Neil Patrick Harris – 2013 Tony Awards

I can break your heart
with a work of art
and a song that's quiet and small
but we're back where we began it all
Radio City Music Hall

So tonight we might go bigger
That's right it's bigger
It's Broadway's greatest night and we're raring to go
Let's make it bigger, tonight it's bigger
Who will take home a Tony statue we don't know
I guarantee a truly legendary show

The season's new recruits includes the cast of Kinky Boots
You know they're beautiful and buff as Navy Seals.
And you can bounce a quarter off the ass of Billy Porter,
Lord, he does 8 shows a week in eight inch heels.

Hats off to Berry Gordy, he runs Motown like a boss,
He dominates Top 40 and banged Diana Ross.
He wrote his own libretto, which is really kind of ballin'
He took every Motown classic and he said 'I'll put em all in.'

Make it bigger, that's right it's bigger.
I just learned this dance like half an hour ago.
We're going bigger, like so much bigger,
You ever seen so many divas in a row? (Hell no)
Well stick with me cause your MC's a seasoned pro. (Go Neil Go!)

It's Pippin! Never slippin, always flippin' from their corner of the sky
But the sky is overcrowded with this oh so highly touted
cast of singing circus people flying by.

The cast of Bring It On had count em thirty-two debuts.
Hey, kids, welcome to Broadway, forget your Union dues.

In tandem like we planned em, forgive me if it's random,
but Mike Tyson had a one man show, let's give the man a hand
And make things bigger (Tyson: It's bigger!) That's right it's bigger,
I'm here with Iron Mike, he's a heavyweight, yo.

We're going bigger, the night is bigger,
We've got cheerleaders, contortionists and so.
Don't change the channel to our show. (Go, Neil, Go!)

The magical Matilda stole the show and nearly killed us
so they got a special Tony of their own.
This strikes at the achilles of the jaded former Billys,
they get Tony's but they're fired when the're grown.

Now here's the kids from Christmas Story, Annie, and her orphans.
So many child actors high on Red Bull and endorphins.
They barely come up to your knees, but God they're singing like MVPs
and they're the reason this whole season seems to look like Chuck E. Cheese

And geez it's bigger, that's right it's bigger.
Is there a Tony day care where all of you go?
You're getting bigger, the night is bigger.
Do your parents set aside your Broadway dough? (Heck, No)
When I played Doogie, never mind on with the show. (Go, Neil, Go!)

Oh, Broadway's where famous people go.
But being famous doesn't mean that you will get a good review.
So, Alec write Ben Brantley if you want. That's entertaining too.
We've got magic to do.

Bigger, that's right it's bigger.
I'm walking down the aisle with some Newsies in tow.
You know it's bigger, so much bigger,
if there's a Newsie you prefer just let me know.
You'll get a Newsie in your gift bag when you go.

(Spoken: That's true, there's like 150 of those punks. Oh wait, check this out.
Can I have my Tom Hooper Les Mis close-up, please?
See, on Broadway we don't need extreme close-ups to prove we're singing live.
We sing live eight shows a week, check it!)

(Rapped) At the end of the day we are gathered together to honor the best and the brightest.
And the tomorrow the fashion police will report on your dress and who wore it the tightest.
If you win have the time of your life tell your manager, Dad, and your Mom thanks.
Hi to you kids and your husband or wife, maybe just for the hell of it, Tom Hanks.
Nothing is bigger and better than seeing a veteran get an ovation.
Or seeing a brilliant beginner freak out when a win on their first nomination.
There's a kid in the middle of nowhere who's sitting and living for Tony performances singing and flipping along with the Pippins and Wiggits and Kinkys, Matildas and Mormons-es.

So we might reassure that kid
and do something to spur that kid,
cause I promise you all of us up here tonight,
we were that kid and now:

We're bigger, tonight it's bigger,
so let's create the biggest spectacle we know.

Come see the super sexy Cinderellas, sisters celebrating.
Ladies, grab a fellow, the tempo is accelerating.
Spidey, Pippin, Motown bands, and Kinky Rock Of Ages.
Chicago, Bring It On, and Christmas Story sharing stages.
Mamma Mia, Lion King, the Jersey Boys are tappin'.
Kathy Lee's a Broadway lyricist, so anything can happen.

Bigger! New York is Bigger!
So welcome to our bigger, better, best of Broadway Tony show.

[salesenablementon-demand]

I always come back to this... literally the best opening of any award show ever! ❤

[KnicolewithaK]

Been living in my head, rent free, since 2013.

Came back in Dec 2024 because I knew he said, "Singing and flipping along with the Pippin and Wickeds..."

[Erasureeraser]

As someone who watched a lot of award shows, this is easily the greatest opening of an award show EVER. Like, i adore Ricky Gervais at the Golden Globe but this is truly felt like it came from another planet

[madeyed]

Nobody can host the Tony like Neil Patrick -- BEST EVER!!!! Thank you to all the talented singers and dancers for entertaining the world ❤❤❤❤

[MissTrixie]

It’s exhausting just watching this. It must have been magic if he was able to run from stage to the back and still be able to sing. Bravo to all.

[gregorybufkin]

THE Tony opening of all Tony openings! WOW!

[KidIndigo]

Still absolutely mesmerizing. NPH remains a treasure, and the ensemble was awesome as well.

[MrCrowebobby]

Can you even imagine work that went into that?! Even for a talent like Neil Patrick.

[chriskleinhaus]

this simply has to be one of the best award openers ever! simply incredible!

[christiansborledegg]

everyone looks so excited and happy to be there 😭😭😭

[edgard]

Bist Du deppert, das ist tatsächlich die Defenition hard to follow.
Da stimmt alles, Musik, Maske, Kostüme, Performance, einfach perfekt!
Habe regelmäßig Werbung dafür gemacht, weil ich es ganz großartig finde!
😀😘

[cindyp]

that was amazing! he is uber-talented.

[PS_testing...]

Who knew back in the Dougie days? What a talent. The whole company.

[ElChamoRios]

Weird how this only has 100k views when I’ve watched it a billion times

[tifftiff]

hes crazyyy lmao we need this energy backk

[yckiryob]

I had fun watching this opening number! Kudos to all who worked so hard to execute this, really amazes me NPH could memorize all those words!

[MP-lqxx]

Phenomenal! What was also great to watch were the audience..especially as we could see before what they were discovering! Kudos to the audience at the end!

[lucasseagroveF]

that, ladies and gentlemen, is broadway.

[Erasureeraser]

It's really sad how the Tony Award does a better show and honoring the nominees more than the Oscars. I'm more of a movie guy than a theater guy but damn, i'm ridiculously jealous how good the Tony Award shows are compare to the Oscars 😂

[OptimusWombat]

How was this video posted 8 years ago but only have 7 comments, all from within the past month? What's suddenly triggering the algorithm?