The Tony Awards hit this weekend with James Corden, former Tony winner and current star of The Late Late Show, hosting. Sundays ceremony will feature performances from the following musicals: Bright Star, The Color Purple (adapted from the film), Fiddler on the Roof, Hamilton, On Your Feet (the Gloria Estefan musical) School of Rock (adapted from the film), She Loves Me, Shuffle Along, Spring Awakening, and Waitress (adapted from the film).
But which stars of stage and screen will be presenting and which actually belong there? Since the Tony Awards are televised they tend to give TV & film stars the honors of presenting even though they really ought to pair them with stage giants to make the festivities more attuned to the actual honors being handed out. That minor quibble aside at least the stars chosen to present generally have some sort of Broadway connection.
This year's presenters in the order of how much Broadway stage cred they have after the jump... but first the utter delights of "Broadway Carpool" with James Corden & Lin-Manuel Miranda. Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Audra McDonald and Jane Krakowski absolutely kill it with the singing and comedy in the back seat once they get to Les Miz...
PRESENTING... THE PRESENTERS
Legendary Broadway Players
AUDRA in SHUFFLE ALONG (currently playing)
Nathan Lane - He's starred in 20 productions since 1982. He's always in something! 2 Tonys from 4 nominations.
Audra McDonald - She's starred in 11 shows and holds the record for most Tony wins by any performer. She's won 6 from 8. Even better she's won in ALL the female acting categories: Best Actress, Play (Lady Day); Best Actress, Musical (Porgy & Bess), Best Featured Actress, Play (A Raisin in the Sun, Master Class); Best Featured Actress, Musical (Ragtime, Carousel). Trivia Alert: She's currently starring in Shuffle Along, which is up for a bunch of Tonys but it's the first time she's ever starred in a musical where she wasn't nominated!
Angela Lansbury - This beloved multiple Emmy & Oscar nominated star is also a significant stage legend. She's made intermittent Broadway appearances since the 1950s. 5 Tonys wins from 7 nominations.
James Earl Jones - His voice is already immortal but this Honorary Oscar winner is also a significant stage star having appeared in 20 or so shows from the 1950s through this past season. 1 Tony win from 4 nominations
Broadway Regulars
Andrew Rannells in The Book of Mormon a few years back
Neil Patrick Harris - Though he's best known for TV roles, he's been in 3 Broadway musicals and one straight play. He's also a former Tony host. 1 Tony win from 1 nomination
Andrew Rannells - Best known for "Girls" his Broadway work has usually been replacements of original cast members but he's a likely nominee next season for "Whizzer" (great part!) in the revival of Falsettos, the first role he gets to originate since his Tony nomination as Elder Price in The Book of Mormon. Falsettos will be his sixth Broadway show.
Jesse Tyler Ferguson - He's been in two Broadway musicals and is currently doing the solo comedy play "Fully Committed". Curiously, despite winning two Drama Desk awards over the years the Modern Family star has not yet been Tony nominated.
Special Cases
Barbra Streisand - This legendary diva did two Broadway shows in the 1960s (I Can Get It For You Wholesale and Funny Girl) and was a sensation in both (two Tony nominations) after which Hollywood snapped her up and she never looked back. She also has a "special" Tony. She's never been back to the stage but since she's so legendary we'll allow it.
Carole King - Several Broadway shows have used her music and she's even acted in one Broadway show in the 1990s. The show based on her life Beautiful: The Carole King Musical is still running
Two Shows
Patina Miller with her Tony from PippinPatina Miller -She's currently on TV in Madam Secretary and appeared in the two final Hunger Games films but she came to fame on Broadway. 1 Tony win from 2 nominations
Sean Hayes - he's done two Broadway shows, one of which is playing right now ("Act of God") plus a concert of Damn Yankees. One Tony nomination.
Steve Martin wrote the book and music for Bright Star (two nominations this year) and previously produced the revival of The Elephant Man
Uzo Aduba - She became a star via Orange is the New Black (2013-) but before she had multiple statues flung at her for "Crazy Eyes" she did two Broadway shows and a benefit concert. She's obviously invited because of her fresh TV fame but she qualifies. Her recent turn in The Wiz Live also reminds us that she has the live performance goods
Diane Lane - She did two plays in the 1970s but she's returning to the boards this fall in a revival of The Cherry Orchard (which was one of her shows in the 1970s!)
One Timers
Ellen Greene and Jake Gyllenhaal doing Little Shop of Horrors. Photo by Joan Marcus
Oprah Winfrey - produced The Color Purple which is in a tight race with She Loves Me for the Best Musical Revival Tony.
Jake Gyllenhaal -One of our favorite movie stars has been boosting his stage profile lately. He's only starred in one Broadway play but lately he's been doing concert one-offs of musicals (Little Shop of Horrors recently and Sunday in the Park with George is next)
Saoirse Ronan - Made her Broadway debut in The Crucible this season. She's got one more month of performances left after which one assumes she'll jump immediately back before cameras given that busy movie schedule.
Marlee Matlin - The Oscar winning star of Children of a Lesser God was part of the ensemble of the revival of Spring Awakening this year
Edie Brickell wrote the lyrics for Bright Star (a nominee this year)
Daniel Dae Kim and Marin Mazzie in The King and I (closing this month)
Daniel Dae Kim -His claim to fame is Lost but he's currently the replacement star of The King and I which closes at the end of this month
Claire Danes has been on Broadway just once in 2007 for a couple of months. She gets to present because... she's a major TV star?
Blair Underwood - One show for a few months in 2012. He gets to present because... he's a TV star?
Lucy Liu - she was a replacement performer in the great play God of Carnage toward the end of its run for a couple of months
Broadway Virgin
Cate Blanchett - her stage cred is significant elsewhere but she's never actually been on Broadway. She's making her debut this January in The Present so expect her to be in the Best Actress discussion next year even though her show won't be running by the time of next year's ceremony since it's a limited engagement.