Tony Winners for 2016

A lot of us needed that awards show last night - a celebration of passion, talent, and love for community - given the horrific events of the weekend.

In the opening number the musical acting nominees joined James Corden on stage (from left to right: Benanti, Corden, Krakowski, Miranda, Goldsberry, Levi, and Danielle Brooks

The Tonys were particularly defiantly joyous Sunday evening with an exuberant production, which featured a fun curveball of having each performing cast do a miniature version of a classic showtune outside the theater before or after they performed their shows number onstage inside. Other highlights included: Audra McDonald doing a high kick while pregnant; James Corden's bit with the Tony accountants; Frank Langella being more concerned with the tragedy in Orlando than his Tony; and a hilarious view of the nominees through the prism of their guest star work in the Law & Order franchise. Poor Danny Burstein! Or, rather, 'well employed Danny Burstein' who guest starred on Law & Order so many times it was like watching a man age in time lapse photography...

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Stage Door: Tony Predictions

We've already talked Tony Presenters & Performances so let's delve into predictions for the show this Sunday night on CBS.

Best Musical
Bright Star (REVIEWED) 
Hamilton
School of Rock
Shuffle Along
Waitress

Will Win: Hamilton in a cakewalk though Shuffle Along has ardent fans so it probably would have won in a year without a juggernaut like Hamilton. 

Best Play
Eclipsed by Danai Gurira -- closes June 19th
King Charles III by Mike Bartlett - already closed
The Father by Florian Zeller (REVIEWED) 
The Humans by Stephen Karam

Will Win: The Humans has been nabbing all the precursor prizes so it's got the momentum.
Possible Spoiler: ...if there's a surprise look to Eclipsed

more after the jump...

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Barbra Streisand Returning to The Tonys after 46 Years

Streisand 1970 Tony was for “star of the decade”

46 years is a long time. Richard Nixon was president in 1970 when Barbra Streisand last appeared at The Tonys. She’s coming back this year as a presenter. Who knows why? Maybe she has Hamilton fever like the rest of the world. Maybe she has a tour to promote (she does). Whatever it is we will get to see Streisand on The Tonys stage.

And we can’t wait. No details have been provided about her appearance. So let the speculation begin about which category she will present. The obvious choice is the night’s biggest category - best musical. But just saying "Hamilton" might rob us of her great Oscar ad libs. “I’m so happy to give this to you again, Clint”. “Well the time has come”. 

And as monumental as this news is, Barbra can't do it all alone. So there will be other presenters on the big night. Here are our category suggestions for a few of them:

Cate Blanchett - 'Lead Actress in a Play' because of her Oscar connection to the two frontrunners. She won her second on the same night as Lupita Nyongó (nominated for "Eclipsed") and, like Jessica Lange, Blanchett won Oscars on her 2nd and 6th nominations. Their second wins even share the same first word in the title, “Blue”. This would be a gift for Oscar nerds.

Oprah Winfrey - Any category that Lin-Manuel Miranda might win. Imagine Oprah saying his name the same way she says "JOHN  TRA-VOL-TA”.

Audra McDonald - 'Lead Actress in A Musical'. It might be mean to ask her to present the category for which she was snubbed, but she IS musical theater’s most honored leading lady. It fits.

Saoirse Ronan - 'Featured Actress in a Play' just because we need to hear her say “Pascale Armand, Saycon Sengbloh and Jayne Houdyshell” in her lilting Irish accent.

Carole King - 'Original Score'. Duh.

Other presenters announced include Steve Martin, Nathan Lane and Patina Miller. The Tonys will be broadcast on Sunday June 12th and we'll undoubtedly celebrate here.

Which category would you like to see Barbra present?

Stage Door: American Psycho The Musical

In the Stage Door column we review theatrical productions, often with one eye on their movie origins or connections.

We first alerted you to the glorius full bodied talent of Benjamin Walker way back in 2011 writing:

You're in for such a treat when you see him on the big screen. Major charisma he has. Big stardom awaits.

The movie career didn't happen quickly in the way we imagined despite a couple of lead roles (The Choice, Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter) but that major charisma is still blinding on stage. It's impossible to miss even when the strobe lights are flashing. And flash they do in his latest show. He's recently returned to Broadway as soulless Patrick Bateman in American Psycho the Musical. Yes, that American Psycho. The best selling 1991 novel turned initally troubled 2000 arthouse horror flick turned cultural mainstay and now a Broadway musical. We recite all the history to remind ourselves that American Psycho has never been a property to elicit universal praise in any iteration. Instead, it's always greeted with a mix of  "worst ever" / "how amazing!" And so it's gone with the Broadway musical...

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Stage Door: The Father

Frank Langella is an imposing figure. Standing 6'4" tall, with a countenance absolutely befitting a man who has played both Dracula and Richard Nixon, the man simply looks like a force to be reckoned with. His sense of gravitas demands attention and respect. All of which makes what he does in Manhattan Theater Club's Tony-nominated production of Florian Zeller's play The Father even more impressive.

Langella plays André, an elderly man living in Paris with his daughter, Anne (Kathryn Erbe). At the start of the play, Anne is explaining why she has to get him a new helper: The last one apparently quit after André called her "a little bitch" and threatened her with a curtain rod. For his part, André at first denies the incident, then laughs it off, saying that he is perfectly competent to care for himself.

And here is where talking about the play gets difficult...

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