Neil Patrick Harris Hosting 2013 Tony Awards Show

Neil Patrick Harris is hosting the 67th Tony Awards on June 9. The announcement marks the fourth time in five years that the How I Met Your Mother star has graced the Tony’s stage.

Harris first took over hosting duty at the Tony’s back in 2009 and then jumped onboard again in 2011. Harris followed up his 2011 performance with hosting duties at the 2012 awards show.

Harris has been one of the most celebrate awards show hosts in recent memory. With his Broadway experience, Harris and his quick wit are a no-brainer for Tony’s awards host.

In 2009, Harris’ performance was well received, but he was hardly a household name. When he returned on the success of How I Met Your Mother in 2011, critics loved his command of the stage as The Post’s Peter Marks wrote:

“With Harris at the helm, the show was one of the smartest Tony telecasts in memory, moving securely from entertaining if often promotional musical numbers to the host’s winking comic interludes; a competitive bit between Harris and one-time emcee Hugh Jackman was a highlight.”

When he appeared on The Colbert Report before the 2012 Tony’s Colbert joked:

“I find you a threat, because you’re the classic triple threat. You’re an actor/singer/dancer. You’re the biggest single threat of all: you’re a gay person I like. Your threat is that you make being gay not seem threatening. .. it’s almost as if your happiness does not take my happiness away. Do you admit that you’re a likeable gay person?”

Neil Patrick Harris has been well received by critics but last years show was the second-lowest ratings for the Tony’s since 1988. In 2012, six million viewers tuned in, one million less than 2011.

Harris isn’t being modest about this years Tony awards, noting, “the show will rock.”

In 2011, the show definitely did “rock” as Neil Patrick Harris managed to draw big laughs with the opening skit, a song called “Broadway is not just for gays anymore!”

Do you think Neil Patrick Harris and his quick wit and musical chops can save the 2013 Tony Awards?