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Tonys 2013: Watch Neil Patrick Harris’ showstopping opener

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Neil Patrick Harris is a busy man. When he’s not working on the CBS sitcom “How I Met Your Mother,” or indulging in his passion for magic tricks, or filming cameos for the “Harold & Kumar” movies, he is earning acclaim for his hosting skills.

On Sunday, Harris took to the stage at Radio City Music Hall to emcee Broadway’s the Tonys. The broadcast saw a 20% increase in viewers over last year, to 7.2 million viewers, according to preliminary numbers from Nielsen.

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Harris’ opening act seemed a head scratcher at first: the comic number channeled the musical “Once” — a curious choice given that the show opened last season.

But Harris then segued into a medley that parodied the season’s nominated musicals. The lyrics were written by Lin-Manuel Miranda with music by Tom Kitt, who had collaborated on the Tony-nominated musical “Bring It On.”

The Tonys audience loved it, greeting Harris with a prolonged standing ovation.

You can watch the entire opening number above, and judge for yourself whether the accolades are earned.

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MORE TONYS COVERAGE:

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Complete list: All the winners and nominees

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PHOTOS: Best and worst of the 2013 Tony Awards

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