Whoopi Goldberg to host Tony Awards

[SpringHeelJack]

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/117539.html

Title says it all. I'm really excited. I'm glad they decided to use a host again, as opposed to last year's format. And I'm pretty glad it's Whoopi, either her or Ellen in my mind would be really good.

[PeterPanfan]

That is amazing news! Ellen would be great, too. I loved her at the Oscars.

[AwallaceUNC]

This is great news; I was very excited when Whoopi announced it today. She has won a Tony and of course has hosted the Oscars and the Grammys, so it's very fitting that she's now hosting the Tony Awards. I suppose the flip side to "The View" taking her away from movies is that it makes her a prime candidate for these types of gigs. Hopefully we see her return to the Oscars soon.

-Aaron

[xxhplinkxx]

Hey, haven't checked here in a while, but I'm pretty surprised that there isn't a topic about this already.

Did anyone watch the Tony's this past Sunday? I did and I thought they were pretty enjoyable. I enjoyed all the performances except for Passing Strange, I didn't really like it.

But I must say I have officially found a new love: In The Heights!!! The winner for Best Musical! Man, that show is full of so much energy and the music is just amazing. And it definitely calls to the Hispanic part of me, hehe.

Also, Patti LuPone's acceptance speech for Gypsy was pretty funny. And of course, they was a small performance by the original cast of Rent which was nice to see them all together again.

Then there were also a few smaller performances by Sierra Boggess doing a shortened down version of Part of Your World from (obviously) The Little Mermaid, and Megan Mullally doing Deep Love from Young Frankenstein.

Loved it all! Anyone else catch it???

[Disney's Divinity]

Yeah, I watched it. It was entertaining, considering I don't know much about many of the musicals/plays this year. The performance of "Don't Walk Away" inspired me to order the Xanadu CD.

[xxhplinkxx]

Yeah, I watched it. It was entertaining, considering I don't know much about many of the musicals/plays this year. The performance of "Don't Walk Away" inspired me to order the Xanadu CD.

You know, I don't really know much about Xanadu. I've never even seen the movie with Olivia Newton-John but I do hear good things. Perhaps I'll check out the cast recording.

[JiminyCrick91]

Also, Patti LuPone's acceptance speech for Gypsy was pretty funny.

I find her over rated but that WAS good.

And of course, they was a small performance by the original cast of Rent which was nice to see them all together again.

I had chills!

Then there were also a few smaller performances by Sierra Boggess doing a shortened down version of Part of Your World from (obviously) The Little Mermaid,

Cute

and Megan Mullally doing Deep Love from Young Frankenstein.

Not the best song I've heard from the show (I'd have loved Please Don't Touch Me, Andrea Martin's He Vas My Boyfriend, or really any other song ) but she did well with what was assigned.

You know, I don't really know much about Xanadu. I've never even seen the movie with Olivia Newton-John but I do hear good things. Perhaps I'll check out the cast recording.

I don't care about Xanadu at all. I don't want to see the film, nor show, nor hear the music BUT I liked this...

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I loved Whoopi this year! Funny and entertaining, just as she should be.

I can't recall much else but if I think of anything I'll be right back.

[xxhplinkxx]

Oh man, that video with Nathan Lane and Cheyenne Jackson is HILARIOUS!!

And yeah, I totally loved Whoopi. I just about died when she came out in the Sebastian cosutme, lol.

[Simba3]

I didn't watch the show this year, but I did watch the OBC of Rent via YouTube. Loved it!

[AwallaceUNC]

Whoopi made this perhaps the best Tony show that I've seen. The string of great performances and solid set of nominees this year helped as well. The highlight for me was Whoopi's Mary Poppins skit:

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And there's good news! The ratings were up this year!

Flying Whoopi, Speeches Boost Tony Broadcast Ratings 5 Percent
By Philip Boroff

June 16 (Bloomberg) -- Last night's lively Tony Awards telecast attracted 6.2 million viewers, up 5 percent from one year earlier, CBS Corp. reported.

CBS cited preliminary figures gathered by the Nielsen Co. Final ratings will be released tomorrow morning. Last year, 5.7 million viewers tuned in, a record low for the broadcast.

The gain came after the first host in three years, Whoopi Goldberg, bopped with the cast of ``Spring Awakening,'' danced with Mario Lopez in a number from ``A Chorus Line'' and flew over the stage as Mary Poppins. Producers stuffed the three-hour program at Radio City Music Hall with numbers from long-running shows, while relegating technical awards to an off-camera presentation before the primetime broadcast.

The Tonys were up against Game 5 of the National Basketball Association finals. Nevertheless, many on Broadway said it was the most compelling show in years. Patti LuPone from ``Gypsy'' gave an emotional speech after winning her first Tony since 1980 (for the title role in ``Evita'') and 28-year-old Lin-Manuel Miranda of ``In the Heights'' performed a rap after winning his first award, for best score.

``I thought Whoopi did really well,'' said Jed Bernstein, an independent producer and former head of what's now called the Broadway League, which presents the Tonys with the American Theatre Wing. ``And there were some nice thank-you speeches for a change.''

To contact the reporter on this story: Philip Boroff in New York at pboroff@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: June 16, 2008 15:58 EDT

Link: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid= ... refer=muse

Now it's time for the Academy to wake up and invite Whoopi back as Oscar host.

-Aaron