10 Reasons to WATCH the 2013 TONY AWARDS…

Valisia LeKae as Diana Ross in Motown: The Musical  (Photography Credit/MotownTheMusical.com)

Written by | Ray Cornelius

The stars will align tonight in New York City for the 2013 Tony Awards!  Broadway’s biggest and brightest actors, singers, directors, writers and producers will lay it out on the line hoping to walk away with the coveted silver medallion of the masks of comedy and tragedy, known as the American Theatre Wing’s Tony Award.

The show also promises to be an even bigger night for 10 African-Americans nominees who are up for awards. Take a look at all of them below:

Cicely Tyson, nominated for Best Performance by an actress

in a Leading Role in a Play, Trip to Bountiful

 Billy Porter, nominated for Best Performance by an Actor

in a Leading Role in a Musical, Kinky Boots

Valisia LeKae and Patina Miller both nominated for Best Performance by an Actress

in a Leading Role in a Musical. LeKae for Motown: The Musical  and Miller of Pippin  

Courtney B. Vance, nominated for Best Performance by an Actor

in a Featured Role in a Play, Lucky Guy

Condola Rashad and Shalita Grant both nominated for Best Performance by an

Actress in a Feature Role in a Play. Rashad for Trip to Bountiful

and Grant for Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike 

Charl Brown, nominated for Best Performance by an Actor

in a Featured Role in a Musical, Motown: The Musical

Keala Settle, nominated for Best Performance by an Actress

in a Featured Role in a Musical, Hands on a Hardbody 

George C. Wolfe, nominated  for Best Direction of a Play, Lucky Guy

 This year’s show is once again hosted by actor Neil Patrick Harris and features appearances from Tony-winning actress and television star Audra McDonald, Trip to Bountiful  and Oscar-winning actor Cuba Gooding, Jr. and Broadway newbie and former heavy-weight champ Mike Tyson.

Click here for a full list of all of this year’s nominees and presenters.

The 2013 Tony Awards  airs live TONIGHT at 8 p.m. EST on CBS.