Broadway's Night - June 12, 2011

There are two nights each year when I turn off my phones to everyone because I love watching the Academy Awards and the Tony Awards. Movies and live stage productions are essential for my survival. This is your reminder. Do not call me Sunday evening, June 12, 2011. The Antoinette Perry Tony Awards will be presented live on CBS. I will definitely be watching to see who will be chosen the Best of Broadway for this season.

The first time Broadway, film and TV star Neil Patrick Harris hosted the 63rd Tony Awards for the American Theatre Wing, he earned an Emmy Award for his efforts. And now, he's back to host again this year. NPH, as he is affectionately known by legions of fans across the globe, is set to return to the Tony stage as host of the 65th annual awards on June 12th.

NPH is probably best known for his role as Barney Stinson on the CBS hit series, 'How I Met Your Mother' but he has been a "Broadway Baby" from the time he was in knickers. He also hosted the 61st prime-time Emmy Awards.  But, enough about him.

The productions being honored include:

Best Play

Good People

Jerusalem

The Motherf**ker with the Hat

War Horse

Best Musical

The Book of Mormon

Catch Me If You Can

The Scottsboro Boys

Sister Act

Best Revival of a Play

Arcadia

The Importance of Being Earnest

The Merchant of Venice

The Normal Heart

Best Revival of a Musical

Anything Goes

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

Some of the actors and actresses nominated for their thespian efforts this year include:

Al Pacino, The Merchant of Venice

Frances McDormand, Good People

Vanessa Redgrave, Driving Miss Daisey

John Larroquette, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

Ellen Barkin, The Normal Heart

Edie Falco, The House of Blue Leaves

Judith Light, Lombardi

Elizabeth Rodriguez, The Motherf**ker With the Hat

Patti LuPone, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown

This year, the Regional Theatre Tony Award goes to the Lookingglass Theatre Company, Chicago, IL.

To view the entire list of nominees GO HERE. To visit the Tony official Web site where you can view video of scenes from the plays and Musicals, learn more about the nominees and so much more, click the title of this post.

Upcoming Tony Awards

Actor Neil Patrick Harris will emcee the 2009 Tony telecast Sunday, 7 June, live from Radio City Music Hall, NYC, to be broadcast live on CBS. This is the American Theatre Wing’s 63rd annual Tony Awards® ceremony.

A Special Tony Award® for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre will be presented to Jerry Herman, 77, who received Tony nominations for six of the seven Broadway shows he created (Milk and Honey, Hello, Dolly!, Mame, Mack & Mabel, The Grand Tour, and La Cage Aux Follies). He took home the trophy for both Dolly and La Cage. Herman says he will not be doing anymore musicals, but is trilled to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award, because in his case, it has truly been a lifetime endeavor.

The Regional Theatre Tony Award® goes to Signature Theatre, Arlington, Virginia.

Shows with most nominations: Billy Elliot, The Musical 15; Next to Normal 11; Hair 8; Shrek, The Musical 8; Mary Stuart 7; and The Norman Conquests 7.

List of nominees: http://www.tonyawards.com/en_US/nominees/index.html

SAG Honors James Earl Jones with Achievement Award

Actor James Earl Jones will receive the Screed Actors Guild (SAG) Lifetime Achievement Award when the Guild's annual awards are presented Sunday, 25 January 2009. His million-dollar voice is one of the most recognizable of any actor working today.

He is probably best known as the voice of Darth Vader in STAR WARS and Mufasa in THE LION KING. He has also done countless voiceovers (VO) in commercials and on CNN.

Jones has garnered laurels for his distinguished acting on television and in movies, as well as his appearances on the stage. This year, he starred in Broadway revivals of 'On Golden Pond' (Normal Thayer Jr.) and 'Cat on a Hot Tin Roof' (Big Daddy). His honors include one Golden Globe, two Tony awards, three Emmys, an Oscar nomination (male lead actor in THE GREAT WHITE HOPE, 1971), and the National Medal of Arts.

In 1995, he received the prestigious National Board of Review, USA, Career Achievement Award. The next year, he was nominated for a SAG award for best performance by a male leading actor in a movie, CRY, THE BELOVED COUNTRY.

Probably few know today that Jones had a terrible stuttering problem as a child. His problem was so acute that he actually stopped speaking for a long time. His love of reading eventually helped him gain confidence to begin speaking again.

When he did find his voice, he soon became aware his presence and deep resonant voice might lead to an acting career. The 77-year-old actor says his voice is his most prominent asset.

He has two VO projects in the pipeline at the moment: JACK AND THE BEANSTALK (2008), completed, and QUANTUM QUEST: A CASSINI SPACE ODYSSEY (2010), in post-production. However I suspect, as an accomplished actor his real love is live theatre.

For more on current and upcoming awards, click the link on the right sidebar for Mimi's Awards Page.

Film Festivals and Awards in June Wrap

Sir Sean Connery presented the awards in Edinburgh.

All the film festivals that I follow in June have wrapped, Edinburgh (Scotland) and Los Angeles (USA) this past weekend. For information about these, and others held this month: Jackson Hole (USA), AFI SILVERDOCS (D.C.), and Shanghai (China), click the link on the right sidebar for my Film Festivals Page II. There is also a link for Part I, which began in January with Palm Springs and ended with Cannes.

Next up: Michael Moore's Traverse City (fellow Michigander Madonna will be there with her new film) and then, Sarajevo (Bosnia). Festivals in August and September are also in Part II.

The Daytime Emmy and Broadway's Tony Awards wrapped in June, too. The Emmys had three awards sessions: the sports awards, daytime creative arts and entertainment awards, and the 35th daytime Emmy gala hosted by ABC's Cameron Masterson (All My Children) and Sherri Shepherd (The View). Regis Philbin (Live With Regis and Kelly) took home the lifetime achievement Emmy.

For more on these awards and many more for this year, click the link on the right sidebar for my Awards Page.