Sara Bareilles and Josh Groban, pop singers who have successfully transitioned to Broadway, will co-host this year’s Tony Awards, the stars announced Wednesday with an adorable video.
Both Bareilles and Groban grew up as theater kids, and have endeared themselves to theater fans in recent years.
Groban received a Tony nomination last year for “Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812”; he also released “Stages,” an album of songs from classic Broadway shows, in 2015. Bareilles wrote the score for “Waitress,” which received a Tony nod two years ago, and went on to star in the musical. She also earned rave reviews earlier this month for playing Mary Magdalene in NBC’s “Jesus Christ Superstar Live in Concert.”
Groban, who is set to kick off a tour with singer-actress Idina Menzel this fall, said he was “humbled and ecstatic” to be co-hosting the awards show with “brilliant artist and wonderful friend” Bareilles.
“The dedication and inspiration surrounding live theatre gave me my life path as a young kid and the warmth and support of the Broadway community has been the highlight of my career,” he said in a statement.
Bareilles echoed those sentiments.
“I have never felt more embraced and encouraged by a professional community, and I am so grateful for that,” she said.
This year’s Tony nominations will be announced May 1. There’s currently a lot of buzz surrounding “The Band’s Visit,” as well as the musical adaptations of “Mean Girls” and “Frozen.” The performances of Andrew Garfield and Laurie Metcalf in the revivals of “Angels in America” and “Three Tall Women,” respectively, have been standouts, too.
The Tony Awards will be broadcast live from New York’s Radio City Music Hall on Sunday, June 10.