I promise you, all of us up here tonight, we WERE that kid!

April 23, 2022 11:34 AM

Neil Patrick Harris has hosted the Tony Awards four times. Here are the opening numbers for each of those appearances. 2009 [Emmy-winning appearance, 9m59s*], 2011 [5m45s], 2012 [8m12s], 2013 [8m26s]. They are all thrilling, all have different themes, and they all make me want to go find the old clothes and a barn and put on a show!

*Does not actually involve NPH. Here is his opening monologue and some other segments from 2009, closes with a musical number.

Bonus track: Neil Patrick Harris Opening Number: 2010 2015 Oscars.

posted by hippybear (13 comments total)

YES. I remember the 2011 opening number so vividly. I later learned that it was written by David Javerbaum and Adam Schlesinger, who wrote the Tony-nominated score for Broadway's Cry-Baby.

And I remember the 2013 opening number so clearly, too. And, of course, that one, Bigger, was written by Tom Kitt and Lin-Manuel Miranda - and I remember I was equally blown away by the closing number, written in about 6 nanoseconds by Lin-Manuel Miranda and Thomas Kail.

Before he started hosting the Tonys, I pretty much only knew Neil Patrick Harris as teen heartthrob Neil Patrick Harris, that kid actor who was on Doogie Howser, which I had never watched. I assumed he was some kinda talentless kid who was just famous for starring in something so young.

I was utterly delighted and gobsmacked to learn how wrong I was. From those Tony awards shows, he became one of my favorite performers - smart, funny, incredibly talented, incredibly hard-working, and I get the impression he's a nice guy as well. He's certainly involved in a lot of great causes.

Thank you so much for posting these, hippybear! I am ALWAYS so happy to revisit this fabulous songs, and his fabulous performances, and I'm just grinning imagining other MeFites who might not have seen them yet get to enjoy them for the first time.
posted by kristi at 12:07 PM on April 23, 2022 [3 favorites]

Love, love, LOVE!
Thank you for posting this!
posted by BostonTerrier at 12:11 PM on April 23, 2022 [1 favorite]

Never not watch! <3
posted by Glinn at 12:23 PM on April 23, 2022

Also for re-watching, his 2014 Tonys Hedwig performance.
posted by Glinn at 12:44 PM on April 23, 2022 [4 favorites]

He's just having so much fun, it's infectious. And now I want to watch Stockard Channing in "Pal Joey"
posted by chavenet at 2:29 PM on April 23, 2022 [2 favorites]

For another angle on the 2013 opener, watch from the director's booth
posted by joshleejosh at 4:36 PM on April 23, 2022 [3 favorites]

I just watched that 2013 number for about the tenth time, and I still can’t figure out how he gets from the disappearing cabinet to the back of the auditorium so fast. Such a delight!
posted by ottereroticist at 6:40 PM on April 23, 2022

I still can’t figure out how he gets from the disappearing cabinet to the back of the auditorium so fast

I highly recommend the film The Prestige. It explains how this trick is done, and is a damn fine film also. (Plus is has David Bowie!)
posted by hippybear at 6:52 PM on April 23, 2022 [4 favorites]

I love these and often watch one or two if I’m feeling down and need a lift.
Thanks for posting!
posted by bookmammal at 7:53 PM on April 23, 2022 [1 favorite]

I highly recommend the film The Prestige. It explains how this trick is done

Also how NPH could be in so many movies and shows at the same time!
posted by Harvey Kilobit at 10:32 PM on April 23, 2022 [1 favorite]

He was the narrator the last time I saw the Candlelight Processional at Walt Disney World. He was utterly charming.
posted by The Underpants Monster at 10:41 PM on April 23, 2022

One of my standard small-talk oversimplifications is "every generation gets its [something]." NPH feels like Generation X's Tom Hanks/Jimmy Stewart/whoever was before that (when I started this comment I intended to say "Generation Y," but then I found out he's only 5 years younger than me). It seems apparent that he's on a trajectory toward National Treasure status.
posted by rhizome at 10:41 AM on April 24, 2022

Oh, apparently NPH will be playing The Baker in the New York Encores! production of Into The Woods that runs next month. Wish I could be there for that!
posted by hippybear at 7:29 PM on April 24, 2022