‘Book of Mormon’ Tops Tony Nomination List

Tony nominators did welcome, however, the Broadway arrival of Trey Parker and Matt Stone, creators of the irreverent animated television series “South Park,” whose satirical musical “The Book of Mormon” received the most nominations, 14, one short of the record shared by “Billy Elliot the Musical” and “The Producers.”

And in a highly unusual move in a season with so many glittery and crowd-pleasing musicals still running, the nominators reached back to bestow 12 nominations on “The Scottsboro Boys,” a look at the underside of American history told in the audacious style of a minstrel show.

After an Off Broadway run, “Scottsboro” moved uptown but failed to find an audience and closed in December after only two months. It was the final collaboration of John Kander and Fred Ebb, the celebrated composer-and-lyricist team of “Cabaret” and “Chicago.” Their score was nominated, as were three actors and the show’s director and choreographer, Susan Stroman.

“I guess those people who came to see the show never did forget it,” said one of the musical’s producers, Barry Weissler, “and those who neglected to come now know that they missed something.” He had initially promised to try to bring the show back to Broadway this year but said that “there wasn’t enough traction to go forward.” Instead a national tour of “The Scottsboro Boys” is set to begin in San Diego in April 2012, he said.

Both the Tony nominations and the awards ceremony (to be held on June 12 and broadcast on CBS) recognize productions only in the 40 theaters of Broadway, rather than the myriad plays and musicals that run elsewhere in New York and across the country, and some of the theater professionals who vote on the Tonys have a financial interest in seeing shows win or lose.  

While it can be hard to fill out the roster in some categories, this year the 23-member nominating committee had a packed slate of possibilities to draw upon, especially for new musicals and new plays. Broadway veterans said on Tuesday that the best play list — “Good People,” “Jerusalem,” “The ____________ With the Hat” and “War Horse” — is one of the strongest and most varied in years. And all four plays are still running, which was not true last season, when two of the four nominees had closed months before the nominations were announced.

“I can’t recall a Broadway season or a Tony Awards season that had so many strong new musicals and daring productions and performances,” said Kathleen Marshall, the longtime director and choreographer, who was nominated in both categories for the musical revival “Anything Goes,” which received a total of nine nominations, including a best actress nod for Sutton Foster. “For a classic show like ours to be embraced in the middle of all that is really lovely.”

Musical revivals, which are usually a reliable draw, were in short supply this year, meaning that “Anything Goes” will vie against only “How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying” for that prize. While Mr. Radcliffe, as the roguish corporate climber J. Pierrepont Finch, was overlooked, John Larroquette and Tammy Blanchard did get nominated in supporting roles.

Instead of Mr. Radcliffe, the nominators gave lead acting nods to, among others, Andrew Rannells and Josh Gad of “Mormon,” two relative unknowns in the show’s cast of chipper missionaries deposited in Africa.

“I woke up, rolled over, turned on my computer and read that we had all been nominated in all these categories, and the best part for me was seeing that the Tonys had recognized the collaborative nature of our work,” Mr. Stone said in a telephone interview from Los Angeles, where he and Mr. Parker had a “South Park” episode to finish by Tuesday night.

Among new musicals, “Book of Mormon” and “Scottsboro” will face off against two shows adapted from hit films, “Sister Act” and “Catch Me if You Can.” (“Sister Act” and “Book of Mormon” are relatively rare Broadway shows that deal directly with matters of faith and religion, even if many moments are played for laughs.) Another movie-to-musical venture, “Priscilla Queen of the Desert,” was largely shut out, getting only two nods, for Tony Sheldon as lead actor and for its over-the-top costumes.

The recognition for “Catch Me” and “Sister Act” was particularly sweet for Norbert Leo Butz, best actor nominee for “Catch Me,” and Patina Miller, best actress nominee for “Sister Act.” They had each been working on their shows for several years before delivering them to Broadway. And Mr. Butz stayed with “Catch Me” during its 2009 Seattle tryout when his sister Teresa, who lived in the city, was murdered.