Did you watch?
The show started with one of the most spectacular opening numbers in recent memory. Entertainers from several nominated musicals joined in with Harris for much of the seven-minute sequence, which saw him not only singing and dancing, but performing cheerleading choreography and a magical disappearing act worthy of Vegas. To top it all off, the star of Broadway's oddest one-man show, Mike Tyson, appeared on stage to lend his singing(?) voice at the end.
It was a big night for Cyndi Lauper, who took home a Tony for best original score (for "Kinky Boots"). She also took the stage to perform "True Colors" during the annual In Memoriam segment honoring the prominent theater personalities who've passed in the last year. Needless to say, it made for a powerfully moving moment. Plus, there's almost nothing better than a live rendition of "True Colors," right?
Actress Cicely Tyson took the award for best actress in a play (for "The Trip to Bountiful"), but she also took the unofficial award for best speech. "It's been 30 years since I stood on stage," she said. "I really didn't think it would happen again in my lifetime." Later, when the orchestra (and the producers) cued her to end the speech, she complied in the most gracious way possible. "'Please wrap it up,' it says," she announced to the audience. "Well, that's exactly what you did with me. You wrapped me up in your arms after 30 years and now I can go home with a Tony."
The title says it all. The dog who plays Sandy from "Annie" nuzzled up to Neil Patrick Harris as he introduced a performance from the cast of "A Christmas Story: The Musical"— but things quickly got crazier from there. Sandy licked Harris' face and the host eventually reciprocated Sandy's kisses before saying, "You do know I'm in a relationship, right?"
Harris welcomed former Broadway star Andrew Rannells to the Tony stage, then quickly pointed out how Rannells' television show, "The New Normal," had been canceled. This launched Rannells into a genuinely funny song about the pros and cons of leaving New York for a TV deal in L.A. He was then joined by two actresses in a similar predicament: Megan Hilty (of the recently canceled show "Smash") and Laura Beranti (of the canceled shows "Go On" and "The Playboy Club"), the latter of whom swigged a bottle of booze as she sang.