Tag: Neil Patrick Harris

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Neil Patrick Harris will star in Broadway debut of “Hedwig and the Angry Inch

Playbill reports that Neil Patrick Harris will star in the Broadway premiere of Hedwig and the Angry Inch next year.

“I am simultaneously ecstatic and terrified to be stepping into Hedwig’s heels,” NPH said in a statement. “It is truly a once-in-a-lifetime role and I can’t wait to begin the journey.”

The new adaptation of the musical comedy will star NPH as Hedwig, the fictional transgender rock ‘n’ roll singer-turned-cult-phenomenon after John Cameron Mitchell originated the role both on stage and in film.

John Cameron Mitchell gives his personal blessing saying “Who better to pass the wig to but the finest entertainer of his generation?”, he said in a statement.

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Highlights from the 2013 Tony Awards

Just a few of my favorite moments from last night’s 2013 Tony Awards hosted by Neil Patrick Harris.  Complete list of winners at the end of this post, but first, some fab performances.

The show started out great with this terrific (and BIG) opening number with NPH:

Winner of 6 Tony Awards including Best Musical, Best Actor in a Musical (Billy Porter), Best Score (Cyndi Lauper), Best Choreography (Jerry Mitchell) – Kinky Boots:

The cast of “Best Revival” Tony Award winner, Pippin:

Funny original material “Television Sucks” with NPH, Andrew Rannells, Megan Hilty, and Laura Benanti.

And the Tony Awards went to:

Musical – Kinky Boots
Musical Revival – Pippin
Actress (Musical) – Patina Miller
Actress (Play) – Cicely Tyson
Actor (Play) – Tracy Letts
Actor (Musical) – Billy Porter
Lighting Design (Play) – Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer
Play Revival – Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Lighting Design (Musical) – Hugh Vanstone
Play – Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
Featured Actress (Musical) – Andrea Martin
Scenic Design (Play) – John Lee Beatty
Scenic Design (Musical) – Rob Howell
Score – Cyndi Lauper

Choreography – Jerry Mitchell
Direction (Play) – Pam MacKinnon
Direction (Musical) – Diane Paulus
Book of a Musical – Dennis Kelly
Featured Actor (Musical) – Gabriel Ebert
Sound Design (Play) – Leon Rothenberg
Featured Actress (Play) – Judith Light
Sound Design (Musical) – John Shivers
Featured Actor (Play) – Courtney B. Vance
Costume Design (Play) – Ann Roth
Costume Design (Musical) – William Ivey Long
Orchestrations – Stephen Oremus

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Neil Patrick Harris’ incredible, adventerous, suprise 40th birthday extravaganza

Now, I should start by saying I’m not someone into big birthday celebrations. I don’t care about getting older (much). But big, wild, expensive events like what Neil is describing just aren’t MY thing.

BUT – if you are into it, this sounds like a whole lot of adventure. So good for Neil.

Having planned Michael’s 40th birthday surprise just a few years ago – and it was just a nice party – WORE ME OUT. The pressure I felt! Oh my land! Thank god I got a decade between those kinds of things to rest.

Take a look at what Neil’s other half did for him…

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Neil Patrick Harris confirmed to host 2013 Tony Awards

Neil Patrick Harris has been officially announced as the host of this year’s Tony Awards on June 9.

Said Harris:

“I’m very excited to be back hosting the Tony Awards at the legendary Radio City Music Hall. It’ll be more impressive than ever – if my math is correct, it will be 267 times bigger than last year,” said Neil Patrick Harris. “Oh, wait. No, that can’t… hold on… carry the one… I’m awful at math. But rest assured, the show will rock!”

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World News Daily says Neil Patrick Harris Super Bowl ad pushes a “gay agenda”

Calling Neil Patrick Harris an “outspoken homosexual actor,” World News Daily says that the CBS sitcom star was used in spots advertising next month’s Super Bowl designed to “mock Christianity.”

In the ad, Harris has blackeye paint that lists the date of the football game. WND posits that the spot is mocking Christian football player Tim Tebow, who became notorious after placing Bible verses in his blackeye paint.

According to the WND “report,” “One football fan who watched the CBS promo Sunday made the connection between Harris and Tebow, saying, ‘They’re pushing a gay agenda by using him, and they’re mocking Christians at the same time.'”

It’s worth pointing out that many professional athletes have used eyeblack to share a public message. Plus – not many people would equate a Super Bowl ad with promoting a “gay agenda.”

Calling itself “America’s Independent News Network,” WND publishes a magazine called Whistleblower that declares on its cover that Barack Obama is “The First Muslim President.” Read more here.

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Neil Patrick Harris dreams “in puppet”

From superherofan: Neil Patrick Harris has a new Web series called “Neil’s Puppet Dreams” coming to Nerdist on November 27.

There will be puppets, of course, and shirtless dancers like Neil himself, his partner David Burtka  and Joe Manganiello in a pineapple tanktop.

Did I mention Joe Manganiello in a pineapple tanktop?

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Recap of the 2012 Tony Awards

There was no clean sweep at this year’s ceremony, and very little drama to divide theaterfolk about the winners. Once won Best Musical; Clybourne Park won Best Play.

From his snazzy opening number, “What If Life Were More Like Theater” (with Patti LuPone pushing a lawnmower in an evening gown like a lesbian version of Audrey’s “Somewhere That’s Green” fantasy), to his written-in-the-wings closer, “There’s No Time,” host Neil Patrick Harris crooned, hoofed, cracked jokes, and even hung upside-down in what seemed like forever in a riff on Spider-man‘s dangling acrobats.

I was thilled to see Newsies choreographer Chris Gattelli win his first Tony Award; and also the luminous Judith Light’s win for her amazing performance in Other Desert Cities. Both were guests on my radio show, The Candi and Randy Show last week. Click here to listen to their journeys from rehearsals to Tony Award winners.

Full list of winners:

Play: Clybourne Park, Bruce Norris

Musical: Once

Revival of a play: Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman

Revival of a musical: The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess

Book of a musical: Once, Enda Walsh

Original score (music and/or lyrics): Newsies, music: Alan Menken; lyrics: Jack Feldman

Performance by an actor in a leading role in a play: James Corden, One Man, Two Guvnors

Performance by an actress in a leading role in a play: Nina Arianda, Venus in Fur

Performance by an actor in a leading role in a musical: Steve Kazee, Once

Performance by an actress in a leading role in a musical: Audra McDonald, The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess

Performance by an actor in a featured role in a play: Christian Borle, Peter and the Starcatcher

Performance by an actress in a featured role in a play: Judith Light, Other Desert Cities

Performance by an actor in a featured role in a musical: Michael McGrath, Nice Work If You Can Get It

Performance by an actress in a featured role in a musical: Judy Kaye, “Nice Work If You Can Get It

Scenic design of a play: Donyale Werle, Peter and the Starcatcher

Scenic design of a musical: Bob Crowley, Once

Costume design of a play: Paloma Young, Peter and the Starcatcher

Costume design of a musical: Gregg Barnes, Follies

Lighting design of a play: Jeff Croiter, Peter and the Starcatcher

Lighting design of a musical: Natasha Katz, Once