By Garth Bardsley

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."

First Kris Allen, now Stephanie Pratt.

Last week while I was in Los Angeles covering the "Idol" finale (and getting props from the recent winner), a familiar face from "The Hills" left me a message on my Facebook wall praising my other recap endeavor for MTV, "MTV Detox: The Hills." Keeping the punctuation intact, Spencer's sister wrote: "great show! great job! i love to laugh at myself- i hate when people take the show so damn serious... give me a break people! Lauren conrads job is being Lauren Conrad. i am in no way 'ruining her internship at peoples revolution' so everyone needs to calm down! thanks for making the show funny! xoxoxoxo."

First of all, I love how the only thing she capitalizes is Lauren's name, as if LC were a deity. Amazing. Second of all, how awesome is that message?! It says a lot that she has a sense of humor about herself.

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NEW YORK — Last night, on a cold and blustery May evening, I boarded a boat with a few friends to check out Passion Pit's release party for their new LP, Manners. Despite the weather, hundreds of hipsters and double the amount of leggings came out to dance, drink, smoke and enjoy the new sounds from the Boston based quintet.

First, though, we had to get past the sea-sickness. At the dock on West 41st Street and 12th Avenue, the wind was a bit stronger than we'd all hoped, and much of the early night conversation turned to advice like "just watch the horizon" or "maybe lay off the drinks till we get moving." I even saw one or two dramatic haircuts leaning over the side of the ship.

Finally, the music picked up and the rocking of the boat turned to some of the most creative dancing I've seen since the Knife's concert at CMJ in 2007 (if you've ever watched serious Knife fans dance, you know what I'm talking about). Read more...

By Daniela Capistrano

We recently caught up with globetrotter and stage siren Ebony Bones after her triumphant return to SXSW, where she met with the winners who participated in our W.A.R.R.I.O.R. contest.

Currently touring with synth-rockers Passion Pit, Ebony gave us the scoop on her upcoming debut album, now officially called Bone of My Bones. For Ebony — whose moniker was inspired by comic book character Mr. Bones — using a biblical reference from the book of Genesis as her album title holds personal meaning:

"Bone of my bones, flesh of my flesh, she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man."

"It fit perfectly," Bones explained. "It's raw and abrasive and, like Adam to Eve, this entire album feels like an extension of me. I'm ridiculously excited about it."

Fellow Brits can purchase Bone of My Bones in June but citizens of the States will have to wait a bit longer, with a release timed for early fall.

Thankfully, her first U.K. single, "The Musik," will be out in May and we have a preview for you right here:

(Find out how 20 cities and 30 directors contributed to "The Musik," after the jump!)
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By Jenna Talavera

John Cena is a wrestler, actor and hip-hop musician, but is he adding "ice cream connoisseur" to his résumé? Cena closed down Cold Stone Creamery on 42nd Street for a sit-down interview with MTV News about his upcoming movie "12 Rounds." Although ice cream has nothing to do with the film, Cena was game to take on 12 rounds of Cold Stone's creations and 12 rounds of MTV Movies Editor Josh Horowitz's questions — as long as it didn't mess up his clothes. (Wearing a white button-down, fitted blazer, jeans and white sneakers didn't help much!)

It started with one scoop on a cone, which led to cupcakes and shakes. With each round, I was learning more and more about Cena. He loves playing video games but hates losing. "I want someone to play me but lose so I can have status," Cena said. As much as I laughed, I thought to myself, "Did he really just say that?"

(Check out the "12 rounds" of treats Josh and John consumed, plus more interview details, after the jump!)

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By Angelique Smith

If you are feeling a little nervous about March Madness, don't worry — it's normal. But trust me: You aren't the only one who's anxious. The Morgan State Bears, the #15 seed in the South, are feeling the nerves tingle too and can't wait to show the Oklahoma Sooners just what they've got.

"A lot of people are excited and some even shocked," said Bears player Dominique Scott. "But for the most part, people are just happy to see the big improvement we made over the last couple of years.

He realizes what it takes to reach such a level of success, regardless of doubt and being an underdog. "It's like reaching a goal no one would ever think you'd reach [except for] you, your team and the coaching [staff]. So to reach a huge goal and having the opportunity to accomplish it and even reach higher heights is a great feeling."
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It was just a few months ago that I was blessed with the opportunity to visit Africa and the Omindo School in the remote village of Lihanda, Kenya.

For me, my producer Sean and the rest of the team, that was a trip of a lifetime. But with all the fun and enjoyment of meeting the people of Kenya and the kids at the Omindo School, the harsh reality of the extreme poverty in the region is unavoidable and unforgettable. The most obvious and severe problem in Africa is the total lack of adequate sanitation and the need for accessible and clean water — something we witnessed firsthand on our trip. The situation in Lihanda was tragic. The hundred or more kids at the school had to all share just two holes in the ground, and although the water they had in buckets was drinkable, it was very murky and in very limited supply.

So when Benji and Joel Madden from Good Charlotte stopped by this morning to talk about their latest project as ambassadors for UNICEF, it was our pleasure. The ingenious Tap Project has been around since 2007, but this year it will really kick into a whole new gear.

Here's how it works: During World Water Week (March 22-28), restaurants across the U.S. will encourage their patrons to donate $1 or more for the tap water they usually enjoy for free. Every single dollar raised through the Tap Project supports UNICEF water, sanitation and hygiene programs. Already, thousands of people are involved — including the boys from Good Charlotte.

Clean water is definitely something we all take for granted. It's just so easy to turn a tap on or buy a bottle of water, but for 900 million people worldwide who lack access to safe and clean drinking water, it's not easy at all. And then when you hear that 4,200 children die EVERY SINGLE DAY from unsafe drinking water, it's simply heartbreaking.

That's why everyone reading this should go and visit TapProject.org and get involved. You can make a donation online or next time you're ordering water at a Tap Project restaurant.

You might question how far $1 will go — but as Benji and Joel pointed out, $1 will provide a child with clean drinking water for 40 days or even give 40 kids clean water for one day.

By Matt Elias

When we caught up with indie rapper Cage and his buddy Shia LaBeouf, they were holed up in a Hollywood edit bay, working on the music video that Shia had just directed. The song, "I Never Knew You," mirrors the turbulent past that Cage faced growing up — a past that includes physical abuse, addiction and institutionalization, which he reflects on in his music.

"Everything is from personal experience," Cage told us. "It's depression, heartache, falling on your face, getting up, falling down again — just like a lot of common stuff people go through.
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Have you ever gone to church after not being there for a while, and you hear a really illuminating, all-knowing sermon, and you feel cleansed? You walk away from the church feeling 10 pounds lighter and like a giant weight has been lifted from your consciousness. Anyway, that's how I felt after interviewing U2. Interviewing them made me feel how I used to feel when I first got into the game.

They were excited about music culture. As big as they've become, they have more humility and hunger than rappers I've interviewed who've only had one hit in the past year. Music to them is not just plucking their strings; it's spiritual. Them boys live to play, and they love to create and they love to make an impact on those who listen, and they want to be as good as they can be. They care immensely about their fans.

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Like any siblings, the Jonas Brothers fight. And by fight, we mean they physically abuse each other to the point that they have battle scars on their bodies to prove it.

How do we know this? Well, the guys told us all about. See, it appears that when they aren't busy singing, acting and being teen idols, they are fighting each other. Well, at least Kevin and Joe are.