O’Brien Gets Nomination for a Tony : Award: Old Globe’s artistic director is recognized for his direction of Richard Nelson’s play ‘Two Shakespearean Actors.’

Jack O’Brien, artistic director of the Old Globe Theatre, has been nominated for a Tony for his direction of Richard Nelson’s “Two Shakespearean Actors.” The play also received a nomination for best Broadway play, it was announced Monday.

Its rivals for the latter category include August Wilson’s “Two Trains Running,” which played the the Old Globe last year and the Doolittle Theatre in Los Angeles earlier this year. CTG/Ahmanson and the Old Globe are among the play’s co-producers.

“Jelly’s Last Jam,” the Mark Taper Forum-bred musical about Jelly Roll Morton, has received 11 Tony nominations--more than any other show.

“Jelly’s” primary competition in the musical categories appears to be “Crazy for You,” a new musical using old Gershwin tunes, which picked up nine nominations. Also nominated for best Broadway musical were “Five Guys Named Moe” and “Falsettos.”

The Taper presented the premiere of “Jelly’s” last year but is not a co-producer of the current Broadway production.

Another musical, the revival of “Guys and Dolls,” picked up eight nominations. It will compete in the best revival category with “The Most Happy Fella,” which played the Doolittle Theatre in Hollywood last year and includes the Center Theatre Group/Ahmanson among its producers. The other finalists in that category are recent Broadway stagings of “On Borrowed Time” and “The Visit.”

Leading in the best Broadway play category is Brian Friel’s “Dancing at Lughnasa,” which garnered eight nominations. The fourth finalist for best play is John Guare’s “Four Baboons Adoring the Sun.”

The Goodman Theatre in Chicago will receive the annual Tony for outstanding resident theater outside New York. A special Tony will go to the long-running off-Broadway show “The Fantasticks.”

The regular Tonys, limited to productions that played on Broadway, are given annually by the League of American Theatres and Producers and the American Theatre Wing. Glenn Close will host the nationally televised awards ceremony on May 31.

Among the other nominations:

* Leading Actor, Play: Alan Alda, “Jake’s Women”; Alec Baldwin, “A Streetcar Named Desire”; Brian Bedford, “Two Shakespearean Actors”; Judd Hirsch, “Conversations With My Father.”

* Leading Actress, Play: Jane Alexander, “The Visit”; Stockard Channing, “Four Baboons Adoring the Sun”; Glenn Close, “Death and the Maiden”; Judith Ivey, “Park Your Car in Harvard Yard.”

* Leading Actor, Musical: Harry Groener, “Crazy for You”; Gregory Hines, “Jelly’s Last Jam”; Nathan Lane, “Guys and Dolls”; Michael Rupert, “Falsettos.”

* Leading Actress, Musical: Jodi Benson, “Crazy For You”; Josie de Guzman and Faith Prince, “Guys and Dolls”; Sophie Hayden, “The Most Happy Fella.”

* Featured Actor, Play: Roscoe Lee Browne and Larry Fishburne, “Two Trains Running”; Zeljko Ivanek, “Two Shakespearean Actors”; Tony Shalhoub, “Conversations With My Father.”

* Featured Actress, Play: Brid Brennan, Rosaleen Linehan and Dearbhla Molloy, “Dancing at Lughnasa”; Cynthia Martells, “Two Trains Running.”

* Featured Actor, Musical: Bruce Adler, “Crazy for You”; Keith David, “Jelly’s Last Jam”; Jonathan Kaplan, “Falsettos”; Scott Waara, “The Most Happy Fella.”

* Featured Actress, Musical: Liz Larsen, “The Most Happy Fella”; Tonya Pinkins, “Jelly’s Last Jam”; Vivian Reed, “The High Rollers Social & Pleasure Club”; Barbara Walsh, “Falsettos.”

* Original score: William Finn, “Falsettos”; Jelly Roll Morton, Luther Henderson, Susan Birkenhead, “Jelly’s Last Jam”; Janusz Stoklosa, Agata and Maryna Miklaszewska, Mary Bracken Philips, “Metro”; Charles Strouse and Richard Maltby Jr., “Nick and Nora.”

* Musical book: Ken Ludwig, “Crazy for You”; William Finn, James Lapine, “Falsettos”; Clarke Peters, “Five Guys Named Moe”; George C. Wolfe, “Jelly’s Last Jam.”