MAIN Theater Tony Awards 2012 Tony Awards Nominees & Winners

What's the big buzz on 2012 Tony Award nominee contenders?

First, look for the return of Broadway's favorite Boy from Oz when Hugh Jackman Back on Broadway opens on November 10 at the Broadhurst Theater.

More early rumors about a top potential Tony contender in 2012 are surroudning Lysistrata Jones, the Aristophanes comedy updated as an original musical about "faith, hoops and chastity," opening in December, 2011.

And what could be more apropo for the current economic climate than Bonnie and Clyde, the musical? Watch for the big opening December 1 featuring Laura Osnes (Anything Goes, South Pacific, Grease) as Bonnie Parker, and Jeremy Jordan (West Side Story) as Clyde Barrow, in a story based on the lives of the infamous Depression-era bank robbers.

Finally, in spring 2012 keep a lookout for Broadway's first-ever revival of Funny Girl, starring actress Lauren Ambrose, which will open just in time for Tony consideration following its initial 2011 run in LA.

Meanwhile, expect official nominees to be announced in early May, followed by the official awards ceremony tentatively scheduled to be televised in a three-hour presentation on Sunday, June 10, 2012 on CBS at 8 PM ET from Broadway's Beacon Theatre.

Tony 2011 recap

Two new musicals scored the most nominations of any productions 2011. These included the show that opened to almost universally rave reviews in 2011, The Book of Mormon - by the wildly wacky "South Park" creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone - which predictably led this year's Tony nominees with 14 nods.

Following closely behind was The Scottsboro Boys a searing tale of 1930s injustice framed as a minstrel show, with 12 nominations.

Broadway musical blockbusters on the way to the Tonys included Catch Me If You Can based on the Hollywood movie and a revival of How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (starring Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe, who was surprisingly snubbed.)

Several other popular revivals this season were graced by Hollywood star-wattage, as well.

These include Driving Miss Daisy starring Vanessa Redgrave and James Earl Jones; and La Bête, a 1991 Molière-inspired verse comedy set in 17th-century France (starring "Frasier" star David Hyde-Pierce); and a modern revival of Shakespeare's Merchant of Venice starring Al Pacino.

2011 Tony Award Nominees & * WINNERS

Best Play
* War Horse
Good People
Jerusalem
The Motherf**ker with the Hat

Best Musical
* The Book of Mormon
Catch Me If You Can
The Scottsboro Boys
Sister Act

Best Book of a Musical
* The Book of Mormon
Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
The Scottsboro Boys
Sister Act

Best Original Score
* The Book of Mormon
The Scottsboro Boys
Sister Act
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown

Best Revival of a Play
* The Normal Heart
Arcadia
The Importance of Being Earnest
The Merchant of Venice

Best Revival of a Musical
* Anything Goes
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play
* Mark Rylance, Jerusalem
Brian Bedford, The Importance of Being Earnest
Bobby Cannavale, The Motherf**ker with the Hat
Joe Mantello, The Normal Heart
Al Pacino, The Merchant of Venice

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play
* Frances McDormand, Good People
Nina Arianda, Born Yesterday
Lily Rabe, The Merchant of Venice
Vanessa Redgrave, Driving Miss Daisy
Hannah Yelland, Brief Encounter

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical
* Norbert Leo Butz, Catch Me If You Can
Josh Gad, The Book of Mormon
Joshua Henry, The Scottsboro Boys
Andrew Rannells, The Book of Mormon
Tony Sheldon, Priscilla Queen of the Desert

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical
* Sutton Foster, Anything Goes
Beth Leavel, Baby It's You!
Patina Miller, Sister Act
Donna Murphy, The People in the Picture

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play
* John Benjamin Hickey, The Normal Heart
Mackenzie Crook, Jerusalem
Billy Crudup, Arcadia
Arian Moayed, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo
Yul Vázquez, The Motherf**ker with the Hat

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play
* Ellen Barkin, The Normal Heart
Edie Falco, The House of Blue Leaves
Judith Light, Lombardi
Joanna Lumley, La Bête
Elizabeth Rodriguez, The Motherf**ker with the Hat

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical
* John Larroquette, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Colman Domingo, The Scottsboro Boys
Adam Godley, Anything Goes
Forrest McClendon, The Scottsboro Boys
Rory O'Malley, The Book of Mormon

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical
* Nikki M. James, The Book of Mormon
Laura Benanti, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
Tammy Blanchard, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Victoria Clark, Sister Act
Patti LuPone, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown

Best Direction of a Play
* Marianne Elliott and Tom Morris, War Horse
Joel Grey & George C. Wolfe, The Normal Heart
Anna D. Shapiro, The Motherf**ker with the Hat
Daniel Sullivan, The Merchant of Venice

Best Direction of a Musical
* Casey Nicholaw and Trey Parker, The Book of Mormon
Rob Ashford, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Kathleen Marshall, Anything Goes
Susan Stroman, The Scottsboro Boys

Best Choreography
* Kathleen Marshall, Anything Goes
Rob Ashford, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Casey Nicholaw, The Book of Mormon
Susan Stroman, The Scottsboro Boys

Best Orchestrations
* Larry Hochman and Stephen Oremus, The Book of Mormon
Doug Besterman, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Larry Hochman, The Scottsboro Boys
Marc Shaiman & Larry Blank, Catch Me If You Can

Best Scenic Design of a Play
* Rae Smith, War Horse
Todd Rosenthal, The Motherf**ker with the Hat
Ultz, Jerusalem
Mark Wendland, The Merchant of Venice

Best Scenic Design of a Musical
* Scott Pask, The Book of Mormon
Beowulf Boritt, The Scottsboro Boys
Derek McLane, Anything Goes
Donyale Werle, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson

Best Costume Design of a Play
* Desmond Heeley, The Importance of Being Earnest
Jess Goldstein, The Merchant of Venice
Mark Thompson, La Bête
Catherine Zuber, Born Yesterday

Best Costume Design of a Musical
* Tim Chappel & Lizzy Gardiner ,Priscilla Queen of the Desert
Martin Pakledinaz, Anything Goes
Ann Roth, The Book of Mormon
Catherine Zuber, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

Best Lighting Design of a Play
* Paule Constable, War Horse
David Lander, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo
Kenneth Posner, The Merchant of Venice
Mimi Jordan Sherin, Jerusalem

Best Lighting Design of a Musical
* Brian MacDevitt, The Book of Mormon
Ken Billington, The Scottsboro Boys
Howell Binkley, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Peter Kaczorowski, Anything Goes

Best Sound Design of a Play
* Christopher Shutt, War Horse
Acme Sound Partners & Cricket S. Myers, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo
Simon Baker, Brief Encounter
Ian Dickinson for Autograph, Jerusalem

Best Sound Design of a Musical
* Brian Ronan, The Book of Mormon
Peter Hylenski, The Scottsboro Boys
Steve Canyon Kennedy, Catch Me If You Can
Brian Ronan, Anything Goes

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