Actor and actress nominees performed the opening number with host James Corden. On stage you see Jane Krakowski, Lin Manuel Miranda, Zachary Levi, and others. (Getty)
Tonight is the 2019 Tony Awards, and an A-list lineup of celebs will be presenting the evening ceremony.
The full list of presenters includes: Sara Bareilles, Laura Benanti, Abigail Breslin, Danny Burstein, David Byrne, Vanessa Carlton, Kristin Chenoweth, Darren Criss, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Tina Fey, Sutton Foster, Josh Groban, Danai Gurira, Jake Gyllenhaal, Christopher Jackson, Samuel L. Jackson, Shirley Jones, Regina King, Jane Krakowski, Isabelle Stevenson Award recipient Judith Light, Laura Linney, Lucy Liu, Aasif Mandvi, Audra McDonald, Sienna Miller, Catherine O’Hara, Tony Nominee Kelli O’Hara, Karen Olivo, Ben Platt, Billy Porter, Anthony Ramos, Andrew Rannells, LaTanya Richardson Jackson, Michael Shannon, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Marisa Tomei, Aaron Tveit, Samira Wiley and BeBe Winans, according to Gold Derby.
Tonight’s show will also feature a number of performances by those nominated in the Best Musical and Best Revival of a Musical category. So, “Ain’t Too Proud – The Life and Times of the Temptations,” “Beetlejuice,” “Hadestown,” “Kiss Me, Kate,” “Oklahoma!,” “The Prom” and “Tootsie” will all be performing tonight at Radio City Music Hall.
Additional performances include “The Cher Show”, “Choir Boy”, and a performance by Tony winner Cynthia Erivo.
The event, slated to last three hours, will be hosted by James Corden, star of The Late Late Show. He first emceed the ceremony in 2016.
In a recent interview with USA Today, Corden shared that he hopes to keep the show light and positive and to mostly steer clear of any political content. He tells USA Today, “I hope people will find joy in it… We just want to make a show that is an absolute joyous celebration of a group of people that I think should be celebrated at the minimum once a year on television.”
He adds that although he’s a seasoned veteran when it comes to the stage, he still finds the task of performing live at the Tony’s daunting. “It’s terrifying. Because there’s only one chance to do it. It’s completely live… You’re trying to do something new that you only have four days to rehearse.” Corden goes on to say, “We have no intentions of doing anything that is particularly political. But I fully support anybody that wants to…”
In 2006, Corden attended The Tony Awards as a nominee for the play “The History Boys”. In 2012, he won a Tony for his work in “One Man, Two Guvnors.” In 2016, Corden emceed the event.
Be sure to tune into the Tony Awards, tonight on CBS at 8pm ET/PT.