Revivals of ‘Kate,’ ‘Music Man’ Lead the Way in Tony Nods

Revivals of two golden oldies were the top vote getters in Broadway’s Tony nominations, announced Monday in New York. “Kiss Me, Kate” nabbed 12 nominations; “The Music Man” took eight.

Among new shows, “The Wild Party” overcame mixed critical reactions to earn seven nominations, including best new musical, tying the number of nods received by the more widely acclaimed “Contact.”

Three of the nominees for best musical will be seen at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles within the next 15 months. “James Joyce’s The Dead,” which received five nominations, will arrive in July, followed by six-time nominee “Swing!” in November and “Contact” in July 2001.

Disney’s latest musical, “Aida,” was edged out of the pack in the competition for best musical but did take five other nominations.

Five nods for Claudia Shear’s “Dirty Blonde” led the pack of nominations for new plays. An old “new” play, Sam Shepard’s “True West”--eligible only because it’s making its Broadway debut after 18 years on other stages--took four nods, including separate nominations for its two actors, Philip Seymour Hoffman and John C. Reilly. The play’s producers had asked that the two be nominated for one award. “Copenhagen” and “The Ride Down Mt. Morgan” rounded out the best new play category.

The race between “Kiss Me, Kate” and “The Music Man” will dominate the musical revival category. Five nominations for “The Real Thing” led the play revival competition, with “A Moon for the Misbegotten” close behind with four.

Two individuals received four nominations each: Susan Stroman, for her direction and choreography of “The Music Man” and “Contact,” and Michael John LaChiusa, for writing the music and the book for “Marie Christine” and “The Wild Party.” Director Michael Blakemore was nominated for both a musical, “Kiss Me, Kate,” and a play, “Copenhagen.”

A mother and a daughter will compete against each other in the best actress/play category.

Rosemary Harris, nominated for “Waiting in the Wings,” is the mother of Jennifer Ehle of “The Real Thing.”

The Utah Shakespearean Festival in Cedar City won the regional theater Tony.

The Tonys will be presented June 4 at Radio City Music Hall. Parts of the ceremony will be televised on PBS and CBS, with Rosie O’Donnell hosting.

The nominees:

* Play: “Copenhagen,” by Michael Frayn; “Dirty Blonde,” by Claudia Shear; “The Ride Down Mt. Morgan,” by Arthur Miller; “True West,” by Sam Shepard

* Musical: “Contact,” “James Joyce’s The Dead,” “Swing!,” “The Wild Party”

* Revival/Play: “Amadeus,” “A Moon for the Misbegotten,” “The Price,” “The Real Thing”

* Revival/Musical: “Jesus Christ Superstar,” “Kiss Me, Kate,” “The Music Man,” “Tango Argentino”

* Book of a Musical: John Weidman, “Contact”; Richard Nelson, “James Joyce’s The Dead”; Michael John LaChiusa, “Marie Christine”; Michael John LaChiusa and George C. Wolfe, “The Wild Party”

* Original Score: Elton John and Tim Rice, “Aida”; Shaun Davey and Richard Nelson, “James Joyce’s The Dead”; Michael John LaChiusa, “Marie Christine”; Michael John LaChiusa, “The Wild Party”

* Director/Musical: Susan Stroman, “Contact”; Michael Blakemore, “Kiss Me, Kate”; Susan Stroman, “The Music Man”; Lynne Taylor-Corbett, “Swing!”

* Director/Play: Michael Blakemore, “Copenhagen”; James Lapine, “Dirty Blonde”; David Leveaux, “The Real Thing”; Matthew Warchus, “True West”

* Leading Actor/Play: David Suchet, “Amadeus”; Gabriel Byrne, “A Moon for the Misbegotten”; Stephen Dillane, “The Real Thing”; Philip Seymour Hoffman, “True West”; John C. Reilly, “True West”

* Leading Actress/Play: Claudia Shear, “Dirty Blonde”; Cherry Jones, “A Moon for the Misbegotten”; Jayne Atkinson, “The Rainmaker”; Jennifer Ehle, “The Real Thing”; Rosemary Harris, “Waiting in the Wings”

* Leading Actor/Musical: Christopher Walken, “James Joyce’s The Dead”; Brian Stokes Mitchell, “Kiss Me, Kate”; Craig Bierko, “The Music Man”; George Hearn, “Putting It Together”; Mandy Patinkin, “The Wild Party”

* Leading Actress/Musical: Heather Headley, “Aida”; Marin Mazzie, “Kiss Me, Kate”; Audra McDonald, “Marie Christine”; Rebecca Luker, “The Music Man”; Toni Collette, “The Wild Party”

* Featured Actor/Play: Kevin Chamberlin, “Dirty Blonde”; Daniel Davis, “Wrong Mountain”; Roy Dotrice, “A Moon for the Misbegotten”; Derek Smith, “The Green Bird”; Bob Stillman, “Dirty Blonde”

* Featured Actress/Play: Blair Brown, “Copenhagen”; Frances Conroy, “The Ride Down Mt. Morgan”; Amy Ryan, “Uncle Vanya”; Helen Stenborg, “Waiting in the Wings”; Sarah Woodward, “The Real Thing”

* Featured Actor/Musical: Michael Berresse, “Kiss Me, Kate”; Boyd Gaines, “Contact”; Michael Mulheren, “Kiss Me, Kate”; Stephen Spinella, “James Joyce’s The Dead”; Lee Wilkof, “Kiss Me, Kate”

* Featured Actress/Musical: Laura Benanti, “Swing!”; Ann Hampton Callaway, “Swing!”; Eartha Kitt, “The Wild Party”; Deborah Yates, “Contact”; Karen Ziemba, “Contact”

* Scenic Design: Bob Crowley, “Aida”; Thomas Lynch, “The Music Man”; Robin Wagner, “Kiss Me, Kate”; Tony Walton, “Uncle Vanya”

* Costume Design: Bob Crowley, “Aida”; Constance Hoffman, “The Green Bird”; William Ivey Long, “The Music Man”; Martin Pakledinaz, “Kiss Me, Kate”

* Lighting Design: Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer, “The Wild Party”; Jules Fisher and Peggy Eisenhauer, “Marie Christine”; Peter Kaczorowski, “Kiss Me, Kate”; Natasha Katz, “Aida”

* Choreography: Kathleen Marshall, “Kiss Me, Kate”; Susan Stroman, “Contact”; Susan Stroman, “The Music Man”; Lynne Taylor-Corbett, “Swing!”

* Orchestrations: Doug Besterman, “The Music Man”; Don Sebesky, “Kiss Me, Kate”; Jonathan Tunick, “Marie Christine”; Harold Wheeler, “Swing!”

* Special Tonys: Utah Shakespearean Festival; Phoenix Theatre founder T. Edward Hambleton; “Dame Edna: The Royal Tour”; Eileen Heckart; “Encores! Great American Musicals in Concert”; agent and manager Sylvia Herscher.