The Top Ten Tony Moments of All Time... According to Randy Rainbow

What's more exciting than the Tony Awards? Your wedding day, perhaps? The birth of your first child, you say? WRONG! The answer is, in fact, nothing. The Tonys are the most exciting thing ever to happen in life, and they are just weeks away! So, to celebrate Tonys season and to help get you pumped for the big day, I've comprised an official list of the Greatest Tony Awards Moments Ever, according to me (and therefore according to you, too.)

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1. That Time Patti LuPone Told the Orchestra to Shut Up

Picture it: Radio City Music Hall, 2008. It was only 2 years since LaChanze stole the Best Actress in a Musical Tony from Patti for Sweeney Todd won the Best Actress in a Musical Tony for The Color Purple, and a harrowing 29 years since Patti LuPone's first win for Evita. Patti was the favorite to win this year for her long-awaited portrayal of Mama Rose in Gypsy, and thank the lord all went as planned or Kelli O'Hara might not have lived to see her sixth nomination. Her acceptance speech turned out to be one of the highlights of the night/my life, and in a perfect Patti moment, when the orchestra began to play her off (around the 3:35 mark), she quickly reminded them that it was still Rose's turn.

2. That Time Rosie Made All Our Dreams Come True

I definitely was - and will always be - a Rosie kid. So when Ro hosted the 52nd Annual Tonys in 1999 and opened the show with a musical montage featuring Patti LuPone, Betty Buckley and Jennifer Holliday, all singing their signature showstoppers, you can imagine the amount of glitter that erupted from my every orifice. (Sorry... TMI?)

3. That Time Neil Patrick Harris Nailed It (aka That Time Brooke Shields Did Not)

After his hosting debut in 2009, Neil "Patricia" Harris had already proved to be the darling of the Tony Awards, and his return in 2011 only solidified his status. With a song penned brilliantly by the composers of the musical Cry-Baby, letting straight people know it was safe for them to get in on the action, Harris pulled off arguably one of the best and subsequently most-viewed opening numbers in Tony history. Brooke Shields, on the other hand, did not have quite as much luck, and her epically failed cameo at the 3:12 mark remains one of the 'cringiest' Tony moments ever. #Bless

4. That Time Wolverine Made Carrie Bradshaw Dance

Let's be real: Nobody enjoys audience participation. It's awkward and upsetting for everyone involved. Maybe that'll teach you to sit in the front row, Sarah Jessica Parker! In this old gay chestnut from 2004, Hugh Jackman, who was both the host and a nominee that year, calls an exceptionally coy SJP onstage during his performance from The Boy from Oz. All in all, it was a great moment and everybody won, including Jackman who scored the Tony for Best Actor in a Musical. One of my favorite parts of this clip is at 6:04 when Sarah Jessica returns to her seat and back to the safety of her GBF Andy Cohen, who leans over to reassure her. "Gurl. You were fine, gurl."

5. That Time Jennifer Holliday Seriously Made Everybody Love Her

This. #obviously

6. That Time Broadway Tried to Kill Bret Michaels

No, literally. The lead singer of Poison was almost crushed to death, live on the Tony Awards by a flashing sign that said "BROADWAY"! (Actually, now that I say it, I hope that's exactly how I go when my time comes.) Who could forget this craziness during the opening medley in 2009? Luckily, the rockstar survived, though the mishap led to a highly publicized lawsuit against CBS and the Tony Awards. Of course there's nothing funny about this clip, but now that almost 6 years have passed, perhaps the most amusing part is the zero amount of time the television viewing audience had to process the image of Bret Michaels being pummeled by a giant set piece before Stockard Channing suddenly appeared in an evening gown and fur wrap to sing "Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered" from Pal Joey. That's showbiz, kids! Jump to 4:57 to witness the horror.

7. That Time Idina Menzel Flew

This very pop-u-lar (see what I did there?) Tony moment from the cast of Wicked, which preceded Idina Menzel's Best Actress win in 2004, will always be one of my all-time favorites. Of course, the haters gonna hate, and Idina's vocals during this particular performance have been the subject of many a debate among fans for years now. Some show queens just aren't as forgiving as others. But as Patti LuPone once said to an orchestra: "SHUT UP!" It's Idina Menzel! And it's Wicked! And she's flying! And it's Wicked! And it's Idina Menzel! And she's flying!

8. That Time Bernadette Peters Broke Our Hearts

Our beloved BP picked up her second Best Actress Tony in 1999 for Annie Get Your Gun, and her emotional acceptance speech in full Annie Oakley evening attire was so adorable and sincere and satisfyingly filled to the brim with pure unadulterated Bernadette Peters-ness, I had to include it on my list. (PS, um, how does Bernadette Peters have only two Tony Awards?)

9. That Time When Everything Was Rent

In my correct and humble opinion, not since Rent has a musical so significantly defined a generation or been so groundbreaking. This clip from 1996 is a throwback to a truly thrilling time on Broadway, and the celebration of a show that changed the game while launching some pretty colossal careers. Stay tuned after the performance (around 6:05) to see Jonathan Larson's sister accept his awards, plus the Best Musical Tony win presented by Sir Andrew.

10. That Time Audra McDonald Won Broadway

Did you know that Audra McDonald only has 6 Tony Awards? Feels like it should be more, no? Nevertheless, no list would be complete without this truly historic tearjerker from 2014 when my adoptive mother Audra accepted the prize for Best Actress in a Play for Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill, breaking the record for most Tonys won by a performer. I screamed so loud when it happened that I was on vocal rest for two weeks following. Love ya, Ma!

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