Theater News

Tony Awards to Feature Elton John, Dolly Parton, Liza Minnelli, Poison; Laura Benanti, Brian Stokes Mitchell to Host Creative Arts Segment

Dolly Parton
(© Joseph Marzullo/WENN)
Dolly Parton
(© Joseph Marzullo/WENN)

The 2009 Tony Awards will be held on Sunday, June 7 at Radio City Music Hall.

Tony winners Laura Benanti and Brian Stokes Mitchell will host the presentation of the Creative Arts Awards, which will begin at 7pm and which will be webcast on TonyAwards.com and shown in Times Square (see below for details). Numerous awards will be given out during this time.

The official Tony Awards broadcast will begin at 8pm on CBS -TV, hosted by Neil Patrick Harris. The broadcast and ceremony will feature special appearances by Dolly Parton and the cast of 9 to 5, Liza Minnelli, Elton John, and Poison, along with numbers from each of the Tony-nominated Best Musicals and Best Musical Revivals: Billy Elliot, The Musical; Guys and Dolls; Hair; Next to Normal; Pal Joey; Rock of Ages; Shrek the Musical, and West Side Story.

Additionally, there will be special performances from actors from the various touring productions of Jersey Boys, the national tour of Legally Blonde The Musical starring Becky Gulsvig, and Michelle Dawson, Kittra Wynn Commer, and Robin Tyler from the Reno, Nevada production of Mamma Mia!.

Presenters for the evening will include Lucie Arnaz, Kate Burton, Kristin Chenoweth, Jeff Daniels, Hope Davis, Edie Falco, Will Ferrell, Carrie Fisher, Jane Fonda, Hallie Foote, James Gandolfini, Lauren Graham, Colin Hanks, Marcia Gay Harden, Nicole Kidman, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Lange, Frank Langella, Angela Lansbury, Audra McDonald, Lin-Manuel Miranda, David Hyde Pierce, Piper Perabo, Oliver Platt, Susan Sarandon, Kevin Spacey, John Stamos, and Chandra Wilson.

As previously announced, the Tony Awards will also be simulcast in Times Square on the Clear Channel Spectacolor HD Screen, starting at 7pm with the Creative Arts Awards. The broadcast will be co-hosted by Irena’s Vow star Tovah Feldshuh and WCBS-TV entertainment reporter Katie McGee. Seating will be provided in Duffy Square.

For a full list of nominations, click here.

TheaterMania will be providing live updates of the winners on the site; additionally, editor-in-chief Brian Scott Lipton will be blogging live from the press room and reporting on www.tonyawards.com.