In the Best Musical category, the nominees include The Color Purple, The Drowsy Chaperone, Jersey Boys and The Wedding Singer.
The Color Purple, based on both the Alice Walker novel and the acclaimed film of the same name, will perform a medley of "Hell No!" (featuring Tony nominee Felicia P. Fields) and the title tune (led by Tony nominee LaChanze). The Drowsy Chaperone, the new musical that pays homage to vintage musicals and musical theatre lovers, will perform "Show Off," the show-stopping number led by current Tony nominee Sutton Foster. Jersey Boys, which presents the story of Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons, will offer a medley of two of the musical's hit songs, "Can't Take My Eyes Off You" and "Who Loves You." The former is a solo for Tony nominee John Lloyd Young, and the latter will include Young as well as Tony nominee Christian Hoff, J. Robert Spencer and Daniel Reichard. And, The Wedding Singer, which is based on the hit Adam Sandler film of the same name, will perform "It's Your Wedding Day," featuring current Tony nominee Stephen Lynch.
The Best Revival of a Musical category features three nominees: The Pajama Game, Sweeney Todd and The Threepenny Opera.
The Pajama Game, which marks the Broadway performance debut of Harry Connick, Jr., will begin its segment with "There Once Was a Man," the rousing duet between Tony nominees Connick and Kelli O'Hara. That Richard Adler-Jerry Ross tune will lead into "Hernando's Hideaway," which features the musical's other Tony-nominated actor, Megan Lawrence. The revival of Sweeney Todd, which boasts a cast of actors who double as the show's musicians, will offer a montage of several Stephen Sondheim tunes, including portions of "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd" (featuring Tony nominee Manoel Felciano), "The Worst Pies in London" (featuring Tony nominee Patti LuPone) and "My Friends" (featuring Tony nominee Michael Cerveris). And, The Threepenny Opera, the Roundabout Theatre Company's revival of the classic Kurt Weill-Bertolt Brecht musical, will offer "The Ballad of the Pimp," which features a tango between two members of its starry cast, Alan Cumming and Cyndi Lauper.
The 2006 Tony Awards will be broadcast live on CBS-TV June 11, 8-11 PM ET; check local listings. The Tony Awards are celebrating their 60th anniversary this year. For more information visit www.tonyawards.com.