TONYS: THE MUSICAL
Awards show will be all about tunes
The sounds of music will take center stage at the Tony Awards on Sunday — even more than usual.
Part of that owes to the fact that singer-songwriters Sara Bareilles and Josh Groban co-emcee the 72nd Tonys, which airs Sunday on CBS at 8 p.m.
Another composer-lyricist you may have heard of — Bruce Springsteen — will also be performing and getting a special Tony honor for “Springsteen on Broadway” during the three-hour show beaming live from Radio City Music Hall.
“This is the first time that we have had hosts who are musicians first and foremost,” Dave Boone, the TV show’s head writer, told the Daily News. “We’re coming at the show from a very musical angle.”
Right from the get-go.
The annual TV special celebrating Broadway’s best begins with an original song by Bareilles, whose hit musical “Waitress” has been running for more than two years.
“It’s a welcome-to-the-show song,” said Boone. “It’s not anything that’s been seen before on TV.”
As always, numbers from nominated new musicals make up much of the evening. That includes “The Band’s Visit,” which is certain to win for best musical. Its leading lady, Katrina Lenk, a shoo-in for best actress in a musical, will perform the dreamy song “Omar Sharif,” a source close to the telecast told The News.
Also scheduled to perform will be the other three best musical nominees — “I’m Not a Loser” from “SpongeBob SquarePants,” a medley from “Frozen” merging “For the First Time in Forever” and “Let It Go,” and a musical mashup from Tina Fey’s “Mean Girls.”
Factor in performances from musical revival nominees “Carousel,” “My Fair Lady” and “Once On This Island,” a disco-dusted tune from “Summer: The Donna Summer Musical,” and a song from last year’s best musical Tony winner “Dear Evan Hansen” and it’s an evening that’s basically wall-to-wall earworms.
And there’s more music when it comes to “Harry Potter and the Cursed Child” and actors Glenda Jackson and Andrew Garfield. While the Tonys has its share of close races, these are all sure things for best play, best actress and best actor in a play.
When they win, they’ll be whistling a happy tune.