“Once” Dominates the Tony Awards

Tonight, the best of Broadway was celebrated on the 66th Annual Tony Awards hosted by the always brilliant Neil Patrick Harris. He, and the show, were excellent with wonderful performances from all the nominated musicals (big ups to Newsies, Once, Ghost, Follies, Porgy & Bess and Ricky Martin with Evita for my favorite numbers) and clips from the nominated plays. The musical adaptation of the Oscar-winning film Once was the big winner with 7 trophies included Best Musical and Best Actor for Steve Kazee who had the best and most emotional speech of the night. Audra MacDonald also gave a very emotional and lovely speech as she won her 5th Tony for Porgy which also won best Revival of a Musical. Taking the Featured Actor in a Musical wins were Nice Work if You Can Get It stars Judy Kaye and Michael McGrath… On the play side, Clybourne Park took home best play while best revival went to Death of a Salesman and its lauded director Mike Nichols. Other big winners included the wonderful Judith Light for Featured Actress in a Play, Smash’s Christan Borle for Featured Actor in a Play, Nina Arianda for Lead Actress in a Play and the hilarious James Corden for Lead Actor in a Play. Take a look at all the winners below and head to the Tony website for more on this fantastic show and the wonderful theatre of Broadway.

2012 Tony Award Winners~

Best Musical
Nominees: Leap of Faith; Newsies; Nice Work if You can Get it; Once
WINNER: Once

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical
Nominees: Audra McDonald (The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess); Cristin Milioti (Once); Kelli O’Hara (Nice Work If You Can Get It); Laura Osnes (Bonnie & Clyde)
WINNER: Audra McDonald (The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play
Nominees: Nina Arianda (Venus in Fur); Tracie Bennett (End of the Rainbow); Stockard Channing (Other Desert Cities); Linda Lavin (The Lyons); Cynthia Nixon (Wit)
WINNER: Nina Arianda (Venus in Fur)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play
Nominees: James Corden (One Man, Two Guvnors); Philip Seymour Hoffman (Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman); James Earl Jones (Gore Vidal’s The Best Man); Frank Langella (Man and Boy); John Lithgow (The Columnist)
WINNER: James Corden (One Man, Two Guvnors)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical
Nominees: Danny Burstein (Follies); Jeremy Jordan (Newsies); Steve Kazee (Once); Norm Lewis (The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess); Ron Raines (Follies)
WINNER: Steve Kazee (Once)

Best Revival of a Musical
Nominees: Evita; Follies; The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess; Jesus Christ Superstar
WINNER: The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess

Best Play
Nominees: Clybourne Park, Other Desert Cities, Peter and the Starcatcher; Venus in Fur

WINNER: Clybourne Park
Best Revival of a Play
Nominees: Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman; Gore Vidal’s The Best Man; Master Class; Wit
WINNER: Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman

Best Original Score
Nominees: Bonnie & Clyde (music by Frank Wildhorn and Lyrics by Don Black; Newsies (Music by Alan Menken and Lyrics by Jack Feldman); One Man, Two Guvnors (Music & Lyrics by Grant Olding); Peter and the Starcatcher (Music by Wayne Barker and Lyrics by Rick Elice)
WINNER: Newsies (Music by Alan Menken and Lyrics by Jack Feldman)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical
Nominees: Elizabeth A. Davis (Once); Jayne Houdyshell (Follies); Judy Kaye (Nice Work If You Can Get It); Jessie Mueller (On a Clear Day You Can See Forever); Da’Vine Joy Randolph (Ghost the Musical)
WINNER: Judy Kaye (Nice Work If You Can Get It)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play
Nominees: Michael Cumpsty (End of the Rainbow); Tom Edden (One Man, Two Guvnors); Andrew Garfield (Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman); Jeremy Shamos (Clybourne Park)
WINNER: Christian Borle (Peter and the Starcatcher)
Best Direction of a Play

Nominees: Nicholas Hytner (One Man, Two Guvnors); Pam MacKinnon (Clybourne Park); Mike Nichols (Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman); Roger Rees and Alex Timbers (Peter and the Starcatcher)
WINNER: Mike Nichols (Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman)

Best Direction of a Musical
Nominees: Jeff Calhoun (Newsies); Kathleen Marshall (Nice Work if You Can Get It); Diane Paulus (The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess); John Tiffany (Once)
WINNER: John Tiffany (Once)

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play
Nominees: Linda Emond (Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman); Spencer Kayden (Don’t Dress for Dinner); Celia Keenan-Bolger (Peter and the Starcatcher); Judith Light (Other Desert Cities); Condola Rashad (Stick Fly)
WINNER: Judith Light (Other Desert Cities)

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical
Nominees: Phillip Boykin (The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess); Michael Cerveris (Evita); David Alan Grier (The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess); Michael McGrath (Nice Work If You Can Get It); Josh Young (Jesus Christ Superstar)
WINNER: Michael McGrath (Nice Work If You Can Get It)

Best Choreography
Nominees: Rob Ashford (Evita); Christopher Gattelli (Newsies); Steven Hoggett (Once); Kathleen Marshall (Nice Work If You Can Get It)
WINNER: Christopher Gattelli (Newsies)

Best Orchestration
Nominees: William David Brohn and Christopher Jahnke (The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess); Bill Elliott (Nice Work If You Can Get It); Martin Lowe (Once); Danny Troob (Newsies)
WINNER: Martin Lowe (Once)

Best Book of a Musical
Nominees: Newies (Harvey Fierstein); Nice Work if You can Get it (Joe DiPietro); Once (Edna Walsh); Lysistrata Jones (Douglas Carter Beane)
WINNER: Once (Edna Walsh)

Best Costume Design of a Play
Nominees: William Ivey Long (Don’t Dress for Dinner); Paul Tazewell (A Streetcar Named Desire); Mark Thompson (One Man, Two Guvnors); Paloma Young (Peter and the Starcatcher)
WINNER: Paloma Young (Peter and the Starcatcher)

Best Scenic Design of a Play
Nominees: John Lee Beatty (Other Desert Cities); Daniel Ostlin (Clybourne Park); Mark Thompson (One Man, Two Guvnors); Donyale Werle (Peter and the Starcatcher)
WINNER: Donyale Werle (Peter and the Starcatcher)

Best Scenic Design of a Musical
Nominees: Bob Crowley (Once); Rob Howell and Jon Driscoll (Ghost the Musical); Tobin Obst and Sven Ortel (Newsies); George Tsypin (Spider-Man Turn off the Dark)
WINNER: Bob Crowley (Once)

Best Costume Design of a Musical
Nominees: Gregg Barnes (Follies); ESosa (The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess); Eiko Ishioka (Spider-Man Turn Off the Dark); Martin Pakledinaz (Nice Work If You Can Get It)
WINNER: Gregg Barnes (Follies)

Best Sound Design of a Play
Nominees: Paul Arditti (One Man, Two Guvnors); Scott Lehrer (Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman), Gareth Owen (End of the Rainbow), Darron L. West (Peter and the Starcatcher)
WINNER: Darron L. West (Peter and the Starcatcher)

Best Sound Design of a Musical
Nominees: Acme Sound Partners (The Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess); Clive Goodwin (Once), Kai Harada (Follies); Brian Ronan (Nice Work If You Can Get It)
WINNER: Clive Goodwin (Once)

Best Lighting Design of a Play
Nominees: Jeff Croiter (Peter and the Starcatcher); Peter Kaczorowski (The Road to Mecca); Brian MacDevitt (Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman); Kenneth Posner (Other Desert Cities)
WINNER: Jeff Croiter (Peter and the Starcatcher)

Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Nominees: Christopher Akerlind (The Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess); Natasha Katz (Follies); Natasha Katz (Once); Hugh Vastone (Ghost the Musical)
WINNER: Natasha Katz (Once)

Actor’s Equity Association Award
WINNER: Hugh Jackman
Isabelle Stevenson Award
WINNER: Bernadette Peters
Regional Theater Award
WINNER: Shakespeare Theatre, Washington, D.C.
Special Tony Award For Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre
WINNER: Emanuel Azenberg

Harry Potter casts as Spell at the People’s Choice Awards

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 was not only the biggest movie of 2011, but it’s also the People’s Choice Award winner for Best Film. In fact, the movie won 4 awards at last nights kudosfest hosted by The Big Bang Theory’s Kaley Cuoco. It was a deserving winner and one of several that made me happy. Usually this show, voted on by the fans online, is a wash honoring several blah choices like Taylor Swift and Adam Sandler. However, this year, along with Potter, I was thrilled to see wins for Hot in Cleveland, Neil Patrick Harris, Ellen Degeneres, Bridesmaids, Lea Michelle and Emma Stone. Check out all the winners below and for more on what the people love, head to their website here.

2012 People’s Choice Award Winners:
MOVIES
Favorite Movie: “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2″
Favorite Drama Movie: “Water for Elephants”
Favorite Comedy Movie: “Bridesmaids”
Favorite Action Movie: “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2″
Favorite Movie Actress: Emma Stone
Favorite Movie Actor: Johnny Depp
Favorite Comedic Movie Actress: Emma Stone
Favorite Comedic Movie Actor: Adam Sandler
Favorite Action Movie Star: Hugh Jackman
Favorite Movie Icon: Morgan Freeman
Favorite Movie Star Under 25: Chloe Grace Moretz
Favorite Ensemble Movie Cast: “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2″
Favorite Book Adaptation: “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2″
Favorite Movie Superhero: “The Green Lantern”
Favorite Animated Movie Voice: Johnny Depp, “Rango”

TELEVISION
Favorite Network TV Drama: “Supernatural”
Favorite Cable TV Drama: “Pretty Little Liars”
Favorite Network TV Comedy: “How I Met Your Mother”
Favorite Cable TV Comedy: “Hot in Cleveland”
Favorite TV Crime Drama: “Castle”
Favorite Sci-Fi/Fantasy Show: “Supernatural”
Favorite TV Competition Show: “American Idol”
Favorite New TV Drama: “Person of Interest”
Favorite New TV Comedy: “2 Broke Girls”
Favorite TV Comedy Actor: Neil Patrick Harris, “How I Met Your Mother”
Favorite TV Comedy Actress: Lea Michele, “Glee”
Favorite TV Drama Actor: Nathan Fillion, “Castle”
Favorite TV Drama Actress: Nina Dobrev, “The Vampire Diaries”
Favorite Daytime TV Host: Ellen DeGeneres
Favorite Late-Night TV Host: Jimmy Fallon
Favorite TV Guest Star: Katy Perry, “How I Met Your Mother”
Favorite Celebreality Star: Kim Kardashian

MUSIC
Favorite Album: “Born This Way,” Lady Gaga
Favorite Song of the Year: “E.T.,” Katy Perry featuring Kanye West
Favorite Music Video: Katy Perry, “Last Friday Night”
Favorite Tour Headliner: Katy Perry
Favorite Male Artist: Bruno Mars
Favorite Female Artist: Katy Perry
Favorite Pop Artist: Demi Lovato
Favorite Band: Maroon 5
Favorite R&B Artist: Rihanna
Favorite Hip-Hop Artist: Eminem
Favorite Country Artist: Taylor Swift

My all New SYTYCD Buzz Rankings~ the Top 8!

Last night, the field of finalists on So You Think You Can Dance was narrowed to eight as Nigel and co dismissed the delightful Mitchell and the sweet if unmemorable Clarice. It wasn’t too big of a surprise especially since the judges still had the power. If it was solely up to viewer votes, I think Jordin may have exited in Clarice’s place especially after that defeated solo. So, just where does she land on my list of new SYTYCD buzz rankings? I think you can guess… Take a look at my all new totally unscientific buzz rankings below.

So You Think You Can Dance Buzz Top 8 Buzz Rankings:
1. Melanie: holding tight in the top spot is the gorgeous dancer and gorgeous girl Melanie. She truly lives and breathes each performance regardless of the style and has a wonderful connection with her partners. She remains the one to beat. (last week~ 1)
2. Sasha: I almost ranked Sasha first due to the incredible fierceness and brilliance of her hip hop routine from Wednesday. However, she still seems to lack a little humility and that may hurt her when it comes to the finals. But mark my words, she will be in the finals alongside Melanie, Marko and ??? (lw~ 4)
3. Marko: he’s still the top guy but got outshone by the ladies a little this week. Regardless, he remains a consummate pro and who knew he could shake his hips so well in that awesome samba? And he proved he can have some sexy chemistry with someone other than Melanie too. (lw~ 2)
4. Tadd: he totally outdanced his All Star Comfort this week and he’s incredibly likable and fun to watch. Whether in his own genre or not, he has performed seamlessly and somewhat effortlessly. Is he a spoiler for the title? (lw~ 3)
5. Caitlyn: with an incredibly sexy tango, this week Caitlyn finally became a star. She’s always been talented and done great work, but she finally connected to her dance and her partner, the amazing Pasha. Will she be able to steal a spot in the final four too? (lw~ 6)
6. Jess: he’s been sailing along smoothly for the past few weeks and continues to grow as a performer. As long as he keeps the mugging to a minimum (thank Neil Patrick Harris!) and delivers honest, emotional performances, he might grab that final four spot as well. (lw~ 5)
7. Ricky: well, damn if he hasn’t done the best solos of the season and last night when in danger again, he just killed it. I don’t know what America has against the guy because he’s got a wonderful spirit and is a brilliant dancer. He just needs one great routine to rise above. Will it happen next week? (lw~ 9)
8. Jordan: the girl who’s obsessed with devlope’s (I have no idea if that’s how you spell it, but you know what I’m talking about) barely escaped elimination last night. However, I think this may be her last stand. She’s running on fumes at this point. (lw~8)

And then there were eight, but they’re all great! Ok, stupid rhymes aside, it’s getting interesting on SYTYCD. Can any of them beat Melanie to the crown? And will there be a surprise competitor or two in the final four? Stay tuned and tell me who you think has the buzz below.

My So You Think You Can Dance Quick Wrap 7/21/11

Last night on So You Think You Can Dance, the top ten came out with guns blazing as they joined the all-stars for some of the best dances of the season. In fact, I dare say 9 of the 10 couples dances were great and only poor Mitchell is assured a spot in the danger zone. As for the solos, those left a little to be desired from most of the contenders and may have a serious impact in who lands in the bottom three and winds up going home…. In fact, it may be the tipping point, because I’m sort of at a loss as to which woman will be heading home…. So, let’s just take a look at my rankings for the night and see if I can’t come up with some predictions…

SYTYCD Performance Rankings 7/20/11~
1. Sasha & Twitch (hip hop): hello, that was all kinds of awesome. Usually with hip hop, the numbers are fun or hard or have a tortured emotional quality (ala lyrical hip hop numbers in the vein of Nappy Tabs), but this one was different. It was sexy, romantic and evoked a different era. One of the best routines of the season and hello, I think Sasha actually outdanced the incredible Twitch!
2. Jordan & Brandon (contemporary): it was hard to pick my second fave of the night, but the sheer brilliance of this piece lifted it into the runner-up position. And it was easily Jordan’s best performance of the season. She was emotionally connected and almost on the same plane as Brandon who was perfection here.
3. Marko & Chelsie (samba): with a sexy, fast and furious samba, Marko rose to Chelsie’s incredibly polished level and they made a fantastic pairing. He just looked at home in this style which is far removed from his own and it was the number that gave me the most joy from the evening.
4. Ricky & Allison (jazz): dancing with arguably the best female dancer in the history of SYTYCD Allison, Ricky surprised the heck out of me. He inhabited the devilish quality of the piece with ease and technically was brilliant. He even almost matched Allison’s brilliant emotional connection and performance. Great job.
5. Melanie & Pasha (Vienesse Waltz): seriously this was a glorious pairing. Pasha can do no wrong, and ahem, neither can Melanie. She is gorgeous in every piece she does. Her musicality is flawless and her connection to the choreography and emotion of each piece is stellar, not to mention the romantic sparks she made with Pasha.
6. Caitlyn & Pasha (tango): yes, it was a slow burn, but boy was that a fire at the end of the number as Caitlyn just killed it. It was lucky that she had the wonderful Pasha to support her in this great number as they were passionate and powerful. Just great and it’s only goes to show what a strong show it was when this number, that Mary gave a standing “O” to, ends up in sixth place.
7. Jess & Kathryn (contemporary): um, Kathryn kicked Jess’s lil patootie on this wonderful dance. But don’t get me wrong, Jess was great, perhaps the best he’s been to date. However, Kathryn was just perfection here~ gloriously connected to the movement and story of the piece. Beautiful.
8. Clarice & Robert (Bollywood): holy heck was that a fun performance and what a treat to have my fave from last season Robert back on the STYCD stage. He and Clarice gave a high energy buoyant and delightful performance. However, the number felt a little slight compared with the others from the evening and Robert outdanced her by a bit.
9. Tadd & Comfort (hip hop): while I didn’t really connect to this piece, I still thought it was executed tremendously. Tadd totally outdanced his all-star Comfort too. So big ups buddy. I just hope it keeps him safe from elimination.
10. Mitchell & Melody (jazz): poor Mitchell drew the short end of the stick with this uninspired Tyce piece. He performed it well (as did the delightful Melody~ how we have missed you since season 1), but he didn’t infuse it with the style of the genre. He seemed to just be doing the moves as opposed to living the dance.

As for the solos, well, um… Marko’s was great, Tadd’s was fun and Melanie used a crazy version of “You’re the One that I Want”… However, most of them seemed like an afterthought. So it’s really hard to rank them, but here goes…

Solos~
1. Marko
2. Ricky
3. Melanie
4. Tadd
5. Jess
6. Sasha
7. Mitchell
8. Caitlyn
9. Clarice
10. Jordin

So looking at all those rankings, I’m going to randomly pull a bottom three girls and guys list out of my you know what…

Predictions~
Bottom 3 Guys: Mitchell, Tadd, Jess
Bottom 3 Girls: Clarice, Caitlyn, Jordan

Going home: Clarice, Mitchell

Ack, am I making the right guess? I don’t know. Well, I do know Mitchell’s a goner, but what girl? Will it be the sweet but boring Clarice, the sexy but slightly grating Jordan or the adorable but possibly forgettable Caitlyn? What do you think? Let me hear it below… And while we’re at it, how awesome was guest judge Emmy winner Neil Patrick Harris? He was so eloquent, honest, insightful and also gave great constructive criticism. Loved it! … Overall, it was just a great show. But who’s gonna go? Watch So You Think You Can Dance tonight on Fox and find out.

And here’s Sasha and Twitch’s fantastic number for ya.

2011 Movie Grades… So far…

As any avid moviegoer might tell you, 2011 has not been the best year for movie fans. In fact, I found myself going to the theatre much less in the first half of this year than most years. However, the lackluster studio output does resemble the sad first half of 2010. Luckily, the second half of last year made up for it and I’m hoping that will be the case in the coming months. Perhaps the issue has been an emphasis on crappy 3D movies (which generally suck~ I’m sorry, the 3D craze is a giant waste of time in my opinion!) or just general studio moronitude. Yes, I just coined that word, hehe… Looking at the few bright spots, there were two fantastic indies that will hopefully be remembered at Oscar time, Jane Eyre and Beginners. The latter film, in fact, is my favorite of the year featuring wonderful performances from Ewan MacGregor and Christopher Plummer (who is assured an Oscar nom) as a son and father who navigate the last few years of the elder’s life as he comes out of the closet and deals with cancer. My favorite studio picture of the year thus far was J.J. Abrams triumphantly Spielberg-esque sci-fi action pic Super 8 which showed a summer movie can be smart, funny, scary and have heart. (Hey just like Spielberg’s 80′s summer movies, hmmmmm)…. One other fantastic film was the filmed adaptation of the live Broadway musical performance of Company starring a brilliant Neil Patrick Harris. It was the best experience I’ve had at the movies all year, and it wasn’t really a movie. So, that tells ya something… With that said, take a look at my grades for all the movies I’ve seen this year. Then, let me know your faves so far in 2011.

2011 Movie Grades So Far….

Beginners: A
Super 8: A
Jane Eyre: A-
Bridesmaids: A-
Thor: B+
The Conspirator: B
X Men~ First Class: B
Hanna: B
The Lincoln Lawyer: B
Water for Elephants: B
Scream 4: B-
The Hangover Part 2: B-
Bad Teacher: B-
The Adjustment Bureau: B-
Battle Los Angeles: C+
Fast Five: C
Pirates of the Caribbean~ On Stranger Tides: C
Larry Crowne: C-
Limitless: D+
Paul: F

And the special screenings~
Company: A+

Check out the 1st Annual Critic’s Choice TV Award Winners

When I heard about the first annual Critic’s Choice TV Awards honoring the best in television, I was very excited. I thought “hey, maybe these guys will get it right where the Emmys get it wrong.” Then, I saw their nominees with shows like The Killing, Game of Thrones, Parks and Recreation, RuPaul’s Drag Race, Justified and Fringe and names like Cat Deeley, Martha Plimpton, Courtney Cox, Anna Torv, Shawn Hatosy, and Nick Offerman on the list and I was overjoyed. Some great programs and actors were finally getting their due recognition…. That is, until today’s Awards ceremony…. You see, several of the old guard still picked up awards like…
SPOILER ALERT
SPOILER ALERT
SPOILER ALERT

Don’t read further if you don’t want to know and would rather find out when the show airs this Wednesday 6/22 at 8pm on Reelz channel…

…. when several of the old guard like Tina Fey, Mad Men and Juliana Marguiles all won. Now, don’t get me wrong. They’re all quite deserving, I was just hoping that maybe someone like Mirielles Enos from The Killing might win. But, hey at least she was nominated… And there were three really awesome winners: Busy Phillips (Cougar Town), John Noble (Fringe) and Margo Martindale (Justified). I can only pray that they will at least get Emmy nominations, let alone a win. Progress takes time people…. Anywho, take a look at the full list of winners below and catch the show on Wednesday which is hosted by the brilliant (and unfortunately loser to Mike Rowe, what?!) Cat Deeley which will also feature a tribute to Danny DeVito.

2011 Critic’s Choice TV Award Winners
Drama Series: Mad Men
Lead Actor Drama: Jon Hamm (Mad Men)
Lead Actress Drama: Juliana Marguiles (The Good Wife)
Supporting Actor Drama: John Noble (Fringe)
Supporting Actress Drama: TIE~ Christina Hendricks (Mad Men) & Margo Martindale (Justified)
Comedy Series: Modern Family
Lead Actor Comedy: Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory)
Lead Actress Comedy: Tina Fey (30 Rock)
Supporting Actor Comedy: Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother)
Supporting Actress Comedy: Busy Phillips (Cougar Town)
Reality Competition Show: American Idol
Reality Series: TIE~ Hoarders & The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills
Reality Host: Mike Rowe (Dirty Jobs)
Talk Show: Daily Show with Jon Stewart

My Big Bold 2011 Tony Award Winner Predictions!

Broadway’s biggest night is upon us this Sunday with the 2011 Tony Awards. This year they will be hosted by the brilliant Emmy Award winner (and Broadway vet) Neil Patrick Harris who was fantastic the last time he hosted two years ago (for which he won an Emmy thank you very much). The show will feature performances from all the big musical nominees: Anything Goes, The Book of Mormon, Sister Act, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (featuring snubbed Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe himself!), Catch Me If You Can and Priscilla: Queen of the Desert. There will also be a performance from the most maligned show on Broadway~ Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark and last year’s Best Musical winner Memphis. Plus, the cast of the limited run Broadway reprise of Company featuring Harris, Steven Colbert, Martha Plimpton, Anika Noni Rose, Jon Cryer, Christina Hendricks, Patti LuPone and more will do a number that is sure to be hilarious and fantastic. (FYI~ watch for the taped version of Company to hit movie theatres for a brief run starting next weekend!) For more on the show, head to the Tony website here. And for now, let’s take a look at just who I think is gonna take home the big awards. Hint hint~ if there’s a Mormon involved it’s probably gonna win…

My Big Bold 2011 Tony Award Winner Predictions:

Best Musical:
The Book of Mormon, Catch Me If You Can, Sister Act, The Scottsboro Boys
Will & Should win: The Book of Mormon

Best Play:
Good People, Jerusalem, The Motherfucker with the Hat, War Horse
Will & Should win: War Horse
~spoiler: Jerusalem

Best Musical Revival:
Anything Goes, How To Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Will & Should win: Anything Goes

Best Play Revival:
Arcadia, The Importance of Being Earnest, the Merchant of Venice, The Normal Heart
Will & Should win: The Normal Heart

Best Director Musical:
Rob Ashford (How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying), Kathleen Marshall (Anything Goes), Casey Nicholaw & Trey Parker (The Book of Mormon), Susan Stroman (The Scottsboro Boys)
Will & Should win: The Book of Mormon
~spoiler: Anything Goes

Best Director Play:
Marianne Elliott & Tom Morris (War Horse), Joel Grey & George C. Wolfe (The Normal Heart), Anna D. Shapiro (The Motherfucker with the Hat), Daniel Sullivan (The Merchant of Venice)
Will & Should win: The Normal Heart
~spoiler: War Horse

Best Actor in a Leading Role, Musical:
Norbert Leo Butz (Catch Me if You Can), Josh Gad (The Book of Mormon), Joshua Henry (The Scottsboro Boys), Andrew Rannells (The Book of Mormon), Tony Sheldon (The Adventures of Priscilla: Queen of the Desert)
Will & Should win: Tony Sheldon
~spoiler: Norbert Leo Butz
-This should be a really tight race between Butz, Gad, and Sheldon by the way. So we could see a surprise.

Best Actress in a Leading Role, Musical:
Beth Levell (Baby It’s You), Sutton Foster (Anything Goes), Patina Miller (Sister Act), Donna Murphy (The People in the Picture)
Will & Should win: Sutton Foster
~spoiler: Patina Miller

Best Actor in a Leading Role, Play:
Brian Bedford (The Importance of Being Earnest), Bobby Cannavale (The Motherfucker with the Hat), Joe Mantanello (The Normal Heart), Mary Rylance (Jerusalem), Al Pacino (The Merchant of Venice)
Will & Should win: Joe Mantello
~spoiler: Mark Rylance

Best Actress in a Leading Role, Play:
Nina Arianda (Born Yesteday), Frances McDormand (Good People), Lily Rabe (The Merchant of Venice), Vanessa Redgrave (Driving Miss Daisy), Hannah Yelland (Brief Encounter)
Will & Should win: Frances McDormand
~spoiler: Nina Arianda

Best Actor in a Featured Role, Musical:
Colman Domingo (The Scottsboro Boys), Adam Godley (Anything Goes), John Larroquette (How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying), Forrest McClendon (The Scottsboro Boys), Rory O’Malley (The Book of Mormon)
Will & Should win: Rory O’Malley
~spoiler: John Larroquette

Best Actress in a Featured Role, Musical:
Laura Benanti (Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown), Tammy Blanchard (How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying), Victoria Clark (Sister Act), Nikki M. James (The Book of Mormon), Patti LuPone (Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown)
Will win: Laura Benanti
Should win: Nikki M. James
~spoiler: Victoria Clark

Best Actor in a Featured Role, Play:
Mackenzie Crook (Jerusalem), Billy Crudup (Arcadia), John Benjamin Hickey (The Normal Heart), Arian Moayed (Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo), Yul Vazquez (The Motherfucker with the Hat)
Will & Should win: John Benjamin Hickey
~spoiler: Yul Vazquez

Best Actress in a Featured Role, Play:
Ellen Barkin (The Normal Heart), Edie Falco (The House of Blue Leaves), Judith Light (Lombardi), Joanna Lumley (La Bete), Elizabeth Rodriguez (The Motherfucker with the Hat)
Will & Should win: Ellen Barkin
~spoiler: Edie Falco

Best Book of A Musical:
Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, The Book of Mormon, The Scottsboro Boys, Sister Act
Will & Should win: The Book of Mormon

Best Original Score (Music and Lyrics):
The Book of Mormon, The Scottsboro Boys, Sister Act, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
Will & Should win: The Book of Mormon
~spoiler: The Scottsboro Boys

Best Choreography:
Anything Goes, The Book of Mormon, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, The Scottsboro Boys
Will win & Should win: Anything Goes
~spoiler: The Scottsboro Boys

My Top TV of 2010!

The first decade of this new millennium is nearly over and it’s time to star looking back at what moved, excited and upset me in 2010 in the entertainment world. Today I’m taking a gander at my favorites in television from the past year. So, let’s rank the shows I loved the most and celebrate a few other special people and programs.

My Top 15 Shows of 2010:
1. Modern Family: The Emmy winning sitcom is consistently the funniest and smartest show on TV.
2. Glee: There’s nothing like it and I can’t get enough. Plus they have great guest stars (Gwyneth Paltrow anyone?)important storylines, wonderful music and Emmy winner Jane Lynch!)
3. Lost: It was one of the best dramas in TV history and it went out as it began~ beautifully, action packed, full of emotion and mystery.
4. Dexter: who knew they could follow up a brilliant season with crazy killer John Lithgow so well? But picking up the pieces after Rita’s death became easier once Julia Stiles came along and gave Michael C. Hall’s Dexter an ingenious revenge plot. Loved it!
5.Cougar Town: this show is the wackiest most unsung comedy on television with a wonderful ensemble. Seriously, why aren’t more of you watching it?
6. 30 Rock: while it’s been a little uneven this year, it’s still brilliant and even a lackluster episode is absolutely hilarious
7. Nurse Jackie: Edie Falco rocks and this dramedy never hits a false note in its fascinating portrayal of an addict nurse.
8. Hot in Cleveland: This “old-fashioned” sitcom is simply a laugh riot. The ensemble is brilliant and it feels like home when I watch it. Betty White is an icon, Wendie Malick is divine, Jane Leeves is fantastic. Oh and I’m gonna be on episode 3 of the second season in February! So watch it!
9. Parks and Recreation: the show really came into its own in season 2 and the cast is lead by the hysterically talented Amy Poehler. Season 3 starts on January 20th. You better watch cuz I’m gonna be on that episode too!
10. The Big C: Laura Linney is an acting treasure. She makes flawless choices and brings me to tears through my laughter on this great dramedy about a woman dealing with a terrible cancer diagnosis.
11. The Good Wife: this ensemble drama about Chicago lawyers and politics got even more fascinating in season 2 and features a ridiculous well of talented actors like Emmy winners Archie Penjabi, Julianna Marguiles, and Christine Baranski alongside Chris Noth, Josh Charles and Emmy nominee Alan Cumming.
12. Ugly Betty: In its final season, Betty hit all the right notes returning to its hilarious, sharp-witted and heartfelt roots anchored by the brilliance of America Fererra, Vanessa Williams (now stirring up much-needed trouble and giggles on Desperate Housewives) and the dynamic duo of Michael Urie and Becki Newton.
13. Fringe: it’s the best sci-fi drama on TV. It’s a mind-bender that keeps you glued to your television no matter what alternate universe we’re in. And John Noble needs an Emmy stat!
14. Damages: Emmy winner Glenn Close got some amazing support from Emmy nominees Martin Short and Lily Tomlin on this potboiler of a thriller this year and kept us guessing til the end.
15. Raising Hope: the best new sitcom this season finally gives Martha Plimpton the TV vehicle she deserves with this dysfunctional white trash family comedy. Plus Garret Dillahaunt and Cloris Leachman are ridiculously funny.
~Honorable Mention: The Closer (thank goodness Kyra Sedgwick finally won her much deserved Emmy!)

TOP REALITY COMPEITION SHOWS:
1. So You Think You Can Dance (the Best reality competition show on TV by far. The talent is amazing~ Lauren, Robert, Kent, Alex “frikken” Wong, the All Stars to name a few. And Cat Deeley is the best and most fashionable host on TV to boot)
2. RuPaul’s Drag Race (Who knew RuPaul’s TV comeback would be so hilarious, fascinating, dramatic and tense? Um, RuPaul, that’s who!)
3. Survivor (“Heroes v. Villains” was the perhaps the best cycle in the show’s history at least since the original season in Borneo)
4. Top Chef (Great casts, great judges, great challenges, and now an Emmy winner!)
5. Project Runway (finally back in fashion with a fantastic cycle featuring awful Gretchen and Ivy and the super talented Mondo who should’ve won!)
6. The Amazing Race (the old stalwart is still great)
7. Dancing with the Stars (Spring edition with Nicole Scherzinger… oh and we’re going to pretend this past fall edition never existed)
8. Top Chef Just Desserts (I wanted to eat everything they made! And Yigit is perhaps the most adorable reality winner ever!)
9. American Idol (um, worst season ever, but I’m still soooo addicted)
10. America’s Next Top Model (Yesh, I’m still watching and the recent high fashion edition gave the show its strongest top 4 to date)

Best TV Movie: Temple Grandin
Best Reality Show (Non-Competition): Kathy Griffin Life on the D List
TV MVPS: Jane Lynch (Glee, Do Something, Two and a Half Men), Neil Patrick Harris (Emmys, How I Met Your Mother, Glee)
Best Guily Pleasures: Human Target, White Collar, V
Breakout Drama Performer: Jennifer Carpenter, Dexter
Breakout Comedy Perforrmer: Busy Phillips, Cougar Town
Sad Goodbyes to Shows We Lost this Year: Lost, 24, Ugly Betty, Better Off Ted
Gone too Soon: Lone Star

~And special props to Grey’s Anatomy for returning to its juicy goodness over the past year~ quite a feat for a show in its 6th season.

So, what were your favorites this year? Do you agree with me or are you wondering where Mad Men is? (um, it’s well done, but not my cup of tea). Let me know your thoughts and faves below.

Nicole Scherzinger wants you to taste her “Poison”

Grammy nominated pop star Nicole Scherzinger is finally readying her debut solo album. After a few false starts over the past two years, the new record should be out in early 2011 and the first single just hit the web entitled “Poison”. It’s a sexy dance track with an accompanying video that is hot. Nicole’s vocals are great of course and her dance moves are fantastic. (Clearly winning Dancing with the Stars last spring has upped her dancing game)… And Nicole’s not just giving us new music, she’s also forging ahead as an actress. After stealing the show in this summer’s run of the Tony and Pulitzer winning musical Rent at the Hollywood Bowl, she’s landed two more acting gigs. The first is opposite her Rent director Neil Patrick Harris in a guest spot on next Monday’s How I Met Your Mother (as an 80′s teen pop tart alongside the sitcom’s Colbie Smulders alter ego “Robin Sparkles”) and next year she’ll be seen in a brief villainess role in Men in Black 3. For all things, Nicole, head to her website here and get a taste of Nicole’s “Poison” below.

Nicole Scherzinger “Poison”

My Big Bold EMMY AWARD Winner Predictions

Will it be Modern Family or Glee…  Lost or Mad Men? The show that revitalized the family comedy vs. the pop culture phenomena and the former winner looking for renewed glory vs. the incumbent on a role. Those are the two big battles raging as we get ready for Sunday’s big Emmy Awards ceremony. This year we could see a number of first time winners like Jane Lynch (Glee), Michael C. Hall (Dexter) and Ty Burrell (Modern Family) or possibly the old standbys like Tony Shaloub (Monk), Glenn Close (Damages) and Alec Baldwin (30 Rock) will be victorious. Either scenario could happen on the show hosted by Jimmy Fallon. What is certain is that the miniseries The Pacific will continue its Emmy winning ways from the Creative Arts Emmy Awards last weekend where it took home the most crafts awards and we also saw Betty White (SNL), John Lithgow (Dexter), and Ann-Margaret (Law & Order: SVU) grab Guest Acting Honors. Neil Patrick Harris even won two awards (Guest Actor for Glee & Special Class Program for Hosting The Tonys) and is a strong bet to add a third this weekend. So, just who will win and who should win? Check out my predictions below and watch the Emmy Awards Sunday on NBC.

Drama Series:
Breaking Bad, Dexter, The Good Wife, Lost, Mad Men, True Blood
Will win: Mad Men
Should win: Lost
~spoiler: Dexter (if the top two split the vote)

Drama Lead Actor:
Bryan Cranston (Breaking Bad), Kyle Chandler (Friday Night Lights), Matthew Fox (Lost), Michael C. Hall (Dexter), Jon Hamm (Mad Men), Hugh Laurie (House)
Will & Should win: Michael C. Hall (finally on his 5th try, including one nom for Six Feet Under)
~spoilers: Bryan Cranston (had an amazing tape), Hugh Laurie (he’s 0 for 6 here and overdue)
-This is the most difficult race to predict. Matthew Fox is also deserving for his fantastic work in the amazing series finale of Lost. Only Hamm and Chandler are out of the running.

Drama Lead Actress:
Connie Britton (Friday Night Lights), Glenn Close (Damages), Mariska Hargitay (Law & Order: SVU), January Jones (Mad Men), Julianna Marguiles (The Good Wife), Kyra Sedgewick (The Closer)
Will & Should win: Julianna Marguiles
~spoiler: Kyra Sedgewick (she chose a great episode submission and is overdue. So far she’s 0 for 5 at the Emmys)

Drama Supporting Actor:
Andre Braugher (Men of a Certain Age), Michael Emerson (Lost), Terry O’Quinn (Lost), Aaron Paul (Breaking Bad), Martin Short (Damages), John Slattery (Mad Men)
Will & Should win: Terry O’Quinn
~spoiler: Michael Emerson

Drama Supporting Actress:
Christine Baranski (The Good Wife), Rose Byrne (Damages), Sharon Gless (Burn Notice), Christina Hendricks (Mad Men), Elizabeth Moss (Mad Men), Archie Penjabi (The Good Wife)
Will win: Sharon Gless (she has a great tape and industry respect)
Should win: Archie Penjabi (the most interesting new character and fascinating performance on a tv drama last year)
~spoiler: Christina Hendricks (somebody from Mad Men has to win an acting award sometime)

Drama Writing:
Friday Night Lights (“The Son”), The Good Wife (“Pilot”), Lost (“The End”), Mad Men (“Guy Walks into an Advertising Agency”), Mad Men (“Shut the Door, Have a Seat”)
Will & Should win: Lost
~spoiler: Friday Night Lights (or possibly Mad Men if it’s episodes don’t cancel each other out)

Drama Directing:
Breaking Bad (“One Minute”), Dexter (“The Getaway”), Lost (“The End pt. 1 & 2″), Mad Men (“Guy Walks into an Advertising Agency)”, Treme (“Do You Know What it Means?”)
Will & Should win: Lost (hello, it’s the brilliant finale)
~spoiler: Dexter (um, hello, that final episode was killer!)

Comedy Series:
30 Rock, Curb Your Enthusiasm, Glee, Modern Family, Nurse Jackie, The Office
Will win: Modern Family
Should win: Glee (ok, yes, I’m a gleek… but I’ll be totally happy with an equally deserving Modern Family win here)

Comedy Lead Actor:
Alec Baldwin (30 Rock), Steve Carrell (The Office), Larry David (Curb Your Enthusiasm), Matthew Morrison (Glee), Jim Parsons (The Big Bang Theory), Tony Shaloub (Monk)
Will & Should win: Jim Parsons (He is hilarious and I’m not even a fan of the show)
~spoiler: Tony Shaloub (he had a great and long tape and it’s the final year of his show)
* I’d love to see Steve Carrell win though (he’s 0 for 5 at the Emmys in this category)

Comedy Lead Actress:
Toni Collette (United States of Tara), Edie Falco (Nurse Jackie), Tina Fey (30 Rock), Lea Michelle (Glee), Julia Louis Dreyfuss (New Adventures of Old Christine), Amy Poehler (Parks & Recreation)
Will & Should win: Edie Falco
~spoiler: Lea Michelle (she submitted the “Don’t Rain on my Parade” episode)
* this category could go many ways with Poehler and Collette submitting great episodes too

Comedy Supporting Actor:
Ty Burrell (Modern Family), Chris Colfer (Glee), Jon Cryer (Two and a Half Men), Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family), Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met Your Mother), Eric Stonestreet (Modern Family)
Will win: Neil Patrick Harris (he lost the last 3 years in a row when he deserved to win and he just won 2 at the Shmemmys. He’s on a role!)
Should win: Ty Burrell or Eric Stonestreet or Harris or Colfer or Ferguson (oh heck anyone but Cryer)
~spoiler: Chris Colfer

Comedy Supporting Actress:
Julie Bowen (Modern Family), Jane Krakowski (30 Rock), Jane Lynch (Glee), Sofia Vergara (Modern Family), Holland Taylor (Two and a Half Men), Kristen Wiig (Saturday Night Live)
Will & Should win: Jane Lynch
~this is the ONLY slam dunk of the night.

Comedy Writing:
Glee (“Pilot”), Modern Family (“Pilot”), The Office (“Niagra Pt. 1 &2), 30 Rock (“Anna Howard Shaw Day”), 30 Rock (“Lee Marvin v. Derek Jeter”)
Will win: Modern Family
Should win: Glee
~spoiler: Glee

Comedy Directing:
Glee (“Wheels”), Glee (“Pilot”), Modern Family (“Pilot”), Nurse Jackie (“Pilot”), 30 Rock (“I Do Do”)
Will & Should win: Glee (“Pilot”)~ the one that started it all
~spoiler: Glee (“Wheels”)~ it’s arguably better than the pilot directed by Emmy winner Paris Barclay

Outstanding Reality Competition Show:
The Amazing Race, American Idol, Dancing with the Stars, Project Runway Top Chef
Will win: The Amazing Race (um, that’d be 8 in a row. It’s a great show, but enough!)
Should win: Top Chef
~spoiler: Top Chef

TV Movie
Endgame, Georgia O’Keefe, Moonshot, Temple Grandin, The Special Relationship, You Don’t Know Jack
Will & Should win: Temple Grandin
~spoiler: You Don’t Know Jack

Miniseries:
The Pacific, Return to Cranford
Will & Should win: The Pacific

Lead Actress TV Movie/Miniseries
Joan Allen (Georgia O’Keefe), Clare Danes (Temple Grandin), Hope Davis (That Special Relationship), Judi Dench (Return to Cranford), Maggie Smith (Capturing Mary)
Will & Should win: Clare Danes (simply astonishingly good)
~spoiler: Joan Allen

Lead Actor TV Movie/Miniseries:
Jeff Bridges (A Dog Year), Ian McKellan (The Prisoner), Dennis Quaid (That Special Relationship), Michael Sheen (That Special Relationship), Al Pacino (You Don’t Know Jack)
Will win: Al Pacino
Should win: Ian McKellan
~spoiler: Jeff Bridges (he just won that Oscar you know…)

Supporting Actress TV Movie/Miniseries:
Kathy Bates (Alice), Catherine O’Hara (Temple Grandin), Julia Ormond (Temple Grandin), Brenda Vacarro (You Don’t Know Jack), Susan Sarandon (You Don’t Know Jack)
Will win: Julia Ormond
Should win: Brenda Vacarro (or the wonderful and subtle work from Catherine O’Hara)
~spoiler: Susan Sarandon (hello, she’s the big movie star here)

Supporting Actor TV Movie/Miniseries:
Michael Gambon (Emma), John Goodman (You Don’t Know Jack), Johnathan Pryce (Return to Cranford), Patrick Steward (Hamlet), David Strathairn (Temple Grandin)
Will & Should win: Patrick Stewart
~spoiler: David Strathairn (if there’s a “Temple” sweep)