Hugh Jackman, Rosie O'Donnell Praise TONY Host James Corden; Offer Advice

Back in February, CBS announced that the Tony Award-winning actor and current host of The Late Late Show, James Corden will emcee the 70th Annual Tony Awards. Since it his first time hosting the show, other awards have been offering him advice, including four time emcee, and Broadway legend, Hugh Jackman.

"I highly recommend going out during the commercial break and mucking around with the crowd," he told The Hollywood Reporter, recalling his many experiences. "It's a six-minute commercial break, and I said, 'We're gonna lose the whole crowd! You just leave them there for six minutes? I'm going out there.'"

"Puff Daddy got up and sang Oklahoma! with me," Jackman recalls with joy. He then congratulated James by saying, "This is the most supportive, generous crowd you'll ever have. I'm thrilled for him."

Three-time Tony host Rosie O'Donnell tells THR that she is thrilled with THE LATE LATE SHOW host taking over the Tony gig. "James Corden is the perfect host because he is probably the only person I know who is more in love with musical theater than I am," says the Broadway vet, adding "He's gonna knock it out of the park. He's gonna be the definitive Tony host from here on in."

James Corden is a multi-faceted performer, host, writer and producer with accomplishments that span television, theater, film and comedy. He took the reins of THE LATE LATE SHOW on March 23, 2015, and has quickly become known for generating buzzworthy viral videos, such as Carpool Karaoke, garnering over 410 million views and 1.84 million subscribers for the show's YouTube channel. Since Corden took the helm, THE LATE LATE SHOW has consistently been the most social talk show in its time period according to Nielson Social.

The American Theatre Wing's 70th Annual Antoinette Perry "Tony" Awards, which are presented by The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing, will air on CBS on Sunday, June 12th from 8:00 - 11:00 PM.

To read more about what Hugh had to say, check out THR's article here.

Photo Credit: Walter McBride / WM Photos

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