DWTS Season 17: Week 2 Preview

I hope you all like the photo.

Yes, Henry Byalikov is our guest on Tuesday. Many of you saw the announcement on Twitter earlier this week and you've been eagerly awaiting this post. It's been a busy week, but I finally had a free minute to get this up.

The wonderful thing about having Henry on the show is that it is great timing. He and Sharna Burgess are choreographing the opening number this week, so we will get the inside scoop on how it all came together.

The whole team is expected to be in studio this week: Anna, me, Jake and Suri.

Time to get those questions in! Fire away in the comments section below. We will see you all on Tuesday at 8pm PT on AfterBuzz TV.

My Thoughts on Derek Hough

This number alone should win him the Emmy

I have always maintained that I believe that Derek Hough is going to be one of the defining choreographers of his generation. I don't take that statement lightly. As someone who has been a student of dance history, think of the names you would put in that category: George Balanchine, Agnes DeMille, Jerome Robbins, Bob Fosse, Michael Bennett, Martha Graham. There are more, but it's not a list of thousands or even hundreds. I don't say that about any other pro on the show.

With a statement like that, it should be understood that you also have to be a great dancer and teacher in order to be classified as a "defining choreographer of a generation." You can't just be one thing.

On AfterBuzz TV this week, we were talking about Val and Derek and their strengths. If I am going to pick the one quality that makes Derek stand out on the show...yep, it's choreography. For Val, it's teaching. Does it mean they don't have the other qualities? Nope.

We are a show about dance, talking about dancers and why we love it so much. We give opinions that you won't always agree with, but the one thing we all agree upon is that we love dance. I'm one of the hosts of the show and as a part of my job, I have to balance my love for Derek's work with my appreciation and support for what other pros on DWTS bring to the table.

Come Sunday, I hope it's Derek who is holding that Emmy.

Feel free to add your thoughts in the comments below. I will respond to all comments here, but I'm going to keep the debate off of Twitter. Thanks, guys!  See you next week with our guest Henry Byalikov...who is also choreographing this week's opening number on DWTS with Sharna Burgess.

AfterBuzz TV DWTS: Julz Tocker

Jake DuPree, Julz Tocker, Kristyn Burtt

The day is finally here! We are back in studio for Season 17 of DWTS. I thought Julz Tocker was a really fun first guest. I was so happy he was at the show the night before because he gave us insight that we wouldn't have normally had. With all of the changes, I think it was an important aspect to talk about.

A couple of things that I want to address from our show last night:
1. Tyne Stecklein: I've seen the forums. I've seen what everyone has said. I want to take a different approach to talking about the situation. It's her first year. The producers wanted her. She danced with MJ, so she can dance. Ballroom is not her background, but look....she's trying in front of 16.2 million of us on live television. Let's give her our support.

2. Troupe: I think we are seeing how important the troupe is for training, choreography and learning the rhythm of the show. The transition to pro was much easier for Sharna, Emma and Sasha...discuss.

3. Choreography: This season, I really want to hold the pros even more accountable for what they are putting out there each week. It's why some of the cast members have been nominated for Emmys. We made it a part of our discussion each week on SYTYCD for Season 10, so I would like to discuss it more on AfterBuzz TV this season. Do you agree?

Thanks for all of your support. We are so glad to be back with all of you. I'm working hard on a guest for next week!
 

Dance Chat With Kristyn Burtt: Episode 2

It's episode 2 of Dance Chat! It's such a big week in dance: SYTYCD just wrapped up, DWTS begins and the Primetime Emmys are next weekend. In addition to all of that, I will be participating in the Beat MS Dance Walk with Courtney Galiano and also covering Kristin McQuaid's dance performance with several SYTYCD alumni.  

Here is the breakdown on the episode

SYTYCD: 1:16

Primetime Emmys: 1:44

DWTS: 4:14

The question of the week: Do you like having Contemporary on the first week of DWTS or do you think it should be traditional ballroom?

Google Hangout: Let me know if you are interested in doing a Google Hangout about the Broadway documentary Every Little Step. If 10 or more people say "yes," then I will make that happen!

Links from the episode:

DONATE to Beat MS Dance Walk
Contact Me

DWTS Season 17: Week 1 Preview

We are just days away from the kickoff episode of Season 17 of Dancing With the Stars. It's been a long summer without you, but a big "thanks" to those who joined me and Jake for Season 10 of SYTYCD. We had a blast with some amazing guests. We are hoping to keep that tradition going with this season of DWTS.

The entire crew is back on Tuesday nights at 8 p.m. PT this season: me, Suri Serano, Jake DuPree, Anna Trebunskaya...and one small addition: Baby Bump Trebunskaya! We are so excited for our co-host and her exciting new adventure.

Our first guest is locked and ready to go, so get those questions in for Julian Tocker, one of Season 16's troupe members. Questions go in the comments section below.

You can watch the show live here on Tuesday at 8 p.m. PT on AfterBuzz TV.

Our guest list is published here so you can mark your calendars for your DWTS favorites.

DWTS Season 17: The End of the Ringer Debate

Don't ever count out athletes like Keyshawn Johnson in this competition.

Since we are only eight days away from the Season 17 launch of Dancing With the Stars. I'd like this to the last time we talk about ringers this season. Last season was filled with talk about the lovely Zendaya and her "ringer" status. It's just a waste of time talking about this since the alleged ringer doesn't always win. Let's talk about dance and choreography and personality--things that matter to the show. There will always be some producer manipulation behind the scenes, but arguing about it is just exhausting.

Yep, that's Snooki during her gymnastic and cheerleading days.

Here's a sample of a few of the contestants who have had dance or movement training prior to joining the cast.

Start by watching the incredible Valerie Harper in this production number. It isn't available for embedding, but it's definitely worth watching.

Elizabeth Berkley:


Amber Riley:


Christina Milian:


Bill Nye, The Science Guy:


Corbin Bleu:


DWTS on AfterBuzz TV premieres on Tuesday, Sept. 17 with me, Anna Trebunskaya, Suri Serano and Jake DuPree at 8 p.m. PT. Watch here. 

Dance Chat With Kristyn Burtt: Episode 1

It's such a big dance week, I couldn't resist! Let's talk DWTS, SYTYCD and Derek Hough! I hit a few hot topics on the two dance shows. Watch the whole show or drop in on your favorite segment. Here's how the show breaks down:

SYTYCD: 00:20
DWTS: 03:32
Derek Hough: 10:05

And the articles I refer to...here are the links:
Christina Milian Instagram ScreenCap: http://bit.ly/15oaAAX
Travis Wall Article: http://bit.ly/136WbLK
Sonya Tayeh Article: http://bit.ly/17vDyTw

Don't forget to join the chat and share your comments below. Let me know if you want me to do these regularly and what hot topics you want to discuss.

Leah Remini & Corbin Bleu Interviews: Get Excited For DWTS Season 17!

Is it Wednesday yet? I'm dying for the ABC reveal of the Season 17 cast for DWTS. As I was going over the rumored cast list, I realized I had two old interviews with possible cast members: Leah Remini and Corbin Bleu. Coincidentally, the red carpet interviews I have with them were both done at the same event. It was the LA opening of the Ringling Bros. & Barnum and Bailey Circus back in July 2011.

Both of the interviews were pretty hilarious. Leah misunderstood my question, so watch have the whole thing goes down...over and over...



My interview with Corbin was kind of awesome because I had tickets to see him in Hairspray at the Hollywood Bowl as Seaweed J. Stubbs...and yes, the boy can dance. I think both Corbin and Leah are going to add a ton of personality to Season 17. Bring it on!

Are you ready for this season? I sure am!

DWTS Season 17: Initial Cast Thoughts

If my Twitter feed was an indication of what is to come for Season 17 of Dancing With the Stars, I am in for a busy fall. TMZ leaked a few of the celeb names today: Valerie Harper, Leah Remini, Elizabeth Berkeley, Snooki, Amber Riley, and Christina Milian. I've said it before and I will say it again, TMZ is pretty good about fact checking, so this list should be your six female celebs for the season.

Once it was revealed that Tristan MacManus was paired with Valerie, the tweets began. Many of the tweets were people who were angry that he was matched with a 74-year-old woman battling terminal brain cancer. Really? Doctors told her she would be dead by June and miraculously, she's still with us and is tackling DWTS. I don't know about you, but that's kind of awesome...and inspirational.

Re: Tristan--The gift of working with someone bravely fighting a terminal illness is greater than a mirrored ball trophy. #DWTS
— Kristyn Burtt (@KristynBurtt) August 28, 2013

Look, I get it: We all love Tristan and we want to see him win. It was disappointing to see him have to drop out in Season 16 when Dorothy Hamill was injured. Then it was a bummer to see him injured during the finale and he couldn't have one last dance with her. (Bravo to Henry Byalikov for stepping in!)

I'm just not going to get my panties in a bunch over this. I'm going to look at it from the Sharna Burgess School of Opportunity. I love what she did with Andy Dick last season, it was fun and moving to watch his journey. I'm going to take that same approach with Tristan and Valerie. I have a lot of faith in his talent, don't you?

So let's kick off this season on a positive note. I know you guys won't always agree with me, but I love to hear your opinions as long as it's handled with mutual respect. I love a good dance debate!

Here's to a great Season 17. I'm excited by the cast so far and we've already booked our first guest for DWTS on AfterBuzz TV. Hooray!

I would love to hear from you....hit me up with your thoughts and opinions in the comments below.

DWTS Pro Watch: Contracts

I know things are heating up with speculation about the pros and who is returning for Season 17. One thing that has raised my eyebrows though was yesterday's news that Kym Johnson wasn't returning. She is reportedly headed to DWTS Australia to work as a judge for the next season, although she has yet to confirm that news. I found the announcement rather curious because of this: Contracts are pretty ironclad and it's hard to get out of a DWTS U.S. contract.  Yes, it's not one big happy family of DWTS shows, it isn't easy to jump from one country's show to another. That's not to say that it hasn't been done before, we know it has. I'm just saying a DWTS U.S. contract is more challenging than others. Is there subtext in this post? Perhaps.

AfterBuzz TV SYTYCD: Lindsay Nelko

What a night! So much to talk about and so little time. I am thrilled that this season of SYTYCD has brought such incredible talent. These kids are going to work a lot once they are off the show and done with the tour.

Lindsay Nelko was a great addition to the show. I wish we could have done an after, after show where we talked about her mentors Brian Friedman and Desmond Richardson. It was actually Richardson who recommended her for the show, but it's Friedman's The Pulse tour that got her noticed. We also had a personal discussion about being a young artist in the business and honoring commitments including making sure you understand the business part as much as the creative part. It was fascinating.

I want to thank Shannon Mather for talking to me on the phone about how she felt about her piece and what she on the show this week. It really does seem that "Medicine" is a popular piece for choreographers this year. She and Travis Wall are fine, so it's not a controversy. I know she really wants to choreograph for the show, so let's support Shannon and Travis. I think we cleared everything up on her end for the viewers.

Shannon Mather's Piece
Kristin McQuaid Piece
Travis Wall Piece

Finally, we have some great guests for the rest of the season. I hope you join us through our last show on Sept. 11. I know Jake and I will be rolling right into Season 17 of DWTS which will begin on Sept. 17 at 8pm PT.

You can download the podcast here.

Magic Mike Casting Rumors: Is Derek Hough Headed To Broadway?

Have you seen this tweet yet? Yep, this social media message and photo (see below) are sending SYTYCD and DWTS fans into a frenzy. So, I did a little sleuthing around to see whether this was a fun joke with some good casting ideas or if this is the "good news" Derek Hough and Travis Wall were tweeting about.


Well, it's not true. You aren't looking at the new cast of Broadway's Magic Mike. I think they are smart to put the idea out there because having Derek Hough, Neil Haskell, Allison Holker, Travis Wall and Nick Lazzarini is a great way to sell tickets and put butts in those theatre seats!

Here are a few reasons why:
1. The project was just fast tracked as of Friday, July 19. It was revealed by Deadline that they have come up with collaborators Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey to write songs and Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa to write the book. Nothing is written yet. No story, no songs.

2. Channing Tatum just confirmed the news on his site on July 22. That was the first official news that the show is definitely happening.

3. Without songs or a story...you cannot cast just yet. It too early in the process. There isn't even a director who is definitely announced before the cast or choreographers.

4. I also spoke with a Broadway insider today who told me, "Heard nothing about him [Derek Hough] here. And seems way too early for casting."

5. Even though this show is fast-tracked, it takes so much time, effort and money to get a show mounted. While casting will happen in the future...it's not happening right now.

So, I think this was a fun shot with five hot guys and one smoking girl...perfect for a Magic Mike photo.  Perhaps it puts a bug in the casting director's ears that some of these amazingly talented dancers/choreographers might be interested in doing the show. As an artist, it sure never hurts to throw your name in the ring.


Don't forget that tonight we have Spencer Liff on SYTYCD on AfterBuzz TV at 9pm PT. Watch here.

PHOTOS: Dizzy Feet Foundation Gala Red Carpet

 It's the annual Dizzy Feet Foundation Gala and I have to say it is a must for any So You Think You Can Dance or Dancing With the Stars fan. Next year, save up and come to LA for National Dance Day, you won't be disappointed. Another good note, the fans are able to watch the red carpet and grab photos of the dance stars as they went into the venue.

Here are a few of  my photos from the evening. My official article will be up on Press Pass LA next week, but I will give you some inside scoop from the red carpet.

So sit back, relax and enjoy!

 tWitch and Allison Holker are the King and Queen of dance. They stayed the longest on the red carpet and talked to EVERYONE. Total class. The dance world couldn't have better ambassadors. 

 NappyTabs!!!

 Look who they brought, little London, who was wheeled down the red carpet in his stroller. They talked about London loving music, so perhaps he's a future contestant on American Idol. 

 Alex Wong looked very handsome on the red carpet. He talked about the importance of influencing a future generation of Asian dancers. If you missed his ABTV appearance, watch it here. 

 Chehon is ready to be a huge face in the choreography/producing/directing world. He's determined and I believe him.  Watch his ABTV appearance here.

 How incredible does Mollee Gray look? We keep showing up at the same events lately, so I am sure I will have more scoop for you soon. Her red dress is by Ted Baker--gorgeous!

Watch her ABTV appearance here.

 Every time I interview Mary Murphy, I like her even more than I did the last time. She's so kind and thoughtful. She talked a lot about the format changes and how much she hated the first elimination.

 Allison being a good friend and fixing Mollee's hair.

 I love that we have such a strong generation of choreographers including Travis Wall. He was a fan favorite, people screamed for him in the crowd. 

 Jane Lynch looked beautiful. The Glee cast members did not answer any questions...totally understandable. They need their privacy.

 Honoree Chita Rivera. If you have never seen her work, watch this, she's a legend.

 Arthur Mitchell is the first black ballet dancer for New York City Ballet and the founder of the Dance Theatre of Harlem. He paved the way for so many other black dancers in the ballet world. Watch him in the Balanchine "Agon" piece. 

 Adam Shankman, Nigel Lythgoe and Christina Applegate conferring on the red carpet.

 Adam is thinking...

 What are they talking about?!! This is when I asked Nigel when he was going to make Christina a permanent judge. He said he's tried but they have massive scheduling problems. Christina then looked over at me and jokingly signaled she wanted a lot of money. Then, Adam chimed in..."Wait, that leaves me off the panel if she's a permanent judge." 

There you have it...they've tried to get her permanently, but can't.

 Stacey Tookey...she's dying to get her hands on Makenzie for choreography. 

 For those that were asking, Mark Ballas' new album is expected to drop early next year.

 Chris Scott wants to choreograph on Fikshun this season...

 Lindsay Arnold and Sharna Burgess looked incredible on the red carpet. I even met Sharna's mom who is here on holiday. So sweet! Watch Sharna and Lindsay's ABTV appearance.

 Yep, that's Cat Deeley running late and running down the red carpet as the show was beginning.

 And that's the elegant Cat having a wardrobe malfunction.

VIDEO: 2013 Emmy Nominees: Outstanding Choreography

Here are your 2013 Emmy nominees for Outstanding Choreography. I think this is Derek Hough's year. His work has been so outstanding over the last year.  Mark my words: He's going to define this generation of choreographers.  Who are you rooting for? Let me know in the comments below:


Outstanding Choreography

Dancing With The Stars • Routines: Heart Cry / Stars • ABC • BBC Worldwide Productions

Derek Hough, Choreographer

Allison Holker, Choreographer





Dancing With The Stars • Routines: Hey Pachuco / Para Los Rumberos / Walking On Air • ABC • BBC Worldwide Productions

Derek Hough, Choreographer









Rodgers & Hammerstein's Carousel (Live From Lincoln Center) • PBS • A Lincoln Center Media production

Warren Carlyle, Choreographer



So You Think You Can Dance • Routines: Possibly Maybe / Turning Page / Sail • FOX • Dick Clark Productions, Inc  19 Entertainment

 Sonya Tayeh, Choreographer

 





So You Think You Can Dance • Routines: The Power Of Love / Wild Horses • FOX • Dick Clark Productions, Inc. & 19 Entertainment

Mandy Jo Moore, Choreographer

   

So You Think You Can Dance • Routines: Call Of The Wild (Circle Of Life) / Love Cats / Beautiful People • FOX • Dick Clark Productions, Inc. & 19 Entertainment

Napoleon Dumo, Choreographer
Tabitha Dumo, Choreographer

 



So You Think You Can Dance • Routines: Where The Light Gets In / Without You / Unchained Melody • FOX • Dick Clark Productions, Inc. 19 Entertainment

 Travis Wall, Choreographer

 

AfterBuzz TV SYTYCD: Sharna Burgess

This was such a fun show. I cannot tell you how much I love Sharna Burgess as a guest. She is honest, funny and forthcoming with her insight. I always appreciate it because I know we are getting the truth when she talks about a controversial issue. The best part of Sharna though....she's nice.  I just like the gal. So, you will see her again when DWTS starts up again in the fall. Thanks, Sharna!

In watching the show back today, there were two things I noticed:
1. Judges: With all of the excitement around Paula Abdul judging, we barely mentioned her. In fact, Erin Andrews received more mentions than Paula. While the honor of having Paula on the panel is a big deal, I am not sure her judging comments resonated that much with us.  What do you think?

See our pre-show Vine video >>

2. Comfort Fedoke: Yes, she was the one who was eliminated and was brought back to the show. We were thinking hard on the fly and couldn't come up with a name, but we knew it had happened before. The real question is: Why don't they bring back contestants anymore?

I'm bummed the show will be pre-empted by the MLB All-Star game. We want All-Stars, but the ones who dance, not hit a ball. I will miss you guys next week, but we will return on July 24 with Mollee Gray and Kent Boyd. They have exciting news to discuss with their Teen Beach Movie coming out on the Disney Channel. You can also stay up-to-date on our future guests by clicking here.

To see the Sean Cheesman side-by-side comparison of his jazz routine from SYTYCD Canada with the U.S version, click here.

I would love to hear your comments on the show, so hit me up in the comments section below:

SYTYCD On AfterBuzz TV: Top 18 Perform Preview

After much discussion about last week's eliminations, I am happy to see that Nigel Lythgoe and the rest of the producers retooled the format a bit. Tomorrow night, we will see the Bottom 6 revealed at the top of the show. Two dancers will be immediately saved and then the Bottom 4 will fight for their lives during the show. The judging and eliminations will happen at the end of the evening. This is a fantastic format and it makes more sense. I'm sorry that Brittany and Carlos didn't have that same opportunity.

The celebrity guest judge is Paula Abdul.  I know a lot of people are excited by this news. Paula will offer some interesting insight, but I feel like she's been a judge on every talent show on TV. Also joining the panel will be FOX sportscaster Erin Andrews. She's familiar to DWTS' audience after her Season 10 stint on the show with Maksim Chmerkovskiy. Let's see how tomorrow night goes.

If you are clever,  you've been peeking at the list of upcoming guests. If you haven't heard, then it's time to announce our AfterBuzz TV SYTYCD guest this week.

It's Sharna Burgess! We are thrilled to have her back to the ABTV studios. She is so honest with her answers and she has the inside scoop on this year's contestants since she works with choreographer Jason Gilkison.  He choreographed that infamous Jive and the Viennese Waltz first live week.

If you have comments or questions for Sharna, make sure to add them in the section below. Remember, we are focusing in on SYTYCD, so DWTS questions will probably not be answered at this time.  Thanks for all of your feedback so far!

Watch SYTYCD on AfterBuzz TV LIVE at 9pm PT on Wednesday. Watch here.

SYTYCD: Did a contestant buy Twitter followers?

With so much focus from the fans about Twitter on last season's Dancing with the Stars, I decided to take a look at So You Think You Can Dance.  Fox has each contestant create a new account with the season and their name.  It is a level-playing field and the audience can decide who to follow during the season.  I think this is incredibly fair way to handle everything if the producers decide to do any Twitter voting. Fans spent half the season of DWTS arguing over the number of Twitter followers for Disney star Zendaya and how unfair any Twitter voting was for the celebs. While the SYTYCD contestants are in a different situation, I like the way the network handles the social media aspect of the show.

On Thursday, I created a Twitter list for the contestants so I could follow them without cluttering my already over-cluttered feed.  I wrote down how many followers each contestant had as of Thursday, June 20, thinking it would be fascinating experiment to see who is the fan favorite early on.

Last Thursday's Twitter count.

If you can read my chicken scratch in the photo above, notice that Malece Miller topped the Top 10 girls while Brittany Cherry was at the bottom. For the Top 10 boys, Nico Greetham was at the top with 2,410 followers and Carlos Garland had only 661 followers. If you checked their numbers today, you would see an increase for all of the contestants by now.

However, over the weekend, I noticed one contestant's numbers jump astronomically: Paul.  He went from 729 followers to over 5,000 within two days.  Really?  It made me think that only one thing happened: He bought followers. You can buy about 5,000 followers for about $75 via several internet sites. It's a deceiving way to make people think you have more followers than you actually do. Many of the accounts following you are fake or inactive when you buy them off of the internet.

What many people do not know is that there is a site that will track the percentages of fake followers. I did a little sleuthing and this is what I came up with for Paul's account.

His account is showing that over half of his followers are inactive on Twitter. Let's compare his account to Nico who had the most followers last week:

Nico, who is now up to 3,131 followers as of Monday, only has 13% of inactive followers. That is a a pretty typical number. Every Twitter account has some fake and/or inactive followers because of spam accounts or people who only open an account to follow celebs, but are inactive tweeters. The real number to focus in on is how many of the accounts that are following you are "good." This is where I raise eyebrows.  Nico has 84% and Paul has only 44%. Also, remember that Paul's follower count jumped from Thursday to Saturday...not on a show night after the audience watched him dance.

I am suspicious. I'm pretty sure that Paul bought followers because the pressure is on to be "America's Favorite Dancer."  Maybe he feels even more stressed to perform since he won SYTYCD Armenia? We all know how important social media is to connecting to the fans. I just think it's a really sneaky way to do it.

Chime in! Let me know what you think about social media, buying followers, and SYTYCD. Am I wrong? Is Paul wrong to do this?  I look forward to your feedback. 

The 4th Annual Thirst Project Gala

For those of you who have followed my blog for a long time, many of you know about the Thirst Project since I post about it from time to time. On Tuesday, June 25, I will be hosting the red carpet for the 4th Annual Thirst Project Gala.

Seth Maxwell is a longtime friend of mine and his work is so inspiring. Just to share a few facts with you:

• Almost 1 billion people on the planet do not have access to clean drinking water.
• 4,400 children die each die from diseases caused by contaminated water.
• The average distance a woman walks to collect water is 3.75 miles.
• The chore is often left to young girls leaving no time for education.
• Water is a human right!

I hope you join me for this year's gala. The live stream begins at 5:30pm PT. I have embedded the YouTube link below.

Some of the celebrities I will be interviewing include:

• Michael Welch-Twilight
• Crystal Reed-Teen Wolf
• Peta Murgatroyd-DWTS
• Audrina Patridge-The Hills
• Pauley Perrette-NCIS

I hope you join me on Tuesday!

AfterBuzz TV SYTYCD: Top 20 Preview

It's time for guests on SYTYCD on AfterBuzz TV. The live Hollywood shows begin this week along with the Top 20 announcement, so we are ready to announce our first guest on the after show. For my DWTS fans, it's going to be a very familiar face. She missed the last week of our show, but she promised to come back for SYTYCD this summer and she's holding true to her promise.

It's Anna Trebunskaya!

With the ballroom dancers having such a strong showing last year and so far in the audition rounds, they are going to be a big part of this season...Jenna Johnson, anyone?  So, Anna is the perfect guest to kick off the season.

Just like DWTS, you can ask questions for Anna in the comment section below. We will be focusing on SYTYCD, so most likely, DWTS questions will not get asked/answered.

See you on Wednesday at 9pm PT LIVE on AfterBuzz TV!  Watch here.

Tony Awards, Monkeys and More!

 Just a few fun photos from my weekend. The first two photos are from Maria Menounos' birthday party. She had a monkey, snake and a bird all joining the Hawaiian festivities. If you missed my Vine videos of DWTS' Derek Hough and Karina Smirnoff on the dance floor, click here or here.

On Sunday, I was asked to live tweet The Actors Fund Tony Party. It was such a fun night filled with incredible honorees from TV and film in addition to celebrating Broadway's biggest night.

 Tommy Tune and Anne Jeffreys

 Listen to Tommy Tune tap at the opening of the show here. 

 June Lockhart showing off one of the first Tonys ever awarded. She won for For Love or Money in 1948.

 Marissa Jarot Winokur accepting her award.

 The petite Cathy Rigby McCoy jumped on a chair to accept her honor.

 Charlotte Rae from The Facts of Life. See our photo together here.