Two-time Emmy nominee Neil Patrick Harris has just been tapped to emcee the Tony Awards on June 7.  This is a savvy choice on the part of the show's organizers. Harris has both the TV name that the Tonycast needs to draw casual viewers and the stage credits to satisfy the theater-goers who tune in to these kudos honoring Broadway's best.

While Harris came to fame on TV's "Doogie Howser, M.D." in his teens, he then spent most of his  twenties carving out a niche for himself in the theater. He starred on Broadway and regionally to much success in productions of Tony-winning tuners like "Cabaret" and "Rent." Then four years ago, Harris returned to series TV as the lovable lothario Barney on the CBS sitcom "How I Met Your Mother." For that role, he has contended at the last two Emmy Awards, losing the supporting race both times to Jeremy Piven of "Entourage." (Piven might have been a Tony nominee this year for his acclaimed performance in the revival of "Speed-the-Plow" had he not bowed out of the show early.)

Neil Patrick Harris recently earned good notices as the host of the TV Land Awards, not only impressing  viewers with his performance skills (he did impersonalions of "Happy Days' " Ritchie Cunningham, "Love Boat's" Gopher and "Match Game's" Charles Nelson Reilly), but endurance too. While rehearsing a skit about "Survivor," his back got burned, but he went on with the show.

Long a player on the L.A. theater scene, he hosted the Ovation Awards there several times as well. If Harris is looking for any advice on how to handle this new gig, he could turn to Whoopi Goldberg, his one-time co-star and host of last year's Tonycast. Back in 1988, Harris made his movie debut opposite Goldberg in "Clara's Heart." Goldberg certainly knows about award shows having been on both sides of the podium. The four-time Oscarcast emcee is one of only 10 performers to own the grand slam of awards, winning an Oscar, Emmy, Tony, and Grammy.