When I was a kid, I watched all the awards shows ... except the Tonys. Even when I was involved in theater as a teenager I wasn't a follower of Broadway. And I lived an hour away from Manhattan. But today's youths may be more interested in tuning in to the 2008 Tony Awards, because everyone's favorite boy wizard is among the presenters. Daniel Radcliffe will likely be there solely to promote his Broadway debut this fall, in Equus, but that shouldn't deter fans of the Harry Potter films, the latest of which, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, also opens in the fall. Despite the significance of Radcliffe's role in Equus (remember those sexy photos?), Radcliffe will presumably be dressed fully and sharply.

Other presenters include Laura Linney, Alec Baldwin, Marisa Tomei and Radcliffe's costar in both the Equus and the Harry Potter films, Richard Griffiths. This year's Tonys are also of interest to movie fans for its nominees, which include movies-turned-musicals Cry-Baby (4 nominations), Xanadu (4 nominations), The Little Mermaid (2 nominations) and Young Frankenstein (3 nominations), as well as the comic adaption of The 39 Steps (6 nominations), based on the John Buchan book that Alfred Hitchcock and others turned into hit films (with a fourth version reportedly in the works).

The Tony Awards will be held at Radio City Music Hall, and broadcast live on CBS, June 15.

It's official! Harry Potter, otherwise known as Daniel Radcliffe, is heading to Broadway. Back in September of last year, I posted about the Brit's plans to reprise his starring role in Equus on Broadway, dropping trou for a whole new set of fans. Now Yahoo has confirmed it.

The young actor will make his Broadway debut on September 5 of this year, in previews for a limited, 22-week run that will stretch from September 25 to February 8 of 2009. Yes, folks, that means he'll be in New York City as Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince hits theaters. I'm thinking that the chances for a big premiere in the Big Apple are pretty darned good -- and just think -- if you book tickets for the play around November 2, you can have a double Radcliffe whammy!

Thea Sharrock is directing the play, which is based on the true story of a troubled young man who blinds horses with a metal hoof pick. Richard Griffiths (who plays Uncle Vernon in the Potter franchise) will also reprise his role as the psychiatrist who treats Radcliffe's troubled lead. Now the question becomes: Will Daniel's nudity and smoking create an uproar here as well? He is now 18, so that should stop some of the skin qualms, but the Big Apple certainly isn't the most smoke-friendly city these days.

There once was a history, a History of Boys to be precise. They ran onto a London stage in the Spring of 2004. Eager theatre-goers bought tickets, and sold-out performances led the boys to a national tour that soon became an international one. They performed in a few key cities around the globe, from Sydney to Broadway, regaling the world with life in a grammar school in the 80's. The success of their story now comes together in a film to hit all the lonely, history-boy-free places the tour missed.

The basic premise: It is the 1980's, and a group of schoolboys are preparing for entrance exams. They are taught by three teachers, two of which are rivals. One, Hector, is a romantically-minded teacher played by Harry Potter's own Uncle Vernon, Richard Griffiths. His rival is Irwin, a sensible teacher played by Stephen Campbell Moore, who you might remember from Bright Young Things. The trio is rounded out by Mrs. Lintott, a deadpan teacher who gripes about the plights of women in history, and is played by Frances de la Tour, another Potter alum. Top that off with some twenty-something men playing schoolboys, and what's not to love?

Yahoo has an interesting article about the film, which covers some of the theatre-to-cinema basics. It can be tricky work, adapting a play to the screen, especially one that has won so many awards. The film is directed by Nicholas Hytner, the guy who directed, in order -- The Madness of King George, The Crucible, The Object of My Affection, and Center Stage. Hell, with this track record, anything is possible. The film is out this week, so the wait is nil.