Tony Special Report - USA Weekend

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Posted: 6/11/06 at 6:01pm

From Who's News inside USA Weekend June 11, 2006, by Lorrie Lynch:

Think you won't know anyone at the Tony Awards? Think again. Along with the names here, you'll see lots of your favorite TV and screen stars both as presenters and nominees. Director Glenn Weiss tells us he designed a show "to help the at-home audience get the true feel of what it's like on Broadway." He will have eight or nine numbers from the nominated works, which means we'll get to hear splashy songs from shows like "The Pajama Game," up for best revival, and "The Drowsy Chaperone," the recently opened show that has the most nominations (13). Weiss wants to show us how exciting Broadway is, "and ratings through the roof wouldn't be bad either."

FOR COMPLETE STORY, VISIT THIS LINK:
http://www.usaweekend.com/celebs/whos_news/index.html
Includes focus on Harry Connick Jr, Cynthia Nixon, LaChanze, Frankie Valli, Des McAnuff, and Julia Roberts

There ya have it. For the 60th Annual Tonys, having 60 celeb presenters may be fun for us theatre folk, but it's far more fun for ratings. Familiar faces for the audience at large brings a relatively unfamiliar show-business into familiarity. People channel surfing are likely to linger on CBS longer if they see a celeb's face they usually wouldn't have attributed to Broadway.

In a business aspect, this is smart marketing. And if you're like me, media-literate and a Broadway fan, you'll come to realize the plus side of Hollywood slowly oozing onto the Great White Way. As long as there's talent stepping foot on stage (Harry Connick, Julia Roberts, Cynthia Nixon, Ralph Fienes), let them come. It means more attention and more money for the business we love.

I CAN'T WAIT FOR TONIGHT! With a full moon, we might get some unexpected surprise winners!

Updated On: 6/11/06 at 06:01 PM