2006-2007 Tony Nominations Announced

The nominations for the 2006-2007 Tony Awards were announced May 15 by Tony Award winner Jane Krakowski and former Rent star Taye Diggs at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts. The Broadway equivalent of the Oscars honors excellence in theater. The new musical Spring Awakening gathered 11 Tony nominations, the most of any show.

Spring Awakening, which opened at the Eugene O'Neill Theater to rave reviews in December, is based on the controversial play of the same title. It revolves around the budding sexual maturity of youths in German. It features music by indie artist Duncan Sheik and lyrics by Steven Sater, both of whom received nominations. Its star, John Gallagher Jr., was recognized in the featured-actor category.

Grey Gardens and The Coast of Utopia followed with 10 nominations each. Grey Gardens is based on the 1975 documentary of the same title that follows the lives of The Beales, a family that lives in total isolation in New York. It received nods in both the leading actress and featured actress categories for Christine Ebersole and Mary Louise Wilson, respectively. The Coast of Utopia is an original work by Tom Stoppard, focusing on the philosophical debated in pre-revolutionary Russia. The entire trilogy is nine hours in length and received nominations for Best Play. Billy Crudup, Ethan Hawk, Brian F. O'Byrne, Jennifer Ehle, and Martha Plimpton, the play's stars, all received nominations for their work.

Other shows that received several nominations include the musical Curtains, movie-turned-musical Legally Blonde, musical Mary Poppins, the play Coram Boy, and the revival of Journey's End.

The musical Legally Blonde, despite its seven nominations, is notable for its exclusion in the Best Musical category. Its acting talent, however, received three nominations alongside their choreographer. Other notable omissions include former Tony Award winner Kristin Chenoweth, who did not land a Best Leading Actress in a Musical nod for her performance in The Apple Tree, and Academy Award winner Kevin Spacey, who was snubbed for his performance in A Moon for the Misbegotten.

The 61st annual Tony Awards will be broadcast live from New York's Radio City Music Hall on June 10th on CBS.