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Host Neil Patrick Harris on Tony Awards: 'Book of Mormon' Is a Problem for Show Censors (Q&A)
Andrew H. Walker/Getty Images for Screenvision
The "How I Met Your Mother"
star explains why Tony acceptance speeches are the best of all awards
shows and he doesn't want to be the center of attention on theater's
biggest night.
Neil Patrick Harris hosts the Tony Awards for the second consecutive year this Sunday. The "How I Met Your Mother" star tells The Hollywood Reporter's Merle Ginsberg why speeches are better at the show than any other awards program, how Book of Mormon is a problem for censors, and why he doesn't want to be the center of attention on theater's biggest night.
The Hollywood Reporter: Are you excited or trepidatious about hosting the Tonys the second time around?
Neil Patrick Harris: Well, two years ago, I hosted
like 7 different shows! I did the Tonys, the Emmys, the TV Land Awards –
I even performed on the opening number of the Oscars. So my
teleprompters skills are now finally honed. Hosting the Tonys is an easy
fit for me. I go to Cirque du Soleil, l see live theater in New York
all the time. These days, it's so easy for us to just watch Netflix
movies in Hi Def, so for a national audience, it should be a special
occasion to see live people doing things in front of you. The theater
gives you dramatic acting, song and dance. And with the Tonys, you get
ALL of that energy. They are not pre-taped. The singers are really
singing. And the speeches are better than other awards shows, because
theater actors are used to talking in front of a live audience. At the
Oscars, you see actors' hands shaking, they don't know what to say. And
they're movie stars! I think the Tonys really have a lot to offer.
THR: What will be the difference in the Tony Awards Broadcast this year as opposed to other years?
Harris: Well, it's not in Radio City this year, the
show is now uptown in Beacon Theater, a smaller venue -- which will
make it an entirely different show. We have to play to the size
constraints. They had to build a tent behind the theater, to house whole
casts waiting to go on. That will be exciting, they'll all be stuffed
in a tent together. The way they organize the production is on a big
board like Lorne Michaels does with SNL Two years ago at the
Tonys, Frank Langella was supposed to come out to introduce some
nominees, and he instead - he did a monologue, and went on and on. It
was a four-minute speech in a 20-second spot! Backstage, everyone
running was around, saying 'now what happens?!' Then a clip package had
to be shorter, my speech got cut. But honestly, that's the fun of it.
THR: We have to assume you're going to sing and dance – being an ace song and dance man.
Harris: Well, I haven't rehearsed that much, but
I'm hoping to. It's an interesting year this year, there are so many
musicals. You have to pare down the amount of musical numbers on the
show as a result. I'm wary of performing too much myself. I don't want
it to seem that I'm trying to win people over. I shouldn't BE the show,
just facilitate the show. A little bit of me goes a long way. I don't
want to get to the saturation point.
THR: It's being reported that the show could get a little blue this year – since The Book of Mormon isn't exactly made for the religious set.
Harris: Well, it got the most nominations, and
every single musical number in that show is a problem for the Tony
censors – whether it's dialogue, or even the idea of a song – like,
religion. They're struggling right now to see what number they CAN put
in the show. If it doesn't get by the censors in the end, I can see
myself announcing, 'Please stand by for two minutes while we black out.'
It should be the edgiest Tonys for a while. And that's a good thing.
Let's shake it up!
well.Loved Harris.He does a great job in hosting.
One of the highlight on TV.
Hoped that they will get a great audience for this.
Thanks for the update.