Throwback Thursday: N.P.H. Is Back Again

What if life were more like theatre? What if we all danced and sang like no one was watching? What if we could change clothes in five seconds and be at a different scenery at the blink of an eye?

From his teen heartthrob “Doogie Howser, M.D.” days to his mature looks on the hit TV show, “How I Met Your Mother,” Neil Patrick Harris has charmed audience. Now, he is back on stage as he hosts the 67th edition of the American Theatre Wing’s Tony Awards on Sunday, June 9th for the third time in a row at Radio City Music Hall. It will be N.P.H’s fourth time overall leading one of entertainment’s greatest nights—honoring the best of Broadway. As he did in 2012, he’ll also act as a producer along with executive producers Ricky Kirshner and Glenn Weiss of White Cherry Entertainment.

N.P.H has had a successful career spanning more than 25 years in the industry. In addition to numerous films and television shows N.P.H has performed on Broadway in shows including Assassins, Proof and Cabaret. As my mind strolls down memory lane I can’t help but recall my childhood whenever I see Mr. Harris. My, oh, my do I love Broadway but oh, how I loved Doogie Howser when I was just four years old. Television captured my attention at a young age as I pranced around my house chanting and pointing at the screen, “Doogie Howser, mommy, Doogie Howser!”

Enough with my childhood love rant, are you excited for this year’s Tony Awards? During this Throwback Thursday, I’d like to list five little known facts about the Tony Awards.

1. The Start: The American Theatre Wing’s Tony Awards got their start in 1947 when the Wing established an awards program to celebrate excellence in the theatre.

2. The Name Tony (Actually Toni): Tony was the nickname of a stunning actress, Antoinette Perry, who later successfully produced and directed in an era when women in the business were usually relegated to acting, costume design or choreography.

3. The Award: There was no official Tony Award during the first two years of the Tony’s; the winners were presented with a scroll and, in addition, mementos such as a gold money clip (for men) and a compact (for women).

4. The Award Design: In 1949, the designers’ union, United Scenic Artists, sponsored a contest for a model for the award. The winning entry, a disk-shaped medallion designed by Herman Rosse, depicted the masks of comedy and tragedy on one side and the profile of Antoinette Perry on the other.

5. The Longest-running Show on Broadway: Winner of seven 1988 Tony Awards including Best Musical, The Phantom of the Opera is the longest-running show in Broadway history.

Now that you’ve learned a little about the awards and its excellence, I leave you with the one and only, N.P.H singing a medley of songs from Broadway over the past 66 years.

What’s your favorite musical? Share it with us!

Cover Photo Source: Tomás Fano via Flickr
Photo Source 1: Lan Bui via Wikimedia Commons

[author] [author_image timthumb=’on’] https://wpmaster.sjadv.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Nicole.png [/author_image] [author_info]Nicole Hernandez is the social media manager at SJG. She’s a Chicagoan who graduated from DePaul University with a B.A. in Public Relations & Advertising and minor in Journalism. Nicole is known to her peers as being online all the time –  while on her spare time you can find her taking footage on her phone while she’s rocking out at music festivals. She’s also training to be the new water girl at Chicago Bulls games (in her dreams). [/author_info] [/author]