Tonys 2014 --Hugh's Back as Host!!!

[chessie]

Jun 7, 2014 19:44:33 GMT -5 jo said:

An afterthought : Why don't the journalists who do the interviews and write the articles do their research on Hugh's hosting and theatrical background?? One look at the Oscars Opening Number in 2009 and the 2004 TONYs opening number would be enough to convince them that he is a top-notch entertainer! And look up some clips from BACK ON BROADWAY or the press reels from THE BOY FROM OZ? Or are they too lazy to do basic research?? They could draw their own conclusions from his performances!

Jo

I can't even begin to imagine where some of these "journalists" earned their credentials! I believe it does come down to simple laziness. It's been a long time since Hugh last hosted, but it's certainly not ancient history. Clips of Hugh's hosting duties are available on YouTube, for heaven's sake.

Thankfully, the proof will be in the performance, and we all know that it will be stellar. I can't wait!

Carol

[alma]

It seems to me these so-called journalists are not really trying to be objective. They're just taking sides, playing favorites. It's as unpleasant as a political race with one candidate playing dirty and buying off media... I'm not stating that's what's going on, just that that's what this reminds me of. <boo>

And I, too, agree that in view of this, Hugh has to stop playing into their hands by being too nice. C'mon, Hugh! You're smarter than that!

Alma

[jo]

From a British media point of view -- what the TONYs mean! And they seem to get it completely right

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/jun/08/tony-awards-broadway-hugh-jackman-onstage

Tony awards: you don't have to be a Broadway person to see hope onstage


You can make it there, because you can make it anywhere. Plus: who doesn't like a little Hugh Jackman with their high-school musical kid's miracle come true?



theguardian.com, Sunday 8 June 2014 12.45 BST



The Tonys are coming! The Tonys are coming! The Tonys are ... the awkward step-sister of award shows, all insider-y New York show-biz in an industry that already hands out trophies like the free bread sticks at Olive Garden. A collective nation shrugs; the world turns.

Sure, the Golden Globes have drunk celebrities. The Oscars have prestige, glamour. But the Tony Awards have hope on full display. The Tonys have romance! Adventure! Andrew Jackson singing about populism! Because in the theater, as in life, anything is possible – and not just to a Theater Person, not this Sunday night. Anybody can watch the Tonys, and anybody can win. Anybody.

Also, the 2014 Tonys have a dashing host. I mean, can you imagine George Clooney MC-ing a Real Housewives reunion? Because that's pretty much what this year's Hugh Jackman hosting gig is like. Now I'm sure the executives behind the new X-men movie had better promotional opportunities in mind than an award show with its red-carpet programming broadcast exclusively by the local TV station that New York City cable boxes turn on by default. But Jackman is a Theater Person whose loyalty to the industry is unwavering, whose joy is infectious. A real-life movie star who this very fall is doing a play in the round! What a wonderful, hopeful thing.


Remember the Theater People: the gal rigging lights for her community theater's production of The Chalk Garden in Brainerd, Minnesota. The box-office manager of a struggling regional theater in Seattle. The high-school senior who wants to audition for The Music Man, no matter what his friends might think. They're watching the Tonys, alright.

They're watching not just for Jackman or all the other movie stars (Bradley Cooper!) and TV stars (Bryan Cranston!) who come to New York to do a show and pick up a trophy and a fat paycheck. They're watching for those faces you sort of almost recognize from an episode of SVU – the actors who have made it from light-rigging and ticket-selling to Broadway, with respectable, often great careers.

For us – the working actors out here watching – the Tony Awards are proof that you don't have to be famous to make it. You can work hard, audition, get rejected a lot and still be a star. You can be normal looking, you can be old, you can be fat – you can be all three! – and still work constantly. You might even get dressed up in a tuxedo tonight and read crazy poems during your acceptance speech. It's just like the Oscars, except cheesier ... in the most rewarding way possible.


Remember this, non-Theater People: if you think Broadway shows are too commercial, too bloated and bedazzled, remember that for every Ring of Fire or Tarzan there is a 90-minute play that takes place in a typewriter factory. Much like New York City itself, big-time theater is infuriating, hopeful, expensive and maddeningly divisive. But just look at the four shows nominated this year for Best Musical – After Midnight, A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder, a show based on the work of Carole King ... and Aladdin? Those could not be more different, and you couldn't have a more argumentative major award-show pool category.


That's what's so invigorating about Broadway – any show can get made, you never know which one will take off, and not even the Theater People can tell who's going to win. Maybe this musical about a kid in a wheelchair and his alien friend will be the next Wicked. Maybe not. But that high-school senior next door could definitely end up onstage next to Hugh Jackman. And that's a lot more exciting than bread sticks.

The theatre -- is a palace of dreams!

For the creative team, the cast, and the crew( sometimes)!


Jo

[jo]

Media magnet Hugh is interviewed ( at length) by the ARTS BEAT of THE NEW YORK TIMES --

artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/06/08/2014-tony-awards-hugh-jackman-on-the-hosting-gig-and-why-he-prefers-musicals-to-movies/?smid=tw-nytimesTheater&seid=auto

ArtsBeat - New York Times Blog


2014 Tony Awards: Hugh Jackman on His Hosting Plans and Why He Prefers Musicals to Movies


By PATRICK HEALY
June 8, 2014 8:00 am Comment


For complete coverage of the Tony Awards, including performance videos, predictions and an interactive ballot, please visit The Times’s Tony Awards special section.

Hugh Jackman is set to host the Tony Awards on Sunday night for the fourth time, and his first since 2005.

A Tony winner himself for best actor in a musical for “The Boy From Oz” in 2004, Mr. Jackman took a few minutes out of rehearsal the other day to discuss the gig at Radio City Music Hall; Broadway versus Hollywood; the stubbornly modest ratings and eyebrow-raising performance choices at the Tonys; and his plans to return to the stage this fall in Jez Butterworth’s play “The River.”

Q.

Hugh, what’s it like to look out at that huge Radio City audience and play to a crowd that big?

A.

It’s actually amazing. I was pretty terrified the first time I did it. When I was asked to host the Tonys back then in 2003, I said, “No, I can’t do that, I’ve never appeared on Broadway. They’ll throw tomatoes at me.” But the producers said, “It’s not like that, it’s a welcoming crowd.” They were right. I didn’t deserve the welcome I got. Now I know that’s the case, and it’s a lot of love in the form of 6,000 people. I’m really excited – it’s been a long time since I’ve been there.

Q.

How do you feel about stepping into the hosting shoes of Neil Patrick Harris, who has become a tough act to follow?

A.

Let’s call it an impossible act to follow. When the discussion of the show’s opening number came up, they said, “Well there’s no way we can get bigger.” Last year was massive. I remember years of watching the Oscars from Australia with Billy Crystal as the host. Neil is up there in his company. I didn’t say yes to this year’s Tonys until I ascertained that Neil couldn’t do it because he’s doing “Hedwig and the Angry Inch.” So I’m just taking care of the ceremony until he comes back.

Q.

When you’ve hosted the Tonys in the past, was there ever a surprise that happened where you had to improvise?

A.

That first year of hosting, the director said to me after the top of the show that we’re going to a commercial and we’d be back in six-and-a-half minutes. I said, “What? The audience will be dead cold by then.” I said, “Give me a mike.” So I went out there and started to entertain. I asked for requests, and someone said, “Sing ‘Oh, What A Beautiful Mornin’.’” And Sean Combs got up and sung it with me.

Q.

What do you think about musicals getting airplay on the Tonys when they’re not nominated for best musical, like “Rocky” and “Bullets Over Broadway” this year?

A.

Well, first of all, viewers expect to see the nominated shows perform. So the other shows are a nice surprise. I know there’s a lot of politics about why some shows are chosen for numbers. Sometimes shows are in the zeitgeist; nominated or not, people want to see a number from “Rocky.” I understand it’s not exactly fair, but at the end of the day the Tonys is the greatest advertisement for Broadway in America, and it’s the greatest awards telecast of all because it’s virtually wall-to-wall entertainment. Some people will never get to see a live Broadway show, but they can see the numbers each year on the Tonys.

Q.

This year the Tonys will have Jennifer Hudson performing a number from “Finding Neverland,” even though she isn’t in the musical and the musical has no plans for Broadway at this point. What do you think of that?

A.

Well, I think “Finding Neverland” is an upcoming show, so there’s a reason for it. But having done the Oscars when Jennifer did the song from “Dreamgirls,” which wasn’t relevant to that ceremony either, I can tell you that I’ll never forget hearing her sing – and I think any chance to hear Hudson sing is a thrill. Ultimately with the Tonys, you have to see the bigger picture of it all. People remember the Tonys more for the telecast show and the celebration of theater than for what plays actually won or the speeches. I can tell you from having hosted both the Tonys and the Oscars, the Tonys is less precious, more open, more community-based, and they just want to put on a good show.

Q.

Do you carry any good luck charms or have any pre-show rituals when you do the Tonys?

A.

I do a little thing. You’ll see me at the beginning put my hand on my heart. That’s when I look at my wife. She has always been the touchstone for me, and whenever I get nervous, I look at her.

Q.

Why do you think the Tonys telecast is so celebrated yet can’t break out and get bigger ratings?

A.

I remember when I did the “Les Miserables” movie and someone in the movie business said to me, “I don’t know how it will go, but 70 percent of the country won’t see it because it’s a musical.” There are just a huge number of people who aren’t into theater. There are die-hard fans, for theater and for opera, but a lot of people don’t care. It’s too bad because the Tonys is a ceremony that actually celebrates what you’re awarding. The Oscars tries to put on a big show and you have things like an interpretative dance number of a movie. But with the Tonys, you’re seeing the actual musicals, and Broadway has become a living icon as a result. It’s on people’s bucket list to get to Broadway someday and see a show.

Q.

Do you encourage your movie co-stars and friends to perform on Broadway?

A.

All the time. I remember doing that with James Marsden. We were shooting the first “X-Men” movie, and we were in a bar and he got up and sang. I said, “You’ve got to do a musical.” For a lot of people in the movie business, it’s terrifying. But I think being a stage performer makes me a better actor. I know doing “The Boy From Oz” was a big turning point in my film career. Woody Allen saw me in it and gave me a job. Steven Spielberg saw me in it and asked me to do the Oscars. Do you know that Darren Aronofsky sees every Broadway show? Every show. He reached out to me to be in a film and I said, “What’s the part?” And he said, “It doesn’t matter. If you can do Broadway, you can do anything on film.”

Q.

What do you like better – acting in plays or performing in musicals?

A.

I love both. I can tell you that so far, “The Boy From Oz” holds eight or nine of my top 10 favorite moments performing. If you put a gun to my head, it would be doing a musical. When it works, it’s incredible. The audience reaction, the energy in the theater, there’s nothing like it.

Q.

You were planning to do a musical on Broadway, “Houdini,” but pulled out this year. What happened?

A.

It was a mixture of scheduling and this and that. I really wish the show the best. They’re still working on it. It was a very, very tough thing for me to step away from.

Q.

Your next Broadway show, the play “The River,” starts performances in October. Do you think you’ll be back at the Tonys next year as a nominee?

A.

[Laughter] Mate, trust me, I never expect that. I genuinely don’t. Even if I did, I would coach myself to not expect it. There were incredible Broadway performances this year that weren’t nominated – Denzel Washington’s. People who presume they will be nominated because they are a movie star or well-liked, they just can’t think that way. The level of talent on Broadway is just so great.

[jo]

Not much of an interview - CBS This Morning.

www.cbsnews.com/news/a-backstage-pass-to-the-2014-tony-awards/

A self-deprecating Hugh once again.

[jo]

It looks like there will be a solo Hugh Opening number?

Broadway Informer ‏@bwayinformer · 7m
.@realhughjackman nails opening dress rehearsal. pic.twitter.com/RZ52ARHvkD

And this is probably immediately followed by the AFTER MIDNIGHT-inspired all-involved musical number?




PS:: BWW is live-blogging the rehearsals --

9:56 - Hugh's opening monolugue is both funny, and topical.

9:54 - They're then joined by Dule Hill, and the best dancers on Broadway from the cast of AFTER MIDNIGHT... Maybe also a cameo from tonight's host.

9:51 - The first performance is indeed AFTER MIDNIGHT, featuring Fantasia, Patti LaBelle and Gladys Knight.

9:50 - Without spoilers, I'll note that it's Hugh-tastic, and Hop-tastic.

9:45 - The orchestra is playing a wonderful medley from many of this season's biggest hits... I'm not sure if this will be shown on TV, but it's fabulous.

9:42 - The show is kicking off with Patrick Vaccariello's LIVE Tony Orchestra, which looks like 30 pieces from out here.

9:35 - No spoilers for the opening number, but we're now getting our first look at what some of the hopping this week has been about.

9:32 - Visible on stage is the large, LIVE orchestra - yeah!

Jo

[jo]

Emmy Rossum ‏@emmyrossum · 25m
Watching Hugh Jackman kill it at the #Tonys dress rehearsal.


Patrick Healy ‏@patrickhealynyt · 29m
At #Tonys rehearsal, Hugh Jackman is looking sharp and "One Day More" fills Radio City pretty nicely. pic.twitter.com/Ptb5pw7NGz

Alan Cumming ‏@alancumming · 34m
Sitting in the audience watching the other shows' numbers at the @thetonyawards dress rehearsal and feeling much love for @realhughjackman

[jo]

Randi Zuckerberg ‏@randizuckerberg · 14m
Watching Hugh Jackman in action @thetonyawards rehearsal. He's killing it! What are your thoughts on the beard? pic.twitter.com/ro6CxWmrIG

I wish Hugh had made an effort to call attention to the beard being part of his new film role as the famous pirate BLACKBEARD - too many comments on social media re the facial hair.


Jo

[jo]

With the cast of ALADDIN backstage --

[alma]

Jun 8, 2014 8:56:41 GMT -5 jo said:

Not much of an interview - CBS This Morning.

www.cbsnews.com/news/a-backstage-pass-to-the-2014-tony-awards/

A self-deprecating Hugh once again.

Jo, I was a bit disappointed by the content of CBS This Morning coverage, too. But just those few seconds of Hugh's dancing were delicious. I'm hoping he will knock everyone's socks off tonight.

How are you managing to keep abreast of all the goings-on in the Dress Rehearsal while following the Nadal-Djokovic final? (Heehee) I'm sure you're not missing THAT!

Alma

[jo]

We ( Nadal and moi!) won!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

LOL - whenever Rafa would dip in his performance ... I would run to my laptop ( just two meters away) to calm my nerves!

But things went the way it was predicted! Congratulations to the Champion smiley-bounce016

Back to Hugh -- I think he is using some of his songs from Back on Broadway - but maybe for rehearsal purposes only? I think he sang Mack the Knife...I've Got Rhythm from the RCMH Balcony...and the rap number Rock Island!

Hugh Jackman @realhughjackman · 19m

The Music Man. This is one version.... Tonight on #tonyawards

http://instagram.com/p/o_VQmrChE_

[alma]

Glad "you" won, Jo! Heeheeheehee...

So, is that part of the rapping Hugh will do tonight?

Can hardly wait.

Alma

[jo]

Here's the complete live-blogging from BWW --

SPOILERS ALERT**************SPOILERS ALERT*************SPOILERS ALERT************SPOILERS ALERT


www.broadwayworld.com/article/2014-Tony-Awards-Rehearsal-Editor-in-Chief-Robert-Diamonds-LIVE-Blog-20140608#.U5SbTdGKCJc

[birchie]

Jun 8, 2014 12:11:46 GMT -5 jo said:

<snip>

Hugh Jackman @realhughjackman · 19m

The Music Man. This is one version.... Tonight on #tonyawards

http://instagram.com/p/o_VQmrChE_

I was relieved when I saw that on twitter. I guess that will be the rap piece that was mentioned earlier. Not my favorite but I'm glad it isn't some actual rap thing...at least it's theater related.

I wondered if anyone from this group was able to get into the rehearsal!
Sue

[alma]

Wasn't that the number he included in "Back on Broadway"? Me too, Sue, I'm glad it's not a regular rap.

Ellen's been really quiet this morning. Though she hadn't mentioned getting tickets to the dress rehearsal, I'm hoping she was there and will fill us in...

Alma

[mamaleh]

A couple of us got last-minute entry to the rehearsal. I liked the opening--bouncing from the red carpet to the backstage area where he interacted with various nominees, such as jumping rope along with Rocky, sitting down at the piano with Jessie Mueller, etc. Loved how he joined in the end of the AFTER MIDNIGHT tap number. When he said the other day that he wanted to add some rap with Broadway roots, I immediately thought of the "Rock Island" number from MUSIC MAN. Sure enough, he reprised that bit (and other stuff ) from BACK ON BROADWAY. He introduced the 5 Best Actress/Musical nominees in song and twirled each around in a little dance. That was cute.

With an insider's help, we were able to sit in the second mezz off the aisle down which Hugh cane to do some "I Got Rhythm" bits. We got hugs on his way down to the first couple if rows.

They kept playing up the finale as super-special, but I didn't find it all that spectacular -- perhaps because the "stars" were mostly stand-ins who had to be coaxed intro getting on stage.

Deb, Irv. Ava and some of her friends sat in the first row. Good to see Patrick Vaccariello leading the orchestra.

Hugh was charming, debonaire ,and sang and danced well. But I was hoping for a bit more of his presence. The show was fun, but maybe too full of production numbers. It could have used fewer numbers, more humor and of course more Hugh. Always more Hugh.

Ellen

[alma]

Glad you could be there, Ellen!!

You got to see the "rough" version, and tonight we'll all see the "polished" one. You can fill us in on changes, surprises, etc......

Yes, it would always be best to include more Hugh. Sigh! Maybe our Hugh needs just a teensy weensy bit more ego to push his own cause forward ... you know what I mean?



Alma

P.S. You got HUGS?!?!?!?!?! OOOOOHHHHH! Did anyone catch that on their iPhone?

[mamaleh]

No, it was pretty dark and I doubt any of the people around us did so. They didn't know us.

Ellen

[jo]

smiley-signs101 Ellen!

Excited you were able to get into the rehearsals...and get the hugs from Hugh. The Ozalots have been a part of his Broadway theatrical career for so long now


Jo

[alma]

Mmmmmhhhmmmm... nice evening with Hugh!

I really have to go to bed now, but just wanted to mention that although I caught the Tonys on CBS, Film & Arts showed the Tonys (live, no dubbing!) in all of Latin America and they followed with none other than... Inside the Actor's Studio with HUGH JACKMAN! (A repeat of his second appearance).

And still I didn't have enough. Film & Arts is repeating the Tonys next Saturday. Guess I'll just have to sit through that again... heeheeheehee

Here's a poll where you can vote for one of four Hugh moments from tonight:

www.tonyawards.com/en_US/secondscreen/screen.html

Looking forward to "chatting" here tomorrow!

Alma

[JH4HJ]

I don't think they came close to "topping" last year's opening number. I blame the writers. When will they learn to "use" Hugh to the best advantage? It was wonderful to see him. He did a great job with what they gave him but we all know he's capable of so much more. And what was with those backstage "bits"? Most of them were pretty dumb. I would have preferred seeing what was really going on in the wings. Card playing? Polishing the piano? Really? Those are the most creative things they could come up with for him to do? smiley-whacky078

Hugh's best Tony "moment" is still Not The Boy Next Door from the 2004 broadcast, IMHO.

I'm not quite sure how I feel about including numbers from shows that haven't hit the boards yet.

[broadwaygal]

I was there tonight at the TONYS and it was a thrill to see Hugh hosting again. I liked the bouncing
opening number, however, I actually expected more. I wonder if this was Hugh's idea to do an homage
to Bobby Van or if it was Warren Carlyle's idea. I admire Hugh's stamina, but I would have liked to see
him dance more, like he did with the After Midnight ensemble. I wonder how many people actually know
who Bobby Van was. I knew him not because of that movie, but because I saw him in No No Nanette on
Broadway a long, looong time ago.

I loved when he came into the second mezzanine, But he was on the left side of the theater, and I was
on the right side in the first row of the second mezz. Oh well! It was great, though, to hear him sing
some of his songs from Back on Broadway all throughout the show.

I didn't care for the finale. Again, it was nice to hear him sing On Broadway, but I was expecting more.

I guess we always want more of Hugh! I still had a great time, and it was wonderful to see so many
Ozalots there!

Cheryl

[foxie]

I thought it was the best Tonys ever I thought we got a lot of Hugh and HE WAS fantastic!

[foxie]

I still think I made the best choice watching on tv instead of going because it sounds like u guys didn't get the same impression if u were there- I was thrilled-except for the beard!

[foxie]

one thing the Les Mis performance was nowhere as good as the movie cast performance!!!