‘Matilda,’ ‘Kinky Boots’ Highlight Tony Nomination Announcements

“Kinky Boots” and “Matilda” top the pack with the most Tony nominations this year, with 13 and 12, respectively.

The top to plays are the revival of “Golden Boy,” with eight nominations and the new play “Lucky Guy,” with six. The latter production stars Tom Hanks, who was nominated for leading actor in a play. While other Hollywood stars including Cicely Tyson and Laurie Metcalf also were nominated, many did not receive nods, including Al Pacino, Scarlett Johansson, Alec Baldwin, Bette Midler, Jessica Chastain and Katie Holmes.

The awards ceremony will be held June 9 at Radio City Music Hall, and CBS will carry a three-hour live broadcast of the event.

“Kinky Boots” received quite a bit of attention before it’s Broadway debut because of its composer, ‘80s pop star Cyndi Lauper. The book of the musical was written by veteran Harvey Fierstein, which are both up for awards this year. If Lauper wins for best score, she will be the first woman to ever win solo in the category.

The other two nominees in the best musical category are “Bring It On” and “A Christmas Story,” but “Kinky Boots” and “Matilda” are favored in the category. The latter is a British import that is based on the classic Roald Dahl children’s novel.

The leaders among plays also include “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike,” which also received six nominations, and “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” which has five nominations.

The New York Times speculates that the closest race of the night will be for best actress in a play. The nominees are Laurie Metcalf for “The Other Place,” Kristine Nielsen for “Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike,” Amy Morton for “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” Cicely Tyson for “The Trip to Bountiful” and “Holland Taylor for “Ann.”