Entertainment broadcast personality Valerie Smaldone was blogging live from the Press Room at Rockefeller Center's Rainbow Room during the 2007 Tony Awards. Here are her impressions of the event, as she submitted them.

8:05 p.m.- At The Beginning...

Just came back from a few hours on the Red Carpet, and saw everyone there... from Vanessa Williams to Orfeh, Laura Bell Bundy to Swoosie Kurtz, there was a great amount of glamour all around. Lea Michelle had the most amazing shoes. Orfeh had a dress made for her in a deep turquoise blue. And Celeste Holm looked so elegant in a dress the color of pearls. Loads of glamour, lots of smiles, and even some nerves for many of the performers who will be on the stage of Radio City tonight. And now, on to the show!!

8:15 p.m.- Nerves

Can you imagine the nerves and the excitement for the performers not only waiting to go on and perform, but of course, those who are up for awards?

Claire Danes is one of the presenters, wearing a beautiful gown, and as she was walking down the red carpet, Frank Langella stepped on her gown a couple of times. She had to sweep it out in front of her. Those kinds of things can happen when you’re walking down the red carpet.

8:20 p.m.- Angela Lansbury Begins the Telecast

Angela Lansbury has not been on Broadway for 2 decades and if she wins tonight, she will tie Julie Harris's record as the person with the most Tony Awards for acting (5). Audra McDodonald could tie that record too! Angela has hosted 5 previous Tony Awards telecasts.

8:30 p.m.- The Featured Men of 2007

Billy Crudup just won for The Coast of Utopia. He is on the board for the Actor’s Center in New York. He has received nominations in the past for The Elephant Man and The Pillowman and for numerous film roles.

John Gallagher, Jr. must be flying. Do you know when I interviewed him several months ago he told me a story about his audition for Spring Awakening? He was so nervous that he left the audition. He just didn’t feel as if he was capable of competing. So he left. He just turned around and walked out. John told me that he called his agent and said he couldn’t do it. His agent told him to go back in, even if he was late and do it. Just do it. So he did. He never in his wildest dreams thought he would make it into the show. And now the actor who plays Mort Stiefel in Spring Awakening, has just won his first Tony. I’m guessing there will be many more to come. Truly!

8:45 p.m.- Winning Spring

Spring Awakening’s Steven Sater and I spoke a few months ago, and I predicted this win. When I saw him on the Red Carpet tonight, the first thing he told me was, “You were right!” He won tonight for Best Book and Best Score.

What a lovely man, and he is. The first thing he did this morning was chant. A devout Buddhist, he finds that this sets the tone of his day.

Talking about Spring Awakening, John Gallagher, Jr. has just come to the Press Room at Rock Center. He said he couldn’t feel anything yet, even his arms. He also said he never thought that Spring Awakening would make it to Broadway within a year. John just said that the show is very emotionally available and that each cast member bares their soul and in some cases “even more”. Re: the Mort Stiefel hair, and the amount of hairspray he uses, he said he uses “so much, I think the EPA is after us.”

John said the last time he was in Radio City he was here to see the band Wilco. And here he is tonight winning a Tony and soon to perform on the Radio City stage!

8:55 p.m.- Newcomers and Vets

The Press Room has just erupted in applause and cheers as Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater have just won another award! Duncan just came off of a little tour a couple of weeks ago. He has really become a fan of musical theatre. He just said, “Musical theatre rocks,” but when I interviewed him a few months ago, he admitted he wasn’t so keen on writing for musical theatre. I guess rocker Duncan Sheik was bitten by the theatre bug!

Mary Louise Wilson has just won a Tony as Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her role as Big Edie in Grey Gardens. She said something very enchanting. She said that everyone has been so articulate, paused for dramatic purposes of course, and then let out a great big whoop!

Then she said she always wondered if she won an award would she feel like it was a mistake? And then, another dramatic pause she said, “I don’t!”

8:57 p.m.- Oops! And Maybe London?

Steven Sater and Duncan Sheik are back now in the press room. Duncan was a little upset that he forgot to thank his mother and she is in the audience...So to Duncan Sheik’s mom…thanks mom!

Duncan said he wanted kids who were sort of like in a rock band in high school, and he found those kids.

Mary Louise Wilson is now here and she said, about winning a Tony, “I’m relieved. I didn’t want to lose!” “And as a woman always better to play a woman of power, than to cook!”

And someone asked about whether Grey Gardens would be going to London. Mary Louise said, there is a rumour that might be the case. She said working with Christine Ebersole is like playing a beautiful game of tennis. Deuce, anyone?

9:11 p.m.- Full of Surprises

Bill T Jones has just walked in to the press room, after dancing down the aisle at Radio City to accept his Tony for Best Choreography for Spring Awakening.

Bill said that he had meant to say on camera, but didn't so he said it in the press room, that there are a lot of people coming from where he is coming from, and that already there seems to be a feeling on Broadway, looking for something new....He said, "Life still has surprises. I didn't expect to be standing here at 55."

Now here's Jennifer Ehle, who just won her second Tony, this time for her performance in The Coast of Utopia. She said she loved all three characters she played in Tom Stoppard's epic play, and that she's performed in different plays at different times in repertory and hopes to again. That is, she said, "A theatre actor's natural habitat."

9:55 p.m.- Coasting Along

Jack O'Brien has won a Tony Award for direction of Tom Stoppard's trilogy The Coast of Utopia. He was asked in the press room, "Could you ever believe that Broadway could do this?"

And he said, "Could YOU??"

Jack said he looks at Coast as one play, as one huge gargantuan play. The Coast of Utopia might in fact break a record tonight, and Jack said about the work, "No one but Stoppard would write three plays like that, and nobody but Lincoln Center would do it."

"This [the Tony] is frosting on the cake, but I've got to tell you, the cake is GLORIOUS!"

Coast's Billy Crudup just came back here too. Billy has been in the films Big Fish, Almost Famous, and Mission: Impossible III and now, has won his first Tony. He said it's a very strange experience, winning a Tony. Billy says he has a very strange aversion to this [the Tony] from an artistic point of view, but also has two brothers who are actors, so he is always competing. He thinks it's very hard to ascribe a performance as "the best"- except when he wins. (Smile!) Then he explained that as actors, they're always competing, so it’s very strange to have to compete for an award.

Was it a big decision taking a year off from film to do theatre? He said it was no challenge at all, and that he doesn't have such a high cost of living that he couldn't earn "an actor's wage."

10:00 p.m. - Not "Heinous"

Spring Awakening’s Michael Mayer, winner for Best Direction of a Musical, just walked up on the stage in the press room, held up his Tony and SMILED!

In his acceptance speech on camera, he said, "This is NOT heinous". What does that mean, he was asked? Michael said anyone who has ever worked with him knows he uses that term all the time. So, he thought it would be nice for people to hear the opposite.

Michael said he is working on a new musical based on The Flamingo Kid, but is very excited about working with new songwriters interested in musical theatre.

And now Jay Johnson just walked in, by himself with no dummies -- just a Tony Award in his hands... And then he started to do funny voices to entertain us all.

Jay said his show appeared Off Broadway at first at the Atlantic Theatre Company, the theatre that also developed Spring Awakening, so its been a great night for the Atlantic.

Jay is taking the show on tour and wants as many people as possible to see it, and since he is the only person in the show (big smile), he says he will go to any theatre that will let him do his show. He feels that ventriloquism is an art form.

10:05 p.m.- Audra Presenting...and WHAT???

Audra McDonald has amazing arms! I saw them up close and personal on the Red Carpet. She was wearing a beautiful champagne-colored gown, and changed into what I would call "aubergine" to be a presenter for Best Actress in a Play.

Audra and Brian Dennehy just presented the Tony to Julie White for The Little Dog Laughed, who said, "WHAT??" when she won the award. And she thanked the wacky Tony voters for giving her the award. She said that she never imagined she would be on the same list with these actresses, unless it was on the dinner list at Angus (i.e., the Theatre District hangout, Angus McIndoe's restaurant). Aaaaaaanyway, Julie White just won in a category that included Angela Lansbury, Swoosie Kurtz, Vanessa Redgrave and Eve Best. Amazing!

Her thank-you speech is adorable, funny, and enchanting. She is just exuberant..and funny and boy what a coup!!

10:22 p.m.- I Want to Be a Producer

The producers of Company, all 9 or so, came to the press room after winning the Tony Award for best Revival of a Musical. They said that it took well over 3 weeks of casting to get this new production of the Stephen Sondheim/George Furth musical, in which all the actors also play musical instruments, up and running. The real unsung heroes of the play are the understudies because they not only cover many roles, but play many instruments.

And now, even more producers have arrived, the Journey's End crew... maybe 12 or 15. They are having a bittersweet celebration -- the show won the Tony as Best Revival of a Play, but it played its final performance this afternoon. They were asked why they chose to close the show today. The answer: a number of the actors had new jobs and were leaving, and the producers did not want to stand in their way. In nearly a century since it was written, we were told, Journey's End has never recouped its investment.

10:45 p.m.- I Love Musical Theatre

"My name is Zach Braff and I love musical theatre."

There, it's out!

As a matter of fact, several months ago, the TV show he stars in, "Scrubs," did a musical theatre number in an episode. Stephanie D'Abruzzo (from the original cast of Avenue Q) was featured in that episode.

Zach introduced the musical number from Spring Awakening...and they did an interesting interpretation of one of their numbers -- certain words were missing!

Tom Stoppard just walked in to the press room. He says he was hoping to write something this summer, but he didn't have any ideas and asked the reporter if she did.

10:55 p.m.- Oh, the Ladies!

Julie White is in the press room. She is adorable. And has this bright big personality. What was she thinking when they said her name?? "Well, that they weren't gonna!"

She said it was like "na-uh!!" She said, "I didn't go to acting school, but have been working in the theatre for 25 years, since I was a mere babe. And you learn by doing and learn by watching wonderful people." She made her New York debut in Lucky Stiff, the first musical by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, who would later write Ragtime.

"I left Hollywood when they told me I was over the hill, and I'm standing here over the hill with a Tony. How encouraging!" That's what Christine Ebersole just said on the Tony Award show, when she received the Best Actress in a Musical award.

And now, the Tony Award for Best Musical goes to....Spring Awakening!

11: 40 p.m.- A Broadway Fantasia and a Dancing Detective

Fantasia Barrino took the stage here in the press room and said, standing regally, "This is a heavy dress." She had just wowed the Radio City and TV audience with her rendition of “I’m Here” from the show she is currently starring in, The Color Purple. Talking about her first Broadway experience, she said, "When I first went into rehearsal wearing makeup and pumps, everyone said, [Celie] is not that type of role..."

Best Actor in a Musical David Hyde Pierce still looked shocked when he entered the press room. He said he was completely surprised, but also said he had been to so many award ceremonies, he expected to be more "together."

David said, "This meant more to me than I realized." And then he started tearing up. Then, he said to the press, "Ask a funny question!" He talked about his dancing in the show and said that maybe one of the greatest dance numbers on Broadway is his!

11:45 p.m.- A Fabulous Evening

And finally, Christine Ebersole walked in.

The Best Actress in a Musical winner looked absolutely radiant in a tomato-red dress, designed by the Tony Award-winning Grey Gardens designer William Ivey Long….She was asked about preparing for the Tonys, and Christine talked about an event that happened this week. She said that four newborn kittens were born under her deck and that it was a wonderful thing to happen because it took the attention off of what was going on this week. Christine said it was nice to have that reality check, and that it took the pressure off. "Actually we named one Jackie Kittadee."

Christine said her producers are still exploring the idea of taking the show to London. Then, in the middle of talking, she realized one of her earrings was coming off. She stopped and said, "Oh my God, my Harry Winston." That got a laugh. She paused to put it back on saying, "They're going to put me in pauper's prison!" Another Big Laugh in the press room

Christine continued, "I don't know what the future holds, but it feels bright." Someone suggested a Hollywood movie, and she said, "I'll go for that!"

Interestingly, both Grey Gardens and the Tony Award winning Best Musical Spring Awakening were developed at the Sundance Institute.

All in all, it was a fabulous night for Spring Awakening, The Coast of Utopia and Grey Gardens.

Congratulations to all the winners!

Thanks for coming along with me tonight at the 61st annual Tony Awards. From the Rainbow Room, this is Valerie Smaldone…See you at the theatre!!