The Tonys Are Not Just For Gays Anymore

As Neil Patrick Harris told us last night, the Tony Awards are not just for the gays anymore, but keep in mind he sang those lyrics while being carried by those sailors over there on the left. Overall I think the 2011 ceremony beat the pants off of the 2010 and here are 5 reasons why...

1) More Broadway & Less Hollywood: last year we had the huge controversy of "Hollywood" taking over the Tonys with Scarlett Johannson & Catherine Zeta-Jones winning two of the big awards and Green Day getting more airtime than any of the nominated performers. This year we struck a healthy balance with TV& film stars like Ellen Barkin & John Laroquette winning two of the featured play acting categories while bona fide musical theatre stars Sutton Foster & Norbert Leo Butz won Best Leading Actress & Actor in a musical respectively.

3) Opening Number: This year's NPH number "the Tonys aren't for gays anymore" was catchy and sassy and beat the pants off of last year's "Broadway/Pop" medley with the awkward blending of Memphis, Come Fly Away, and Fela, though last year had Sherie Rene Scott and her Menonettes which were sorely missed on this year's telecast. However, nothing will beat 2009 in my mind where we saw Elton John, Liza, Dolly Parton, and the cast of HAIR all on stage at the same time.

4) Performances: Anything Goes, Priscilla Queen of the Desert, and Catch Me If You Can all gave show stopping performances that made me happily forget the memories of Memphis, Fela, and Come Fly Away on last year's broadcast. We also avoided the sound glitches that were so very evident the past two years.

5) The Speeches: I was thrilled to see so many people cry this year as they accepted their awards. This is the theatre and I want emotion darn it! Ellen Barkin started it off and though she contained her emotion during her speech, she burst into tears when she made her exit. Nikki M. James was absolutely hysterical in her surprise win and though we could barely understand what she said, we loved her anyway. Norbert Leo Butz was so genuine and surprised as he accepted his award and dedicated it to his family: his ex-Wicked wife, his father whom he based his character on, and his sister who tragically took her own life last year. The surprise of the night for me was when Sutton Foster went to a crazy place and emoted hysterically, not about her boyfriend or her family, but about her dresser!! Apparently he is the best artist in the world and he's taking his talents to Cape Cod. Loves it! She also thanked her childhood dance and music teachers which is the first thing I'll do when I win my first (or second) Tony!

The 2011 TONY Awards Live Blog

Now that the Tonys are over I have a few thoughts. The Book of Mormon is clearly the show to see as it won 3 design awards, director, book, score, featured actress, scenic design, and best musical. This was all to be expected. I was 4/4 in the acting in a play categories, but I only correctly predicted 1 of the 4 acting in a musical categories. I think we all knew Sutton Foster would win, but the rest were a surprise to me. How amazing for Norbert Leo Butz!? I am so happy for him, though I doubted he could win because I thought of his role as being more featured than leading. And though I wanted Tony Sheldon to win for Priscilla, I am so happy for Norbert (and that neither of the Mormon boys won). I wanted Laura Benanti to win so badly that I was upset to hear Nikki M. James' name called, but after seeing how genuinely surprised she was and how humble she was, I was happy for her all the same. It seems the featured actresses in musicals always have the best speeches. John Laroquette, winning Best Featured Actor in a Musical, was also a surprise to me because I thought the momentum was in Rory O'Malley's favor. However, I am happy to see How To Succeed recognized in some way shape or form. Though no opening number will match up to 2009 in my opinion, this one was pretty good. It was a great awards night and a great celebration of Broadway.  So that's a wrap up for me, Good Night!

11:00 So then Mormon won best musical....duh we knew that!
10:54 Yay Norbert! We love you so much and we are so happy that you and Sutton won twice!
10:39 I love you Sutton Foster...we knew you'd win! And I just love that you cried
10: 30 Frances McDormand is wearing a dress from Forever 21
10:47 I just die when I see Patti in Compnay
10:07 Patti is dying in her seat when Sutton performed Anything Goes
9:58 Patti is coming up soon! Company!!!!!
9:23 Spider-Man.....this song is underwhelming
9:13 OMG we love Hugh Jackman!!
9:07 Hahah how didn't Mormon win best choreo?
9:00 OMG our first major crier!!!! Nikki M. James!! I wanted Laura Benati but oh well
8:40: Directing awards go to War Horse & Book of Mormon! (I picked War Horse)
8:33 Norbert Leo Butz is KILLING this number! So phenomenal....now I know why Norbert was pushed into Leading Actor Category
8:28 I correctly chose John Benjamin Hickey as the winner of Best Featured Actor in a play!! 5/6
8:23 John Leguizamo.....is the illegitimate child of Ahnold. His whole bit was so unecessary
8:21 My first wrong guess of the night....Best Sound Design of a Musical goes to Brian Ronan for Book of Mormon....I predicted Brian Ronan for Anything Goes
8:13 Okay so D-Rads does not sound that bad; very snappy choreography by Rob Ashford
8:12 Aww Daniel Radcliffe, such a cutie patootie to quote Rose O'D
8:10 Ellen gives a very eloquent speech and was on the verge of tears, she does not completely weep until she exits the stage
8:06 Alec Baldwin to announce the Featured Actress in a Play award! I picked Ellen Barkin...it goes to Ellen Barkin; i'm 4/4!
8:05 I love the choreo of this opening number so much! I die!
8:02 Please don't tell me this is the entire opening number?
8:00 Live broadcast....OMG I die! I'm loving this uber-queer opening number!
7:53 So far I'm 3/3 in  my Tony Predictions! Score & Orchestrations to Mormon and Choreography to Anything Goes!

7:16 Wow Vanessa Redgrave is just exquisite. I see shades of Natasha Richardson in her face & hear her in her voice. So phenomenal.
7:13 Vicky Clark is looking like such a diva in her deep V (V for Victoria) and her ruffles. Vicky gives a shout out to God and that is always a good thing.
7:12 OMG Patti & Andrew Lloyd Webber are on the same red carpet at the same time!
7:11 ZOMG Patti I Die! She is looking phenom flanked by both of her men!
7:07 Oh god who let Andrew Lloyd Webber out of his cave and why is that hag wearing all those feathers?
7:05 OMG Tony Sheldon, my pick for Best Actor in a Musical! Love Beth Leavel, but she is in a turn of a show, Baby Its You!
7:00 Sutton is too a "broad" you dumbass host! Sutton looks like she wants to vomit and Bobby Cannavale looks like he is going to murder someone.
6:59 Get it Sutton. I love you doll face and your dress is so out of character for you. Sutton is very nervous and I think that means she's going to win!!
6:54 Here comes the War Horse team. If it wins it will be because of the production, not because of the play itself
6:53 Matthew Broderick is looking old as all get out.
6:51 Who doesn't love David Hyde Pierce? Can't wait to see this new musical he is directing!
6:45 Its funny how Joe Mantello directed Joel Grey in Wicked and Joel Grey just directed Joe Mantello in The Normal Heart. I love them both. I havent seen it but I hear this production of The Normal Heart is simply fantastic. Also George C. Wolfe looks like a nutter with that hair
6:45 Sutton Foster looks divine in her strapless forest green number! Very much a fashion departure for la Sutton
6:40 Susan Stroman is a phenomenal choreographer, truly an idol of mine. I am thrilled that Scottsboro Boys was remembered by the nominators. It is so phenomenal to see John Kander. RIP Fred Ebb. I hope they can pull out a surprise win for best score.
6:38 Shameless name-dropping of Whoopie Goldberg by the team behind Sister Act
6:36 Its weird that Norbert is nominated for something without Sherie Rene Scott :(
6:35 Omg Fiyero & Nessarose! Precious!
6:31 Nikki M. James is and bright-eyed and cute, but she is in a category with some heavy hitters, all of which are previous winners or nominees
6:29 I don't necessarily love Josh Gad as much as everybody else but Rory O'Malley is precious. These two are hilarious together.
6:24 I loved Lombardi and Judith Light was phenomenal in it. She was a front runner back in the fall, but I think the fact that her show closed will hurt her as other actresses have come into the head of the race.
6:22 Judith Light looks like Farah Fawcett in the 1970s. I don't know what she is wearing but I really still love her anyway.
6:19 Its so great to see Bobby Lopez back after winning for Avenue Q in 2004. How exciting for him! Its great to see a completely original musical as the front runner for Best Musical this season. What a nice change!
6:16 It will be so funny all night to listen to announcers and presenters trip over the title of the play "The Motherfu**er with the Hat
6:12 Great plug for Spider-Man (which is finally opening) with a Tony performance. Jen Damiano looks flawless in a classic hairstyle and red lip with a fab gold dress.
6:11 Judith Light I love you sweetheart but what the hell are you wearing?
6:09 This host just mispronounced choreography...shameful! I love Kathleen Marshall and she has huge hits (Anything Goes) and huge misses (Grease) so I think she has a shot at best director and I feel she's a shoe in for choreographer.
6:07 Patina Miller is the Sutton Foster of this season, coming out of the ensemble to play the lead and score a Tony nomination. Ironically, she is a co-front runner with Sutton Foster. Ps I love that Patina and "Vicky" Clark are buddies.
6:06 Andrew Rannells is such a camera whore, is it just me or does he look plastic?
6:03 Andrew Rannels is so cute, if only he weren't gay like the rest of Broadway. Edie looks fab as usual. Ellen Barkin is favored in the Best Featured Actress in a Play category, but then again awards shows love Edie Falco so she certainly has a shot at it. She is a true class act and is so committed to the craft.
6:01 I watched the Tonys live in Times Square two years ago and it was such a fun time, I just loved it! Tovah Feldshuh is so glam, looking dashing in red
6:00 Here we go, Tonys 2011 Red Carpet live on tonyawards.com

Broadway.com | See Sutton Foster as Reno Sweeney! Behind the Scenes at the Anything Goes Photo Shoot

One of Broadway's favorite darlings, Sutton Foster, prepares to play the role of Reno Sweeney in Roundabout Theatre Company's spring production of Anything Goes. In taking on this part, she steps into shoes previously filled by the likes of Ethel Merman and Patti LuPone. Tickets are available now at telecharge.com and the show hits the Stephen Sondheim Theatre in March of 2011. Foster is also joined by fellow Tony winner Joel Grey.

Broadway.com | See Sutton Foster as Reno Sweeney! Behind the Scenes at the Anything Goes Photo Shoot

The Barbie Award for Working Hard For The Money: Miss Sutton Foster

I decided that In addition to Breaking Broadway News, Fun Facts, and Showtunes of the Day (which I plan to keep up with daily now that my life has calmed down) I'm going to start giving out my own version of the Tony Award, which I'll obviously call the Barbie Award. Unlike the Tony Awards which are given out one glorious day a year, the Barbie Award can be given to any performer or person involved with the theatre on any given day for any given reason.

So I'm going to give out my first award, The Barbie Award for Working Hard for the Money, to the busiest lady on the boards these days.

Ever since her Peggy Sawyer-esque moment of breaking out of the chorus to become the star in Thoroughly Modern Millie, Sutton Foster has become Broadway's Sweetheart. Since then she has played featured or leading roles in shows such as Little Women, The Drowsy Chaperone, Young Frankenstein and Shrek. She has also release a solo album entitled Wish.

She has been a busy gal since her jump into the spotlight in 2002, but nothing compares to this year. She is currently starring in the Off-Broadway play Trust at Second Stage and it was announced a few weeks ago that she will take on another starring role as Reno Sweeney in Roundabout Theatre Company's production of Anything Goes which lands on Broadway in Spring 2011. Throughout the fall and winter of this year and into 2011 Sutton will be performing across the country in her solo concert series. In addition, she recently performed in an Actor's Fund benefit show of They're Playing Our Song with Seth Rudetsky. And as if she is not busy enough, she is actually scheduled to perform in readings of two upcoming shows. The first is the new musical Bonnie & Clyde co-starring Will Swenson of Hair fame with a score by Rick Crom and a book by her very own brother, Hunter Foster. The second reading she plans to participate in is Nice Work If You Can Get It, a Gershwin review of sorts co-starring Matthew Broderick.

Well, I'm tired just writing all of that so I can only image how Miss Foster must feel! Get some Red Bull girl and keep that energy up...we would love to see some more Broadway hits in your future. And even though the Barbie Award is a huge honor, I'd love for you to win another Tony as well.

Annie Revival 2012

If we must have yet another revival of this show on Broadway, can we at least have a fierce cast? And by "fierce cast" I mean I want to choose the cast. Here goes...



Annie...Erin Whyland
She made her Broadway debut last year as Debbie in Billy Elliot: The Musical and she is hilarious. I think she can really shine in a starring role. She can even bring along all of her ballet class friends from Billy Elliot to play the rest of the orphans.

Miss Hannigan...Allison Janney
She is a complete scene stealer and the gruff, untrained quality in her voice will suit this orphanage matron very well, not to mention that fact that the woman's height is enough to intimidate any small child. She plays comedy in such a way that she walks the line between grounded humor and over-the-top but never crosses it.

Daddy Warbucks...Michael Cerveris
He has a tough outer shell that commands attention, but is really a big ball of love on the inside. Plus, his head is already shaved.

Grace Farrell...Kelli O'Hara
Nobody can play sweet and loving onstage like Ms. O'Hara and with a soprano like that, how could Annie and Warbucks help but fall in love with her?

Rooster...Raul Esparza
True, he usually plays a leading man, but I think this featured role could show off a different side of Esparza as he channels his inner con artist.

Lily St. Regis...Sutton Foster
I can just hear her singing Easy Street right now and it is over the top and campy, but it is Sutton Foster so some how it is fabulous at the same time.,