 'fosse'

from 'cabaret'

from 'my one and only'

from 'anything goes'

from 'into the woods'

from 'kiss of the spider woman'

from 'wicked'

from 'ragtime'

from 'les miserables'

from 'fiddler on the roof'

from 'the lion king'

from 'hair'

from 'drowsy chaperon'

from 'dreamgirls'

from 'west side story'

from '110 in the shade'

from 'the act'

from 'song and dance'

from 'grand hotel'

from 'the apple tree'

from 'the threepenny opera'

from 'sunday in the park with george'

from 'nine'

from 'rent'

from 'phantom of the opera'

from 'you're a good man charlie brown'

from 'sideshow'

from 'man of la mancha'

from 'my fair lady' and 'camelot'

from 'damn yankees'

from 'purlie'

from 'woman of the year'

from 'they're playing our song'

 (the biggest snub in tony history was in not nominating lucie arnaz in this role. however, she showed her professionalism showing up on award night and performing)

from 'xanadu'

from 'rags'

from 'sweeney todd'

from 'gypsy'

and one more time: neil patrick harris

i hope you enjoyed this trip down tony's memory lane. i certainly did preparing it and watching these wonderful musical moments.


enjoy the tony's tonight

Another Look at the Tony's

The Brilliant Matthew Morrison's Spectacular Tony Performance...and the Less Than Spectacular Performance of Lea Michele at the Tony Awards

please please watch matthew morrison...watch the dance yes but not just his feet...watch his arms and hands as all become part of the choreography. watch how he handles his outfit as it becomes part of the dance and a major prop. every gesture is insanely brilliant. and oh hell he has the voice to go with it. he is the consummate performer of 2010. bravo matthew!

sorry but lea not so much...better luck next time and do not ever ever follow matthew again ever ever ever. it's kind of like a dog act following streisand at the hollywood bowl. and stop the streisand. you need your own identity. call the wonderful but mishandled julie budd. she knows all too well that what you are doing is so so wrong. it may have been clever and cute in your bedroom. in real life and real time it is going to be your own personal titanic. your rendition of the same 'don't rain on my parade' on 'glee' ran circles around this misguided interpretation or should i say barbra imitation? and stop stop crossing your eyes. with barbra it was normal but for you it just appears as shallow imitation/mockery if not downright cruel. lea you are talented in your own right so stop stealing barbra's already. alright?

What Is Going on in My Mind Today?

the tony awards are on my mind...sean hayes was brilliantly funny and dare i say adorable. his visual skits were a riot. his dead-on bernadette peters gag tops the list. bring him back soon...emmy and oscar producers think twice before you overlook him.

bebe neuwirth radiates talent and beauty and still has the best walk on broadway...kristin chenoweth is a true beauty and broadway star. ricky martin is going to play che in 'evita'? who the hells worse nightmare is this? barbara cook is 80? where the hell does the time go. angela lansbury always a class act. matthew morrison is brilliant. his 'all i need is the girl' was inspired and stole the evening. they should have handed him a tony and an emmy. scarlett johansson wins a tony and i say brava. she and ryan get cutest couple of the night. the brilliant bebe neuwirth and nathan lane giving out best actor and actress in a musical award was a brilliant idea and damn they were classy. cate blanchett looked stunning but why was she there? or paula abdul for that matter.

viola davis brava as best actress...good going and congrats.

so that was the good news of the night. be prepared.

please please please stop giving catherine zeta jones awards for musicals...SHE CAN'T SING! and what was all that phoniness when she won...it was a bloody lock.

lea michelle stop doing streisand. it was cute as a teenager on 'glee' but at the tony's it's a huge mistake. and what is with the streisandesque crossing of your eyes? stop! you are going to kill a should be good career. enuf girl enuf.

okay what the hell happened to the broadway musical? the proof is in the revivals my friends. the revivals were inspired by good to great broadway musicals even if their remountings were not. the nominees for "new' musicals were absolutely awful. garbage really. can anyone write a book musical anymore. garbage just garbage.

after like 200 years can someone do something with bernadette peter's hair...good lord!

to keep hollywood stars coming back to broadway they gave denzel washington a tony. over leiv schreiber and alfred molina. really? i mean really?

once more with great feeling.....Bravo Sean Hayes!

enough said...pics and more to come.

Tony Award Winners 2010

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTRESS IN A PLAY: Scarlett Johansson, “A View From the Bridge.”

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTOR IN A PLAY: Eddie Redmayne, “Red.”

BEST DIRECTION OF A PLAY: Michael Grandage, “Red.”


BEST DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL: Terry Johnson, “La Cage aux Folles.”

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL: Katie Finneran, “Promises, Promises.”

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTOR IN A MUSICAL: Levi Kreis, “Million Dollar Quartet.”

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTRESS IN A PLAY: Viola Davis, “Fences.”

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTOR IN A PLAY: Denzel Washington, “Fences.”

BEST REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL: “La Cage aux Folles.”

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL: Catherine Zeta-Jones, “A Little Night Music.”

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTOR IN A MUSICAL: Douglas Hodge, “La Cage aux Folles.”

BEST MUSICAL: “Memphis.”

BEST CHOREOGRAPHY: Bill T. Jones, “Fela!”

BEST REVIVAL OF A PLAY: “Fences.”

BEST PLAY: “Red.”

BEST BOOK OF A MUSICAL: “Memphis.”

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE (MUSIC AND/OR LYRICS) WRITTEN FOR THE THEATER: “Memphis”

BEST ORCHESTRATIONS: Daryl Waters and David Bryan, “Memphis.”

BEST SCENIC DESIGN OF A PLAY: Christopher Oram, “Red.”

BEST SCENIC DESIGN OF A MUSICAL: Christine Jones, “American Idiot.”

BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A PLAY: Catherine Zuber, “The Royal Family.”

BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A MUSICAL: Marina Draghici, “Fela!”

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A PLAY: Neil Austin, “Red.”

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A MUSICAL: Kevin Adams, “American Idiot.”

BEST SOUND DESIGN OF A PLAY: Adam Cork, “Red.”

BEST SOUND DESIGN OF A MUSICAL: Robert Kaplowitz, “Fela!”

___

SPECIAL TONY AWARD FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT IN THE THEATER: Alan Ayckbourn and Marian Seldes.

REGIONAL THEATER TONY AWARD: The Eugene O’Neill Theater Center, Waterford, Conn.

ISABELLE STEVENSON AWARD: David Hyde Pierce.

TONY HONORS FOR EXCELLENCE IN THE THEATER: B.H. Barry and Tim Viola.

We'll Take a Glass Together

'The Revolutionary Costume of the Day'

Christine Ebersole's 2007 Tony win Best Musical Actress:

In Memorium: The Tony Awards 2009

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.

2008 Tony Award Revisited

patti lupone best actress in a musical for 'gypsy'l.
laura benati and boyd gaines best suppoting wins in the same musical.
everything else about last year's tony awards are a blur and therefore negligible and unimportant!









sorry folks if you missed it it closed.

1987: Patti Was Robbed...Another Tony Shame!!!

Patti was the shoe-in for 'Anything Goes' but somehow lost to Joanna Gleeson who had a supporting role in 'Into the Woods'.

'They're Playing Our Song'

As the Tony Awards draw near it is time to remember one of Tony's major snubs.
Lucie Arnaz not only deserved to win that year,1979, but damn she at least deserved a bloody nomination!!!