Elton John, Dolly Parton to perform at Tonys
Reuters, Jun 5, 2009 5:00 pm PDTThe Tony Awards will include a few bona fide music stars among the usual song-and-dance numbers. Elton John, Dolly Parton and Poison will help toast Broadway's finest at Sunday's ceremony, performing with the casts of top-nominated shows "Billy Elliot The Musical," "9 to 5 The Musical" and "Rock of Ages." Parton will perform with the cast of "9 to 5 The Musical," which earned four nominations including best original score. Parton wrote the score for the musical as well as the original song "Backwoods Barbie," also the title track of her latest album. "I've been working on this for four years," the country veteran said at the time, adding that it "was fun for me. It's a different process. I had much more freedom writing for the stage than I do for records."
"A bunch of the shows are getting together and doing a mash-up," said Constantine Maroulis of "Rock of Ages," the tongue-in-cheek hair metal tribute that features original music by Journey, Pat Benatar and Bon Jovi and is vying for five awards including best musical.
"It'll be really cool -- one of those TV-magic moments." The New Jersey-bred rock singer and "American Idol" alumnus couldn't reveal which song he'd be performing with Brett Michaels and company, but he hinted at "Nothin' But a Good Time" by saying that it was "something more up-tempo" than the other Poison song performed in the musical, "Every Rose Has Its Thorn."
John will appear at Sunday's ceremony to perform with the cast of "Billy Elliot The Musical," which goes into the night with 15 nominations, tying the record set by "The Producers" in 2001.
"I don't expect to win at all, actually," said Maroulis, who's competing for best actor in a musical against the three children who play Billy Elliot. "I haven't even thought about it 'cause I know that I'm not going to; those Billy Elliot kids are extraordinary."
The Tony Awards will be broadcast on CBS from Radio City Music Hall in New York.
(Editing by Sheri Linden at Reuters)
More Artist News
Dolly Parton writes her first children's book
Jun 25, 2009 11:00 am PDT
Dolly Parton created a charity 13 years ago to provide books to children and encourage literacy. Now her first children's book, "I Am a Rainbow," will be featured in the philanthropy. The 63-year-old Parton says working on projects for c...
Dolly Parton surprises Girl Scouts, presents badge
Jun 14, 2009 2:00 pm PDT
Country singer Dolly Parton delighted hundreds of Tennessee Girl Scouts when she made a surprise entrance at a ceremony to present them with a patch created in her honor. Parton appeared on stage at the Pines Theatre in Pigeon Forge, wher...
Yusuf takes whimsical look at deportation in song
Jun 5, 2009 7:00 am PDT
Yusuf, the artist formerly known as Cat Stevens, doesn't bear any grudges about being denied entry into the U.S. five years ago. He's responded to the widely publicized episode with a whimsical new song, "Boots and Sand," with a music vide...
Just call her 'Dr. Dolly': Parton receives Ph.D.
May 8, 2009 10:00 am PDT
Award-winning entertainer, businesswoman and education advocate has a new title. "Just think, I am Dr. Dolly!" she said Friday after receiving an honorary doctorate of humane and musical letters from the University of Tennessee in Knoxvil...
Dolly Parton takes "9 to 5" to Broadway
Mar 26, 2009 7:00 pm PDT
The jitters are starting to hit Dolly Parton a bit as she prepares "9 to 5: The Musical" for its Broadway debut. "I'm anxious about it," the country music legend told Billboard.com. Parton, who co-starred in the 1980 film, wrote the s...
Loading...
-
Backwoods Barbie
Dolly Parton -
Better Get To Livin'
Dolly Parton -
Shinola
Dolly Parton -
Imagine
Dolly Parton
