My picks for the 2012 Tony Awards

The Tony Awards are Sunday night at 8 on CBS, hosted once again by the charming Neil Patrick Harris!

Here are the nominees in (most of) the categories and my picks if I had a vote. I've marked in bold the shows and performances that I've seen. It's so hard to choose because I enjoyed them all!

Best Musical
Newsies
*Once
Nice Work if You Can Get It
Leap of Faith

I saw Newsies and Once on the same day, which was quite an experience. Newsies is a terrific traditional Broadway musical. But Once felt unique and captivating.

Best Revival of a Musical
*Follies
Evita
The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess
Jesus Christ Superstar

This production of Follies got to me. Every role was wonderfully cast and hearing the score with a full orchestra was thrilling.

Best Original Score
Bonnie & Clyde
*Newsies
One Man, 2 Guvnors
Peter and the Starcatcher

I love the Newsies score, especially the big ensemble numbers "Seize the Day," "Carry the Banner" and "King of New York." Alan Menken's music and Jack Feldman's lyrics sing "Broadway" to me.

Best Book of a Musical
Lysistrata Jones, Douglas Carter Beane
Newsies, Harvey Fierstein
Nice Work If You Can Get It, Joe DiPietro
*Once, Enda Walsh

I think Enda Walsh did a beautiful job translating Once from the screen to the stage. His adaptation brings out the humor and heart in the story.

Best Actor in a Musical
Danny Burstein, Follies
*Jeremy Jordan, Newsies
Steve Kazee, Once
Norm Lewis, The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess
Ron Raines, Follies

Every year there's one category where I've seen all the performances, which makes it even harder to pick a favorite! I really did love them all. But Jeremy Jordan's strong vocals, charisma and 1,000-watt smile won me over.

Best Featured Actor in a Musical
*Philip Boykin, The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess
Michael Cerveris, Evita
David Alan Grier, The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess
Michael McGrath, Nice Work If You Can Get It
Josh Young, Jesus Christ Superstar

I saw the pre-Broadway Porgy and Bess at the American Repertory Theatre and Philip Boykin was scary terrific as the bullying Crown. I can only imagine how much more terrifying he's gotten.

Best Actress in a Musical
Jan Maxwell, Follies
Audra McDonald, The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess
*Cristin Milioti, Once
Kelli O'Hara, Nice Work If You Can Get It
Laura Osnes, Bonnie and Clyde

Yes I know the money's on Audra but I'd love to see Cristin Milioti, who simply sparkled in her portrayal of a Czech immigrant in Ireland, walk off with a Tony.

Best Featured Actress in a Musical
Elizabeth A. Davis, Once
*Jayne Houdyshell, Follies
Judy Kaye, Nice Work If You Can Get It
Jesse Mueller, On A Clear Day You Can See Forever
Da'Vine Joy Randolph, Ghost

This one is easy. I've seen Jayne Houdyshell onstage twice and each time she's been a hoot. I loved her belting out "Broadway Baby."

Best Choreography
Rob Ashford, Evita
*Christopher Gattelli, Newsies
Steven Hoggett, Once
Kathleen Marshall, Nice Work If You Can Get It

I'm a longtime fan of Christopher Gattelli's work and his acrobatic, athletic choreography brought such exuberance to Newsies. It was one of the best things about the show.

Best Play
*Clybourne Park
Other Desert Cities
Peter and the Starcatcher
Venus in Fur

I didn't see Clybourne Park on Broadway. But of the three, it's the one I most wanted to talk about afterward, for its examination of race and changing neighborhoods and how America has changed.

Best Revival of a Play
Death of a Salesman
Master Class
Wit
*The Best Man

I admired Death of a Salesman and I can see why it's a classic American play. But maybe this is the history and politics junkie in me speaking - I loved The Best Man. The way this 1960 play about a presidential campaign resonates in 2012 is amazing and incredibly entertaining.

Best Actor in a Play
James Corden, One Man, Two Guvnors
*Philip Seymour Hoffman, Death of a Salesman
James Earl Jones, The Best Man
Frank Langella, Man and Boy
John Lithgow, The Columnist

I was enthralled by Philip Seymour Hoffman's performance in Death of Salesman. He's such an expressive actor and he captured Willy Loman's weariness, as well as his exhilaration and confidence in the flashback scenes.

Best Featured Actor in a Play
Christian Borle, Peter and the Starcatcher
Michael Cumpsty, End of the Rainbow
Tom Edden, One Man, Two Guvnors
*Andrew Garfield, Death of a Salesman
Jeremy Shamos, Clybourne Park

He seemed a little too delicate for the role but Andrew Garfield brought such intensity and emotion to the role of Biff in Death of a Salesman, especially in the flashbacks showing him as a teenager.

Best Actress in a Play
Stockard Channing, Other Desert Cities
*Tracie Bennett, End of the Rainbow
Linda Lavin, The Lyons
Nina Arianda, Venus in Fur
Cynthia Nixon, Wit

As Judy Garland in End of the Rainbow, Tracie Bennett was devastating. I just wish that the play had been worthy of her talents.

Best Featured Actress in a Play
Linda Emond, Death of a Salesman
Spencer Kayden, Don't Dress for Dinner
*Celia Keenan-Bolger, Peter and the Starcatcher
Judith Light, Other Desert Cities
Condola Rashad, Stick Fly

As the precocious daughter of a British diplomat, Celia Keenan-Bolger had the voice and mannerisms of a young girl down pat. I adored her character - a spunky and determined heroine.

Stephen Sondheim's Company with the New York Philharmonic

I saw Stephen Sondheim's Company with the New York Philharmonic last night and unlike my two previous theatre at the movies outings, this one went off without a hitch. The screening started on time, ended on time, the sound was perfect - and I really enjoyed it.

The only thing missing, in my opinion, was an intermission. The 20-second pause after the 90-minute first act wasn't enough. The movie theatre seats were pretty comfy but still, after a while you need a break.

I missed the 2007 Broadway revival with Raul Esparza in the theatre but I saw it on PBS. Honestly, it didn't really stick with me. I remember there were parts where I laughed but overall, the musical seemed kind of somber. (As I recall, the set was dark and everyone was dressed in black.)

This time, Company in concert was lighter and much funnier. And I got into the songs a lot more. I loved the second-act opener "Side By Side By Side / What Would We Do Without You," a chorus line-like song-and-dance number. (The cast performed it on the Tony Awards and you can watch it here.)

Neil Patrick Harris plays the commitment-phobic Robert, whose friends are all trying to get him to settle down and get married, just as their own marriages are in various states of collapse. Harris didn't display the same depth as Esparza, especially in "Being Alive," but he's got a sweet, clear voice. In the close-ups I could see his larynx and neck muscles working hard.

Martha Plimpton and Stephen Colbert were hilarious as husband and wife. They're terrific comedic actors, handling the bickering and the physical humor equally well. It was great to see Christina Hendricks, the bold and sexy office manager Joan in Mad Men, play a flighty and sexy airline stewardess. Anika Noni Rose was a revelation as Marta, one of Bobby's girlfriends. What a powerful voice in "Another Hundred People."

Well, I could go on. Patti LuPone's alcohol-drenched "The Ladies Who Lunch" was terrific. Overall, it was a great 2 1/2 hours and it definitely made me want to go out and get a cast recording. There are several more dates for Company at the movies, so check your local listings!

Stage door stories from 2009

I'm not ashamed to admit it: I'm a fangirl. A part of me still finds it amazing that after I see a Broadway show, most of the time I can meet the actors and actresses whose work I've just enjoyed. (And it's not just the more famous ones. I'm thrilled to meet the cast of every show.)

So I can't end 2009 without mentioning some of my favorite stage door experiences of the year. And of course I want to thank the performers who took the time to sign my Playbill, talk to me or on a few occasions when I was brave enough to ask, pose for a picture.

Sadly, I did not get autographs from Hugh Jackman or Daniel Craig after A Steady Rain but I was smart enough to hand my camera to Steve On Broadway, who snapped some nice pictures of the man from Oz looking very jaunty in his gray scarf and fedora.

Among the other highlights:

James Gandolfini from God of Carnage. I'm a Sopranos fan, so this was exciting. Usually, if it's someone I know from TV or movies, I manage to say something along the lines of "loved you on this TV program or in that movie and it's so wonderful to see you on stage." This time, maybe because he came out so quickly after the play ended, I was tongue-tied. Gandolfini was quiet, although he did laugh when someone asked about a Sopranos movie. ("I don't think so.")

Neil Patrick Harris. This was completely unexpected. Apparently, NPH attended the same performance of Waiting for Godot that I did because I saw him going in the stage door. People were clamoring for autographs and he promised to sign when he came out - and he did, as well as pose for pictures. This was the day before he was hosting the Tony awards and I'm sure he had a busy schedule but he was exceedingly friendly and gracious.

Ernie Hudson from Joe Turner's Come and Gone. It was great meeting the entire cast but best of all was spending a few minutes listening to Hudson talk about it had been like the previous week, when the president and first lady were in the audience. He was clearly still excited about it. (Hudson said everyone onstage was temporarily blinded from cell-phone cameras going off when the Secret Service brought the Obamas to their seats for Act II.)

Steven Pasquale from reasons to be pretty. I saw this play in the afternoon on the day of the Tony awards. Pasquale's character is a creep and not very nice to his wife. In real life, Pasquale is married to Laura Benanti, who was hosting the Tony preshow. As he walked away with an assistant, I heard him inquire about her in a way that struck me as so sweet and caring. Quite different from the character I'd just seen him portray. Yes, I know it's called acting but the contrast just reinforced what a great job he did onstage.

Jessica Hynes from The Norman Conquests. Hynes played the frazzled Annie, who cares for her needy but unseen mother and desperately needs a break. I told her how much I enjoyed her performance, how it related to the circumstances of my life and really resonated with me. She asked me whether she'd "gotten it right." I assured her that she definitely had. And I was touched - and impressed - that she cared enough to ask.

Alice Ripley from Next to Normal. This was after her second show of the day and Ripley took a long time to make her way around the circle of fans. She was stopping to talk with almost everyone and I could tell some of the conversations were intense. My guess is that because she plays a woman struggling with mental illness, she meets a fair number of people who have a family member in a similar situation. And from what I could tell, she wasn't brushing anyone off but was taking the time to listen.

Catherine Zeta-Jones from A Little Night Music. In the past three years of going to Broadway shows I've met Oscar winners and Tony winners and Emmy winners. But when Zeta-Jones came out of the stage door, looking perfectly made-up and glamorous, I thought to myself, "That's a movie star." She signed autographs, acknowledged fans from Wales and and Scotland who'd come to see her, and in minutes, was whisked away by a waiting SUV, leaving some Hollywood glitter in her wake.

Special bonus celebrity sighting - While I was waiting for the cast of A Little Night Music, I saw an elderly man being helped into the front passenger's side of Zeta-Jones' SUV. It was her father-in-law, 93-year-old Kirk Douglas! I wanted to rush over and tell him about the key role he played in my life, but I resisted. Still, it was awesome to see that unmistakable profile. (And he blogged about going to see ALNM on MySpace!)

Sarah Rosenthal from Ragtime. Sarah, who's 13 and making her Broadway debut, was very sweet at the stage door. She signed my Playbill and asked me, with all the seriousness and polish of a seasoned performer, "So, where are you from?"

In an interview with the Baltimore Sun, Sarah talked about how she spent weeks practicing her signature to make it distinctive. "There have been so many times that I've waited outside a stage door in the cold to get someone's autograph," she says. "It's exciting to think that now, someone might want my autograph."

My thoughts on the 2009 Tonys

Last year, when it was just me, myself and I on the couch, I had plenty of observations about the Tony Awards. This year, I don't actually have many observations because I was very busy having fun making my debut at the annual Tony party hosted by Sarah.

It was so great being with friends, fellow theatre fans and fellow bloggers in a swanky Regency suite. We kept the conversation and the bubbly flowing. We feasting on pizza, cucumber sandwiches, cupcakes and Rice Krispy bars, among other treats. (While Kevin kept us all up to date on the Tweets.)

Plus, I was trying to keep up with my first-ever Tony drinking game. In my case, that involved taking a sip of champagne whenever Angela Lansbury appeared on the big-screen tv, which was a lot. I think I did pretty well!

Here's a list of the 2009 Tony winners. Now, a few of the thoughts that did enter my mind in between sips of champagne:

How wonderful to see Angela Lansbury take her fifth award, for Best Featured Actress in a Play, tying her with Julie Harris for the most-ever wins. I'm excited about seeing Blithe Spirit next month, as well as all three parts of The Norman Conquests, winner for Best Revival of a Play.

And even though I was rooting for Will Swenson - because I was rooting for Hair for everything - I was happy that Gregory Jbara won Best Featured Actor in a Musical for Billy Elliot. As Billy's dad, his attitude toward his son evolves in such a moving way over the course of the musical.

I was less happy that Kiril Kulish, Trent Kowalik and David Alvarez won Best Actor in a Musical for Billy Elliot. Yes, the three actors who share the role of Billy are amazing dancers and they're adorable. But I don't think they're as compelling actors as they are dancers and they don't perform eight times a week. It's almost like the voters gave the award to the character.

But I was thrilled that Roger Robinson won for Best Featured Actor in a Play for portraying the mystical root worker Bynum Walker in Joe Turner's Come and Gone. I saw the play the evening before the Tonys and I loved it. What compelling characters and storytelling. (Watch for my review soon.)

Geoffrey Rush clearly deserved the award for Best Actor in a Play for Exit the King. He gave a performance that alternated between brilliantly comic and incredibly poignant. But I loved all of the nominated performances I saw in that category, as I did in so many other categories. And I wish there could have been more than one winner.

Loved host Neil Patrick Harris and his black leather suit and his 11 o'clock number. (Which I think was at 11:03.) Wish there were more of him on the show.

Liked it when award-winners remembered to thank spouses, significant others and children as well as agents, lawyers and managers.

Thought the Angry Dance didn't really show off Billy Elliot all that well. Although I guess the winner for Best Musical didn't really need the Tonys to boost sales.

The one performance that made me want to see the show is the one that I've already seen and loved - Hair, winner of Best Revival of a Musical. Which leads me to believe that performances on the Tonys don't win converts but merely confirm opinions you already hold. At least in my case.

Back from New York

Back from my whirlwind, exhausting but exhilarating four days in New York City. Great shows, great friends, great sightseeing - the Triple Crown of vacations.

Okay, the reviews will come soon but first a few observations:

Big congratulations to Steve Loucks, better known by his nom de blog, Steve on Broadway, for being quoted in The Wall Street Journal's weekend edition for a story on theatre etiquette (or lack thereof). I'm so proud and so thrilled when a dear friend and fellow blogger is recognized. As usual, SOB was eloquent and right on the mark with his observation. Well done!

Speaking of etiquette, there were two disturbing things to report at Exit the King.

First, I heard some patrons who were sitting in the last row of the orchestra complaining at intermission that they could hear people talking behind them during the show. Please, remember that while you may be standing outside the auditorium, the people inside can hear you! Take your conversation outside to the lobby or downstairs to the lounge.

Also, at the beginning of the show, an usher kept walking up and down the aisle in the orchestra, stopping at a row near the front. One couple got up and left, so I thought that was the end of it but it went on for about 10 more minutes. At one point, he seemed to pass a note to someone. Finally, he threw his hands up in a gesture of exasperation and walked out.

If it was an emergency, I totally understand. But in that case, perhaps they should have stopped the play?

I've been to Studio 54 three times now, but Waiting for Godot was the first play I've seen there, the first Saturday matinee and the first time I'd heard the rumbling of the subway trains under my feet. It was quite noticeable throughout the show and at first, I thought it was a sound effect.

And Roundabout, you really should discount the last two seats on the far right and far left of every row in the orchestra. The sightlines weren't too bad for Godot, but c'mon. It's not fair.

It was so exciting to see Neil Patrick Harris going in the stage door after Godot. People were asking for his autograph and pictures. He said he would oblige when he came out. And I'm happy to report that he's a man of his word. Even though he probably had a million Tony-hosting related things to do, NPH very graciously signed autographs and posed for pictures. Very cute and very classy.

Also, I had a nice chat with Ernie Hudson, from Joe Turner's Come and Gone (and Ghost Busters!) about how exciting it was to have President and Mrs. Obama at the Belasco Theatre the previous week. It's too bad security concerns prevented the cast from meeting the first couple. Wouldn't it be great if someone connected with the Lincoln Center Theater who has some pull could wrangle an invitation to the White House?

While I was waiting for the final cast member to come out and sign my Playbill (soon-to-be Tony winner Roger Robinson!) I noticed a little handmade sign taped to the wrought-iron gate leading to the Belasco stage door christening it "The President Obama Entrance."

Let's hope The Shubert Organization, which owns the Belasco, makes it permanent with a plaque commemorating the visit of the nation's first African-American president. What a wonderful counterpoint to the entrance on the other side of the main doors, which black theatergoers were once forced to use to get to their seats in the segregated balcony.

And the Tony hosting job goes to ...

Wow, I was very surprised and very happy when I heard that Neil Patrick Harris had been chosen to host the Tony Awards. He's so cute and funny and charming and he has a great voice and he's had several Broadway roles. (Who knows, maybe this experience will lure him back!)

Still, in the grand scheme of things, I'm not so sure the host is that big a draw. Don't get me wrong - I think it's a great choice for theatre fans. But if I weren't already inclined to watch the show I don't know whether NPH - or anyone else - would make me tune in. Well maybe a few fans of How I Met Your Mother might tune in who wouldn't otherwise. (Also on CBS - what an incredible coincidence!)

I was trying to think about what would make me watch something I have absolutely no interest in watching - say the Indianapolis 500. If the cast of Seinfeld were calling the race I might watch for a few minutes but I'm not sure they'd hold my interest for all 500 laps.

Seriously though, I can't believe the American Theatre Wing approached James Gandolfini, Tony-nominated for God of Carnage, about the hosting duties. According to Michael Riedel in The New York Post, Gandolfini replied that he was flattered but politely declined, saying he isn't a song-and-dance man.

Whew, that was a close one. As much as I loved The Sopranos, I don't think Gandolfini has the kind of vibrant, outgoing personality necessary for a good host. Plus, I think singing and dancing is kind of a requirement.

The 63rd annual Tony Awards air live from Radio City Music Hall at 8 p.m. June 7 on CBS.

Who should host the Tonys?

Okay, it probably doesn't matter all that much who hosts the Tony Awards, which air at 8 p.m. June 7 on CBS. I figure if people are interested in the theatre and in Broadway, they'll watch the show. If they're not, they won't, regardless of who's hosting.

But hey, it's Tony season and the Los Angeles Times blog Culture Monster is engaging in a little fun speculation about who should host. I haven't seen many of the nominated performances this year, so I figure I need something to speculate about.

Some of the names on their wish list are clearly meant to be funny: hunky Cheyenne Jackson, hirsute Jack Black. (He did star in Prop. 8 - The Musical!) The fishy Jeremy Piven. Also, Will Ferrell, Nathan Lane, Jane Fonda and Michelle Obama.

And apparently the New York Post's Michael Riedel is pitching Dolly Parton. (He also has a funny column today on actors supposedly campaigning for the Tony. Really? I'm shocked, shocked.

I'd like to see the cute and talented Neil Patrick Harris. Or, someone in the comments suggested Daniel Radcliffe, to make up for his being snubbed in the Best Actor in a Play category for Equus. And what about Kevin Spacey? The Old Vic Theatre, where Kevin is artistic director, originally produced The Norman Conquests. He'd be great.

I guess former Tony and Oscar host Hugh Jackman is probably busy. Too bad. I wonder if anyone has ever hosted more than one major awards show in the same year?

Dr. Horrible Live!

The first act of Joss Whedon's Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, an Internet superhero musical featuring Neil Patrick Harris, Nathan Fillion and Felicia Day, is now available for your viewing pleasure.

Whedon describes the plot as "the story of a low-rent super-villain, (Harris) the hero who keeps beating him up, (Fillion) and the cute girl from the laundromat he’s too shy to talk to.” (Day). Act One clocks in at 13:49. It's kind of cute. There's plenty of music, action and humor. Plus, Neil Patrick Harris sure is adorable!

Here's the rest of the schedue:
Act Two will go up Thursday July 17th.
Act Three will go up Saturday July 19th.
All acts will stay up until midnight on Sunday July 20th.

Coming to a computer near you

Writer/director Joss Whedon has released the schedule for his Internet miniseries event Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog, featuring Neil Patrick Harris, Nathan Fillion and Felicia Day.

Act one will go up Tuesday July 15th.
Act two will go up Thursday July 17th.
Act three will go up Saturday July 19th.
All acts will stay up until midnight on Sunday July 20th.

Then, Whedon says, "they will vanish into the night, like a phantom (but not THE Phantom – that's still playing. Like, everywhere.)" The entire show will be available for download and, eventually on DVD "with the finest and bravest extras in the land."

Whedon, the creator of television series like Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Angel and Firefly, says he came up with the idea for the musical in a moment of frustration at a lack of momentum during last fall's writers' strike.

"I finally decided to do something very ambitious, very exciting, very mid-life-crisisy,'' he said. "Aided only by everyone I had worked with, was related to or had ever met, I single-handedly created this unique little epic. A supervillain musical, of which, as we all know, there are far too few."

Just a little tease

In March, I wrote about a new project by writer/director Joss Whedon, a musical for the Internet featuring Neil Patrick Harris, Nathan Fillion and Felicia Day. Whedon developed it during the writers' strike last year, working with his two brothers and his brother's fiancee. He describes the plot as "the story of a low-rent super-villain, the hero who keeps beating him up, and the cute girl from the laundromat he’s too shy to talk to.”

Well now Whedon, who created Buffy the Vampire Slayer, has posted a teaser video from Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog. It's only about a minute long, and there's no singing. In fact, it looks more like an action movie than a musical. But since Harris plays the title role, and he has a gorgeous voice, and he's got a couple of Broadway musicals on his resume, I'm crossing my fingers that he gets a chance to sing. Hey, it's a musical. Somebody's gotta sing, right?

According to the official fan site, Whedon, Harris, Day and Fillion will make a presentation at Comic-Con International in San Diego on July 25, so hopefully there'll be more details. The plan is to release the musical first on the Internet, then on iTunes and then as a dvd. In an interview with SciFi Weekly, Whedon said "It's going to be the finest 40-minute musical since the last one I made."

An Internet superhero musical

I have to admit, I'm not a Joss Whedon fan. I never watched Firefly or Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Nothing against him personally - they're just not my cup of tea. I find anything with the word "vampire" in the title a turnoff. But this item from TV Tattle got my attention. Whedon is developing a live-action superhero musical for the Internet featuring Neil Patrick Harris.

Whedon posted an item about the musical to a fan site, whedonesque.com. It'll be called Dr. Horrible's Sing-along Blog. (Ok, I admit that the name doesn't sound too promising.) In addition to Harris in the title role, the series will also feature two actors who have worked with Whedon before: Nathan Fillion as Captain Hammer and Felicia Day as Penny, as well as a cast of dozens.

Apparently, he started to work on the musical during the writers' strike and intended it as a limited series of three 10-minute episodes. Shooting has started, and Whedon reveals a little bit about the plot: "It's the story of a low-rent super-villain, the hero who keeps beating him up, and the cute girl from the laundromat he's too shy to talk to."

Like most people, I only knew Harris as Doogie Howser M.D., from the popular sitcom that ran from 1989 to 1993. Then, I heard him sing on the 2004 Broadway cast CD of Stephen Sondheim's Assassins. And I rented the concert version of Sweeney Todd, in which he plays Tobias Ragg. Wow, what a beautiful crisp, clear, voice.

Harris is now in a hit TV series, How I Met Your Mother, (pictured at top) so a return to the stage probably isn't in the cards for awhile. Since my chances of hearing him sing are pretty slim, I'll take what I can get. Even if it's only 30 minutes long.