Whoopi Goldberg

Whoopi Goldberg will be guest-starring on the second season of The Cleaner when it premieres on A&E next week. The Cleaner star Benjamin Bratt recently told Entertainment Weekly, “Talk about an iconic persona. I think over the years people have forgotten what an amazing actor [Whoopi] is.”

So true. Better known now as co-host of The View and earlier this decade as host of the Academy Awards and the Tony Awards, Whoopi started her career as a movie actress, earning a Best Actress Oscar nomination in 1986 for her portrayal of Celie Johnson in The Color Purple. This was only her second big screen appearance. She went on to win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress as Oda Mae Brown in Ghost in 1991.  From 1993 – 1996 she won four People’s Choice Awards, fueled by her comedic turns as Deloris Van Cartier in Sister Act and its sequel, Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit.

Which is your favorite of Whoopi’s iconic movie roles? Voice your choice in today’s featured poll. And let’s all set our DVRs to A&E on June 23rd so we can remind ourselves why we fell in love with her in the first place.

The opening performance at the 2009 Tony Awards

Did you catch the Tony Awards on CBS last night? I was fortunate enough to attend the live event at Radio City Music Hall and I’m here to tell you that it was extraordinary. From the opening production number (that included the casts of the four shows nominated for Best Musical and the four shows nominated for Best Revival of a Musical, with a little Liza Minnelli thrown in for good measure) to host Neil Patrick Harris’ hilarious show closing number, the 2009 Tony Awards did not disappoint.

Billy Elliot was the big winner of the night, taking home trophies for Best Musical, Book of a Musical, Leading Actor, Featured Actor, Direction, Choreography, Orchestrations, Scenic Design, Lighting Design, and Sound Design. These victories were all well-deserved; I saw Billy Elliot on Broadway (for the third time!) on Friday night and I can’t say enough good things about the show. I was thrilled to see Elton John open last night’s Tonys along with the three boys who went on to share the Leading Actor in a Musical Award:  David Alvarez, Trent Kowalik and Kiril Kulish. Their (clearly unprepared) acceptance speech at the end of the show was priceless.

If you find yourself in New York or London any time soon, run — don’t walk — to get tickets for Billy Elliot. But don’t ignore the three also-rans in the Best Musical category: Next to Normal, Rock of Ages and Shrek. Although they didn’t take home the Best Musical Tony Award last night, they are each terrific shows in their own right. Which of these Tony runners up are you most excited to see, based on the performances at last night’s Tonys? Voice your choice in today’s featured poll. And post your comments on last night’s Tony telecast below. The Emmy Awards are three months away, so this is our last major awards show for awhile. Personally, I think the Tonys should win an Emmy.

Let’s focus on the nominees for Best Revival of a Musical:  Guys and Dolls, Hair, Pal Joey, and West Side Story.  I was lucky enough to see the first three and I’m taking my sister Holly to West Side Story when she comes for her annual New York trip in June.  Pal Joey has since closed; the other three are alive and kicking and are worth your precious time and hard-earned money.  Guys and Dolls is good clean fun.  I mean, really, what’s not to love about that show?  Although none of the cast received acting nods for their performances, they were terrific.  You can check out my video review of Guys and Dolls at Broadway.com.  Hair will have you humming “Let the Sunshine” for weeks to come.  Will Swenson, a nominee for Best Featured Actor in a Musical, is especially great.  Our featured poll today asks which of these musical revivals you are most anxious to see.  Voice your choice!  And let us know your thoughts on today’s Tony nominations.  For a complete list of nominees click here.

West Side Story, Tony Nominee for Best Revival of a Musical