2014 Tony Awards - Michael Dale's Live Blog from Backstage at Radio City in the Press Room!

Welcome to Michael Dale's 2014 Tony Awards Live Blog! Follow along with him, live from backstage at Radio City Music Hall's press room where he'll be reporting on the winners as they come backstage, scoops and much more!

12:08 - Well, that wraps it up over here. Thank you so much for checking in. Time to start a new Broadway season!

Midnight - Neil Patrick Harris in the press room regarding his interaction with celebs in the Tony audience: "They weren't alerted that things were going to happen to them... naughty, dirty things."

11:45 - Very appropriately for tonight, the Beautiful after-party is at Bobby Van's.

11:40 - Carole King in the press room: "I didn't learn any new things about my songs but I learned a lot about myself by watching Jessie portray me."

11:08 - The broadcast is over but we're expecting more winners to visit the press room.

11:04 - Lots of applause in press room for Gentlemen's Guide's win.

10:56 - Jason Robert Brown won two Tonys tonight. How about a preview of Honeymoon In Vegas?

10:42 - Audra McDonald in the press room: "It was about 6 months into studying Billie that I found rehearsal tapes of Billie with her musicians and she sounded just like my grandmother and I used to impersonate my grandmother to her face."

10:22 - Lena Hall in the press room: "I studied men. I literally walked the New York City streets and studied their physicality."

10:10 - Where's the current cast of Avenue Q?

9:56 - James Monroe Inglehart on keeping his energy up: "I'm trained to do this. I'm paid to do this. It's my job. If i don't keep my energy up they'll find someone who will."

9:52 - James Monroe Inglehart : "What are we doing afterwards? My wife and i are going to McDonald's. This is what we do. It keeps us in real life."

9:45 - Sophie Okonedo in the press room. "I had to learn all the history that American actors grew up with."

9:42 - I like that they're putting playwrights center stage and on camera.

9:28 - Warren Cariyle in the press room on casting After Midnight: "We watched a lot of YouTube clips. We found one of them dancing on the C train."

9:27 - That was lovely, Ms. McDonald.

9:18 - During commercial break, Costume Design of a Musical, Linda Cho for Gentleman's Guide. Costume Design of a Play, Jenny Tiramani, Twelfth Night.

9:15 - Jason Robert Brown in the press room. "I feel validated because the work is good. I don't feel validated about this (pointing to the award); this is just nice."

9:14 - Kenny Leon: "This was about doing an intimate production of a big play."

9:08 - Kenny Leon in the press room. In the middle of being dignified and talking about bringing a diverse audience to Broadway, he suddenly explodes in cheers when the TV shows Sophie Okonedo winning Best Featured Actress. "YES!!! YES!!!"

9:05 - During commercial break, Choreography goes to Warren Carlyle for After Midnight.

9:00 - Joshua Henry standing and cheering for James Monroe Iglehart's win.

8:54 - During commercial break, Jason Robert Brown's score wins. "I hope you enjoyed the playout because that's all the music from Bridges you're going to hear tonight."

8:53 - Not sure if that Rocky segment is going to sell tickets.

8:45 - No, Clint Eastwood, they're not all guys.

8:34 - Mark Ryance: "I feel like there's more of a love of the new in America and a love of the old in England."

8:32 - In the press room I asked Mark Rylance why no poem this time... "Oh, I thought you'd be expecting it."

8:26 - Lena Hall was the first Yitzhak I've seen to make Hedwig a musical about two people.

8:16 - When it's time for the 2018 revival of Les Miserables to perform on the Tony Awards they should just put the cast of Forbidden Broadway up there.

8:13 - Huh? Rylance is giving a real speech? And it's rather nice, too.

8:12 - Mark Rylance... Okay, here we go...

8:04 - Beowulf Boritt in the press room: "I didn't know the book before I got this job. It's one of those theatre books I always meant to read."

8:03 - And Hugh Jackman is doing a Bobby Van impersonation.

8:00 - Rocky set designer Christopher Barreca in the press room. "I've always been involved in envirionmental work, so when this came along it was perfect."

7:48 - Orchestrations goes to Jason Robert Brown.

7:47 - Scenic Design of a Play goes to Beowulf Boritt for Act One.

7:45 - Scenic Design of a Musical goes to Christopher Barreca of Rocky.

7:42 - Sound Design of a Play goes to Steve Canyon Kennedy for Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill. "I didn't even know it was a play when I was hired to do it."

7:40 - Sound Design of a Musical goes to Brian Ronan of Beautiful.

7:35 - Rosie O'Donnell receives Isabelle Stevenson Award for her philanthropic work. She says her main concern when she found out she was getting the award was if it looked like a "real" Tony, so ten years from now she could tell people it was for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical.

7:33 - Jane Greenwood: "Five of my former students are nominees tonight."

7:30 - Costume designer Jane Greenwood presented with Lifetime Achievement Tony. Gets a huge round of applause from the audience. Tonight is her 18th time nominated but she has yet to win a competitive Tony. "Young designers ask, 'How do you get your first Broadway show?' It's simple. Marry the producer."

7:28 - Billy Porter's advice to winners giving speeches" "Use those diaphragms! Don't save them for the after-party!"

7:25 - Signature Theatre Company presented with the 2014 Regional Theatre Award. Their new home on 42nd Street is a beautiful performing arts complex.

7:23 - Billy Porter is wearing an ENORMOUS bow tie.

7:21 - To the music of "Swing" from Wonderful Town, Karen Ziemba and Billy Porter enter to host the first half-hour of awards.

7:20 - This year's Tony Award ceremony promises more musical numbers than ever before. Not just from this season's musicals, but from shows on their way to Broadway.

7pm - "I'm so excited to go to the Tony Awards with my beautiful wife, Audra McDonald. Between the two of us, we have won 5 Tony Awards!!" -- Will Swenson

6:50pm - Here in the press room we'll be watching the entire ceremony, which means I'll have reports for you about the awards given out between 7:30 and 8:00 and awards presented during commercial breaks.

6:40pm - MY PICKS AND PREDICTIONS

BEST PLAY

My Prediction: Act One by James Lapine

My Pick: Outside Mullingar by John Patrick Shanley

BEST MUSICAL

My Prediction: Beautiful

My Pick: A Gentleman's Guide To Love & Murder

BEST BOOK OF A MUSICAL

My Prediction: A Gentleman's Guide To Love & Murder by Robert L. Freedman
My Pick: A Gentleman's Guide To Love & Murder by Robert L. Freedman

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

My Prediction: The Bridges of Madison County, music and lyrics by Jason Robert Brown

My Pick: A Gentleman's Guide To Love & Murder, music by Steven Lutvak, lyrics by Robert L. Freedman & Steven Lutvak

BEST REVIVAL OF A PLAY

My Prediction: Twelfth Night

My Pick: Machinal (not nominated)

BEST REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL

My Prediction: Hedwig and The Angry Inch
My Pick: Violet

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN A PLAY

My Prediction: Bryan Cranston, All The Way
My Pick: Roger Rees, The Winslow Boy (not nominated)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE IN A PLAY

My Prediction: Audra McDonald, Lady Day at Emerson's Bar and Grill

My Pick: Cherry Jones, The Glass Menagerie

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MUSICAL

My Prediction: Neil Patrick Harris, Hedwig and The Angry Inch
My Pick: Norbert Leo Butz, Big Fish (not nominated)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MUSICAL

My Prediction: Jesse Mueller, Beautiful

My Pick: Sutton Foster, Violet

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A PLAY

My Prediction: Reed Birney, Casa Valentina
My Pick: John Douglas Thompson, A Time To Kill (not nominated)

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A PLAY

My Prediction: Celia Keenan-Bolger, The Glass Menagerie
My Pick: Celia Keenan-Bolger, The Glass Menagerie

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTOR IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A MUSICAL

My Prediction: James Monroe Iglehart, Aladdin

My Pick: Joshua Henry, Violet

BEST PERFORMANCE BY AN ACTRESS IN A FEATURED ROLE IN A MUSICAL

My Prediction: Linda Emond, Cabaret
My Pick: Anika Larsen, Beautiful

BEST DIRECTION OF A PLAY

My Prediction: Tim Carroll, Twelfth Night
My Pick: Lyndsey Turner, Machinal (not nominated)

BEST DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL

My Prediction: Darko Tresnjak, A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder
My Pick: Susan Stroman, Bullets Over Broadway (not nominated)

BEST CHOREOGRAPHY
My Prediction: Warren Carlyle, After Midnight

My Pick: Susan Stroman, Big Fish (not nominated)

BEST ORCHESTRATIONS

My Prediction: Jason Robert Brown, The Bridges of Madison County
My Pick: Larry Hochman, Big Fish (not nominated)

BEST SCENIC DESIGN OF A PLAY

My Prediction: Beowulf Boritt, Act One
My Pick: Bob Crowley, The Glass Menagerie

BEST SCENIC DESIGN OF A MUSICAL

My Prediction: Christopher Barreca, Rocky
My Pick: Julian Crouch, Big Fish (not nominated)

BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A PLAY

My Prediction: Jenny Tiramani, Twelfth Night
My Pick: Jenny Tiramani, Twelfth Night

BEST COSTUME DESIGN OF A MUSICAL

My Prediction: William Ivey Long, Bullets Over Broadway
My Pick: William Ivey Long, Big Fish (not nominated)

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A PLAY

My Prediction: Natasha Katz, The Glass Menagerie
My Pick: Natasha Katz, The Glass Menagerie

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN OF A MUSICAL

My Prediction: Christopher Akerlind, Rocky

My Pick: Donald Holder, Big Fish (not nominated)

BEST SOUND DESIGN OF A PLAY

My Prediction: Matt Tierney, Machinal
My Pick: Matt Tierney, Machinal

BEST SOUND DESIGN OF A MUSICAL
My Prediction: Peter Hylenski, After Midnight
My Pick: Jon Weston, Big Fish (not nominated)

6:35pm - Happy Tony Night, everyone! And thanks so much for making BroadwayWorld, and this blog in particular, a part of your enjoyment of the 2014 Tony Awards! I'm sure most of you will be tuned into the CBS telecast of the event. I'll be reporting from the media room across the street from the spectacular 1930s art deco palace, Radio City Music Hall. Believe it or not, you'll probably be seeing more of the telecast than I will! This room will be loaded with about 100 press members watching the ceremonies on 2 large screens. As the evening goes on, winners will be taken to the media room to briefly speak with the press, so while you're enjoying the program, I'll be reporting on what they have to say. Across the hall, my BroadwayWorld colleague, the legendary Richard Ridge, will be taping interviews that will be posted onto the site. So just refresh this page whenever you want the latest updates. Sound good? Let's do this!

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