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The Official Website of the American Theatre Wing's Tony Awards - The 2009 Tony Awards - Sunday, June 7th 8/7c CBS - IT'S SHOW TIME!

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Countdown to the Tonys: The 2009 Visa Signature Concert

By Andy Buck

The countdown to the American Theatre Wing’s Tony Awards® began this year at a legendary playhouse in Times Square, where Laurence Olivier and Ethel Barrymore once held court. The second annual “Visa Signature Tony Awards Season Celebration” concert, taped at the Hudson Theatre, will be broadcast across the nation on CBS starting Friday, May 29 (see local airdates below). The show will feature performers from this season’s Tony-nominated musicals singing numbers from their productions. In addition, the program will spotlight nominees from this season’s plays via behind-the-scenes interviews.

The concert was taped on May 18 with Harry Smith from CBS’s “The Early Show” as the host. Cheyenne Jackson, star of the 2008 Tony-nominated musical Xanadu, opens the show out in the streets of Times Square singing “On Broadway.” Performers include Lauren Graham and Kate Jennings Grant from Guys and Dolls; Gavin Creel and members of the cast of Hair; Matt Cavenaugh and Josefina Scaglione from West Side Story; Stephanie J. Block from 9 to 5: The Musical; Carole Shelley from Billy Elliot, The Musical; Alice Ripley, Jennifer Damiano and Aaron Tveit from Next to Normal; Constantine Maroulis and Amy Spanger from Rock of Ages; and Sutton Foster, Leah Greenhaus and Marissa O’Donnell from Shrek The Musical.

“The concert previews the Tony Awards, but it’s distinct from the actual Tony telecast,” says the Broadway League’s Jan Friedlander Svendsen, an executive producer of the special. “We wanted the concert to introduce the nominees and nominated shows, and give the fans a special sense of connection to them.”

Spotlighting Great Broadway Moments

Although the June 7 Tony Awards telecast will include more musical performances than ever, Swendsen points out that there are plenty of great Broadway moments to go around. “Our goal for the concert was to generate excitement for the Tony telecast by spotlighting the shows from a completely different perspective. We selected different musical numbers, and created a very intimate cabaret feeling in a venue that does not feel like Radio City Music Hall. We built a great set. It looked like a cross between “American Idol” and the musical Passing Strange. The juxtaposition of that with this very old jewel-box theatre we did the taping in was pretty spectacular.”

Svendsen is also excited about some digital elements of this year’s Tony Awards events, including the concert. “We shot backstage footage during the rehearsals and during the taping of the concert, which we’ll put on TonyAwards.com,” she explains. “And we also Tweeted throughout. Our digital manger was backstage sending Twitter messages like, “Gavin Creel's wearing vintage pants from Seattle. They're 10 years old, and pair well with Converse.” And, “Lauren Graham and Kate Jennings Grant are dueting about their resolutions to Marry the Man Today from Guys and Dolls. Don't let him get away, ladies!” Things like that. You can see them if you go to www.Twitter.com/TheTony Awards. That behind-the-scenes look is a theme for a lot of the things we’re doing this year.”

A National TV Presence

This is the second consecutive season that the Tony Awards have partnered with Visa to present a Tony preview concert. “It was a great experiment last year,” Svendsen says. “The show aired in about 54 markets. And for over half of them that reported back to us, there was a significant increase in the tune-in to the actual Tony Awards broadcast. Some markets were 60 percent higher. So CBS was thrilled. Visa was really happy because they got what they wanted--to co-brand with the Tonys. And the Broadway shows got another opportunity to be showcased on a national basis. Win, win, win.”

The preview concert helps generate excitement for the 63rd Annual Tony Awards, hosted by Neil Patrick Harris, which will be broadcast on CBS live from Radio City Musical Hall at 8/7c on Sunday, June 7.

Local Airdates

Check back soon for more cities and dates.

KTVA - Anchorage, AK: Saturday, 6/6/09, 3 p.m.

KTVQ - Billings, MT: Saturday, 6/6/09, 4 p.m.

WBZ - Boston, MA: Sunday, 5/31/09, 12:00 noon

WBBM - Chicago, IL: Sunday, 5/31/09, 11 a.m.

WRBL - Columbus, GA: Saturday, 5/30/09, 12:00 noon

KTVT - Dallas, TX: Sunday, 5/31/09, 12:00 noon

KCNC - Denver, CO: Sunday, 5/31/09, 11 a.m.

KDLH - Duluth, MN: Saturday, 5/30/09, 12:00 noon

KGPE - Fresno, CA: Saturday, 6/6/09, 11 a.m.

WISH - Indianapolis, IN: Sunday, 5/31/09, 2 p.m.