Theater News

Andrews, Connick, Jones, McDonald, Paige, Rivera, et al. to Present Tony Awards

Julie Andrews
(Photo © Michael Portantiere)
Julie Andrews
(Photo © Michael Portantiere)

Julie Andrews, Harry Belafonte, Harry Connick, Jr., James Earl Jones, Audra McDonald, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Patricia Neal, Janis Paige, and Chita Rivera are among the stars added to the list of presenters for this year’s Tony Awards, which will take place on Sunday, June 11 at Radio City Music Hall. The show will be broadcast live on CBS-TV.

In honor of the Tony’s 60th anniversary, the show’s producers have decided to have an all-star cast of 60 presenters, and no host. Other presenters announced today are
James Naughton, Harvey Fierstein, Tom Skerritt, Ana Gasteyer, Bebe Neuwirth, Bill Irwin, Christine Ebersole, David Hyde Pierce, Hal Holbrook, Harry Smith, Jim Dale, Joanna Gleason, Joe Pesci, John Tartaglia, Jonathan Pryce, Josh Lucas, Julianna Margulies, Kristen Bell, Lauren Ambrose, Marcia Gay Harden, Mary Louise Parker, Michael McKean, Neil Patrick Harris, Norbert Leo Butz, Oliver Platt, Paul Rudd, Paul Shaffer, Rosie Perez, S. Epatha Merkerson, Sara Ramirez, Stanley Tucci, T.R. Knight, and Victoria Clark.

Previously announced as presenters were Glenn Close, Ralph Fiennes, Bernadette Peters, Julia Roberts, Oprah Winfrey, Cynthia Nixon, Mark Ruffalo, Liev Schreiber, Martin Short, Hank Azaria, Eric McCormack, Alfre Woodard, Kyra Sedgwick, and Anna Paquin.

The musical The Drowsy Chaperone leads the Tony pack with 13 nominations. Among the other musicals that received multiple nominations are The Color Purple (11), The Pajama Game (9), Jersey Boys (8), and Sweeney Todd (7), while the plays with multiple nominations include Awake and Sing! (8), The History Boys (7), Rabbit Hole (5), and The Lieutenant of Inishmore (5).