And the 2006 Tony Awards Host is... — Page 3

It would be STUPID.

I want Queen Latifah to host.

---

Alan Cumming, Megan Mullally, or Sarah Jessica Parker. Because I love all three of them and would tune in just to watch them being their fabulous selves, no matter how dull the ceremony was.

---

I don't necessarily feel that Oprah is the ideal host for the awards, just that she is the most likely, and she would undoubtedly bring ratings with her.

The ratings could hardly go down. Frankly, they have been down for a reason -- the last 10 years have all sucked. Compare your tapes of the Tonys in the 80s and early 90s to those of recent years. The musical numbers have been getting shorter and shorter, the plays have been getting less and less exposure, and there is NO razzle-dazzle in the proceedings at all. The Oscars have their glamour, but the Tonys ought to blow the roof off of them with the showmanship our stars are capable of. And I'm not talking about that Oscar-wannabe business with the red carpet last year. I'm talking about putting those divas on the stage where they can shine.

Further, a number of awards have been added (special theatrical event, separate design awards for musicals and plays) while the time allotted the show has gotten smaller and tighter. The elimination of the PBS portion of the show makes it that much harder to cram it all in.

So now what do you get? A corny opening number, a forced opening dialogue, rushed acceptance speeches, two-minute musical numbers, and cameo appearances by TV and movie stars who haven't been on a stage in years, made obvious by how nervous and unnatural they are at Radio City.

Which is why, in a sense at least, I hope Oprah does host. Her lack of musical talent means no opening number to shoehorn her into and, and her lack of comic talent means no forced opening dialogue. She promotes the show all week, brings in a new audience, then gets the hell out of the way so we can see a decent number from The Color Purple and Jersey Boys.

This post was never meant to be so long or rant as it did...funny how those things just happen!

Ourtime - I couldn't agree with you more. The Tony's need ratings and no matter how unfair it is, the Hollywood celebrities will bring viewers.

---

oprah will be hosting the tony's. I guarantee it. They already want her to do it really badly.

You can guarantee nothing, and you know even less.

I think a repeat of the 1999 no host approach is best. Hugh did a really poor job last year I thought and I hope he doesn't do it again. While there are some great ideas suggested here, as Nathan and Matthew demonstrated, sometimes the funniest pairing on Broadway can be hung out to dry by poor writing.

---

How about Carol Channing and LL Cool J pair up again? That was pure magic

---

You don't think Oprah would bring viewers? If she went on her show and said "See me host the Tony's this sunday on CBS" she would get millions.

---

Of course, Plum. I think Oprah is very funny...but she's funny in a way that probably can't carry an award show.

I'm still swearing by Queen Latifah

---

Of course Hugh's fan base watched the Tonys for the past three years that Hugh has hosted, and a lot of us were there in the
audience, too!

Hugh Jackman has presided over the three lowest rated Tonys in history and it seemed by last year that many people had had their fill of him as host. If it's talk show hosts they're looking for how about Regis Philbin. He seems to actually go to the theater. It's the 60th Anniversary this year so whoever they get to host, let's hope they do a better job of celebrating the occassion than they did in 1996.

Being that it's the 60th, they might go for an old-school approach. I'd love to see someone like Carol Burnett do it as well.

---

Wait, I thought the 60th was NEXT year?

---