Whoopi Goldberg hosting the 62nd Annual Tony Awards by Theo Wargo/ WireImage.com
Next to TV, theater probably qualifies as my most consuming passion. Whereas I love TV for its ability to bring millions together for a shared experience on an expansive canvas that’s always fascinating to chart, I treasure the theatrical experience for its shared intimacy, the knowledge that what an audience of dozens or hundreds is witnessing live will never happen exactly the same way again. (The fact that in classic Broadway tradition, these performers and crews do it eight times a week never fails to astonish me.)This helps explain why the Tonys is potentially my favorite awards show any given year, a celebration of commercial theater that gives the national audience a rare glimpse into the shows that has the stage world buzzing. I say “potentially” because in recent years, the Tonys (despite moving into the cavernous Radio City Music Hall) has become a diminished franchise, taking what was once an all-out musical spectacular that made room for elaborate tributes...
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