PREACH IT! Broadway flips Newsweek the bird, hires Sean Hayes for Tonys
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The entertainment business isn’t quite through delivering its prolonged stick-it to Newsweek magazine. Monday, the Tony Awards people tapped Sean Hayes to host their big show June 13, indicating once again -- in so many words -- that Newsweek writers have no clue what acting is all about, and they should just shut it already.
Something tells us that Ramin Setoodeh -- who wrote the original self-hating anti-gay screed that started it all -- will not be scoring a backstage press pass.
As for Hayes, the actor, who is himself up for a Tony for his role in the revival of “Promises, Promises,†has chosen -- for now, anyway -- to ignore the obvious elephant on the stage. In a statement, he said only, “I am absolutely thrilled to be hosting the Tony Awards. As the new guy on Broadway, it’s an honor to be included in the established alumni.â€
Still, we hold out some hope that Hayes will stand up to Setoodeh personally instead of letting friends like costar Kristin Chenoweth speak for him; there’s always the opening monologue, after all.
Is the selection of Hayes overkill? Maybe. And handing Hayes a Tony just because Newsweek beat up on him certainly wouldn’t serve anyone’s interest. (The New York Times said Hayes’ “emotions often seem pale to the point of colorlessness.... And his relationship with Ms. Chenoweth’s Fran feels more like that of a younger brother than a would-be lover and protector.â€) But it sure is fun for the rest of us to write about.
Besides, Setoodeh himself still doesn’t seem to get it. He defended his original piece in a follow-up column, essentially insisting that commenters twisted his words.
Maybe we should hire Hayes to host the Oscars too. And the Kids’ Choice Awards, and the Razzies, and the Emmys ...
-- Leslie Gornstein
Top photo: Kristin Chenoweth and Sean Hayes at the curtain call for ‘Promises, Promises’ on Broadway. Credit: Charles Sykes / AP
Related dispatches from the Ministry of Gossip:Hey, Kristin Chenoweth -- that Newsweek guy is explaining himself [updated]
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