"South Park" creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone must be giddy.
Their naughty and irreverent (naturally) musical "The Book of Mormon" got the most nods when the 2011 Tony Awards nominations were announced today.
"Mormon" received 14 nominations, including Best Musical. San Diego native Casey Nicholaw co-directed "Mormon" and received a directing nom for his efforts, along with a nomination for choreography. Nicholaw graduated from Clairemont High.
The runner up in nominations is the controversial musical "The Scottsboro Boys," which The Old Globe will stage in a West Coast premiere next April, as part of its winter season (full season will be announced here on Friday).
"Scottsboro Boys" is about the notorious case against nine black men falsely accused of rape in the 1930s. It had a short run on Broadway, with just 29 previews and 49 performances. The production was criticized by some for using minstrel elements. LA Times critic Charles McNulty, whose review suggested the musical was too bold for Broadway's conservative tastes, described it this way:
“The Scottsboro Boys” employs a version of minstrelsy—black performers turning both white and black figures from the pages of history into vaudevillian caricatures—as it retraces the tragic journey of its title characters.The approach, a mix of Brecht and burlesque, sardonically applies old-fashioned razzmatazz to the starkest of dramatic situations.
The other big stage in town (and big winner during last year's Tony Awards), the La Jolla Playhouse, also has connections to more than one nominee. Director Rob Ashford, who will be directing the Playhouse’s world-premiere musical "Finding Neverland" later this year, received two nominations, including Best Direction, for his work on the revival of "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying."
Like with any awards, there's always chatter about who got snubbed. This year, it's poor Daniel Radcliffe (again), aka Harry Potter, who didn't get a nomination for his role in the revival of "How to Succeed In Business Without Really Trying."
The Tony Awards will air on CBS June 12 at 8 PM ET live from the Beacon Theatre in New York City.
