Tony Awards 2011 Live Blog

Get ready for Broadway's biggest night of the year - the Tony Awards! We'll be live blogging right here starting at 8 p.m. EST so tune in for regular updates.

Can "The Book of Mormon" break "The Producers"' record 12 wins? Will Al Pacino's Shylock trump Mark Rylance's Rooster? (And if Rylance wins, which poem will he recite this year?) Or will Joe Mantello, Brian Bedford, or Bobby Cannavale take home the award? Will the British conquer America in the best new play category? Can Daniel Radcliffe really dance and sing? How many Spider-Man jokes will host Neil Patrick Harris crack?

We'll also be tweeting from @BackStageCast, and posting regular updates on our Facebook page.

To brush up before the ceremony, read our Tony Awards spotlight and our reviews roundup to get the edge in your Tony pool on Broadway's biggest night.

7:59 p.m. EST

The awards announcements have begun before the telecast even starts, and "The Book of Mormon" sweep is already underway. "Mormon" snagged the awards for Best Score and Best Orchestration early in the night, and Best Choreography went to "Anything Goes." Back Stage executive editor David Sheward predicted "Mormon" would win orchestrations, but he voted for Marc Shaiman and Larry Blank's 1960's score of "Catch Me if You Can." He predicted and voted for "Mormon" for score, and he also voted for Kathleen Marshall's precise choreography of "Anything Goes."

8:20 p.m. EST

The Tony Awards have launched at hyperspeed. So far, Ellen Barkin took Best Featured Actress in a Play for "The Normal Heart." “It has transformed me not just as an actor but as a human being," Barkin saidof her Broadway experience. "One person can make a difference.” Full of emotion, the first-time nominee thanked her creative team, particularly "Heart" writer Larry Kramer. "You Jewish boy," she said, in a nod to the diversity of Broadway audiences, which Neil Patrick Harris also lovingly mocked in his show stopping opening number. Hugh Jackman, whose own musical number for the Oscars won him an Emmy, looked very pleased in the crowd. "It's not just for gays anymore!" Harris crowed at the top of his lungs, as as he approached celebrities in the crowd. "Joe Mantello, you're here," he quipped, after naming many heterosexual celebrities. Stephen Colbert enjoys the theater with his female woman wife. "Al Pacino, you're much to famous to participate in this bit," he said. passing the "Merchant of Venice" star. Brooke Shields flubbed her lyrics, while Bobby Cannavale thanked all you Mother---------, in a nod to his work in nominated play "The Mother****** With The Hat."

8:35 p.m. EST

"The Normal Heart" tookhome its second Tony award for acting, which went to John Benjamin Hickey, who got played off by the orchestra, unlike his winning co-star Ellen Barkin. Viola Davis, who won the Tony fo Best Actress in a Play last year for "Fences," presented the award for Best Featured Actor in a Play. John Leguizamo of "Ghetto Klown" shared his Broadway moment.

Norbert Leo Butz, who David Sheward predicts will win Best Actor in a Musical this year for his work as Carl Hanratty in "Catch Me If You Can." Aaron Tveit introduced the number with a short bit from the show's "Live in Living Color" and then Butz took the stage for "Don't Break the Rules," arguably the production''s best number.  Butz won the 2011 Astaire Award for his dancing work in "Catch Me If You Can." He proved his chops with a perfect rendition of the heartpounding number.

8:53 p.m. EST

Wow, that was a full segment. David Hyde Pierce presented the awards for Best Director of a Musical and Best Director of a Play. Marianne Elliott and Tom Morris won for "War Horse," the first British import of the night to take home an award. Although the orchestra started to play Elliott off tage, the pair still found time to thank each other's spouses. "The Book of Mormon" won for the musical category, taking home its third award of the night, and it looks like the beginning of a sweep for the show. Casey Nickolaw and Trey Parker were genuinely grateful and surprised by the honor. Parker took the time to thank South Park fans for their dedication.

Don Cheadle presented a number from “The Scottsboro Boys,” which although it closed quickly on Broadway but tied for the most nominations with “The Book of Mormon” for 12 total each. The musical is the last musical written by composing and writing duo John Kander and Fred Ebb. There is an upcoming tour. The number looked smooth and rehearsed for a show that’s been closed for so long.

Then there were Neil Patcik Harris's "Spider-Man" jokes about falling actors, lawsuits, ticket prises, Taymor's firing, and audience member injuries (none so far.) "I sent Bono a congratulatory cable and it snapped," Harris fired at the U2 leadman, who politely laughed from his seat.

9:08 p.m. EST

"Mormon" continues its sweep.

Nikki M. James tried to keep from hyper-ventilating as she took a surprise win for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for “The Book of Mormon” in a touching, endearing speech. David Shweard predicted Laura Benanti would take home the award for her memorable turn in “Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown.” "No body every told me that I couldn’t do it," James said, as she moved aspiring actors everywhere with her win.

And then Stephen Colbert introduced Andrew Rannells in a controversial and amusing number "I Believe" from the most popular show on Broadway, "The Book of Mormon." Rannells sang his heart out and there will inevitably be Mormon controversy across the interwebs for the next several days. I'm pretty sure tickets will never be available for this show, thanks to Rannells' number. Watch out "The Producers," "Mormon" is inching on your Tony award winning record. "A Mormon just believes," Rannells sings.  The belief is definitely working for these Broadway stars.

 9:29 p.m. EST

Neil Patrick Harris, with three-time Tony host Hugh Jackman, continued to top the show's musical numbers with his own original production numbers. Jackman and Harris performed a musical revue tagged to “Anything you can do I can do better," which featured some orchestrations from nominated shows this year. This is definitely the best Tony broadcast in years. The Beacon Theater may be small and the only sad part is that fewer people are witnessing this wonderment live.

John Laroquette won for Best Featured Actor in a Musical, with his co-star Daniel Radcliffe, who many say was snubbed by not being nominated this year, looking proud in the audience.

Neil Patrick Harris might have only taken 30 seconds for his "Spider-Man" jokes, but U2 headliners and composers of “Spider-Man:Turn off the Dark” took their turn on stage to make fun of their own show, which has been headlining for months and finally opens this week. “We used to be famous for being in U2,” Bono quipped. The show's stars Jennifer D'Amiano and Reeve Carney took the stage for a number from the show, which is interesting considering it hasn’t even opened officially yet. However, in recent years, the Tony Awards have become more of an advertisment for Broadway, and this seems to be a way to generate ticket sales. Although, “Ticket prices are the only thing not falling” in “Spider-Man,” according to Harris.

 9:43 p.m. EST

A quick award update. Christopher Schutt won for Best Sound Design of a Play for "War Horse.," and Desmond Heeley won Best Costume Design of a Play for "The Importance of Being." Robin Williams announced the winner for Best Book of a Musical.

“The only beard here is on my face,” says Robin Williams who presented Best Book of Musical to "Mormon," which is continuing its deluge of awards. Trey Parker is going to run out of people to thank. At least the orchestra won’t have to play him off.

Two Best Play nominees, David Lindsay Abaire's "Good People" and Jez Butterworth's "Jerusalem," were introduced.

10:00 p.m. EST

Neil Patrick Harris rode out on a “War Horse” and made an unfortunate glue joke. Even Hugh Jackman looked impressed. Looks like Harris can do some things better.

“The Normal Heart” wins Best Revival of a Play, a win that David Sheward predicted. It’s looking like the headliners for the night are going to be “Heart” and “Mormon,” clocking in with three and five wins respectively so far.

Best Costume Design of a Musical went to Tim Chappel and Lizzie Gardner for “Prisicilla Queen of the Desert,” another win Sheward predicted. The Tonys are not presenting a lot of the awards during the broadcast this year and are choosing instead to feature more musical numbers.

And another not-nominated show, “Memphis” took the stage with "Listen to the Beat." The show won last year’s Tony for Best Musical and will launch its first national tour in October.

10:14 p.m. EST

“War Horse” took Best Play, which Sheward predicted. Although he voted for “Good People.” There were a lot of high caliber nominees in this category, an encouraging thing in a season when Broadway box offices reached some of the highest grosses ever. New work thrived this season.

“Anything Goes,” introduced by one of the show’s stars Joel Grey, took the stage in the show's title number. “Played with great charm and excellence by me,” Grey said about his Moonface Martin character in the nominee for Best Revival of Musical. Sutton Foster made a childhood dream come true following in the footsteps of past Reno Sweeneys, like Patti LuPone, performing the show stopping Act 1 closer. David Sheward said the show is “sheer perfection” and predicts a win over the only other nominee in the category, “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.”

10:20 p.m. EST

Vanessa Redgrave and James Earl Jones, of this season’s “Driving Miss Daisy,” took the stage to a standing ovation and presented a selection of plays seen this season on Broadway. Even the short running “High” made it into the tail end of the presentation.

The much anticipated Christie Brinkley exhuberatntly presented the cast of "Company," and Harris took the stage in "Side by Side" from Stephen Sondheim’s "Company," which played at the New York Philharmonic for one night and will be broadcast in theaters June 15, 16, 19, 21.

“Anything Goes” took Best Revival of a Musical. They tapped their way to the top.

Tyne Daly, who is returning to Broadway in “Master Class,” presented the In Memorium segment, with a special focus on Arthur Laurents recent passing at the age of 93. The segment was played to “There’s a Place for Us,” from "West Side Story," for which Laurents penned the book.

10:45 p.m. EST

Daniel Radcliffe presented the award for Actress in a Leading Role in a Play to Frances McDormand and the award for Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical to Sutton Foster. Two predictable categories but two equally grateful winners, and McDormand dedicated the award to the company of “Good People.”

Foster thanked her teachers and gushed about how she loves her job and how she has everything she ever wanted as a little girl. After thanking her partner Bobby Cannavale, who she co-starred with in “Trust” at Second Stage last year, she got emotional over losing her dresser who has been with her for six shows.

Paul Shaffer presented a flueorescent rendition of “It’s Raining Men” from “Priscilla Queen of the Desert.” The show isn’t nominated for Best Musical or Best Revival, but the cross-dressing probably gets the broadcast good ratings and definitely hyped up the audience late into the program.

In other news, Scott Pask won Best Scenic Design of a Musical for “The Book of Mormon,” and Brian MacDevitt won for Best Lighting Design of a Musical for "Mormon." Paule Constable won for Best Lighting Design of a Play for "War Horse." The streak continues.

10:57 p.m. EST

Catherine Zeta Jones presented the two leading actors awards for Best Actor in a Play and Best Leading Actor in a Musical. “One of them does it in high heels,” Zeta Jones quips for both category’s nominees.

Mark Rylance took the first award for his work in “Jerusalem” and delivered an  anticipated, yet charming and confusing, poem, a similar move that he took when he won for “Boeing Boeing.”

Norbert Leo Butz beat out the Mormon boys for his second Tony win and the only win of the night for “Catch Me If You can. “This award doesn’t’ mean I’m the best at anything," Butz said. "But it might mean that I’m the most grateful person in the room.” The orchesetra cut him off but he didn’t let the crescendo trump his thanks.

11 p.m. EST

BEST MUSICAL = "The Book of Mormon." Chris Rock kept things fresh with some stand-up jokes. "This is such a waste of time," Rock said, pointing out the the win was rather predictable. "It's like taking a hooker to dinner. You know you're going to get laid."

Parker took the stage for the umpteenth time and revealed his secret behind writing the show.

"We all secretly wanted to a have a big happy Mormon Family," Parker said. "And now we do."

And then he thanked his late "co-writer."

"You did it Joseph! You got the Tony!"Parker said, thanking Joseph Smith, the founder of the Mormon religion.

And then NPH freestyled.

"This ain't reality TV. This is eight shows of week!"

Well done, Broadway. Well done.