7:40 pm: Morley Safer on 60 Minutes launches his interview with Dolly Parton with an intro plugging her latest venture: the Tony-nominated musical 9 to 5.  After a few minutes watching  (a rerun I'd already seen), I slip into the kitchen (Goodbye, Dolly) to reheat a slice of pizza, a k a my Tony night dinner.

8:00 pm: TONY AWARDS OPENING NUMBER: On the dot, Elton John at the piano singing "I'm Free" while the three young Billy Elliots (and their grownup counterparts) dance, dance, dance they surrender the stage to a combination plate of West Side Story and Guys and Dolls and suddenly, seamlessly, we're rockin' with Rock of Ages and then up pops Pal Joey's bewitched, bothered and bewildered Stockard Channing singing her way into an overlap duet with Adam Chanler-Berat from Next to Normal. And now we're Far-Far Away with Shrek, Fiona and their fairytale cronies. And whoa, Dolly's back... with the cast of 9 to 5... And then it's Liza with a Z, out diva-ing Dolly and everyone else on the planet, and then comes the icing: the entire cast of Hair singing "Let the Sun Shine In" and everyone's on their feet! and the Hair hippies are in the audience and all the opening number performers are teeming onto Radio City's mammoth stage belting their Broadway hearts out and applause, applause, applause!

Overall impact: Fabulous. The biggest and most expensive opening number in Broadway history according to host Neil Patrick Harris, who took the stage next. He's relaxed and cool. (First sighting: looks like he's wearing a very shiny suit, but after a minute or two, I'm pretty sure it's actually brown leather.)

Harris's first star references: James Gandolfini (camera zoom: stylized surliness), Anne Hathaway (beaming smile), and Will Ferrell (deadpan blasé). Within seconds: Jane Fonda announcing the best supporting actor in a play:

The Winner: Roger Robinson of Joe Turner's Come and Gone. (Excellent!) He cashes in on the perk of winning early in the evening by thanking everyone from the late August Wilson to a prophetic electrician. But how will others fare time-limit wise?

8:20 pm: First commercial break. Time for pizza.

8:25 pm: Short scenes and musical number from Shrek about how "Things are looking up in Duloc" sung by an off-the chart Christopher Seiber on his bitty faux Farquaad legs backed by the chorus. (Looks like musicals get 5 minutes each.)

8:30 pm: Gandolfini and Jeff Daniels hand out Best Actress in a Play award:

The Winner: (trumping every actress in The Norman Conquests): Angela Lansbury (scooping up her 5th Tony for her ditzy medium in Blithe Spirit).

8:34 pm: Salute to three touring companies starts with Mamma Mia! and "Dancing Queen." Oh that ABBA! (Touring companies evidently get two minutes.) Nice gesture, but will we have time for the extra numbers? The suspense builds.

8:36 pm: Second commercial break, during which my husband informs me our Oberlin College student niece, Holland, is in the audience. Student lottery? Must investigate tomorrow.

8:41 pm: Neil Patrick Harris is back, stalwartly dealing with the usual bad joke banter hosts are saddled with.

First play. 33 Variations is introduced by Colin Hanks and Samantha Mathis: teeny-tiny video clip with star Jane Fonda.

Will Ferrell: mini monologue lacerating his brief Broadway career. He announces Best Original Score Composed for the Stage:

The Winner: Next to Normal.

Lin-Manuel Miranda, who supplied Spanish translations for the production, introduces cast from West Side Story performing "Dance at the Gym" followed by a brief duet (Tony and Maria singing a single line from "Tonight").

8:53 pm: Third commercial break.

8:58 pm: Susan Sarandon (looking beautiful) announces best direction of a play:

The Winner: Matthew Warchus (for God of Carnage; notably, Warchus was also nominated for directing The Norman Conquests).

Sarandon goes on to announce Best Direction of a Musical:

The Winner: Stephen Daldry (for Billy Elliot. His second Tony). (They seem to be letting a single star present two awards. This could set a very wonderful precedent.)

And now, evidently needing no introduction, a production number from Rock of Ages, that includes an early audience tete-a-Liza that morphs into a full-cast rendition of Fleetwood Mac's "Don't Stop!"

9:08: Fourth commercial break. Coffee & three dark chocolate Hershey's kisses. (Keeping it simple.)

9:12: Edie Falco at the podium presenting Best Special Theatrical Event:

The Winner: Liza's at the Palace (No restraint on time here, although they did have to scoot in some music -- but hey, it's Liza.  (A  little leeway here!)

Hope Davis and Marcia Gay Harden introduce God of Carnage's teeny video clip.

Oliver Platt and Lauren Graham introduce Guys and Dolls' production number. (Mic static right off the bat.) Zip, zip: crew guy flies onstage with hand-held mic for Nicely-Nicely and he's off singing "Sit Down You're Rockin' the Boat." (As it should be, Mary Testa as a Salvation Army lady steals the show-stopper.)

9:21 pm: Fifth commercial break. (Kicks off with Lipitor, a cholesterol medication I tried a couple of years ago before settling on Crestor. Good times.)

9:25 pm: A swift and impressive do-si-do through the Tonys given out earlier this evening.

9:27: Lucie Arnaz and Kate Burton give a rundown of The American Theatre Wing. Another zip-zip, only with nice footage of the Wing's impact.

9:29 pm: John Stamos (coming in the fall to Broadway in Bye Bye Birdie) announces Best Featured Actor in a Musical:
   
The Winner: Gregory Jbara (Billy Elliot). Tough competition, so kudos Gregory.

And yes! Stamos announces Best Featured Actress in a Musical:

The Winner: Karen Olivo (West Side Story).

Carrie Fisher (also on Broadway this fall in Wishful Drinking) gives lead-in to Next to Normal production number, which brings down the house.

9:41 pm :Sixth commercial break.

9:45 pm: Jessica Lange announces Best Performance by a Lead Actor in a Play:

The Winner: Geoffrey Rush (Exit the King). (Yes, I typed this before it was announced: a sure thing is a sure thing is a sure thing.) Rush gives best acceptance speech so far.

Hallie Foote and Gerald McRaney announce the micro-mini clip from Dividing the Estate.

Bebe Neuwirth takes on the challenging job of looking at the members of the Broadway community who passed away this past year.  A touching choral rendition of "What I Did for Love" illustrated by a slide show that began with Natasha Richardson and ended with Paul Newman. Touchingly done.

9:53 pm:  7th commercial break.

9:58 pm: Montage of acceptance speeches at the Tony's Creative Awards (given out pre-broadcast.) Glad to see Shrek won for costume.

10:00 pm: Frank Langella gives gloriously droll dig at the Tony Committee for failing to nominate him or his show A Man for All Seasons. (I'm with you, Frank and what about Waiting for Godot and Desire Under the Elms?) Eventually he gets around to the Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role:

The Winner: Marcia Gay Harden (Another major upset: neither of favorites, Janet McTeer and Harriet Walter, Mary Stuart's two lead actresses take the trophy).

Piper Perabo and Steven Pasquale and a mini clip from Reasons to Be Pretty.

Sir Elton John delivers the intro for Billy Elliot' super-powerful tour de Billy dance number.

10:10 pm: 8th commercial break.

10:14 pm: Gina Gershon (to costar with Stamos in Birdie) provides Legally Blonde production number intro. (They are moving these tour snippets along.)

Harvey Fierstein: It wouldn't be a Tony Awards show without him: that voice; that Broadway legacy!  He calls Best Revival of a Play:

The Winner: The Norman Conquests.
   
And the Best Play Award:

The Winner: God of Carnage.

10:21 pm:  9th commercial break.

Angela Lansbury presents a Jerry Herman tribute (Many clips from Hello Dolly and Mame productions) and bestows him with a Lifetime Achievement Award. Heartfelt thanks from Jerry. "I will hold this moment fast because the best of moments is definitely now, is now, is now."

Anne Hathaway introduces the company of Hair singing (and rocking) "Hair."

Kristen Chenoweth announces Best Revival of a Musical:
   
The Winner: Hair.

10:41 pm: 10th commercial break.

David Hyde Pierce appears with Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical:

The Winner: Alice Ripley

Audra McDonald announces Best Performance for a Leading Actor in a Musical:

The Winner(s): The trio of kids who play Billy Elliot: David Alvarez, Trent Kowalik and Kiril Kulish.

Chandra Wilson (now on Broadway in Chicago) steps up to the plate to offer the Jersey Boys number: consisting of a chorus and five Frankie Vallis from different touring productions (okay, they got more than two minutes, but hey, that's a lot of Frankies.)

10:57 pm: 11th Commercial break.

11 pm: Liza announces the last Tony of the night for Best New Musical:
         
The Winner: Billy Elliot.

11:03 pm: Neil Patrick Harris (of whom we've seen very little throughout the night) finally gets to show his stuff by performing a terrific customized version of "Tonight" tapping into the night's celebs, awards and minor mishaps.

11:10 pm: The News, including a recap of the Tonys.

For clips and complete list of winners including those given out prior to the broadcast, visit www.TonyAwards.com.