60th Annual Grammy Awards executive producer Ken Ehrlich (Photo: Photo by Rob Latour/Variety/REX/Shutterstock )

It’s a big show. The 2017 Grammy Awards sucked in 26 million viewers. Second only to the Oscars (32.9 million viewers), the Emmys (11.4 million-wide)  and Tonys (6 million in a post-Hamilton slump). Meanwhile, The 4th Annual Game Awards shook things up, an audience of 18.7 million via 10 live streaming platforms, including YouTube, Facebook and Twitch.

It’s the first time the L.A.-indigenous Grammys have returned to New York in 15 years. Among the logistical challenges: “It’s just more expensive doing it in New York versus Los Angeles, in terms of facilities, stagehands, hotel rooms, transportation, general costs of the show,” Grammy executive producer Ken Ehrlich tells Variety’s Jem Aswad.

Jem gets the lowdown on moving the Grammys from the Staples Center to Madison Square Garden (which is actually a smaller venue, though in my mind it looms a kahuna: MSG: up to 20,000 for a concert; Staples Center, 2,100. That’s pretty close! You wouldn’ta thunk it from the disdainful tone in which the dealmaker informed me Grammy was squeezing into a tinier venue.)

Anyway, it’s more more elite. Twenty-thousand invitation-only guests. (And you know who won’t be there? Congress 🙂

Back to Mssrs. Ehrlich and Assad: There will be a tip ‘o the hat to the Tonys on Jan. 28. (Maybe they’ll lure Hugh Jackman. The have Patty Lupone confirmed, so that’s a start. The Grammys will also feature more formidable Grammy mash-ups (a personal fave, Cee Lo Green with Gwyneth Patrow (and the Muppets) perform “Forget You” at Grammy 2011. (Pure joy! By any name. Gwynnie can sing! And to see her dancing around on his grand piano in skyscraper heels is…exhilarating.)

We know Bruno Mars will be dueting with Cardi B. Alessia Cara, Khalid and Logic will perform a trois. James Corden hosts, on CBS starting