Neil Patrick Harris to host the Tony Awards!

I’d been so focused on touting Neil Patrick Harris as the perfect host for this year’s Emmy Awards, i had not even thought of this talented charmer as a potential host of the Tony Awards which will honor Broadway’s best next month.

Well, it’s just been announced that the two-time Emmy nominated star of CBS’ How I Met Your Mother will host the Tony telecast from Radio City Music Hall on June 7. CBS always uses it’s own stars on the show as presenters and it can be annoying. But this is the perfect fit.

“His love for Broadway and great knowledge of theater combined with his on-stage presence makes him the perfect person to guide us through what is sure to be a great night,” co-executive director Ricky Kirshner said in a statement.

Neil may be better known for his work on television and now the Internet with the huge success of Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog, but his stage credentials are solid: he has starred on Broadway in Cabaret, Assassins and Proof and was part of the Los Angeles production of Rent. He also performed in the Geffen Playhouse production of Arthur Miller’s All My Sons, in The Paris Letter at the Kirk Douglas Theatre and in Luck, Pluck and Virtue at the La Jolla Playhouse.

Neil has been getting plenty of award show experience. In addition to hosting the Ovation Awards, which honor Los Angeles theater, he was also host of the Technical Emmy Awards last fall, hosted Saturday Night Live this year, and most recently, was host of the TV Land Awards.

Here is a Broadway-inspired SNL skit he did:

He has some tough acts to follow at the Tonys. Last year’s host was Whoopi Goldberg – a four-time host of the Academy Awards – and three-time Tony Award host Hugh Jackman who hosted this year’s Oscars.

Neil said in a statement: “The discipline of live theater —doing the same perfect thing night after night, eight times a week — never ceases to amaze me. I’m truly honored to have been chosen as the Master of Ceremonies for this year’s Tony Awards and I hope to help provide a first-class evening for all.”

I think Neil could single-handedly give the Tonys a much-needed ratings boost. And an openly gay Tony Awards host? What a concept!

Video bonus: Here is his opening number from the TV Land kudofest: