Today the Nominations for the 2012 American Theatre Wing’s Tony Awards®
 Presented by The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing were announced, with most reports opting to report on only the big nominations. But there are important details in the minutia that must not be overlooked. Like the return of nominations for the best orchestrations of a musical.

Anyone who has been to a backers audition with a simple piano accompaniment, and the real deal with a dozen or two musicians in the pit with their arsenal of instruments and effects knows how vital the role of the orchestrator is to the success of the music.

There are a dozen functions behind the curtain that make a show a success. Likewise every Broadway show these days has a similar number of people who put up their money, with dubious chances of it being returned, in order to see a show come to life. So look to the nominees for Best Play and Best Musical, they are worthy contenders. But they would not be here without the producers who took the risk.

Stage and screen star Neil Patrick Harris will once again host the Tony Awards ceremony, to be presented a the Beacon Theatre on Sunday, June 10, 2012 and broadcast live on CBS from 8pm to 11pm (ET/PT time delay). The 2012 ceremony will mark the 35th consecutive year the Tony Awards have been telecast on CBS, a remarkable entertainment industry partnership.

The 2011-2012 Tony Awards season began last spring. Shows that open on Broadway in the 2011-2012 season on or before the eligibility cutoff date (April 26 this season) and meet various other requirements will be eligible for nominations in 2012.

The musical Once leads the nominations with 11, followed by Nice Work If You Can Get It and The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess with 10 each, Peter and the Starcatcher with 9 and Follies and Newsies with 8 apiece.

The Shakespeare Theatre Company, Washington, D.C. has been named as the recipient of the Regional Theatre Award, with additional special honors going to the previously reported Emanuel Azenberg (Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre); the recently announced Bernadette Peters (Isabelle Stevenson Award), Actors’ Equity Association (Special Tony Award), and Hugh Jackman (Special Tony Award); and the previously reported Freddie Gershon (Tony Honor for Excellence in the Theatre), Artie Siccardi (Tony Honor for Excellence in the Theatre), and TDF Open Doors (Tony Honor for Excellence in the Theatre).

Congratulations to all the nominees.Without you, our life would be filled with mindless television pablum. Or worse.


Best Play

Clybourne Park
Author: Bruce Norris
Producers: Jujamcyn Theaters, Jane Bergère, Roger Berlind/Quintet Productions, Eric Falkenstein/Dan Frishwasser, Ruth Hendel/Harris Karma Productions, JTG Theatricals, Daryl Roth, Jon B. Platt, Center Theatre Group, Lincoln Center Theater, Playwrights Horizons

Other Desert Cities
Author: Jon Robin Baitz
Producers: Lincoln Center Theater, André Bishop, Bernard Gersten, Bob Boyett

Peter and the Starcatcher
Author: Rick Elice
Producers: Nancy Nagel Gibbs, Greg Schaffert, Eva Price, Tom Smedes, Disney Theatrical Productions, Suzan & Ken Wirth/DeBartolo Miggs, Catherine Schreiber/Daveed Frazier & Mark Thompson, Jack Lane, Jane Dubin, Allan S. Gordon/Adam S. Gordon, Baer & Casserly/Nathan Vernon, Rich Affanato/Peter Stern, Brunish & Trinchero/Laura Little Productions, Larry Hirschhorn/Hummel & Greene, Jamie deRoy & Probo Prods./Radio Mouse Ent., Hugh Hysell/Freedberg & Dale, New York Theatre Workshop

Venus in Fur
Author: David Ives
Producers: Manhattan Theatre Club, Lynne Meadow, Barry Grove, Jon B. Platt, Scott Landis, Classic Stage Company

Best Musical

Leap of Faith
Producers: Michael Manheim, James D. Stern, Douglas L. Meyer, Marc Routh, Richard Frankel, Tom Viertel, Steven Baruch, Annette Niemtzow, Daryl Roth, Robert G. Bartner, Steven and Shanna Silva, Endgame Entertainment, Patricia Monaco, Debi Coleman, Dancap Productions, Inc., Steve Kaplan, Relativity Media, LLC, Rich/Caudwell, Center Theatre Group, Michael Palitz, Richard J. Stern, Melissa Pinsly/Celine Rosenthal, Independent Presenters Network, Diana Buckhantz, Pamela Cooper, Vera Guerin, Leading Investment Co., Ltd., Christina Papagjika, Victor Syrmis, Semlitz/Glaser Productions, Jujamcyn Theaters

Newsies
Producers: Disney Theatrical Productions, Thomas Schumacher

Nice Work If You Can Get It
Producers: Scott Landis, Roger Berlind, Sonia Friedman Productions, Roy Furman, Standing CO Vation, Candy Spelling, Freddy DeMann, Ronald Frankel, Harold Newman, Jon B. Platt, Raise the Roof 8, Takonkiet Viravan, William Berlind/Ed Burke, Carole L. Haber/Susan Carusi, Buddy and Barbara Freitag/Sanford Robertson, Jim Herbert/Under the Wire, Emanuel Azenberg, The Shubert Organization

Once
Producers: Barbara Broccoli, John N. Hart, Jr., Patrick Milling Smith, Frederick Zollo, Brian Carmody, Michael G. Wilson, Orin Wolf, The Shubert Organization, Robert Cole, New York Theatre Workshop

Best Revival of a Play

Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman
Producers: Scott Rudin, Stuart Thompson, Jon B. Platt, Columbia Pictures, Jean Doumanian, Merritt Forrest Baer, Roger Berlind, Scott M. Delman, Sonia Friedman Productions, Ruth Hendel, Carl Moellenberg, Scott & Brian Zeilinger, Eli Bush

Gore Vidal’s The Best Man
Producers: Jeffrey Richards, Jerry Frankel, INFINITY Stages, Universal Pictures Stage Productions, Barbara Manocherian/ Michael Palitz, Kathleen K. Johnson, Andy Sandberg, Ken Mahoney/The Broadway Consortium, Fifty Church Street Productions, Larry Hirschhorn/Bennu Productions, Patty Baker, Paul Boskind and Martian Entertainment, Wendy Federman, Mark S. Golub & David S. Golub, Cricket Hooper Jiranek, Stewart F. Lane & Bonnie Comley, Carl Moellenberg, Harold Thau, Will Trice

Master Class
Producers: Manhattan Theatre Club, Lynne Meadow, Barry Grove, Max Cooper, Maberry Theatricals, Marks-Moore-Turnbull Group, Ted Snowdon

Wit
Producers: Manhattan Theatre Club, Lynne Meadow, Barry Grove

Best Revival of a Musical

Evita
Producers: Hal Luftig, Scott Sanders Productions, Roy Furman, Yasuhiro Kawana, Allan S. Gordon/Adam S. Gordon, James L. Nederlander, Terry Allen Kramer, Gutterman Fuld Chernoff/Pittsburgh CLO, Thousand Stars Productions, Adam Blanshay, Adam Zotovich, Robert Ahrens, Stephanie P. McClelland, Carole L. Haber, Richardo Hornos, Carol Fineman, Brian Smith, Warren & Jâlé Trepp

Follies
Producers: The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, David M. Rubenstein, Michael A. Kaiser, Max A. Woodward, Nederlander Presentations, Inc., Adrienne Arsht, HRH Foundation, Allan Williams

The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess
Producers: Jeffrey Richards, Jerry Frankel, Rebecca Gold, Howard Kagan, Cheryl Wiesenfeld/Brunish Trinchero/Lucio Simons TBC, Joseph & Matthew Deitch, Mark S. Golub & David S. Golub, Terry Schnuck, Freitag Productions/Koenigsberg Filerman, The Leonore S. Gershwin 1987 Trust, Universal Pictures Stage Productions, Ken Mahoney, Judith Resnick, Tulchin/Bartner/ATG, Paper Boy Productions, Christopher Hart, Alden Badway, Broadway Across America, Irene Gandy, Will Trice, American Repertory Theater

Jesus Christ Superstar
Producers: The Dodgers and The Really Useful Group, Latitude Link, Tamara and Kevin Kinsella, Pelican Group, Waxman-Dokton, Joe Corcoran, Detsky/Sokolowski/Kassie, Florin-Blanshay-Fan/Broadway Across America, Rich/Caudwell, Shin/Coleman, TheatreDreams North America, LLC, Stratford Shakespeare Festival


Best Book of a Musical
Lysistrata Jones
Douglas Carter Beane
Newsies
Harvey Fierstein
Nice Work If You Can Get It
Joe DiPietro
Once
Enda Walsh


Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre
Bonnie & Clyde
Music: Frank Wildhorn 
Lyrics: Don Black
Newsies
Music: Alan Menken 
Lyrics: Jack Feldman
One Man, Two Guvnors
Music & Lyrics: Grant Olding
Peter and the Starcatcher
Music: Wayne Barker 
Lyrics: Rick Elice


Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play
James Corden, One Man, Two Guvnors

Philip Seymour Hoffman, Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman

James Earl Jones, Gore Vidal’s The Best Man

Frank Langella, Man and Boy

John Lithgow, The Columnist


Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play
Nina Arianda, Venus in Fur

Tracie Bennett, End of the Rainbow

Stockard Channing, Other Desert Cities

Linda Lavin, The Lyons

Cynthia Nixon, Wit


Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical
Danny Burstein, Follies

Jeremy Jordan, Newsies

Steve Kazee, Once

Norm Lewis, The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess

Ron Raines, Follies


Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical
Jan Maxwell, Follies

Audra McDonald, The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess

Cristin Milioti, Once

Kelli O’Hara, Nice Work If You Can Get It

Laura Osnes, Bonnie & Clyde


Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play
Christian Borle, Peter and the Starcatcher

Michael Cumpsty, End of the Rainbow

Tom Edden, One Man, Two Guvnors

Andrew Garfield, Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman

Jeremy Shamos, Clybourne Park


Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play
Linda Emond, Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman

Spencer Kayden, Don’t Dress for Dinner

Celia Keenan-Bolger, Peter and the Starcatcher

Judith Light, Other Desert Cities

Condola Rashad, Stick Fly


Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical
Phillip Boykin, The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess

Michael Cerveris, Evita

David Alan Grier, The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess

Michael McGrath, Nice Work If You Can Get It

Josh Young, Jesus Christ Superstar


Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical
Elizabeth A. Davis, Once

Jayne Houdyshell, Follies

Judy Kaye, Nice Work If You Can Get It

Jessie Mueller, On A Clear Day You Can See Forever

Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Ghost the Musical


Best Scenic Design of a Play
John Lee Beatty, Other Desert Cities

Daniel Ostling, Clybourne Park

Mark Thompson, One Man, Two Guvnors

Donyale Werle, Peter and the Starcatcher


Best Scenic Design of a Musical
Bob Crowley, Once
Rob Howell and Jon Driscoll, Ghost the Musical

Tobin Ost and Sven Ortel, Newsies

George Tsypin, Spider-Man Turn Off The Dark


Best Costume Design of a Play
William Ivey Long, Don’t Dress for Dinner

Paul Tazewell, A Streetcar Named Desire

Mark Thompson, One Man, Two Guvnors

Paloma Young, Peter and the Starcatcher



Best Costume Design of a Musical
Gregg Barnes, Follies

ESosa, The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess

Eiko Ishioka, Spider-Man Turn Off The Dark

Martin Pakledinaz, Nice Work If You Can Get It


Best Lighting Design of a Play
Jeff Croiter, Peter and the Starcatcher

Peter Kaczorowski, The Road to Mecca

Brian MacDevitt, Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman

Kenneth Posner, Other Desert Cities


Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Christopher Akerlind, The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess

Natasha Katz, Follies

Natasha Katz, Once

Hugh Vanstone, Ghost the Musical


Best Sound Design of a Play
Paul Arditti, One Man, Two Guvnors

Scott Lehrer, Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman

Gareth Owen, End of the Rainbow

Darron L West, Peter and the Starcatcher


Best Sound Design of a Musical
Acme Sound Partners, The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess

Clive Goodwin, Once
Kai Harada, Follies

Brian Ronan, Nice Work If You Can Get It


Best Choreography
Rob Ashford, Evita

Christopher Gattelli, Newsies
Steven Hoggett, Once

Kathleen Marshall, Nice Work If You Can Get It


Best Direction of a Play
Nicholas Hytner, One Man, Two Guvnors

Pam MacKinnon, Clybourne Park

Mike Nichols, Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman

Roger Rees and Alex Timbers, Peter and the Starcatcher


Best Direction of a Musical
Jeff Calhoun, Newsies

Kathleen Marshall, Nice Work If You Can Get It

Diane Paulus, The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess

John Tiffany, Once


Best Orchestrations
William David Brohn and Christopher Jahnke, The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess

Bill Elliott, Nice Work If You Can Get It

Martin Lowe, Once
Danny Troob, Newsies

* * *
Recipients of Awards and Honors in Non-competitive Categories

Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre
Emanuel Azenberg

Regional Theatre Award
The Shakespeare Theatre Company, Washington, D.C.

Isabelle Stevenson Award
Bernadette Peters

Special Tony Award
Actors’ Equity Association
Hugh Jackman

Tony Honor for Excellence in the Theatre
Freddie Gershon
Artie Siccardi
TDF Open Doors

* * *

Tony Nominations by Production
Once – 11
The Gershwins’ Porgy and Bess – 10
Nice Work If You Can Get It – 10
Peter and the Starcatcher – 9
Follies – 8
Newsies – 8
Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman – 7
One Man, Two Guvnors – 7
Other Desert Cities – 5
Clybourne Park – 4
End of the Rainbow – 3
Evita – 3
Ghost the Musical – 3
Bonnie & Clyde – 2
Don’t Dress for Dinner – 2
Gore Vidal’s The Best Man – 2
Jesus Christ Superstar – 2
Spider-Man Turn Off The Dark – 2
Venus in Fur – 2
Wit – 2
The Columnist – 1
Leap of Faith – 1
The Lyons – 1
Lysistrata Jones – 1
Man and Boy – 1
Master Class – 1
On A Clear Day You Can See Forever – 1
The Road to Mecca – 1
Stick Fly – 1
A Streetcar Named Desire – 1



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