'In the Heights' heads list of 2008 Tony nominees

Tony winning actor David Hyde Pierce and Tony Award winning actress Sara Ramirez announce the nominees for the American Theatre Wing's 2008 Tony Awards for Broadway shows, in New York on Tuesday. The 62nd annual awards show is scheduled for Sunday, June 15, 2008 at Radio City Music Hall.

NEW YORK - "In the Heights," a lively snapshot of Latino life in Upper Manhattan, received 13 Tony Award nominations Tuesday, more than any other show.

A lush, lavish revival of Rodgers and Hammerstein's "South Pacific" took 11 nominations, followed by "Sunday in the Park With George" with nine. Three shows received seven nominations: "August: Osage County," ''Passing Strange" and the revival of "Gypsy."

"Heights" was nominated for best musical along with "Passing Strange," the story of one man's journey through sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll; "Cry-Baby," a raunchy '50s teenage romance based on the John Waters film; and "Xanadu," a spoof of the '80s disco movie musical.

"August: Osage County," already the winner of the Pulitzer Prize for drama, was nominated for best play along with Conor McPherson's "The Seafarer," Tom Stoppard's "Rock 'n' Roll" and "The 39 Steps" by Patrick Barlow.

Actor-play will provide some starry competition with Patrick Stewart, the title character in "Macbeth," going up against Laurence Fishburne in "Thurgood"; Mark Rylance, "Boeing-Boeing"; Ben Daniels, "Les Liaisons Dangereuses"; and Rufus Sewell, "Rock 'n' Roll."

"I am totally, completely shocked and amazed by all of this," said Fishburne, who portrays Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall in the show. "More than that, I am grateful and truly blessed that every night I get to play one of the most compelling and extraordinary men from the 20th century."

Actress-play nominations went to women who play mother and daughter in "August: Osage County" Deanna Dunagan and Amy Morton; Eve Best in "The Homecoming"; Kate Fleetwood, as the murderous wife in "Macbeth"; and S. Epatha Merkerson in "Come Back, Little Sheba."

The two romantic leads in "South Pacific" Kelli O'Hara and Paulo Szot received nominations. In the actress-musical category, O'Hara will go against Patti LuPone, "Gypsy"; Faith Prince, "A Catered Affair"; Kerry Butler, "Xanadu"; and Jenna Russell, "Sunday in the Park With George."

Szot's competition will be Lin-Manuel Miranda, "In the Heights"; Daniel Evans, "Sunday in the Park With George"; Stew, "Passing Strange"; and Tom Wopat, "A Catered Affair."

A special lifetime achievement Tony Award will go to Stephen Sondheim with a special Tony awarded posthumously to orchestrator Robert Russell Bennett, who died in 1981. The regional theater Tony will go to the Chicago Shakespeare Theater.

The winners in 26 competitive categories will be announced June 15 in a three-hour CBS telecast from Radio City Music Hall.

A complete list of nominations for the 62nd annual Tony Awards:

Play (and playwrights): "August: Osage County" (Tracy Letts), "Rock 'n' Roll" (Tom Stoppard), "The Seafarer" (Conor McPherson), "The 39 Steps" (Patrick Barlow).

Musical: "Cry-Baby," ''In the Heights," ''Passing Strange," ''Xanadu."

Book-Musical: "Cry-Baby" (Mark O'Donnell and Thomas Meehan), "In the Heights" (Quiara Alegria Hudes), "Passing Strange" (Stew), "Xanadu" (Douglas Carter Beane).

Original Score (music and/or lyrics): "Cry-Baby" (Music & Lyrics: David Javerbaum and Adam Schlesinger), "In the Heights" (Music & Lyrics: Lin-Manuel Miranda), "The Little Mermaid" (Music: Alan Menken, Lyrics: Howard Ashman and Glenn Slater), "Passing Strange" (Music: Stew and Heidi Rodewald, Lyrics: Stew).

Revival-Play: "Boeing-Boeing," ''The Homecoming," ''Les Liaisons Dangereuses," ''Macbeth."

Revival-Musical: "Grease," ''Gypsy," ''South Pacific," ''Sunday in the Park With George."

Actor-Play: Ben Daniels, "Les Liaisons Dangereuses"; Laurence Fishburne, "Thurgood"; Mark Rylance, "Boeing-Boeing"; Rufus Sewell, "Rock 'n' Roll"; Patrick Stewart, "Macbeth."

Actress-Play: Eve Best, "The Homecoming"; Deanna Dunagan, "August: Osage County"; Kate Fleetwood, "Macbeth"; S. Epatha Merkerson, "Come Back, Little Sheba"; Amy Morton, "August: Osage County."

Actor-Musical: Daniel Evans, "Sunday in the Park With George"; Lin-Manuel Miranda, "In the Heights"; Stew, "Passing Strange"; Paulo Szot, "South Pacific"; Tom Wopat, "A Catered Affair."

Actress-Musical: Kerry Butler, "Xanadu"; Patti LuPone, "Gypsy"; Kelli O'Hara, "South Pacific"; Faith Prince, "A Catered Affair"; Jenna Russell, "Sunday in the Park With George."

Featured Actor-Play: Bobby Cannavale, "Mauritius"; Raul Esparza, "The Homecoming"; Conleth Hill, "The Seafarer"; Jim Norton, "The Seafarer"; David Pittu, "Is He Dead?"

Featured Actress-Play: Sinead Cusack, "Rock 'n' Roll"; Mary McCormack, "Boeing-Boeing"; Laurie Metcalf, "November"; Martha Plimpton, "Top Girls"; Rondi Reed, "August: Osage County."

Featured Actor-Musical: Daniel Breaker, "Passing Strange"; Danny Burstein, "South Pacific"; Robin De Jesus, "In the Heights"; Christopher Fitzgerald, "Young Frankenstein"; Boyd Gaines, "Gypsy."

Featured Actress-Musical: Laura Benanti, "Gypsy"; de'Adre Aziza, "Passing Strange"; Andrea Martin, "Young Frankenstein"; Olga Merediz, "In the Heights"; Loretta Ables Sayre, "South Pacific."

Direction-Play: Maria Aitken, "The 39 Steps"; Conor McPherson, "The Seafarer"; Anna D. Shapiro, "August: Osage County"; Matthew Warchus, "Boeing-Boeing."

Direction-Musical: Sam Buntrock, "Sunday in the Park With George"; Thomas Kail, "In the Heights"; Arthur Laurents, "Gypsy"; Bartlett Sher, "South Pacific."

Choreography: Rob Ashford, "Cry-Baby"; Andy Blankenbuehler, "In the Heights"; Christopher Gattelli, "South Pacific"; Dan Knechtges, "Xanadu."

Orchestrations: Jason Carr, "Sunday in the Park With George"; Alex Lacamoire and Bill Sherman, "In the Heights"; Stew and Heidi Rodewald; "Passing Strange"; Jonathan Tunick, "A Catered Affair."

Scenic Design-Play: Peter McKintosh, "The 39 Steps"; Scott Pask, "Les Liaisons Dangereuses"; Todd Rosenthal, "August: Osage County"; Anthony Ward, "Macbeth."

Scenic Design-Musical: David Farley and Timothy Bird & The Knifedge Creative Network, "Sunday in the Park With George"; Anna Louizos, "In the Heights"; Robin Wagner, "Young Frankenstein"; Michael Yeargen, "South Pacific."

Costume Design-Play: Gregory Gale, "Cyrano de Bergerac"; Rob Howell, "Boeing-Boeing"; Katrina Lindsay, "Les Liaisons Dangereuses"; Peter McKintosh, "The 39 Steps."

Costume Design-Musical: David Farley, "Sunday in the Park With George"; Martin Pakledinaz, "Gypsy"; Paul Tazewell, "In the Heights"; Catherine Zuber, "South Pacific."

Lighting Design-Play: Kevin Adams, "The 39 Steps"; Howard Harrison, "Macbeth"; Donald Holder, "Les Liaisons Dangereuses"; Ann G. Wrightson, "August: Osage County."

Lighting Design-Musical: Ken Billington, "Sunday in the Park With George"; Howell Binkley, "In the Heights"; Donald Holder, "South Pacific," Natasha Katz, "The Little Mermaid."

Sound Design-Play: Simon Baker, "Boeing-Boeing"; Adam Cork, "Macbeth"; Ian Dickson, "Rock 'n' Roll"; Mic Pool, "The 39 Steps."

Sound Design-Musical: Acme Sound Partners, "In the Heights"; Sebastian Frost, "Sunday in the Park With George"; Scott Lehrer, "South Pacific"; Dan Moses Schreier, "Gypsy."

Also announced:

Regional Theater Tony Award: Chicago Shakespeare Theater

Special Tony Award: Robert Russell Bennett

Lifetime Achievement Award: Stephen Sondheim