Rosie O'Donnell to host the Tony Awards this year?- Page 2

[raphael06]

Posted: 3/28/07 at 1:08pm

I hope they have a host this year too! Personally, I am a Rosie fan and admire her courage and determination. I would have no problem with her hosting again, but I doubt she will.

[JRybka]

Posted: 3/28/07 at 1:09pm

I vote for Rosie!

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 3/28/07 at 1:09pm

Would ABC let her do it? Would they let her plug the fact that she is hosting the show on a rival network?

Her daily talk show was syndicated and not under the wing of one network. The first year Rosie hosted the Tonys (1997) they had their best numbers in years. Partly because she plugged the show repeatedly on her daily TV talk show, and also because the shift to Radio City Music Hall garnered some major publicity.

She came back in 1998 and the ratings dipped a little. It wasn't such a big deal and didn't get a lot of attention from the mainstream media as it had in 1997. By 2000 when she was back (with Nathan Lane co-hosting) the ratings dropped precipitously, though it was a weak year for musicals and the Tony show ratings are not affected by the plays.

The larger problem is that unlike the Oscars when people can go see (or often rent) the nominated films, the Tonys really only interest theatre fans or theatre industry members. The fact that JERSEY BOYS won the Tony last year doesn't really have much impact on family in the mid-west who will only see the show years later when a tour comes their way, unless of course they make a trip to NYC that summer.

[BwayBaby18]

Posted: 3/28/07 at 1:11pm

I wish they would show the First 10 awards again. I loved the design segments.

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 3/28/07 at 1:11pm

You are right, FRC. The fact is, the majority of Broadway tourist ticket-buyers will pay attention to the ads and perhaps be swayed by "Tony Winner for..." in said ads, but they're not going to bother to actually watch the broadcast.

Updated On: 3/28/07 at 01:11 PM

[blueroses]

Posted: 3/28/07 at 1:20pm

Lily Tomlin and David O. Russell.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 3/28/07 at 1:48pm

FYI --

Not to be pessimistic, but this year, the Tony telecast will up against SERIES FINALE of "The Sopranos" (in addition to probably an NBA Finals game, Desperate Housewives and the regular Sunday night programming), so the ratings are pretty much guaranteed to be toast no matter who's hosting.

Updated On: 3/28/07 at 01:48 PM

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 3/28/07 at 1:52pm

Then my guess would be Rosie won't sign on.

[Al Dente]

Posted: 3/28/07 at 2:03pm

Thanks for pointing that out Margo. The Tony telecast struggles no matter how light the competition for viewing choices may be. This year, it won't matter who's hosting, it's not even going to be on the mainstream radar.

[LaCageAuxFollesFan]

Posted: 3/28/07 at 2:15pm

I doubt DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES will still be airing new eppys come JUNE. But with TIVO & DVR's these days, ratings are all a crapshoot anyway.

I'm ALLLLL for ROSIE hosting! If anyone needs to know why, just watch her Birthday/Broadway celebration on THE VIEW! Her enthusiasm for Bway transends time. She'd be GREAT to have back.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 3/28/07 at 2:20pm

Honestly, if ratings are going to be low no matter what (and they are), I wish they would just focus on real Broadway talent to host and present, rather than worry about parading through a bunch of second tier movie, tv and hip-hop stars in hopes of drawing in a big mainstream audience (99% of whom could give a rat's ass about the Tonys and will be watching basketball or the Sopranos even if P. Diddy and Beyonce pop up on CBS to present Best Lighting Design). Since she's in town doing DEUCE, bring back Angela Lansbury to host. She hosted several times in the 80s and brought a perfect combination of class, elegance and wit to the proceedings -- something the show has sorely lacked in the past decade or more. They should concentrate on making a great unapologetically Broadway-themed show and let the ratings chips fall where they may.

[frontrowcentre2]

Posted: 3/28/07 at 2:29pm

Some really good suggestions here...so who do we contact at CBS to forward them? Anyone have an IN there?

[theaterdude87]

Posted: 3/28/07 at 3:36pm

Ellen hosted the Oscars on ABC her show is on NBC. I do not really see a problem. Conan hosted the Emmy's on CBS and his show is on NBC.

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 3/28/07 at 3:45pm

Ooh, Margo, I would LOVE it if Angela hosted. That would be fantastic! Do you think she would do it?

[jv92]

Posted: 3/28/07 at 3:56pm

Bring Robert Preston back from the dead. There. You've got a host and a good one at that.

Honestly, I don't care anymore. It's just one big lousy commerical anyway. The Wing should be ashamed of itself.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 3/28/07 at 3:58pm

My two favorite hosts were Rosie and Angela, so either of them would be ok by me. I'd be curious to see Chita host as well. She is a Broadway legend, after all.

[MargoChanning]

Posted: 3/28/07 at 4:31pm

Not sure if the Wing would be interested in having her back or whether she herself (at age 80-something and already doing 8 shows a week) would want to be bothered with it, but I would certainly love to see Lansbury host again. Chita would be fine too. Or Nathan Lane. Or Harvey (who's hilarious when he hosts the Drama Desks). Or Julie Andrews. Or Lily Tomlin or Carol Burnett.

[BwayBaby18]

Posted: 3/28/07 at 6:40pm

Ellen.

[wonderfulwizard11]

Posted: 3/28/07 at 6:42pm

I like her, but why Ellen? She has nothing to do with Broadway. I'd rather see Rosie (or Angela!).

[B3TA07]

Posted: 3/28/07 at 6:47pm

"She is a Broadway legend, after all."


I didn't know she posts here!

[ucjrdude902]

Posted: 3/28/07 at 7:16pm

http://groups.myspace.com/teamodonnell rosie o support group!

[alliez92092]

Posted: 3/28/07 at 7:18pm

See, I've always wanted the cast of Forbidden Broadway to host the Tony's. What the host does is poke a bit of fun at shows, and that is exactly what Forbidden Broadway is.

[Bdwy24]

Posted: 3/28/07 at 8:21pm

Rosie has mentioned she is done with Awards show. She can barely stay up to watch them, let alone host them, lol. Thats right from her blog.

[GHOSTLIGHT2]

Posted: 4/5/07 at 12:16am

Good god I hope not! that...(I WON'T Say It!) is a rectal wart on musical theater in the eyes of a huge amount of America. If Rosie Odonnell hosts the TONYS this year You can kiss a goodly amount of the audience who began to watch the show again after She stopped hosting last time Good Bye. When She attacked Tom Selec (did I spell His last name correctly?,as We get older it becomes harder to keep track of such things) for dareing to be in the NRA .Men AND Women in the midwest were savagely outraged.When She and Donald Trump went at it, for just a little while people actually liked Him.She is a hated individual to a BIG section of potential audience members,She is a poor figurehead for Broadway even if She has raised its profile a little in the media. If Broadway has poor attendence and tickets that push at the $100.00 mark it becomes more important to charm every one You can.Nathan Lane should host the show,He has a wonderfull charisma,Rosie has only gotten to where She is by bullying Her way to the middle.I hate to say bad things about Her,I hate to say bad things about anyone,I used to love Her VH-1 Stand-Up Spotlight show,but She is an unfortunate example of what happens when some people get into a position of influence:it can make them great leaders or it can consume them and make them less of what they could have been.

[FutureAladdinOnB'Way]

Posted: 4/5/07 at 12:19am

If Rosie hosts I hope she does a music sequence again like when she had Patti LuPone, Jennifer Holliday, and Betty Buckley all perform from Evita, Dreamgirls, and Cats