If the 65th annual Tony Awards succeeded in doing just one thing on Sunday night, it was in reminding viewers just how bad the 83rd annual Academy Awards were this past February. To paraphrase the great Mike Lowery: that's how you produce an awards show! From host Neil Patrick Harris' opening song and dance number about Broadway to his closing wrap-up rap, the Tonys were funny, touching, energetic and just about perfect. Or, the opposite of everything the Oscars have become. Ahead, 5 lessons the producers of the 84th annual Academy Awards can take away from the telecast.
1. Give out the "smaller" awards off-screen
Apologies to Wally Pfister, Robert Stromberg and Karen O'Hara, and Richard King, but if they weren't given 60-to-90 seconds during the Academy Awards this year to thank family, friends and co-workers, would anyone be that upset -- besides the aforementioned family, friends and co-workers? Pulling at the thread of what awards are worthy of television coverage is a dangerous game for the Oscars -- what constitutes "important" at this point? -- but perhaps co-opting the Tony's layout wouldn't be such a bad idea. The technical awards were given out during the commercial breaks, and the speeches were cut together in montages sprinkled throughout the show. It's splitting the baby in the best possible way: winners get to thank who they need to thank in front of their peers, and television audiences get to see the briefest glimpse of their gratitude.
2. Allow for lengthy, spontaneous speeches
Consider this a corollary to Lesson No. 1: with less awards presented during the telecast, more time is available for the winners' speeches. Sure, Ellen Barkin went on entirely too long during her speech after winning Best Actress in a Featured Role in a Play, but she was certainly moving. As too was Nikki M. James from Book of Mormon, who not only seemed genuinely excited to be on stage after winning, but was equal turns hilarious and touching during her rambling two-and-a-half minutes. If the Best Lighting Design of a Musical winner was allotted 60 seconds, do either of these moments even happen?
3. Get rid of the precursors
The Tony Awards felt spontaneous because they were spontaneous. It would be impossible, of course -- especially since the numerous Oscar precursors are now part of the season -- but imagine how much more fun the Oscars would be if you didn't know who was going to win in advance. Norbert Leo Butz's Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical victory for Catch Me If You Can was a legitimate surprise; Colin Firth's victory for Best Actor earlier this year was an expected coronation given his identical trophies from the Golden Globes, SAG and numerous critics' groups. It doesn't always work out that way for the Tonys -- Book of Mormon was such an obvious choice for Best Musical that presenter Chris Rock made a joke about that fact -- but the awards certainly allow for more shocks than the Oscars do.
4. Being live is a good thing
Try as they might, the Oscars never feel "live" -- there are very few rough edges during the interminable telecast, and the whole thing seems hermetically sealed. The Tonys, on the other hand, are kind of a mess! Brooke Shields screwed up during the opening song and dance routine not once, but twice -- and then she cursed about it later in the telecast. You could actually hear Daniel Radcliffe gasping for air during his performance of "Brotherhood of Man" from How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. That's fun! Even the In Memoriam segment was lively -- instead of cutting the crowd mics to allow for respectful silence, the Tonys opened those suckers up to applause. Oscars, take note: even if the evening is a stuffy black-tie affair, it doesn't have to feel stuffy.
5. Just hire Neil Patrick Harris to host already -- and pair him with Hugh Jackman
Enough tiptoeing: the Oscars need Neil Patrick Harris to host in 2012. Never mind that he's not really a movie star (though he is appearing in The Smurfs this July); Harris is a born showman and the type of person who could salvage even a boring Academy Awards telecast. An even better idea? Hire Hugh Jackman, too, and let the song-and-dance men sing and dance their way through the night. Consider these two the anti-James Franco and Anne Hathaway.