He really let rip! Neil Patrick Harris splits his pants during raucous 'Broadway Riff-Off' with James Corden
On Monday night, Tony Awards-hosting veteran Neil Patrick Harris and onetime host James Corden faced each other down for a cracking 'Broadway Riff-Off.'
Unfortunately, the contest, which occurred on The Late Late Show With James Corden, did lead to a wardrobe disaster.
After the ad break, the 43-year-old admitted that when he'd knelt to sing Sugar Daddy from Hedwig And The Angry Inch, 'I had a nice wardrobe malfunction, split my pants from my a** to my knee and I left it all on the stage for you.'
Scroll down for video
Battle of the belters: On Monday night, Tony Awards-hosting veteran Neil Patrick Harris and onetime host James Corden faced each other down for a cracking 'Broadway Riff-Off'
They began their competition when the How I Met Your Mother star - who's hosted the Tonys in 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2013 - strutted onstage, Corden feigning surprise.
Though the chat-show host wanted to get into his 'brilliant bit of comedy about acronyms,' Harris vamped: 'We have a score to settle, and it's about Broadway.'
As their banter heated up, the Gone Girl actor sniped: 'I see you going around, hosting the Tonys, acting like you're the only TV star who can sing show tunes.'
Oops: After the ad break, the 43-year-old admitted that when he'd knelt to sing Sugar Daddy from Hedwig And The Angry Inch, 'I had a nice wardrobe malfunction, split my pants from my a** to my knee and I left it all on the stage for you'
To ravening applause, he noted: 'Some of us, dude, have actually won a Tony' - in Harris' case, Best Leading Actor In A Musical for Hedwig And The Angry Inch in 2014.
As Corden pointed out, 'I've also won a Tony Award myself,' snagging Best Actor In A Play for his leading performance in One Man, Two Guvnors in 2012.
'Yeah,' said Harris, 'for a non-singing role. BURN!' leaving the pair no other option to settle the score than what Corden called 'a Broadway musical riff-off.'
Veteran: The Gone Girl star's hosted the Tonys in 2009, 2011, 2012 and 2013 (pictured)
Accompanied by a six-man choir, the 38-year-old launched into Sit Down, You're Rockin' The Boat from Frank Loesser's 1950 score to Guys And Dolls.
Harris responded with Everything's Coming Up Roses, the iconic first act closer from the 1959 musical Gypsy, modifying the line: 'Honey, everything's coming up roses for me and for you,' to: 'Corden, everything's coming up roses for me, not for you.'
The Hillingdon native had to concede that 'clearly we can both sing the classics' - Harris: 'Yeah, one of us can' - but also insisted: 'Broadway ain't nothing unless you can sing a heartbreaking ballad.'
Debut: The Gavin & Stacey star gave his debut as a Tonys host last June
Perhaps slightly unfairly, Harris retorted by bursting into Being Alive, Stephen Sondheim's eleven o'clock number for the 1970 show Company.
He'd had a bit of practice with the number, having sung it whilst playing the leading man, Bobby, in a 2011 concert version of Company at Avery Fisher Hall.
Corden's response was On My Own from Les Misérables, which opened on Broadway in 1987. Inasmuch as Eponine, the character who sings it in the show, is a woman, the Gavin & Stacey star hadn't had much prior professional experience in the role.
Giving his all: When the chat-show host sang On My Own from Les Misérables, he managed to hold one of his belt notes so long that Harris checked his watch and, afterward, fanned his eyes and admitted: 'All right, man, that was pretty'
He still managed to hold one of his belt notes so long that Harris checked his watch and, afterward, fanned his eyes and admitted: 'All right, man, that was pretty.'
Yet and still, Broadway, to him, is 'also about being sexy,' a challenge Corden decided to try and meet with All That Jazz, the opening number from 1975's Chicago.
It was at that point that Harris veered into Sugar Daddy, unbuttoning his suit jacket, sinking to his knees and admirably concealing the tear that wound up resulting.
Hand of support: Corden at one point capitulated: 'You've beat me,' and called himself 'a complete fraud,' to the point his opponent had to encourage him back into the ring
Corden responded by capitulating: 'You've beat me,' and calling himself 'a complete fraud,' to the point his opponent had to encourage him back into the ring.
The pair closed out their performance by performing a duet of My Shot from Hamilton, which swept the most recent Tony Awards last June - Corden's debut as host of the extravaganza.
This year's Tony Awards will occur on June 11 at a currently unspecified venue, and with a currently unspecified host, in New York City.
Dynamic duo: The pair closed out their performance by performing a duet of My Shot from Hamilton, which swept the most recent Tony Awards last June
Most watched News videos
- Piers Morgan's rant on mother who charged invoice for shoes
- Store owner in Connecticut pulls gun on armed robber
- Obama pays tribute to his family during his farewell speech
- Female bullfighter is mounted by young bull
- 'You can tell I'm a lame duck': Barack Obama receives a long standing ovation
- Torvill and Dean appear on Piers Morgan's Life Stories
- Meryl Streep uses speech to call out Trump for his actions
- Plane lurches during landing at Leeds Bradford in strong winds
- Biden was 'the best' decision I made: Obama during his farewell
- Witness captures moment Russian jets bomb Syria for first time
- Man uses Yellow Pages to call repairer for his Goggomobil
- Kellyanne responds to Seth Meyers on new Russia allegations
- It was me: Sworn Trump enemy John McCain admits HE handed...
- EXCLUSIVE: Ronda Rousey shows the strain as she is pictured...
- The moment a quick-thinking gun store owner pulls out his...
- Kremlin denies 'completely fake' claims that it has a...
- PIERS MORGAN: Sorry, Meryl but that hypocritical anti-Trump...
- Not impressed! Mel Gibson and Vince Vaughn glare daggers...
- Obama insists he's still 'optimistic' but takes aim at Trump...
- Kidnapped supermom Sherri Papini is pictured for the first...
- Autopsy reveals tragic new details of the life of girl, 10,...
- Now Meryl Streep is accused of being anti-Israel at the...
- All grown up! Chic Malia Obama attends father's farewell...
- George Michael 'tried to end his relationship with boyfriend...