by Greg Auman

8:15 p.m.:  How much Neil Patrick Harris will we get during the broadcast? The hosts can really earn their reviews in that opening 10 minutes, but keeping folks around on a channel-surfing night like this will come down to getting that right rhythm with quick jokes and keeping a lively pace.

His first out-of-commercial bit suggests mashups combining plays and musicals for the best of both worlds — “Children of a Lesser Godspell” and “The Elephant Man of La Mancha” and “The Diary of Anne Frankenstein The Musical.” (“Justin Bieber would love that show,” he adds). This is totally ripping off that pop-culture chain atop Medium Happy, but it worked.

8:23 p.m.: Tom Hanks! Smart of Tony to bring out the star treatment early — Hanks is out as a presenter, but could be back later as a winner if the ratings need it. And yes, everybody in the crowd has just enough time to remember proud “Who’s the Boss” alum Judith Light — actually her second Tony win — for “The Assembled Parties.” No, she did not thank Danny Pintauro in her speech.

Hello Larry Crowne