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'In the Heights' leads Tony nods

BY LINDA WINER | linda.winer@newsday.com

2:17 PM EDT, May 13, 2008

In The Heights" the hip-hop, salsa and merengue inflected musical created by and starring Lin-Manuel Miranda (center), with Christopher Jackson, right, tells a story of the Latino neighborhood in upper Manhattan, Washington Heights. (Newsday/Ari Mintz)

Mel Brooks and Disney were shut out of major slots for Tony Award nominations yesterday, when "Young Frankenstein" and "The Little Mermaid" -- the two lavish mainstream musicals of the season -- were mostly ignored for the Broadway prizes.

Two acclaimed unconventional shows by Broadway newcomers -- "In the Heights," by Latino composer-star Lin-Manuel Miranda and "Passing Strange," by black composer-star Stew -- swept the musical categories, with 13 for "Heights" and seven for "Strange." The remaining slots were filled by "Cry-Baby" and "Xanadu," quirky adaptations of cult-comic films.

As expected, "August: Osage County," the Pulitzer Prize winner by Tracy Letts, received the most nominations (seven) for Best Play and the production from Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre Company. The other nominees -- Tom Stoppard's "Rock 'n' Roll," Conor McPherson's "The Seafarer" and Patrick Barlow's "The 39 Steps" -- are all by English and Irish playwrights.

In the musical revival category, "South Pacific" has 11 nominations, "Sunday in the Park With George" has nine and "Gypsy," seven. Despite overwhelmingly negative reviews, "Grease," the only other musical revival of the season, was plugged into the fourth slot.

Expect fierce competition between Patti LuPone, nominated for "Gypsy," and Kelli O'Hara, "South Pacific."

For play revivals, an exceptionally competitive category this season, "The Homecoming," "Macbeth," "Les Liaisons Dangereuses" and "Boeing-Boeing" are nominated.

Among the surprising omissions are the all-black revival of "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" (shunned in all categories, including actors James Earl Jones, Phylicia Rashad, Terrence Howard and Anika Noni Rose) and "Cyrano de Bergerac," (ignoring Kevin Kline and Jennifer Garner). Mike Nichols' production of "The Country Girl" was shut out, as were stars Morgan Freeman, Frances McDormand and Peter Gallagher. Except for a supporting-actress nod for Martha Plimpton, the well-received revival of "Top Girls" is not on the list.

In general, nominators passed over the big marquee names and high-profile productions. Patrick Stewart receives a nod for "Macbeth," but both Nathan Lane and playwright David Mamet's "November" do not. Neither Susan Stroman's direction or choreography for "Young Frankenstein" makes the lists. The same is true for Harvey Fierstein's book for and star turn in "A Catered Affair," slighted for best musical.

The Tony telecast is June 15, from 8-11 p.m., on CBS/2, hosted by Whoopi Goldberg.

AND THE NOMINEES ARE:

BEST PLAY August: Osage County. Author: Tracy Letts

Rock 'n' Roll. Author: Tom Stoppard

The Seafarer. Author: Conor McPherson

The 39 Steps. Author: Patrick Barlow

BEST MUSICAL

Cry-Baby
In The Heights
Passing Strange
Xanadu

BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTOR IN A PLAY