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VIDEO: 2012 Tony Award Winners

PHOTOS: Getty

Christopher Plummer presents the brilliant Audra McDonald with the award for Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical for Porgy and Bess at the 66th Annual Tony Awards. Porgy and Bess also won the award for Best Revival.

The full list of winners AFTER THE JUMP ...

McDonald becomes the first Black actress to ever win five Tony Awards, reports Shadow & Act. "McDonald’s win makes her only the seventh black woman to win a Tony in the Best Performance by an Actress in a Musical category. The last black actress to win in the category was LaChanze for her performance in The Color Purple in 2006."

Also of note: Bruce Norris' Clybourne Park won the Tony Award for Best Play. Clybourne Park was written in response to Lorraine Hansberry's 1959 masterpiece A Raisin in the Sun (1959). It portrays fictional events set before and after that play. Clybourne Park was awarded the 2011 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

It was only two years ago in that for the first time in history Black performers won Best Actor and Best Actress in a play for the same theater season. Denzel Washington and Viola Davis triumphed for Fences,

The list of winners, performances and some acceptance speeches AFTER THE JUMP ...

VIDEO, PHOTOS: Hundreds Bid Farewell to Icon Lena Horne

Hundreds of mourners paid their final respects to the late Lena Horne on Friday, gathering in a New York City church to celebrate the life of the legendary jazz singer, actress and civil rights icon. The iconic entertainer died Sunday at age 92.

More photos and video from the service WHEN YOU JUMP ...

The funeral mass was at the Church of St. Ignatius Loyola on the city's Upper East Side. Ms. Horne, whose signature song was "Stormy Weather," was remembered as a shy girl from Brooklyn who fought racism for decades to emerge as a world-class singer and social activist.

The New York Times:

"In the pews were hundreds of mourners, among them Jessye Norman, Leontyne Price, Dionne Warwick, Lauren Bacall, Chita Rivera, Cicely Tyson (right), Vanessa Williams and Gov. David A. Paterson. Leslie Uggams said that Ms. Horne had been someone to look up to. “When my father reluctantly figured out that I was going to go in show business,” Ms. Uggams recalled outside the church, he said, 'I want you to be like Lena.'

The service began with a cello piece by Bach. Later, Audra McDonald performed an arrangement of 'This Little Light of Mine' and 'Amazing Grace,' and one of four speakers, Representative John Lewis of Georgia, said Ms. Horne had been 'a light, and she did shine. She did not give in. She did not give up. She did not give out.' Mr. Lewis said he had known Ms. Horne since the civil rights demonstrations of the 1960s."

Other trailblazers such as Chita Rivera, Diahann Carroll and Dionne Warwick were present. Their photos and video from the service WHEN YOU JUMP ...

In related news: On Friday, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) introduced a resolution that passed unanimously, recognizing Ms. Horne's legacy as a Hollywood trailblazer and civil rights activist. President Obama's statement on Ms. Horne's passage can be read HERE. And at The Huffington Post: Irene Monroe remembers the icon as "more than skin deep".

Lena Horne: In Her Own Voice is scheduled to air on PBS  through May 23. The documentary also streams online.

Daughter Gail Lumet is above and the family gathers below. More photos and video WHEN YOU JUMP ...

 

Paterson and Bloomberg Lead Thousands to Rally for Marriage

Not to be outdone by the competing evangelical-inspired, anti-gay marriage protest, thousands more attended a pro-gay marriage rally near Times Square. Gov. David A. Paterson—whose marriage bill just passed the Assembly—headlined the rally and was joined by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and a number of celebrities including Sex and the City star Cynthia Nixon who announced her engagement.

The governor told the cheering crowd: "My name is David Paterson and I came here today seeking justice. Let New York lead the country in making the dreams and wishes come true for people who want to get married.”

The New York Times reports:  "Paterson did not initially plan to attend. His last-minute appearance, which came just a few hours after thousands of same-sex marriage opponents held a much larger demonstration outside the governor’s Midtown Manhattan office, underscored the high stakes at issue in the Senate vote. 'We’re in a race right now in New York,' the governor told [the] crowd. 'The time for justice, the time for equality, the time for equal rights can never be any more urgent than right now.' "

There are only 18 days remaining in the Senate's legislative session. Paterson's marriage equality bill passed the Assembly 89 - 52 but its success in the Senate is uncertain. Senate Majority Leader Malcolm Smith will not bring the bill to the floor for a vote unless it has the 32 votes it needs to pass. At the latest count, Smith is up to six votes short, reports the Daily News.

Among the many speakers: Newly engaged Sex In The City star Cynthia Nixon flashing the diamond engagement ring given to her by fiancée Christine Marinoni, Assemblyman Danny O'Donnell, State Sen. Tom Duane and Empire State Pride Agenda executive director Alan Van Cappelle. The cast of Hair performed two numbers and Broadway hunk Cheyenne Jackson sang. Tony Award winner Audra McDonald rocked the crowd with her performance of "Some Days," the poem by iconic black gay writer James Baldwin and set to music by Steve Marzullo

 

Cheyenne Jackson and Audra McDonald photos via Flickr user Cybermelli.

AFTER THE JUMP, watch Audra McDonald explain why marriage equality is important to her and sings "Some Days" by James Baldwin. Also watch the cast of Hair perform the fabulous "Aquarius."

Conversation with Anthony Antoine

Anthony Antoine is a true renaissance man. An outspoken artist, writer and educator, you may know him as one-third of Adodi Muse, the Atlanta-based, black gay poets ensemble. Today, the Newark NJ-native has returned to his first love of music, and is getting rave reviews for releasing his first full-length CD, Closets on Fire.

In an era where its typical to hear hip-hop artists and many others claim to "keep it real," Anthony's extremely personal effort sets the bar. His album celebrates sexuality and empowerment, and encourages the listener to chart their own path, and dance to overcome adversity. Meanwhile, singles like "Ass" and "Bare" explore a raw sexuality that is only hinted by many other artists. Besides from being highly entertaining, Anthony Antoine is an inspiration to many. He's earned the nickname The Prince of Edutainment.

Closets on Fire is an love letter to the great singer-songwriters of the 80s and 90s, fitting because that's where Anthony got his start in music. Anthony moved to London at the tender age of 17 and became a top session vocalist, and then an artist in his own right. Anthony worked with some of London's best, such as Paul Hardcastle, who produced the Billboard Top 20 hit "19" and Anthony 's first single, "Swing" by The Deff Boyz featured Anthony as "Tony Mac." Along the way, young Anthony toured Europe with C & C Music Factory, saw his videos in heavy rotation on MTV .. and at the height of his success, he gave it all up, returned to the States, and begin his journey out of the closet. Since then, he's worked with everyone, from opening for Kelly Price to cutting a single with American Idol's Jennifer Hudson. Closets on Fire was released this summer, but it's been 18 years in the making. You can listen to and purchase Closets on Fire at Anthony's site, or at CDBaby.

Rod: I'm listening to your album now, and the first thing that comes to mind is a concept album from the 70s or 80s. You're very comfortable with both ballads and uptempo—it’s all there.

Anthony: That's a compliment to me because I love the concept albums from the 80s. I'm a huge 80s music fan. Janet Jackson's Control album was the ultimate and a huge start to many concept albums to follow.

Rod: You even have that 90s, Tony Terry-synthesizer thing going on. I think you even reference him on “One Hit.”

Anthony: That’s funny because I'm a huge Tony Terry fan. His voice is just great - a vocal acrobat. But I've wanted to do music since I moved to London in 1987.