The first thing Neil Patrick Harris did as the Tony Awards kicked off Sunday night was to mock a fellow actor.
“Hi, I’m Neil. I wouldn’t be here if someone else hadn’t passed on hosting. So special thanks to Shia LaBeouf for this opportunity,” the show’s host joked in reference to LaBeouf dropping out of the Broadway show Orphans.
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Harris, a returning Tonys host who also will host the upcoming Emmy Awards for a second time, then launched into his customary song-and-dance number to kick off the show.
The massive production featured a slew of backup dancers — and an appearance by Mike Tyson.
At the end of the number, the How I Met Your Mother star quipped, “Well, that’s our budget — good night!”
Watch the opener below.
The 67th annual Tony Awards are airing live on CBS from New York’s Radio City Music Hall (with a tape-delay in the West Coast).
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