Details of Tony Awards Show Announced as Nominees Pose for "Class Photo" in Times Square
for a photo op in Times Square
(Photo © Michael Portantiere)
As this season’s Tony Award nominees posed for a “class photo” in Times Square today, Gary Smith — executive producer of the awards ceremony, to be telecast live by CBS on Sunday, June 8, 8pm-11-pm — announced the presenters, performers, and musical numbers that will be featured in the show.
The stars expected to join host Hugh Jackman and present awards to the winners are Benjamin Bratt, Matthew Broderick, Alan Cumming, Edie Falco, Joey Fatone, Laurence Fishburne, Danny Glover, Melanie Griffith, Nathan Lane, Frank Langella, John Leguizamo, Juliana Margulies, Sarah Jessica Parker, Rosie Perez, Lynn and Vanessa Redgrave, Christopher Reeve, Marisa Tomei, and Barbara Walters. In addition, Jason Alexander and Martin Short will present one award from the stage of the Pantages Theatre in Los Angeles, where they are currently performing in The Producers.
The show will begin with Tony nominee Billy Joel performing “New York State of Mind” live from Times Square. That performance will segué into the company of Movin’ Out performing “River of Dreams” onstage at Radio City Music Hall.
Other live performances scheduled: Harvey Fierstein and Marissa Jaret Winokur will lead the company of Hairspray in “You Can’t Stop the Beat”; Mark Linn-Baker, Jay Goede, and the cast of A Year With Frog and Toad will perform a yet-to-be-determined number from that show; Antonio Banderas will perform “Guido’s Song” from Nine in a segment that will also feature fellow nominees Jane Krakowski, Chita Rivera, and Mary Stuart Masterson; Brian Stokes Mitchell will perform “The Impossible Dream” from Man of La Mancha, joined by co-star Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio; Bernadette Peters will perform “Rose’s Turn” from Gypsy; 80 members of the company of La Bohème will perform a number incorporating all 10 of the Tony-honored rotating cast members; and the cast of the recently closed Russell Simmons Def Poetry Jam on Broadway will perform “I Wanna Hear a Poem” and “I Write America.” (Amour, which was nominated for five Tony Awards but closed in November, will not be represented.)
The broadcast will also include taped segments of this year’s nominated plays and will feature tributes to Adolph Green, Peter Stone, and Al Hirschfeld.
