Tina Fey91Ƶs musical 91ƵMean Girls,91Ƶ which she adapted from her much-beloved and oft-quoted 2004 high school comedy movie, and the goofy undersea adaptation from the cartoon 91ƵSpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical91Ƶ lead the Tony Award nominations with dozen nods each.
A British revival of 91ƵAngels in America,91Ƶ Tony Kushner91Ƶs monumental, two-part drama about AIDS, life and love during the 1980s, grabbed 11 nominations 91Ƶ the most for any play 91Ƶ 25 years after it first appeared on Broadway. The shimmering, grown-up musical 91ƵThe Band91Ƶs Visit91Ƶ also earned 11 nods.
J.K. Rowling91Ƶs 91ƵHarry Potter91Ƶ franchise extended its magical touch to Broadway, with a two-part stage play featuring the bespectacled wizard earning 10 nominations, as did a revival of 91ƵMy Fair Lady.91Ƶ
Best new musical category is filled by 91ƵThe Band91Ƶs Visit,91Ƶ 91ƵFrozen,91Ƶ 91ƵMean Girls91Ƶ and 91ƵSpongeBob SquarePants: The Musical.91Ƶ Those musicals that failed to make the cut were the Hal Prince revue 91ƵPrince of Broadway,91Ƶ the Jimmy Buffet musical 91ƵEscape to Margaritaville91Ƶ and 91ƵSummer,91Ƶ about disco diva Donna Summer.
The two-part 91ƵHarry Potter and the Cursed Child,91Ƶ which picks up 19 years from where Rowling91Ƶs last novel left off and portrays Potter and his friends as grown-ups, won nine Olivier Awards in London before coming to America and bewitching critics and audiences alike. It now will face 91ƵThe Children,91Ƶ 91ƵFarinelli and The King,91Ƶ 91ƵJunk91Ƶ and 91ƵLatin History for Morons91Ƶ for best new play.
Best male acting nominations for a play include Denzel Washington, starring in a revival of Eugene O91ƵNeill91Ƶs epic 91ƵThe Iceman Cometh.91Ƶ The 2010 Tony winner for 91ƵFences91Ƶ will have to face-off against Andrew Garfield in 91ƵAngels in America,91Ƶ Tom Hollander of 91ƵTravesties,91Ƶ Jamie Parker of 91ƵHarry Potter and the Cursed Child91Ƶ and Mark Rylance in 91ƵFarinelli and The King.91Ƶ
Michael Cera of Brampton, Ont., received a nomination for best featured actor in a play for his role in 91ƵLobby Hero.91Ƶ
Amy Schumer, who made her Broadway debut in Steve Martin91Ƶs comedy 91ƵMeteor Shower,91Ƶ won a nomination for best actress in a play. Others in the category include Glenda Jackson from 91ƵEdward Albee91Ƶs Three Tall Women,91Ƶ Condola Rashad in 91ƵSaint Joan91Ƶ and Lauren Ridloff in 91ƵChildren of a Lesser God.91Ƶ
91ƵCarousel,91Ƶ 91ƵMy Fair Lady91Ƶ and 91ƵOnce on This Island91Ƶ make up the best musical revival category, mostly because they91Ƶre only eligible nominees.
The best play revival category is filled by 91ƵAngels in America,91Ƶ 91ƵThree Tall Women,91Ƶ 91ƵLobby Hero,91Ƶ 91ƵTravesties91Ƶ and 91ƵThe Iceman Cometh.91Ƶ
Bruce Springsteen, whose solo show mixes songs and stories from his bestselling memoir 91ƵBorn to Run91Ƶ and has been banking over $2 million each week he91Ƶs onstage, will be granted a special, non-competitive Tony, along with John Leguizamo for 91ƵLatin History for Morons.91Ƶ
Plenty of nominations don91Ƶt necessarily lead to actual wins on Tony night. While 91ƵHamilton91Ƶ was nominated for 16 awards in 2016 and went on to win 11, just last year 91ƵNatasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 181291Ƶ earned a leading 12 nominations but got just two technical awards on the big night.
Related: 91ƵShape of Water91Ƶ Oscars wins called a 91Ƶwatershed moment91Ƶ for Canadian film
Related: Okanagan-born makeup artist sees wonderous heights
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Mark Kennedy, The Associated Press
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