Red Carpet Review: The Tony Awards: Celebs pay their respect to Broadway with song and plenty of glitter

 Unlike its silver screen counterpart, the Tony Awards doesn’t get as much buzz — which is unfortunate because a more talented and hardworking bunch we’ve yet to see. But thanks in part to Glee and its Disney predecessor High School Musical and a younger generation’s embrace of Broadway (a recent New York Times article pointed out that plenty of kids today are Broadway babies, theatergoers who are as much fans of Hairspray, which recently concluded its run, as they are of Hannah Montana), the Tonys may have gotten a bit more hype than it’s used to. That might have a little to do with the fact that Glee’s Lea Michele and Matthew Morrison were scheduled to perform or that Hollywood heavyweights like Denzel Washington, Catherine Zeta-Jones or Scarlet Johansson were nominated (and, spoiler alert, won) but who’s counting?

Where there’s Broadway, there’s bound to be glitter, powerful lighting and a flamboyant dress or two (or four).

Kristin Chenoweth

CELINE: Playboy has a new playmate.

BEA: I have mugs larger than her dress.

Catherine Zeta-Jones

C: Grover (grabe over)... the sky is truly the limit with this all-blue ensemble.

B: The carpet doesn’t always have to match the drapes. The same goes for your dress and eyeshadow, Jones.

Lea Michele

C: And she was all yellow.

B: The Glee actress looks every bit a star here. Yellow becomes her.

Cate Blanchet

C: One of the few people in Hollywood to truly have personal style, not a personal stylist.

B: Silver fox.

Jada Smith

C: She looks like a vagina.

B: Those ruffles look like they’re trying to eat her.

Scarlett Johansson

C: This is sexpot overload. It has that pay-by-the-hour vibe.

B: It’s not enough to be hot. You need to use your powers for good, not evil. With great hotness comes great responsibility to dress classy, not like an S&M drag queen channeling Priscilla Queen of the Night.

Helen Mirren

C: Age becomes her.

B: A bright shining example that a woman can look her age and still be hot.

Paula Abdul

C: She looks like a chocolate truffle waiting to be opened and we wonder what’s in it. As Forrest Gump says, “Life is a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re gonna get.”

B: Since her departure on Idol, TV has been a lot less interesting. Everyone needs a little crazy in their lives, even if it comes packaged in way too many ruffles.

Naomi Watts

C: Beautiful face, ugly dress...as is the sartorial diet in Hollywood.

B: Has she been bathing in virgin blood since we last saw her? Homegirl is so beautiful, you almost miss the fact that she’s wearing Joan Crawford’s gown. Almost.

Laura Linney

C: She’s dressing like she’s about to go to the MTV movie awards as a 20-year-old.

B: Wonderful actress, less-than-wonderful dress.

Kerry Washington

C: Well played, safe but still interesting.

B: Breath of fresh air next to all the matronic stuff on the red carpet.

Lucy Liu

C: Coma in dress. A bit tragic for an interesting actress.

B: She looks like a cream puff. A yummy, expensive one.