'Spring' tops Tony nominations

NEW YORK — In a season rich with contenders, "Spring Awakening," a dark rock musical based on a 19th-century German play about sexually anguished teenagers, led the field on Tuesday with 11 Tony nominations, including chances at best musical and director and recognition for two actors.

The show's move to Broadway had seemed an artistic gamble, but in the musical category it is followed by another off-Broadway transfer: "Grey Gardens," about the eccentric Little and Big Edie Beales, which picked up 10 nods, including shots at best director and Tonys for two performers.

The other contenders for best musical, the Tony's most coveted category, are "Curtains," a Kander and Ebb musical comedy about a backstage murder, and "Mary Poppins," about, well, exactly what you think it's about.

As always, there are tea leaves in the Tony nominations, particularly in a season as crowded and eclectic as this one.

The inclusion of "Mary Poppins," which picked up seven nominations, allays some concerns that Broadway had it in for Disney Theatricals, which did not get top nods for the musicals "Aida" or "Tarzan."

"I think that whatever remains of the Disney prejudice seems to be evaporating finally," said Rocco Landesman, president of Jujamcyn Theaters, which owns theaters where three of the four best-musical nominees are playing, but not "Mary Poppins."

"Mary Poppins" did not receive nominations for director or book, while "Spring Awakening," "Grey Gardens" and "Curtains" are all in the running for director, book and score.

The fourth entry in the book-and-score categories was "Legally Blonde: The Musical," based on the 2001 movie, which was considered a contender for best musical. (How a show is nominated for best book and best score but not for best show is one of those perennial Tony riddles.) John Doyle is the fourth director of a musical to be nominated, for the revival of "Company."

The other show deemed to have a chance at the big prize, "LoveMusik," about the romance between Kurt Weill and Lotte Lenya, came off with only four nominations: three for performers, but none for its veteran director, Hal Prince.

Though the play category was robust this year, there were few surprises: "The Coast of Utopia," Tom Stoppard's sprawling trilogy of 19th-century Russian intelligentsia, picked up a whopping 10 nominations, including ones for best original play and for five performers: Brian F. O'Byrne, Jennifer Ehle, Martha Plimpton, Ethan Hawke and Billy Crudup. This made it the most nominated straight play in Tony history, organizers said.