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

2011 Spring Broadway Preview

Well kids I'm finally getting back to my roots and covering theatre as the spring 2011 Broadway season gets underway. I took a little break in the winter because there wasn't much going on aside from Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark and everybody has been covering that so I didn't find it necessary to beat a dead horse. This will be my first in a long series of posts leading up to the Tony awards in June. I am going to attempt to see as many of the nominated shows as I can so I can be as informed as possible when I make my Tony predictions. At some point I'll probably write about the shows that have already opened this season as well as those that have opened and closed, because they'll still be considered for Tonys, but for now I'm going to focus on the shows opening between now and May. I've listed the shows in order by the date of their official opening.

Good People
This is a world premier of David Lindsay-Abaire's new play about a newly-unemployed Bostonian woman who reunites with an old flame. Directed by Daniel Sullivan, the cast features Frances McDormand and Tate Donavan. It began previews at Manhattan Theatre Club's Samuel Friedman J. Theater on February 8th and has its official opening on March 3rd.

That Championship Season
A revival, this play by Jason Miller focuses on a group of ex-high school heroes as they reflect on their golden season, the year they won the Pennsylvania state high school basketball championship. Gregory Mosher directs a cast including Brian Cox, Jim Gaffigan, Chris Noth, Jason Patric, and Kiefer Sutherland. Previews began at the Bernard B. Jacobs Theater on February 9th with on official opening on March 6th.

Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark
This is perhaps the most highly anticipated musical in years and its faced its fair share of drama from injuries to delayed openings. This mega-musical by Bono and the Edge of U2 is the most expensive ever produced on Broadway. Directed by Tony winner Julie Taymor, the cast features Patrick Page, Jennifer Damiano, and Reeve Carney in the title role. Previews began at the Foxwoods Theater on November 28th with the official opening pushed back to March 15th.

Arcadia
A revival, this Tom Stoppard play begins in 1809 England where a gifted student proposes ideas and theories that are never truly realized until two academic rivals put the puzzle pieces together nearly two hundred years later. Billy Crudup and Raul Esparza star with direction by David Leveaux. Previews begin February 25th at the Ethel Barrymore Theater with official opening set for March 17th.

Priscilla Queen of the Desert
This is one of the most highly anticipated new musicals of the season. It recently began its New York rehearsal process after a run in Toronto. Tony Sheldon, Will Swenson, and Nick Adams star as drag queens who perform across the Australian outback on their bus Priscilla. The show is composed of popular hit music and disco standards. Simon Phillips directs this production that begins previews at the Palace Theater on February 28th and opens March 20th.

Ghetto Klown
This marks actor John Leguizamo's fourth solo show on Broadway, covering everything from his Queens upbringing to the early days of his acting career in the overly eccentric 1980s. Nothing is spared in this exuberant piece, not even Hollywood's biggest stars. Fisher Stevens directs this Leguizamo original that begins previews at the Lyceum Theatre on February 21st and runs March 22nd to May 15th.

The Book of Mormon
This new musical features a book by Trey Parker & Matt Stone (creators of South Park) and music by Robert Lopez (Avenue Q). The story of two modern missionaries in Uganda is told alongside that of  the founder of the Church of Latter-Day Saint. Casey Nicholaw directs a cast including Josh Gad, Andrew Rannells, Rory O'Malley, Nikki M. James, and Michael Potts. Previews begin at the Eugene O'Neill Theater on February 24th with opening night set for March 24th.

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (H2$)
This highly anticipated revival of the Frank Loesser classic stars Daniel Radcliffe as J. Pierrepont Finch, a young mail clerk who rises to Vice President of Advertising with less than moral business practices. John Laroquette, Rose Hemingway, Tammy Blanchard, and Christopher J. Hanke also star, with voice over work by Anderson Cooper and direction and choreography by Rob Ashford. Previews begin at the Al Hirschfeld Theater on February 26th with an official opening on March 27th.

Bengal Tiger At The Baghdad Zoo
Narrated by a captive tiger, this play follows two American marines and an Iraqi gardener as they sift through the rubble of war . Robin Williams stars as the tiger and narrator. This is an original play written by Rajiv Joseph and directed by Moises Kaufman (The Laramie Project). Previews begin at the Richard Rodgers Theater on March 11th and the show opens on March 31st.

Anything Goes
This revival of the classic Cole Porter musical about two unlikely pairs aboard the S.S. American features a star-studded cast directed by Kathleen Marshall. Sutton Foster stars as Reno Sweeney, a role that garnered a TONY nomination for Patti LuPone, along with Joel Grey and Laura Osnes. Previews begin at Roundabout Theater Company's Stephen Sondheim Theater on March 10th and the production opens on April 7th.

Catch Me If You Can
This new musical based on the film of the same name features a book by Terrence McNally and music and lyrics by Mark Shaiman and Scott Wittman with direction by Jack O'Brien. It was well received during its Seattle run and the cast is chock full of stars including Aaron Tveit, Norbert Leo Butz, Tom Wopat, and Kerry Butler. Previews start at the Neil Simon Theater on March 11th with an official opening on April 10th.

The Motherf**ker With the Hat
This new play looks at the relationship between a longtime couple on the verge of a breakdown as one becomes sober while the other remains addicted to alcohol and drugs. Anna Shapiro directs this new play written by Stephen Adly Guirgis; Bobby Cannavale, Chris Rock, and Annabella Sciorra star. Previews at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theater begin March 22nd with opening night set for April 11th.

War Horse
This new play by Michael Morpurgo & Nick Stafford is a production of Lincoln Center Theatre Company. Marianne Elliott & Tom Morris direct this production that uses puppetry to tell the story of a young boy named Albert and his horse Joey in the midst of World War I. Seth Numrich stars as Albert in this production that begins previews at the Vivian Beaumont Theater on March 15th and opens on April 14th.

Wonderland
This new musical be Frank Wildhorn tells the story of Alice, but it isn't your grandmother's Alice in Wonderland. In this story, Wonderland is actually below New York City and Alice has a daughter. Janet Dacal stars as Alice alongside Kate Shindle as the Mad Hatter. This production directed by Gregory Boyd starts its preview period at the Marriott Marquis Theater on March 21st and opens on April 17th.

Sister Act
This new musical is based on the film of the same name and is transferring from London's West End where it was wildly successful. The music is written by Alan Menken & Glenn Slater with direction by Jerry Zaks. Patina Miller stars as Deloris and Tony winner Victoria Clark takes on the role of Mother Superior. Previews begin at the Broadway Theater on March 24th with opening night set for April 20th.

Jerusalem
This comedy by Jez Butterworth is a transfer from London directed by Ian Rickson. It tells the story of a modern day pied piper who is on the run from the police. It also includes a motley crew of sidekicks. Mark Rylance stars in his second Broadway turn of the season along with John Gallagher, Jr. Previews begin at the Music Box Theater on April 2nd with an April 21st opening.

House of Blue Leaves
This revival of John Guare's 1971 play tells the story of the Pope's 1965 visit to New York City. The characters profiled include a zoo-keeper, his schizophrenic wife, his mistress, and an AWOL son. Ben Stiller and Edie Falco headline alongside Jennifer Jason Leigh and Alison Pill. David Cromer directs this production at the Walter Kerr Theater, beginning previews on April 4th and opening on April 25th.

Fat Pig
This is the first Broadway production of this Neil LaBute play that debuted off-Broadway a few seasons ago. Tom is an eligible bachelor who finds love with a plus sized girlfriend. Their objections and jabs make Tom examine himself and the value of his own good looks. Dane Cook and Julia Stiles star in this production directed by Neil LaBute himself. The production will play the Belasco Theater starting April 12th in previews and opening April 26th.

The People in the Picture
This new musical produced by Roundabout stars Donna Murphy as Bubie, a Holocaust survivor in 1970s New York City. Her granddaughter is enraptured by her tales of the war, but her daughter wants to hear nothing of her past. Iris Rainer Dart contributed the book and lyrics while Mike Stoller & Artie Butler composed the music. Chip Zien, Alexander Gemignani, and Nicole Parker also join the cast directed by Leonard Foglia. The production begins previews at the American Airlines Theater on April 1st and officially opens on April 28th.

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.