Darren Criss and Julianne Hough have been tapped to help kick off the 2022 Tony Awards. The pair will host “The Tony Awards: Act One” on CBS in the hour before the ceremony.
During the pre-show, Criss and Hough will begin bestowing honors and introducing special performances to get viewers ready for the three-hour live awards ceremony celebrating Broadway.
As previously announced, Ariana DeBose will be hosting the awards show. Nominations for the 75th annual Tony Awards were revealed on Monday.
Two Michael Jackson musicals dominated the nominations with newcomer composer Michael R. Jackson’s “A Strange Loop” leading with 11 nominations. “MJ: The Musical,” about the late King of Pop, and the 19th-century-set “Paradise Square” followed with 10 nods each. Among plays, “The Lehman Trilogy” led with eight nominations — including nods for all three of its leading men: Simon Russell Beale, Adam Godley and Adrian Lester.
Familiar stars such as Hugh Jackman and Sutton Foster (“The Music Man”), Billy Crystal (“Mr. Saturday Night”), Sam Rockwell (“American Buffalo”), Phylicia Rashad (“Skeleton Crew”) and Mary-Louise Parker (“How I Learned to Drive”) all landed nominations in acting categories.
Criss currently stars opposite Sam Rockwell and Laurence Fishburne in “American Buffalo,” which on Monday received a nomination for Best Revival of a Play. “American Buffalo” is playing at the Circle in the Square Theatre for a limited engagement through Sunday, July 10. Criss is no stranger to Broadway, with other credits including “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” and “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying.”
Hough recently made her Broadway debut in “POTUS: Or, Behind Every Great Dumbass Are Seven Women Trying to Keep Him Alive.” The show will have a limited engagement run through Sunday, Aug. 14 at the Shubert Theatre.
“The Tony Awards: Act One” will air on CBS and stream on Paramount+ beginning at 7 p.m. ET on Sunday, June 12. The 75th annual ceremony will air directly following the pre-show.
