38th annual daytime emmys Wayne Brady looking to up entertainment factor

Associated Press

LAS VEGAS

Wayne Brady is right at home amid the glitz and glamour of Las Vegas, so he jumped at the chance to put on the old razzle- dazzle as host of the Daytime Emmys.

Brady first hosted the awards honoring everything from soap operas to game shows to talk shows in 2003. Now, he’s back for the 38th annual shindig airing live from the Las Vegas Hilton at 8 tonight on CBS.

Brady, whose old talk show won four Daytime Emmys, will sing and dance during the two-hour show, which opens with him performing alongside Jabbawockeez, an all-male hip-hop crew that has its own show on the Strip.

“We’re going to do something that maybe folks have never seen on the Daytime Emmys,” he said. “We’re looking to up the entertainment factor. It’s all done with a wink, look at all these feathers and sequins, but we’re just here to have a good time.”

The show moved to Vegas two years ago after a run in Los Angeles, and its ratings, like many awards shows, have bounced up and down in recent years. Executive producer David McKenzie is focused on putting together a fast-paced telecast loaded with stars.

“We’re featuring tons of people that perform in Vegas,” he said.

Among them are Marie Osmond, Gladys Knight, Cirque du Soleil and Blue Man Group.

The Daytime Emmys will pay tribute to Oprah Winfrey, who recently ended her lauded talk show after 25 years. She’ll receive the Crystal Pillar award for changing the face of daytime television.

Also on his way out is Regis Philbin, who is leaving his syndicated chat fest later this year.

He could retire with a trophy, having been nominated for best talk-show host.

“We’re going to celebrate those shows and celebrate the stars and make it more of an old New Orleans-type of wake,” said Brady, nominated for best game-show host for “Let’s Make a Deal,” which was previously taped in Sin City.

Joining Winfrey and Philbin on the sidelines are ABC soaps “All My Children” and “One Life to Live,” both victims of declining ratings after more than 40 years on the air. “All My Children” earned 13 Emmy nods and “One Life to Live” had 12.

ABC’s “General Hospital” led the way with 21 nominations, followed by CBS’ “The Young and the Restless” with 20 and “Sesame Street” with 16.