2012 Tony Awards Clip Countdown - Day 3: SMASH Stars

Today we are continuing BroadwayWorld's month-long Tony Awards clip countdown - which culminates in the Tony telecast itself on Sunday, June 10 - with a handful of Tony moments featuring members of the awesomely talented cast of NBC's musical drama series SMASH - season finale airing at 10 PM tonight - years before their big TV breakthrough roles on the hit show, which has been officially renewed for a second season: Megan Hilty, Brian d'Arcy James and a Tony Award nominee this year, Christian Borle!

Comprising a heady assortment of accomplished veterans of TV and film as well as some of Broadway's brightest talents, SMASH has fulfilled its promise in delivering terrific theatrically-themed entertainment each and every week. Undoubtedly, one of the major reasons for the success of the risky musical series is the show's breakout star, Ivy Lynn on the show and real-life Broadway bombshell Megan Hilty. While we have already paid tribute to Hilty's performance as Doralee, the Dolly Parton role, in the Tony-nominated musical 9-TO-5 when the cast appeared alongside Dolly herself on that year's unforgettable Tony Awards opening sequence back in 2009 (check out the Tony Awards Clip Countdown Day 1 here), Hilty is not the only member of the SMASH ensemble appearing in that jaw-dropping montage medley of musical numbers: Brian d'Arcy James also appears as the title character in the screen-to-stage iteration of SHREK! So, since we have already seen two of SMASH's best assets strutting their stuff on the stage of Radio City Music Hall so far in our look back at the best moments in Tony Award history, that leaves one more SMASH crossover star to make a mark on a Tony telecast. ATony nominee this year for his thrilling turn in the imaginative PETER PAN-themed PETER & THE STARCATCHER, Christian Borle, alongside the cast of 2005's Best Musical, SPAMALOT.

Following a short scene by the actors portraying King Arthur & company in the Monty Python spoof show - in this case, namely: Tim Curry, David Hyde Pierce, Michael McGrath, Hank Azaria, Christopher Sieber and Steve Rosen, alongside the aforementioned Christian Borle - that night's newly-minted Tony Award winner for Best Featured Actress In A Musical, Sara Ramirez, launches into the impressive "Find Your Grail" in which she shows off a dizzying assortment of skills - vocal, comedic, dramatic and otherwise. Of course, Ramirez, too, would soon after go on to TV fame by way of her lead role on the ABC medical soap GREY'S ANATOMY, so, along with Borle, that makes two reasons to go back and check out this Best Musical clip from Broadway's night of nights as we look ahead to this year's show.

So, what SMASH star gives the best performance in the brief looks we have been given of them over the last decade on these Tony telecasts? Is Megan Hilty's Doralee the gal of our dreams or does Brian d'Arcy James in his green Shrek get-up win over our hearts? Christian Borle as an Arthurian knight is a sight to see, as well, no doubt, and being a nominee this year himself may make him the winner of that contest - yet, will he take top honors on Tony night? Furthermore, do you think we are likely to see some SMASH stars on this year's show besides nominee Christian Borle? Only time will tell, but until then we have these early glimpses of the glories to come in the careers of these three triple-threat talents.

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