Drama Desk Nominations Are Unveiled

“Grand Hotel” and “City of Angels,” two big Broadway musicals, each received 12 Drama Desk nominations Thursday for outstanding achievement during the 1989-90 New York theater season.

Both shows were nominated for best musical, as was Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Aspects of Love.”

Five productions were nominated for best play: “The Lisbon Traviata” by Terrence McNally, “The Piano Lesson” by August Wilson, “Prelude to a Kiss” by Craig Lucas, “The Secret Rapture” by David Hare and “Some Americans Abroad” by Richard Nelson.

Several big-name stars were snubbed in the acting categories. Not nominated were Maggie Smith of “Lettice and Lovage,” Kathleen Turner of “Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” Rex Harrison of “The Circle” and Vanessa Redgrave of “Orphesus Descending.” Dustin Hoffman, who played Shylock in a revival of “The Merchant of Venice” was nominated in the featured actor category.

Other major nominations were:

Best actor in a play: Alec Baldwin, “Prelude to a Kiss”; Charles S. Dutton, “The Piano Lesson”; Nathan Lane, “The Lisbon Traviata”; Gary Sinise, “The Grapes of Wrath,” and Colin Stinton, “Some Americans Abroad.”

Best actress in a play: Geraldine James, “The Merchant of Venice”; Mary Elizabeth Mastrantonio, “Twelfth Night”; S. Epatha Merkerson, “The Piano Lesson,” and Mary-Louise Parker, “Prelude to a Kiss.”

Best actor in a musical: Mike Burstyn, “The Rothschilds”; David Carroll, “Grand Hotel”; Philip Casnoff, “Up Against It,” and James Naughton, “City of Angels.”

Best actress in a musical: “The Sound of Music”; Tyne Daly, “Gypsy,” and Lynne Wintersteller, “Closer Than Ever.”