2015 TONY Predictions

Best Musical Prediction: Fun Home

Best Play Prediction: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time

Best Book of a Musical Prediction: Lisa Kron, Fun Home

Best Original Score Prediction: Jeanine Tesori & Lisa Kron, Fun Home

Best Revival of a Musical Prediction: The King and I

Best Revival of a Play Prediction: Skylight

Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play Prediction: Alex Sharp, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time

Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play Prediction: Helen Mirren, The Audience

Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical Prediction: Michael Cerveris, Fun Home

Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical Prediction: Kristin Chenoweth, On the Twentieth Century

Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play Prediction: Micah Stock, It's Only a Play

Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play Prediction: Annaleigh Ashford, You Can't Take It with You

Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical Prediction: Andy Karl, On the Twentieth Century

Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical Prediction: Judy Kuhn, Fun Home

Best Direction of a Play Prediction: Marianne Elliott, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time 

Best Direction of a Musical Prediction: Christopher Wheeldon, An American in Paris

Best Choreography Prediction: Christopher Wheeldon, An American in Paris

Best Orchestrations Prediction: Chris Austin, Don Sebesky, Bill Elliott, An American in Paris

Best Scenic Design of a Play Prediction: Bunny Christie & Finn Ross, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time

Best Scenic Design of a Musical Prediction: Michael Yeargan, The King and I

Best Costume Design of a Play Prediction: Christopher Oram, Wolf Hall Parts One & Two

Best Costume Design of a Musical Prediction: Catherine Zuber, The King and I

Best Lighting Design of a Play Prediction: Paule Constable, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time

Best Lighting Design of a Musical Prediction: Donald Holder, The King and I

2013 TONY Awards Live Blog!

2013 TONY Awards-Here We Go!!

11:07 That's it for me...Peace Out Broadway. It's been real!
11:02 Kinky Boots wins!!! Yes!
11:01 My idol of all idols Bernadette Peters!
10:59 Kinky Boots Kinky Boots Kinky Boots Kinky Boots...please win best play!
10:54 Pippin wins!! Announced by Patti
10:53 Best Revival of a Musical...I go with Pippin!
10:41 Donna and the Dynamos introducing Kinky Boots
10:38 Best Actress in a Musical goes to Patina Miller!! Yes!
10:38 Best Actress in a Musical...I predict Patina Miller
10:33 The Tony goes to Ms. Tyson who is wearing a lot of ruffles
10:33 Jake Gyllenhaal is announcing Best Actress in a Play...I'm predicting Ms. Tyson
10:31 Velma Kelly is here to announce best lighting design of a musical for Matilda
10:23 Matthew Morrison to introduce Cyndi Lauper's In Memoriam performance of "True Colors"
10:21 Tony goes to Tracy Letts...that's a surprise but how exciting! Letts is so well spoken, what an eloquent speech.
10:21 Actor in a Musical...It's gonna be Tom Hanks
10:19 Billy Porter is fabulous and a Pittsburgher!!!!!
10:18 The Tony goes to Billy Porter! Yes!
10:17 Sally Field & Matthew Broderick presenting best actor in a musical...come on Billy Porter!
10:16 This Phantom of the Opera looks like it could have some potential
10:13 Who doesn't love Phantom...great to see it on the TONYs to commemorate it's 25-year milestone
10:11 We bow to you Hal Prince! If there is a true legend in the theatre...it is you Hal Prince.
10:10 Annie & Daddy Warbucks are announcing Dennis Kelly's win for Best Book
10:04 Tony goes to Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
10:03 I'm picking Virginia Woolf
10:02 Screw you Bloomberg, nobody likes you but we love Sigourney Weaver...announcing the Best Revival of a Play
9:59 Great number to choose..we love Patina's small hat. Char is divine and so is new Tony winner Andrea.
9:58 Pippin performing in front of the curtain while the circus sets up....Patina is about to werk!!
9:57 Simba and Mufasa introduce Pippin!
9:56 NPH is texting or tweeting or something...and David Hyde Pierce just busted it up (that's a throwback to his rant in Vanya)
9:50 I really hope A Christmas Story comes back...so fun! This little kid who taps is out of this world!
9:47 NPH and Sandy introduce A Christmas Story
9:43 Best Play goes to Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike! So deserving...fantastic play!
9:40 Jesse Eisenberg announcing the plays in a complete and utter monotone...The Assembled Parties, Lucky Guy, The Testament of Mary, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
9:39 Live-Blogging is hard work! I must stay hydrated!
9:37 What was that mess with The rascals?
9:30 Tony goes to Andrea Martin! Duh!
9:29 Cuba Gooding Jr and Anna Kendrick presenting Best Featured Actress in a Musical...I picked Andrea Martin
9:28 Dear Lord I hope they do something for Marvin Hamlisch
9:24 Andrew Rannells w/ NPH talking about TV Shows (set to America) and Megan Hilty (Gotta Get a Gimmick) and Laura Benanti (Ladies Who Lunch) and "What I Did For Love"
9:23 We have our Newsies here to announce best Choreography...it goes to Jerry Mitchell!
9:14 Spiderman (all 12 of them) to announce Annie..of course It's A Hard Knock Life. If I ever hear this song again it will be too soon
9:12 Cyndi! I see your true colors girl! Thank you for mentioning how hard this city works.
9:11 Best Score..Cyndi Lauper!
9:10 Best Score...I picked Cyndi Lauper (Kinky Boots)
9:10 Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Jane Krakowski announcing Stephen Oremus' win for Orchestrations
9:03 This little Michael Jackson...WOW! This is the year of kids on Broadway!
9:02 I want to go dance in the streets at Motown!
9:00 Great job pulling in Audra
8:59 The guys from Jersey Boys here to announce Motown...that's a great connection.
8:56 Best Direction of a Play...I picked Pam McKinnon (Virginia Woolf) and she wins!
8:54 The Tony Award goes to Diane Paulus (Pippin). Go Diane!
8:53 Jon Cryer and Martha Plimpton to announce the award for Best Direction of a Musical...I picked Diane Paulus, obviously
8:51 Oliver Platt and Liam Nieson here to blow sunshine up the ass of the American Theater Wing
8:50 Guy and Girl from Once are here to reiterate the Sound Design winners
8:46 I'm hooked...that performance made me NEED to see Cinderella!
8:45 I have to see this magical Cinderella!
8:43 Oh no, Laura Osnes almost tripped getting into the carriage!
8:41 Laura Osnes is the ingenue of our time, singing In My Own Little Corner
8:40 Lonny & Dennis (Rock of Ages) announcing the performance from Cinderella
8:39 The Tony goes to Gabriel Ebert (Matilda)
8:39 Now we have "The Snubs" (Alan Cumming & ScarJo) presenting Best Featured Actor in a Musical...I predict Terrence Mann (Pippin)
8:38 NPH joke about Mike Tyson giving the Matildas face tattoos
8:36 Now we have Mufasa announcing the earlier presentations of Best Costume design to William Ivey Long (Cinderella) and Ann Roth (The Nance)
8:33 I don't care that it already closed...that performance made me never want to see Bring It On
8:26 Velma Kelley is here to introduce the cast of Bring It On: The Musical
8:24 The Tony goes to...Judith Light (The Assembled Parties)
8:24 Tom Hanks is presenting "Best Featured Actress in a Play...I predict Judith Ivey (The Heiress)
8:23 Get it Tom Hanks! You are really embracing the whole Broadway community.
8:21 Cute little segment called "playsicles" that sounds like it came from twitter!
8:15 This "Miss Honey" woman is not sucking me in; I do love those scooters though. I'm a sucker for anything with wheels
8:12 These little Matilda kids are precious, this choreography is very Spring Awakening-esque
8:11 We've got Newsies here to introduce a performance from Matilda
8:09 The Tony goes to.....Courtney B. Vance (Lucky Guy)
8:08 Audra McDonald and Zachary Quinto walk up to "Summertime" to present Best Featured Actor in a Play. I predict Danny Burstein (Golden Boy).
8:07 That opening number was overwhelming!
8:06 Great shoutout to the kids at home and a nice little kick line with a bajillion performers from about every Broadway show!
8:05 Pippin reference and NHP disappears! How did he get to the back of the orchestra so fast and with all those Newsies in tow? Great reference to the "Tom Hooper Les Miz closeups!"
8:03 We've got our itty bitty kids from Matilda, Christmas Story, and Annie!
8:03 Barry Gordy banging Diana ross joke, Pippin acrobats with those super hot tumbling guys, Bring It On bit with NPH going up in a prep, Mike Tyson
8:03 Ok, the main them eis coming back to Radio City and making the show "bigger". We have girls in red dresses, guys in tuxes. We have kinky boots girls and a joke about "Billy Porter's ass".
8:02 "I'm Neil, I wouldn't be here if somebody hadn't passed on hosting" -Shia LeBouf joke!
8:01  Neil as "Guy" from Once opens the show
8:00 Here we go....opening number is on deck!
7:52 I am 2/2 in my Tony predictions with William Ivey Long (Costumes, Cinderella) and Stephen Oremus (Orchestrations, Kinky Boots)
7:38 Wait, why are we watching all these bitchy Queen writers and not the Creative Arts Awards?
7:29 It certainly has been a wild season of drag queens, dogs, and children
7:28 Why did it take so long to nominated Stephanie J Block for a Tony? That's been a long time coming, that's for sure!
7:27 Santino, Laura, SJB, Andrew Rannels, and a social media correspondent...what a combination there
7:26 Annaleigh looks like an Academy Award!
7:25 Cicely....what on earth are you wearing?
7:24 So far on the red carpet I've been most impressed by Laura Osnes and Victoria Clark....no surprise here
7:22 Come on New York 1...I want to see Annaleigh and Stephanie J Block!
7:19 Cyndi you are looking all kinds of crazy, but I loved your show and your music
7:17 Alright we are less than 45 minutes out...this is very exciting!
7:14 I love this little spotlight on #SIP. We did that in a show that I just did!
7:11 I died for that nude gown Laura Osnes tried on...she would've looked phenomenal in that one
7:10 I'm so glad that metallics and bling are in for this season's awards
7:08 Now we are getting a little piece on the nominees looking for Tony gowns
7:07 I watched the Tonys in Times Square once...it was so fun to be with all of the theatre queens
7:07 Bernadette Peters is here? I need to see her stat!
7:03 I just voted in the first "snap poll" for Kinky Boots to win best musical!
7:01 Roma, you are a serious fan girl dear
7:00 Got it...Matthew Morrison is presenting "In Memoriam" today, I'm excited to listen to his new album
6:58 Matthew Morrison, why are you here dear?
6:56 I didn't realize how tall Laura Osnes is...she's practically the same height as Santino
6:54 Mike Tyson actually sounds like a normal person...amazing
6:53 Oh Sweet Mother...here is Mike Tyson, face tat and all
6:48 Kristine Nielson is the person I'm pulling for the most of any acting nominee
6:47 Kristine Nielson=Durang's muse; I can totally see that
6:46 Victoria Clark is a true Broadway lady...her red carpet gown was designed by Cinderella's costume designer
6:45 We die for Victoria Clark...she is flawless in everything she does!
6:44 I see Jane Krakowski mingling with Rita Wilson
6:42 My best friend suspected that "Say Yeah" in Kinky Boots was inspired by "OK Go" and she was right!
6:40 I die for Jerry Mitchell's red jacket!
6:38 We have our Motown people here...I bet they are instrumental in the opening number!
6:33 I need to go see Lucky Guy pronto
6:29 Tom Hanks is about as big as star as you can find...last night they shut down 44th street when he was coming out of the stage door
6:28 Is anybody more beautiful than Laura Osnes?
6:22 Oh yay, who doesn't love a Newsie?
6:21 Nice little segment from Times Square with Black Stache and Smee
6:16 Judith Light in Zac Posen...divine
6:11 Shalita Grant (Vanya, Sonya, Masha, and Spike) whom we loved and Will Chase (The Mystery of Edwin Drood) who is such a cutie
6:10 Diane Paulus is singing the praises of Andrea Martin & Patina Miller, which we all agree with!
6:08 It's no secret that we all bow to Diane Paulus, she completely re-imagined a piece that my generation has never seen on Broadway
6:06 Carolee Carmello...I heard she was dynamite, it's so Scandalous closed 2 days before we got to see it
6:04 Rob McClure was outstanding as Chaplin, however it's tough to win when your show closed so long ago
6:02 First star spotting: Danny Burstein and Rebecca Luker...we love them both, we can't wait to see her in "The Little Dancer" by Ahrens & Flaherty at The Kennedy Center

Ways to Watch the 2013 TONY Awards!

As always, I will be live blogging and tweeting the TONY awards at http://backstagebarbie.blogspot.com and https://twitter.com/barbiebackstage!

We’re very excited to announce that this year, The Tony Awards will be very family-oriented. We’ve created some special content to highlight all of the amazing kids on Broadway in a special section of TonyAwards.com called Totally Tonys!. There are stories, photos, puzzles, videos, educational resources and much more for you to sit down with your family and explore before watching the live broadcast on Sunday June 9th at 8/7c on CBS.

Follow the #TonyAwards on social media!

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Watch the TONY Nominations LIVE!

Watch the 2013 TONY Nominations LIVE right here on Tuesday 4/30 at 8:30 am EST!

Launch the 2013 Tony Awards Live 
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Info on the Webcast
The 2013 Tony Awards Nominations Announcement, Sponsored by IBM
Tuesday, April 30, 2013 8:30 a.m. ET
Hosted by Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Sutton Foster
Video courtesy NY1 News
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For graphic materials to help you promote the Tony Awards and the syndicated
webcast, visit TonyAwards.com/presskit.
Contact Ben Pesner at BPesner@TonyAwards.com or (212) 703-0208 with
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The 67
th Annual Tony Awards will be broadcast in a live three-hour ceremony
from Radio City Music Hall on the CBS television network on Sunday, June 9,
2013. For more information on the Tony Awards, please visit
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2012 TONY Award Nominations: Predictions

Last year I was pretty darn close on my predictions so let's see how I do here. Kristin Chenoweth and Jim Parsons announce the nominees tomorrow (5/1) at 8:30 am.

Best Play:
1) Clybourne Park
2) Other Desert Cities
3) Peter and the Starcatcher
4) Stick Fly


Best Musical:
1) Bonnie & Clyde 
2) Leap of Faith
3) Newsies
4) Nice Work If You Can Get It


Best Revival of a Play:
1) Arthur Miller's Death of a Salesman
2) Private Lives
3) A Streetcar Named Desire
4) Wit


Best Revival of a Musical:
1) Evita
2) Follies
3) The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess
4) Jesus Christ Superstar 


Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play:
1) Hugh Dancy, Venus in Fur
2) Phillip Seymour Hoffman, Death of a Salesman
3) Frank Langella, Man and Boy
4) John Lithgow, The Columnist
5) Blair Underwood, A Streetcar Named Desire


Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play:
1) Nina Arianda, Venus in Fur
2) Tracie Bennett, End of the Rainbow
3) Tyne Daly, Master Class
4) Linda Lavin, The Lyons
5) Cynthia Nixon, Wit


Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical:
1) Matthew Broderick, Nice Work If You Can Get It
2) Danny Burstein, Follies
3) Raul Esparza, Leap of Faith
4) Norm Lewis, Porgy and Bess
5) Ron Raines, Follies


Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical:
1) Jan Maxwell, Follies
2) Audra McDonald, Porgy and Bess
3) Kelli O'Hara, Nice Work If You Can Get It
4) Bernadette Peters, Follies
5) Elena Roger, Evita

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!

Fun Fact of the Day: A Chorus Line and Chicago

In keeping with the dance theme today, especially since I was moving on Saturday and missed the National Dance Day festivities, I decided to post about some of the similarities between A Chorus Line and Chicago, arguably two of the most significant Broadway shows in terms of dance. There are definitely some interesting comparisons between the two, specifically in regards to TONY wins and lengths of their runs. For example, the original production of A Chorus Line and the revival of Chicago won numerous TONYs and enjoyed wildly successful runs, among the top six in Broadway history, while the revival of A Chorus Line and the original production of Chicago failed to win a single TONY award  and could not seem to find an audience for long runs. 1975, when both of these shows premiered, was clearly an incredible year for dance on Broadway, showcasing the finest works of choreographers and directors Michael Bennett and Bob Fosse. It is also important to not the Broadway dancers Charlotte D'Amboise, Bebe Neuwirth, and Ann Reinking, among others, have appeared in both A Chorus Line and Chicago.

A CHORUS LINE

Original Broadway Production: 

• opened July 25, 1975
• nominated for 12 TONY awards, winning 9 including Best Musical, Best Choreography, Best Score, Best Book, and Best Actress (Donna McKechnie)
• won 1976 Pulitzer Prize for Drama
• ran for 6137 performances

2006 Broadway Revival:

• opened October 5th, 2006
• nominated for 2 TONY awards for Best Revival and Best Featured Actress (Charlote D'Amboise), but lost both
• ran for 759 performances

CHICAGO

 Original Broadway Production:

• opened June 3, 1975
• nominated for 11 TONY awards, won zero, lost a majority to A Chorus Line which opened the same year
• ran for 936 performances

1996 Broadway Revival: 

• opened November 14, 1996
• nominated for eight TONY awards, won six including Best Revival, Best Direction, Best Choreography, and Best Actress (Bebe Neuwirth)
• still currently running after over 5500 performances

A Trio Of Broadway Alums Join Lincoln Center Theater's Newest Production

An announcement was just made that Broadway veterans Patti LuPone, Brian Stokes Mitchell, and Sherie Rene Scott will join Lincoln Center Theater's newest production--Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown. The production, directed by Bartlett Sher, will begin previews at the Belasco theatre on October 2nd with an official opening date of Novemner 4th. The show features a score and lyrics by David Yazbek and a book by Jeffrey Lane. This casting is truly monumental, not only because LuPone and Scott were just featured in "My Fave Five Broadway Belters" list, but also because a group of actors of this caliber has not been assembled in years. Two-time TONY winner LuPone has recently been focusing on revivals, so this will be her first original role in decades. TONY-winner Mitchell also makes a return to Broadway after a several year hiatus. Two-time TONY nominee Scott is fresh off her triumphant original show Everyday Rapture and I am praying that this upcoming role may finally give her the TONY she deserves. I hear that both LuPone and Scott will be playing featured roles so without even seeing their performances or knowing the rest of the Broadway season, I predict these two Divas will battle it out for the top prize at the 2011 TONY awards.

**photo courtesy of Broadway.com

The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year...The TONYS

It has taken me a few days but I'm finally ready to give my overall impression of the 2010 TONY awards and comment on the accuracy of my predictions.

So for being a performer, not a techie, I did okay with my picks for the design awards. I predicted that American Idiot and Red would take the lighting and scenic design categories and I thought they were very deserving. My favorite moment of the creative arts awards was the speech by Christine Jones, scenic designer of American Idiot, where she declared her undying love for director Michael Mayer and the songwriting team Green Day. Red's sound designer wanting to wear his Tony on a chain as bling with a reference to Jay-Z was also a hilight. I do have major issue with the fact that CBS cannot include design awards in their regular broadcast. The technical artists deserve just as much respect as the actors and producers and their awards should be presented on the television.

This year's opening number was kitschy and it was certainly evident, from the pop song theme, that its goal was to draw viewership outside of the normal TONY-watching crowd. In my mind, nothing can compare to the 2009 opening number, but this year's production was good in its own right. Having host Sean Hayes show off his piano playing skills was a great choice and framing the number with Chad Kimball as host was quite clever. The signature Kristin Chenoweth performance of I Say A Little Prayer was obviously a hilight and Sherie Renee Scott and the Mennonettes' trio Up The Ladder To The Roof was simply fabulous. The Memphis, Fela, and Million Dollar Quartet sections were simply forgettable. John Gallagher Jr singing Boulevard of Broken Dreams with the cast of American Idiot was energetic and almost touching until Green Day came onstage and made it a complete cliche.

Scarlett Johansson's win for Best Featured Actress in a Play for A View From The Bridge was certainly a surprise but it was well deserved and she gave a very gracious and eloquent speech. Eddie Redmayne was simply perfection in his speech for Best Featured Actor in a Play for Red as he spoke of the value of the performing arts in all of our lives and acknowledged his great mentor and co-star Alfred Molina.

Normally TONY performances make me anxious to see the new musicals, but the performances from Million Dollar Quartet, Fela, and Memphis were not the least bit enticing. Actually, I was much more intrigued by the package introducing the best play nominees. And for me to be more interested in a play than a musical really speaks to just how bad the quality of musicals was this year.

Katie Finneran is my new idol and she absolutely deserved the TONY for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for Promises, Promises. Her speech was so inspiring and I felt honored that she chose to give advice to aspiring actors, telling us to follow our dreams and ignore everybody who tells us otherwise. Yes it sounds cheesy, but Katie was so sincere, and funny too as she thanked Kristin Chenoweth for lending her eyelashes for the evening. I basically expected Levi Kreis to win Best Featured Actor in a Musical for Million Dollar Quartet but I was really hoping for Bobby Steggert from Ragtime. Levi seemed unexcited about his win and was boring in his speech......next subject.

Christianne Noll's rendition of Back to Before from Ragtime was stunning and I only wished this show had lasted longer rather than the rest of the trash from this season that is currently running. On the opposite end of the female solo performance spectrum was Catherine Zeta-Jones with her performance of Send In The Clowns. I wanted so much to love the performance but she overacted it to the point that it became difficult to watch (and listen to). Her musical phrasing was a disaster and she held certain notes forever while barely giving value to others. Her head movements were distracting and she looked like she was seizing...enough on that trainwreck.

Viola Davis and Denzel Washington won the leading categories for Fences and while Davis seemed genuinely moved and thrilled, Washington looked like he would have rather been anywhere else and even forgot the name of The American Theatre Wing. Fences' win for Best Revival of a Play was no surprise and based on its sales, it seems that audiences adore it.

American Idiot's performance was much stronger without Green Day and I really want to see this show. I also forgot to mention the La Cage Aux Folles performance which I found energetic and entertaining. The audience interaction was priceless and this is another show I will be seeing in the near future.

Bill T Jones was totally deserving of the choreography award for Fela and I was happy to see anybody but Twyla Tharp win. Her work was so great in her earlier shows but it is really all starting to look the same and she seems to have lost her innovative spirit.

Don't get me wrong, I love Glee, but in my opinion a television show has no place on theatre's big night. Matt Morrison did give a stellar performance though, in All I Need Is The Girl, and I desperately want him to come back to Broadway. Lea Michele and Don't Rain On My Parade...those two things have become synonymous right? I wasn't sure if Lea was trying to audition for the upcoming Funny Girl revival with this performance or what because she looked like she was about to either kill twelve people with her daggers for eyes of if her head was actually going to explode. When you start out at a 10, there is nowhere to rise to in the climax of the song without looking like you are about to spiral out of control.

Oh, I've forgotten to mention some of Sean Hayes' funnier moments as host, from the major liplock with Kristin Chenoweth and his Bernadette Peters/Annie wig to his Billy Elliot tights and Spiderman costume. He really was fabulously entertaining and his great showing as host made up for his loss in his category.

Red wins Best Play! No explanation needed.

The funniest moment of the entire show for me was the presentation of Best Leading Actor/Actress in a Musical by Bebe Neuwirth and Nathan Lane. The irony of the situation was uncanny as the pair, two of the theatre's brightest stars were not nominated. But they were great sports and it was a very memorable TONY moment. Maybe this will be the 2010 addition to my decade of favorite TONY memories? There were no surprises in these categories as Douglass Hodge won for La Cage Aux Folles and Catherine Zeta-Jones for A Little Night Music. Hodge is a class act and was charming in his speech. Zeta-Jones seemed absolutely floored when her name was announced, almost to the point where it seemed rehearsed. Thank god the awards are not based on TONY night performances or she wouldn't have had a chance, but I believe her performance in her show did indeed merit a win.

La Cage Aux Folles wins Best Revival of a Musical--we all expected it, and it probably deserved it as well.

Normally TONY night ends with a bang as Best Musical is announced. The category started off well with Bernadette Peters presenting, but the excitement soon fizzled as Memphis was announced. I can't say I was surprised but I would have loved to have seen a more innovative show take the night's top prize and would've been much happier with Fela or American Idiot.

As for the accuracy of my picks, I was correctly chose Redmayne, Davis, Finneran, Hodge, and Zeta-Jones in the performance categories, Grandage for direction of a play, and Bill T Jones for choreography. In the pre-broadcast, I had both of the lighting and scenic design categories correctly pegged, along with costume design of a play. And most importantly I was 4/4 in the big categories as Fences, Red, La Cage Aux Folles, and Memphis were all on my list.

In a word, the 2010 TONY awards were predictable. I love seeing a few great upsets and there really were none this year. Overall, it was a mediocre awards ceremony for a mediocre Broadway season with a few blips of pizazz from the Chenoweth/Hayes and Neuwirth/Lane sideshows.

My Pre-TONY Post...I Promise

All I've been able to think about recently is the TONYs so I'm going to list My Favorite Things (no pun intended)from each show over past decade. **Disclaimer: my 'favorite things' will probably only relate to musicals**

1999, Greatest Dynamic Duo: Both of my theater idols, Kristin Chenoweth and Bernadette Peters win the TONY -- Kristin wins for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for You're A Good Man Charlie Brown and Bernadette for Best Leading Actress in a Musical for Annie Get Your Gun

2000, Revolution of The Decade: Contact wins Best Musical-- This win by a show that was primarily danced and include no original score was the controversy of the year, but it paved the way for what I like to call dance-icals like Movin' Out

2001, Most Predictable Ceremony Ever, The Producers Owns the TONYs-- I didn't enjoy this show, but I found it funny (funny ironic, not funny haha) that there was nothing else better in that season. Precursor of the 2010 season, anyone?

2002, Most Peggy Sawyer-like moment: Sutton Foster wins for Best Leading Actress in a Musical for Thoroughly Modern Millie-- Sutton Foster was pulled out of the show's chorus when the original Millie was forced to step down and the result was Broadway stardom

2003, Yay For Cross-dressers: Harvey Fierstein wins for Best Leading Actor in a Musical for his portrayal of a woman in Hairspray-- This is only the second time an actor has won in a cross-dressing role, Mary Martin won previously in the role of Peter Pan

2004, Best Winner's Speech: Idina Menzel -- When she won the Leading Actress in a musical category for Wicked, not only did she thank the show's creative team for creating a show that celebrates women, but she also thanked her mom for taking her to see Dreamgirls and Annie when she was a little girl

2005, The Classical Musical is Reborn: Adam Guettel's The Light in The Piazza takes Best Score and Orchestrations-- While it ultimately didn't take the night's biggest prize, Best Musical, Guettel showed us that classical melodies, lush orchestrations, and well-trained sopranos still have a place in the musical theater

2006, La-Upset: LaChanze beats the Diva Quartet of Patti LuPone, Chita Rivera, Sutton Foster, and Kelli O'Hara in the Best Leading Actress in a Musical category-- I adore all five women in this category, but LaChanze's performace as Celie in The Color Purple blew the roof off of the Broadway Theatre

2007, Best Themed Opening: God I Hope I Get It-- Introducing every nominated show and presenter with their head shot against background of Marvin Hamlisch's One from A Chorus Line was pure genius. We all remember watching the cast of A Chorus Line performing the opening of their show in front of Radio City Music Hall, seeing the cast of Spring Awakening getting ready in a stairwell and watching Raul Esparza in the role of Bobby from Company as he read a newspaper with his feet propped on a dressing table

2008, Most Divalicious Performances: Patti Lupone singing Everything's Coming Up Roses-- too amazing for words, simply fabulous

2009, Most Exhilarating Opening Number: Liza, Dolly, and Elton, oh my-- I practically fell out of my chair during this opening performance. When I thought it was simply too fabulous for words, it kept getting better and better. We started with Elton John and the Billy Elliot boys, then we went into a rumble between the casts of West Side Story and Guys and Dolls. Then Aaron Tveit and Stockard Channing battled it out in a mash up of I'm Alive and Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered. Then Brett Michaels performed with the cast of Rock of Ages and got smashed with a moving set piece while the Shrek cast let their freak flags fly. But the moment that left me breathless was Dolly Parton singing the title song with the cast of 9 to 5, followed by Liza Minelli kickin' it like it was 1975. It all ended with a big dance party with the cast of Hair singing Let The Sunshine In with every performer from the whole Broadway season.

TONY Nominee Swaps

So just for sheer fun, I decided I would toss a nominee out of a few categories and nominate somebody else who I really believe to be deserving. Oh yeah, and I'm a musical girl so don't expect much attention to be paid to plays in this completely hypothetical exchange of nominees.

Best Musical: Million Dollar Quartet is a waste of space. Did I mention I am sick of jukebox musicals?

My Swap: Sondheim on Sondheim-- it's a lovely night at the theater and includes some memorable performances of world-class music.

Best Revival of a Musical: Promises, Promises is great fun and I would love to see my girl Kristin Chenoweth's show nominated, but I can't bring myself to toss out any of these other fine revivals.

Best Leading Actor in a Musical: Chad Kimball is out of his league in this category.

My Swap: John Gallagher Jr. for American Idiot-- I know I said I was sick of jukebox musicals but I'm willing to make an exception in this case because Green Day allegedly wrote their album of the same name with the hopes that it would become a staged musical. Plus this boy owns the rock-musical performance style and excels here as he did in his TONY winning performance in Spring Awakening.

Best Leading Actress in a Musical: I'm sorry Montego Glover but I'm not feeling the Memphis love.

My Swap: Kristin Chenoweth for Promises, Promises-- anybody surprised about this decision? This category is filled with veterans and Kristin was clearly missing so I had to oust the newbie (sorry Montego, I hear you are fabulous though)! In my eyes, anytime Chenoweth opens her mouth it is TONY worthy so I stand firm with my choice.

Best Featured Actor in a Musical: I think we are all a little bitter about The Adams Family stinking up Broadway this season (I love your work Andrew Lippa, call me?) so Kevin Chamberlin will have to go.

My Swap: Cheyenne Jackson for Finian's Rainbow-- I know he would've been in the leading actor in a musical category, but this is hypothetical, so who cares?

Best Featured Actress in a Musical: I am a dancer so this is hard for me to say, but great dancing does not necessarily merit a nomination for an acting award, Karin Plantadit, though your talent is immense.

My Swap: Erin Mackey for Sondheim on Sondheim-- I know that was out of left field, far left in fact, but I was utterly blown away by her interpretation of the Sondheim music at her tender age.,

My 2010 TONY Predictions: Design

As we know, this category is certainly not my area of expertise but I'm going to give it my best shot anyway!

Best Scenic Design of a Play: John Lee Beatty, The Royal Family, Alexander Dodge, Present Laughter, Santo Loquasto, Fences, Christopher Oram, Red

My Pick: Christopher Oram for Red-- this pick certainly reflects my 'artsy' taste but I give the nod to Oram simply for the recreation of the Rothko work.

Best Scenic Design of a Musical: Marina Draghici, Fela, Christine Jones, American Idiot, Derek McLane, Ragtime, Tim Shortall, La Cage aux Folles

My Pick: Christine Jones for American Idiot-- the use of television screens is a great incorporation of technology and that along with the graphiti on the walls suits the contemporary time period of the piece.

Best Costume Design of a Play: Martin Pakledinaz, Lend Me A Tenor, Constanza Romero, Fences, David Zinn, In The Next Room/The Vibrator Play, Catherine Zuber, The Royal Family

My Pick: Catherine Zuber for The Royal Family-- nothing in this category impressed me greatly but at least these accurately reflect the time period.

Best Costume Design of a Musical: Marina Draghici, Fela, Paul Tazewell, Memphis, Matthew Wright, La Cage aux Folles

My Pick: Matthew Wright for La Cage Aux Folles-- everything is better in drag! But in all seriousness, these are gorgeous costumes that are flamboyant and fabulous without being distracting.

Best Lighting Design of a Play: Neil Austin, Hamlet, Neil Austin, Red, Mark Henderson, Enron, Brian MacDevitt, Fences

My Pick: Neil Austin for Red-- I apologize for my artsy side coming out again but Austin shows the audience what happens to great art when it is not displayed in proper conditions, giving us insight into the importance of presentation in visual art.

Best Lighting Design of a Musical: Kevin Adams, American Idiot, Donald Holder, Ragtime, Nick Richings, La Cage aux Folles, Robert Wierzel, Fela

My Pick: Kevin Adams for American Idiot-- simply because the scenic and lighting design really do work in harmony in the production.

Best Sound Design of Play: Acme Sound Partners, Fences, Adam Cork, Enron, Adam Cork, Red, Scott Lehrer, A View From The Bridge

My Pick: Acme Sound Partners for Fences-- the score of this play is indeed fantastic, but part of what makes it great is the quality with which it is delivered, thanks to the sound designer.

Best Sound Design of a Musical: Jonathan Deans, La Cage aux Folles, Robert Kaplowitz, Fela, Dan Moses Schreier and Gareth Owen, A Little Night Music, Dan Moses Schreier, Sondheim on Sondheim

My Pick: Dan Moses Schreier for Sondheim on Sondheim-- the show is almost equally split between songs and video projections, but Sondheim's spoken voice blends seamlessly into the performance of his compositions.

Best Orchestrations: Jason Carr, La Cage aux Folles, Aaron Johnson, Fela, Jonathan Tunick, Promises, Promises, Daryl Waters and David Bryan, Memphis

My Pick: Jason Carr for La Cage aux Folles-- this is a great update of a classic without greatly altering the original.

My 2010 TONY Predictions: Performances

Best Leading Actor in a Play: Jude Law, Hamlet, Denzel Washington, Fences, Liev Schreiber, A View From The Bridge, Alfred Molina, Red, Christopher Walken, A Behanding in Spokane

My Pick: Liev Schreiber-- I believe I am going out on a limb here as Washington and Molina seem to be the front-runners, but my gut is telling me that Schreiber is gaining on them and will pull ahead in the race by TONY time.

Best Leading Actress in a Play: Viola Davis, Fences, Jan Maxwell, The Royal Family, Valerie Harper, Looped, Laura Linney, Time Stands Still, Linda Lavin, Collected Stories

My Pick: Viola Davis-- since I am snubbing Denzel, it is only fair to reward the other have of Fences' dynamic leading couple. Davis' performance is utterly heart-wrenching and because hers is one of the few plays still running, her interpretation lives in recent memory.

Best Leading Actor in a Musical: Sean Hayes, Promises, Promises, Chad Kimball, Memphis, Kelsey Grammer, La Cage aux Folles, Douglas Hodge, La Cage aux Folles, Sahr Ngaujah, Fela

My Pick: Douglas Hodge-- this is another one of those categories that seems almost set in stone. Hodge is simply a revelation on stage, but to the credit of the other nominees, no other actor this season has been given the material to thrive on that Hodge has received in the character of Albin.

Best Leading Actress in a Musical: Kate Baldwin, Finian's Rainbow, Montego Glover, Memphis, Christiane Noll, Ragtime, Sherie Renee Scott, Everyday Rapture, Catherine Zeta-Jones, A Little Night Music

My Pick: Kristin Chenoweth--oh wait--she was the best singer of the season, not the best actress, so my close second will be Catherine Zeta-Jones-- though not a singer by trade, this impeccably trained actress is the star of the season and rightfully deserves recognition for her interpretation of Desiree.

Best Featured Actor in a Play: David Alan Grier, Race, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Fences, Jon Michael Hill, Superior Donuts, Stephen Kunken, Enron, Eddie Redmayne, Red

My Pick: Eddie Redmayne-- I'm really feeling the love for this play! Redmayne is particularly notable in this production because he had the task of playing a character that was the amalgamation of many different men. While Alfred Molina could develop his performance in the play based on Rothko, a person who actually exists, Redmayne created a truly original character based on a compilations of Rothko's various assistants.

Best Featured Actress in a Play: Maria Dizzia, In The Next Room/The Vibrator Play, Rosemary Harris, The Royal Family, Jessica Hecht, A View From The Bridge, Scarlett Johansson, A View From The Bridge, Jan Maxwell, Lend Me A Tenor

My Pick: Jan Maxwell-- the woman was nominated twice this season, she has to win one of them, and this is arguably her stronger performance which should be good enough to topple the other talented women in the category.

Best Featured Actor in a Musical: Kevin Chamberlin, The Adams Family, Robin De Jesus, La Cage aux Folles, Christopher Fitzgerald, Finian's Rainbow, Levi Kreis, Million Dollar Quartet, Bobby Steggert, Ragtime

My Pick: Bobby Steggert-- I'm going to take a huge leap of faith and hope that the impeccable, tour de force performance by Steggert in the long-gone revival of Ragtime will be remembered by the voters. It seems that Levi Kreis is the name on everybody's lips these days but if the award is truly for 'best performance,' Steggert is my choice.

Best Featured Actress in a Musical: Barbara Cook, Sondheim on Sondheim, Katie Finneran, Promises, Promises, Angela Lansbury, A Little Night Music, Karine Plantadit, Come Fly Away, Lillias White, Fela

My Pick: Katie Finneran, Katie Finneran, Katie Finneran-- there are many words to describe Katie Finneran's performance in Promises, Promises. Among them, firecracker, dynamite, and dare I say it, the highlight of the entire Broadway season. Her ten minutes on stage give the audience the experience of being shot out of a cannon in a whirl of hilarity. I knew her performance was something special when it caught the attention of my dad-- because lets just say my love of the theatre does not come from that side of the family. If I were a betting woman, I would say that Finneran's win in this category is the surest of sure things in this entire awards presentation.