STAGE TUBE: Vanessa Williams Opens The Daytime Emmy Awards Telecast

"Ugly Betty" star and Broadway favorite Vanessa Williams hosted the 36th Annual Daytime Entertainment Emmy Awards. The show was telecast on the CW Television Network last night Sunday, August 30th, 2009 from the historic Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles, CA.

Williams showed off her singing and dancing skills as she performed in the show's opening number, a parody set to "Can't Take My Eyes Off of You" from the Broadway musical "Jersey Boys."

Williams is a daytime nominee herself for performer in an animated program for her voiceover work on the PBS show "Mama Mirabelle's Home Movies." Currently appearing on ABC-TV's "Ugly Betty," Vanessa Williams is one of the most respected and multi-faceted performers in entertainment today. She has conquered the musical charts, Broadway, music videos, television and motion pictures. She has sold over four million albums worldwide and her skills as an actress on stage, in film and on television have earned critical praise.

In 1994, Vanessa realized a life-long dream, taking Broadway by storm when she replaced Chita Rivera in "Kiss of the Spider Woman." Her performance won critics over and was a box-office sensation, firmly establishing Vanessa as a multi-talented triple-threat. Vanessa also garnered rave reviews and was nominated for a Tony Award in the 2002 revival of Stephen "Into the Woods," taking a brief break from the production to headline a limited special engagement of the classic, "Carmen Jones," at the Kennedy Center.

The Daytime Entertainment Emmy® Awards recognize outstanding achievement in all fields of daytime television production and are presented to individuals and programs broadcast from 2:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m. during the 2008 calendar year. The 36th Annual Daytime Emmy® Awards is a presentation of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences in cooperation with the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.