Stagebuddy.com Theater Editor Dave Lefkowitz may be 2000 miles from Radio City Music Hall, but he's just a television set away from the festivities. (He’s also an hour behind - since the Tonys are delayed by an hour to Central Time on Mountain Time televisions. Who knows why?) Like so many other theater writers who don’t know what else to do with themselves for three hours, Dave will be blogging during the CBS Tony broadcast to offer his cheers, gripes, shocks and shucks.
7pm: What’s with the hopping? Cute, I guess. But umm.. well, it’s lively.
7:05: Clint Eastwood?
7:35: This will really sell tickets to Aladdin, both on Broadway and on tour. Splashy, fun - old fashioned Broadway. And that ain’t a bad thing at all.
7:39: Okay, Clint Eastwood.
7:40: Such a weird disconnect. I check my Twitter account and see people commenting on stuff that’s happening an hour later. Thanks for the spoilers - and congrats Audra!
7:43: OH COME ON, Jonathan Groff, call her Adele Dazim!!!
7:45: First goosebumps of the night: Idina singing. But she’s over-emoting just a tad, no?
7:50: Yes, Clint Eastwood. They really pushed the movies-to-film excuse to get him up there. Not sure it was worth it.
7:51: Is Darko Tresnjak speaking Polish? Or is he sending codes to the Ukranians…?
7:52: First shock of the night - Kenny Leon? Really? Not that “Raisin” wasn’t a good revival, but from all accounts, “Twelfth NIght” was revelatory.
7:55: Hmm.. Rocky comes across as super-exciting, but should they show the “money-shot” climax or will that backfire? I wonder if this is the first time a musical performing at the Tonys hasn’t done an actual song…
8:01: Let’s see Clint Eastwood do a praise shout.
8:05: Alan Cumming’s great triumph - you don’t think of Joel Grey when he’s doing his thing as the emcee.
8:07: Weird thought - what if Alan Cumming and Neil Patrick Harris switched Broadway roles for a week? Hmmm…
8:14: Wow.. Tony voters snuck up behind “A Raisin in the Sun” and gave it a big push. Guess they felt bad about Denzel getting snubbed. Can’t say I blame `em.
8:15: Funny, she doesn’t look 1/3 Jewish.
8:16: Superb intro to Gentleman’s Guide - and my favorite scene from that excellent show. I felt like jumping up and applauding when it was over.
8:46: Great as Alan Cumming was in the Cabaret segment, it doesn’t give him the right to wear a Rorschach suit.
8:47: James Lapine would make a great funeral director.
8:47: Nevertheless, lovely idea to have the playwrights introduce their own plays. Yeah!
8:49: Is it me, or didn’t they used to save Best Play until the last 15 minutes?
9:05: Aren’t Best Book and Best Score important enough categories to put on the regular broadcast rather than the unseen first hour?
9:07: And suddenly it’s the Grammy Awards. But seriously, this new wrinkle of letting upcoming shows have time on the Tonys isn’t bad, but it makes me wonder whether “Soul Doctor”, “Big Fish” and “First Date” wished they had promo’d their shows a year ago. How many big-shot producers will now be muscling their upcoming shows onto next year’s ceremony?
9:11: Really? “A Raisin in the Sun” over “Twelfth Night”? I guess it pays to still be running late in the season.
9:26: All due respect to NPH, but Jefferson Mays shouldda couldda wouldda.
9:43: And Kate Mara was on Broadway…when…?
10:03: Ohhhh...the hopping thing was from "Wolverine". Live and learn.
