NEW YORK 鈥� Josh Groban and Sara Bareilles face a daunting task at tonight鈥檚 Tony Awards 鈥� anchor the telecast as first-time hosts, show off Broadway鈥檚 season without a clear juggernaut like Hamilton and articulate the theatre community鈥檚 embrace of the MeToo movement while not forgetting the nominees.
The pop stars, who have both recently fallen into Broadway鈥檚 orbit, face their biggest audience yet and a careful political balancing act when they co-host the CBS telecast from the 6,000-seat Radio City Music Hall.
鈥淚 think we want, ultimately, the tone of the night to be about positivity and inclusively, and certainly we鈥檙e both people who are politically minded, but that鈥檚 not really what this particular night is about,鈥� Bareilles said. 鈥淵ou can鈥檛 help but have a socially conscious approach when you鈥檙e socially conscious people.鈥�
Groban said show will make note of the MeToo movement that has rippled across the United States, particularly in Hollywood. He said one moment will be dedicated to the movement but details remained 鈥渢op secret.鈥�
Getting buzz from appearing on the telecast can dictate a show鈥檚 future, both on Broadway and on tour. Broadway producers will be thankful this year that the telecast won鈥檛 have to compete with any NBA Finals or Stanley Cup playoff games.
A-list talent expected to be on hand this year includes Robert De Niro, Claire Danes, Billy Joel, Carey Mulligan, Jim Parsons and Kerry Washington, who this fall will star in the Broadway premiere of American Son. Bruce Springsteen will make a rare TV appearance, performing live on the show, and will receive a Special Tony Award for his one-man show Springsteen on Broadway.
Others expected to participate include Uzo Aduba, Christine Baranski, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Melissa Benoist, Erich Bergen, Rachel Bloom, Matt Bomer, Rachel Brosnahan, Tituss Burgess, Jeff Daniels, Brandon Victor Dixon, James Monroe Iglehart, Christopher Jackson, Patti LuPone, Tatiana Maslany, Katharine McPhee, Matthew Morrison, Leslie Odom, Jr., Kelli O鈥橦ara, Zachary Quinto, Bernadette Peters, Andrew Rannells and Marisa Jaret Winokur.
Interest in musicals has been on the rise in recent years, fed by the international smash Hamilton and last year鈥檚 Dear Evan Hansen. But many musical theatre successes this season were recorded far from Broadway, including the film The Greatest Showman, which has sold more than one million albums, and the live TV event Jesus Christ Superstar, which drew 10.9 million viewers.
Two new musicals lead the nominations for the top Tony Award crown, with Tina Fey鈥檚 Mean Girls and SpongeBob SquarePants receiving 12 nods each. A revival of Angels in America has 11 and the two-part play Harry Potter and the Cursed Child has 10.
Many critics have tapped The Band鈥檚 Visit as the odds-on favourite to be crowned best new musical.
Viewers will see performances by the casts of the 2018 Tony Award-nominated shows The Band鈥檚 Visit, Carousel, Frozen, Mean Girls, My Fair Lady, Once on This Island, SpongeBob SquarePants and Summer: The Donna Summer Musical. The cast of Dear Evan Hansen will also return for a performance.
For most of the previous awards season, shows such as the Oscars and Golden Globes have acknowledged the issue of sexual misconduct and abuse of power. Bareilles and Groban will try to do that while also eviscerating any memory of last year鈥檚 Tony host, Kevin Spacey, who since then has been accused by at least 24 men of sexual misconduct or assault.
They鈥檒l also hope to end the ratings slide following the 2016 edition that was led by Hamilton, which drew 8.73 million viewers. Spacey鈥檚 ceremony last year drew six million viewers, which represented a drop of 31 per cent in total viewers from the previous year.
While neither star is on Broadway this season, they鈥檝e made their mark on the Great White Way. Groban was nominated for a Tony for his role in 2017鈥檚 Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 and Bareilles got the nomination for the Waitress score, and has also appeared in the show.
Groban and Bareilles are also friends, and that was evident as they spoke about their upcoming hosting duties, laughing it up along the way.
鈥淲e have so many dad jokes between us, and puns. Most of those will not be making it to air,鈥� Groban quipped.
But Groban said he hopes the Tonys are more than just a three-hour advertisement for Broadway. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 a commercial for theatre 鈥� period, Broadway, off-Broadway, off off-Broadway. It鈥檚 a commercial for the ability to bring people together,鈥� he said.
The Grammy Awards begin at 4:30 p.m. today on CBS.
