On Sunday evening, the Tony Awards, celebrating the best of Broadway, will be presented at Radio City Musical Hall. And while the shows on the Great White Way this season might not be the most MTV-friendly fare (another "Guys and Dolls" revival?), the Tony producers chose a host with a broad spectrum of fans: star of stage, screen and Internet, Neil Patrick Harris.

"This is certainly a different way to go than a rock concert," Harris told MTV today, "but it's story-based, and I think a lot of the music is really great.

"A lot of people attribute, I think, Broadway and musicals with, like, jazz hands and razzmatazz, but there's a show this season called 'Next to Normal' about a woman that's going through mental issues. 'Rock of Ages' is a jukebox musical full of '80s hits with Constantine Maroulis, which is really a pretty kick-ass show.

"If people think Broadway's not for them, this demographic, there's a lot of cool shows to see."

One thing you won't see? A barely clad Brüno landing on someone's face, though Harris jokingly claims that the Tonys had the idea first.

"It's a shame," Harris said, "because we were really looking forward to that bit. But you guys copped it before we were able to get to it. Maybe next year.

"We couldn't get Eminem here," he continued. "Liza Minnelli isn't going to face-plant anywhere."

If you know anything about Rose McGowan, it's probably that the actress used to date over-the-top rocker Marilyn Manson or that she's notorious for bad-girl, vixen-esque acting roles.

So when we ran into the star at the Burberry event celebrating the opening of the British company's new headquarters in New York and asked her who her Hollywood crush is, we kind of expected McGowan to say something that made more sense — like Johnny Depp. Or Adam Lambert even — someone with at least a little bit of edge or controversy. But no.

Instead, we got an answer no one was expecting: Cary Grant (also random) and — wait for it — Zac Efron.

Yes, Disney's boy wonder and generally squeaky-clean teen heartthrob is Rose McGowan's celebrity crush.

Say what? Aside from being 14 years her junior — not that he has a problem with older women — Zac just doesn't seem like McGowan's type.

The revelation even seemed to shock Rose herself. The look on her face after she made the confession was pretty priceless. And when I finally picked my jaw up off the floor and asked her why Efron, McGowan said, "I don't know! Because there's something wrong [with me]."

Hey, there's nothing wrong with loving Zefron — he's a big hit in the MTV Newsroom. But we have to admit, a McGowan/Efron pairing is, as one of our writers put it, a little "twisted."

But we couldn't let the former "Charmed" star go without asking her about her secret crush's chances at this Sunday's MTV Movie Awards. McGowan stood by her man when I asked if Efron will take home the trophy: "Odds are!" she yelled.

Oh Rose, you know the teen girls so well.

"I tried to get an apartment in Williamsburg once," admits Virgins frontman Donald Cumming, "but this is home, man."

And unlike so many of those bands that now call Brooklyn home, three-fourths of the Virgins are that rare breed: native New Yorkers. Cumming grew up in the Tribeca neighborhood — before it was Tribeca — guitarist Wade Oates was a West Village kid, bassist Nick Zarin-Ackerman is from the Upper West Side. Only drummer Erik Ratensperger, a Connecticut native, did not grow up in the city.

And as we take a walk through the East Village — their 'hood and mine — they acknowledge how much the area has changed in the past 15 years, washed by a deluge of luxury condos and NYU dorms. And yet the guys still have their favorite hangouts. There's a burger joint (Paul's), a 24-hour diner (Moonstruck), the Chrystie Steps and Lit Lounge, where the Virgins shot their video for "Rich Girls," and where their pal Leo Fitzpatrick (of "Kids" fame) hosts a party.

Ah yes, "Kids" — Larry Clark's 1995 fictionalized account of out-of-control teens in the big city may have shocked, but it was hardly far from the truth. Late '80s/ early '90s New York, back in the days before Rudy Giuliani made the city safe for Starbucks and strollers, was a different place, where both cigarettes and 16-year-olds were common sights in nightclubs. I remember it, and so does Cumming.

"I started going out when I was 14", he says. "I just started by going to '80s night, [at Don Hill's, home to legendary parties Squeezebox and Misshapes] and then I went to ['90s hotspot] Life. The door guys there would see me every night and be like, 'You are not coming in.' But eventually I got in."

Cumming and his bandmates have that seen-it-all quality that comes with having grown up as city kids — something that, as a product of the sheltered suburbs, I've always envied.

Here are a few more New York people and places near and dear to the Virgins' hearts:

RYAN MCGINLEY No single person has been more significant in the Virgins' story than Vice's favorite naked-kids-lovin' photographer. "I first met Ryan at a party," Cumming recalls. "He came up to me and told me he wanted to photograph me and my girlfriend having sex." After that icebreaker, Donald found himself cavorting naked before the camera all over New York, and even doing something that we can't describe here in one photo that hung on the walls of the renowned Whitney Museum in McGinley's 2004 exhibition. But it was a McGinley shoot in Mexico — "a bunch of naked kids on a flatbed truck bouncing around the jungle," as Cumming recalls — that Donald and guitarist Wade Oates first, ahem, laid plans to start a band.

ROBIN BYRD The doyenne of lovably cheesy public-access striptease has so many fans in New York, we should probably name a park after her. Count the ever-randy Virgins among them — in fact, their video for "Private Affair," short shorts, headbands and all, is an homage to the long-running Robin Byrd Show.

"GOSSIP GIRL" The show famously took the Virgins to heart last year, when the band's entire 5-song debut EP was featured in a fall 2007 episode. Castmember Jessica Szohr wore Virgins T-shirts, and that helped build the buzz. All that's left is a Virgins cameo on the show. Says Cumming, "I just want to meet those girls."

THE STROKES Musically, the Virgins' danceable pop-rock (with occasional bursts of Cumming falsetto) sometimes veers into Scissor Sisters terrain, albeit without the camp. But between the leather jackets, skinny jeans, the East Village connection ... I guess it was inevitable that New York's last great "It" band would be the band to whom they are most often compared. And some tracks, like "Fernando Pando," do feature the Strokes' spare, bass-slapping sound. Not that being likened to Julian and the boys bothers them. "We love the Strokes," they say. "Those comparisons are fine with us."

ATLANTIC RECORDS Not only do the Virgins not live in Brooklyn, they're not on an indie! The funny thing is, the way they got their major-label deal. "I basically bluffed them," says Cumming. "We signed our Atlantic contract before we were even a band. I made a demo, had a meeting and I was basically spinning lots of lies. They offered me a deal, and then I had to backtrack and put a band together! Since then we've been teaching ourselves how to play and how to be a band."

You've gotta love the guy's honesty. And if it seems like Atlantic is doing a soft sell with the Virgins, that is exactly what the band asked for. Says Zarin-Ackerman, "We wanted it to happen naturally and hopefully become successful because of the amount of fans we garner.” Adds Cumming, "We don't want our faces plastered everywhere. But Atlantic has been real helpful with gear and getting equipment fixed."

As for pressure to perform on the charts, he says, "SoundScan? I don't even know what that is."

Almost anyone who's heard of 50 Cent would assume he is the epitome of a player. After Monday's experience with G-Unit, a few of our female interns now know just how big of one he truly is.

As a News intern, I sometimes get to sit in and watch how interviews are conducted. When word spread that 50 and G-Unit were on their way over for a sitdown with Tim Kash, a bunch of us jumped at the opportunity to help out. What ensued was both entertaining and slightly uncomfortable.

Now, to be completely honest, I don't know a whole lot about G-Unit, but it was interesting to observe the dynamic between 50 Cent, Tony Yayo and Lloyd Banks. With many of Tim's questions directed more toward Fiddy, it's hard to understand how the other two live in his shadow, chiming in only to support whatever argument 50 was making. At one point, Lloyd Banks even turned his back to the cameras, giving up on the whole interview.

50 may not have been paying much attention to his bandmates but he was definitely showing some interest in the News interns that came down to watch. For the record, there were seven of us and we were all female.

"What's up, baby!" he blurted at our direction (some would argue it was me) with a "come hither" grin right in the middle of the interview ... very awkward!

But things were about to get weirder. Just as Tim was wrapping up, 50 inexplicably sauntered away from the cameras and proceeded to kiss each of the female interns on the cheek.

"I get to kiss all the lovely white girls!" Fiddy proudly declared.

Generally, we unpaid helpers are looked at by the famous as "Intern 1, Intern 2," etc., and even more often we go unacknowledged. So it was nice to get some attention, but I don't know if getting a wet one from such an outspoken ladies man is anything to rave about.

None of us were too excited about the lips on our cheek that have probably been on hundreds of other women, but we all took one and laughed. Either way, it was a moment I don't think any of us will ever forget: getting smooched by one of the biggest hip-hop artists of our time.

This in from production manager Adam Stewart, who shot with LL Cool J in Hollis, Queens, yesterday:

LL took us to the rock in Hollis where he used to hang out and where a music video of his was shot. Once people got word he was there, they started flocking to us -- dozens of fans interrupted our interview several times for a chance to snap a picture with LL and shake his hand. At one point, a city bus stopped, and kids tried to jump out of it just to meet him. Then we headed to his friend’s barber shop, Heads Up Barber Shop on Linden Boulevard (in the pic above).

Our talk with LL was all over the place…

He talked to us about changes in the hip-hop lifestyle –- how he claims that he brought champagne and gold chains to rap in ’88, because that was the life he lived. (He remembered arguing with Jam Master Jay about who had the bigger chains!) He believes the people weren't ready for that yet, and it took another eight or nine years before that style came back.

LL turned to politics and told us he’s convinced Barack Obama can take the general election, even though there are still pockets of racism in the US. LL also gave a shout-out to Hillary Clinton, saying he has plenty of respect for her, and he’s glad his own daughter has had the chance to see a woman run for president. "Americans have the ability to makes things happen,” he said. “It’s not easy to make it happen, but it can -- I'm from Queens.”

From the campaign to his music, LL said, “I'm not keeping up with the game, I'm winning! I'm ahead with the delegates, I'm ahead with the popular vote!" He wasn’t upset that he wasn’t included in MTV News’ latest “Hottest MCs in the Game” list, saying that it’s based mainly on chart positions and what people are talking about in the moment. "I could go outside and light an old lady on fire, and suddenly I'm the hottest rapper," he joked. “Next year, I'll be on the list."

Check back with MTVNews.com in the coming weeks for more from our talk with LL Cool J.

With the results of Tuesday’s Kentucky and Oregon primaries in, Barack Obama now has a majority of pledged delegates for the Democratic Party nomination, leading many to dub him the nominee. Calls continue to come out of the Obama camp for Hillary Clinton to once and for all drop out of the race and begin the process of helping the party to unite behind the senator from Illinois.

At least one Obama supporter, though, is in no hurry: Conor Oberst.

Omaha’s folk-rock prince was one of Obama’s earliest musician supporters, playing at a rally for the candidate in Iowa on New Year’s Day, and several since then. And though O backs O as enthusiastically as ever, when I spoke to him last week, he said he has no problem letting the remaining primary states have their say.

“No, at this point [they] might as well,” he told me. “I don’t think there will be an issue with people coming together. Because it’s true there’s such a stark contrast with McCain. And I think everyone will understand that there are two clear choices.”

In fact, Conor says, the protracted primary battle has been a good thing. “It definitely got bad there for a minute, and I think everyone is experiencing fatigue with the whole process,” he said. “But I think, in the end, that it’s a great thing for the Democrats that it’s gone on this long -- just from a practical standpoint of organization in all those states and voter registration. The fact that so many more states have felt that their vote mattered.”

Other Obama supporters in the music world I have spoken to in recent months, including Michael Stipe and Chris Walla, have expressed disgust at what they saw as the “dirty” way the Clinton campaign at times conducted itself. And while Conor says he had similar moments of dismay, he’s a realist. “You gotta keep in mind that is politics…That’s the way the game has been played for so long. I don’t think it should come as a surprise to anyone that it would be like this,” he said. “[But] that is what is so exciting about Obama is that it seems it doesn’t have to be this way anymore.”

Conor said that he takes issue with the notion that his candidate is some out-of-touch elitist. “It’s really laughable for me, this ‘elitist’ argument,” he said. “Look at his tax returns. At the height of his wealth, when his book sold a lot, it was like $1.7 million or something that he was worth. But you know, the Clintons are like $20 or $30 million, McCain’s like $100 million. It’s like -- so who’s out of touch?”

Conor went on: “And then the other argument [Clinton] uses is look how he outspends her 2 to 1. Well, the reason he’s got all that money is that people all across America have donated in like $50 to $100 increments, and to me that means more than anything in terms of people putting their money where their mouth is. Him having accumulated this much wealth through this campaign -- to me, it’s the opposite of the way the Clinton campaign is trying to paint it.”

The way things are going it looks as though Oberst will have plenty more chances to play Obama rallies as the year goes on, and he said he’s open to the idea of organizing something with like-minded “Barack rock” musicians.

R.E.M., Arcade Fire, Death Cab For Cutie -- you listening?

This in from MTV News reporter Shawn Adler:

There are moments in a man’s life that remain indelibly marked in his mind, those brief instances where serendipity combines with ecstasy to change one’s very existence. “I will never be the same,” you think, soaking in the sounds, the sights, the smells. The birth of a child. Your first time with a woman. And then, for the very specific few: the first time you got a chance to look at Britney Spears’ rear end.

And, you are right, you will never be the same again. (Every male 20-27 is high-fiving himself mentally right now, by the way. I know it’s hard to imagine, what with how totally insane Britney is now, but nobody can ever take away 1999. Britney and I are almost exactly the same age. I was a senior in high school when “Hit Me Baby One More Time” came out. It was awesome.)

That’s also the story according to the one and only Method Man, who recalled for MTV News the first time he met Britney like it was the day Kennedy got shot. And what was the focal point of this great meeting of the minds on the "TRL" set? Britney’s mind-blowing backside, of course.

Method Man giddily recalled: "I leaned over and said into Britney’s ear, ‘You have a fat a-- for a white girl.’ She didn’t say a word. She didn’t say a word. She waited until everybody was done taking pictures, paparazzi turned their backs, she turned around and looked at me with this face, [and said] ‘Thank you.’ Just like that. I loved it.”

Oh, not as much as we do! Actually, you know what? I could write about the rest of what he said, but it’s not nearly as funny as seeing it for yourself. So check out the clip above.

Memories…misty water color memories…of the way Britney was...

This in from MTV News producer Matt Elias, out in LA:

We just recently shot with Tyson Ritter, aka lead singer of All-American Rejects. We were up in Runyon Canyon, and boy are my calves killing me! For those not in the know, Runyon Canyon is the spot for all of Hollywood's hardbodies to get their cardio on, which was the perfect contrast to the waify wisecracker. Seriously, the dude should be in contention for funniest frontman in rock, if such an award existed (you hear me VMAs?). He had our whole crew in stitches.

While he was there to dish on his upcoming role in "House Bunny," which you'll hear about closer to the Movie Awards -- including Tyson picking up dog doody (yup!) -- we were able to squeeze some music news out of him as well. He and the rest of the Rejects are still holed up in the studio, finishing their yet untitled album. But while the disc doesn’t yet have a name, one of his new favorite songs does: "I Hope It Gives You Hell." Here's what Tyson had to say about it:

"It probably won't come out first, but it will be the one that opens up the power kegs. The chorus is, 'Every time I see your face, I hope it gives you hell.' It's kind of a bitter song about people…It's mainly towards people back home that never thought it could happen. It's really full of rage and fun. It’s definitely going to be a beer-drinking, party song."

Tyson told us to look out for the new album in September.

Bawwwssssse! Rick Ross is one of the coolest dudes you're gonna meet, period.

He swung through HQ for another one of them MTV News exclusive interviews. (While I was talking to Rick, Sway was downstairs chopping it up with the Game. Now that's one heavyweight afternoon at 1515.) On the way out, we showed him the "Hottest MCs In The Game" promos, which he enjoyed. Said he hopes he makes the cut this time.

Big ups to the biggest boss, his manager Gucci Poochie, and super PR man Gabe -- excuse me, "Hollywood Gabe" the homie...