Broadway took back the Tony Awards and staged a real winner

After Catherine Zeta-Jones, Denzel
Washington and Scarlett Johansson swept
the Tony Awards last year, there was a
widespread belief that Hollywood had
hijacked New York's great theater awards.
This year, Broadway wanted them back and
Tony voters sent a powerful -– and painful
–- message by bypassing a nomination for
Daniel Radcliffe ("How to Succeed in
Business Without Really Trying") in the race
for best musical actor.
Instead, on Sunday night, that award went
to longtime Tonys faveNorbert Leo Butz
("Catch Me If You Can"), who previously won
for "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" (2002). Best
musical actress went to another Broadway
insider,Sutton Foster ("Anything Goes"),
who previously won for "Thoroughly
Modern Millie" (2002). Two Hollywood stars
managed to win, but one (Frances
McDormand, "Good People") is a veteran
stage actress who lives in New York and the
other,John Larroquette, won for two
reasons: his celeb status and "How to
Succeed" needed a consolation prize.
Still, no superstars shone, so the spotlight
fell on what everybody's talking about
Monday -– those dazzling opening and
closing numbers performed by Neil Patrick
Harris, who won an Emmy last year for
hosting the Tonys in 2009.
New York theater writer Wayman Wong of
the New York Daily News sent us this
message via email, "I thought that was the
best Tonycast in years, and think Harris
could pick up another Emmy (as host)… and
now producer! I also think the opening
song could nab an Emmy nomination; the
lyrics are by multiple Emmy winnerDavid
Javerbaurm (of 'The Daily Show'); music,
Adam Schlesinger."
The opener had such memorable lyrics as
"Attention every breeder/ you're invited to
the theater/ it's not just for gays any more."
See the full lyrics atAfterElton.
Harris' closing wrap rant was impressive
since it incorporated references to
unscripted events that occurred earlier that
night with such lyrics, "Everybody cried for
gorgeous Nikki James, the bumblebee….
Mark Rylance runs at fences." Read the full
lyrics at Awards Tracker.