Hugh Jackman's Tonys Opener Was... Bouncy

Well, that's one way to start a show. Instead of a typical monologue or musical number, the 2014 Tony Awards opened with host Hugh Jackman literally bouncing across the building, all while the casts and crew of the night's nominated shows looked on. Whether jump-roping with Rocky, hanging out with Neil Patrick Harris, and trying to get Clint Eastwood's attention, Jackman never stopped bobbing on his toes. Silly? Yup. Entertaining? Definitely.

Jackman began by bouncing into the theater's main stage while the audience clapped him along, before shouting a quick "bye!" and charging towards the building's backstage. While there, he met the stars of shows ranging from Aladdin to Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, as well as a few random celebrities — really, what is Clint Eastwood doing there tonight?

Finally, Jackman bobbed his way back onto the stage, where he was met with huge applause. After catching his breath, he introduced the night's first performers: Fantasia, Patti LaBelle, and Gladys Night, who sang "Sunny Side of the Street" from Fantasia's nominated musical, After Midnight. They were soon joined by the show's cast, who performed an impressive dance routine.

"It's gonna be after midnight till I catch my breath," Jackman joked, and with an opening as energetic as that one, we don't doubt that'll be true. And if the rest of the show doesn't go quite as well as the opening, at least Jackman will have his friend, Neil Patrick Harris, to lean on.

"Neil texted me right away, 'Wow, that's fantastic!'" Jackman said while on stage, before adding, "at least that's what I think WTF means."