Sean Hayes to Host Tony Awards Ceremony

These have been some busy weeks for Sean Hayes, below, the Emmy Award-winning “Will & Grace” star: he has been starring on Broadway in the revival of “Promises, Promises,” which netted him a Tony Award nomination for best actor in a musical. And — oh, yes — he recently came out publicly and was criticized in an article on Newsweek’s Web site (newsweek.com) that said he and other gay actors were unconvincing as straight characters. And what better way to put that behind him than by hosting a nationally televised awards program? Mr. Hayes has been chosen to host the 64th Annual Tony Awards, its organizers said on Monday.

The awards ceremony that honors Broadway’s best will be held on June 13 at Radio City Music Hall and will be broadcast live on CBS. The 2010 Tonys team will come into the show with some momentum, or some big shoes to fill, depending on how you look at it: the 2009 ceremony, hosted by Neil Patrick Harris, drew the show’s best ratings in three years.