'Producers' Poised For Tony Sweep

Hit Broadway Show Gets 15 Award Nominations

(AP)  "The Producers," Broadway's biggest hit in years, received 15 nominations Monday, including a nod for best musical, as the 2001 Tony nominations honoring the best of the Broadway season were announced.

Its two stars, Nathan Lane and Matthew Broderick, were nominated as were three of its performers in the featured-actor category: Roger Bart, Gary Beach and Brad Oscar.

The musical, based on the classic 1968 Mel Brooks film comedy, also received nods for book, score, direction-musical, feature-actress musical, choreography, sets, costumes, lighting and orchestrations. Brooks himself received three nominations — for book, score and for being a producer of "The Producers."

Its competition for the top musical award includes "The Full Monty," an American version of the popular English film comedy; "A Class Act," a celebration of the life of songwriter Ed Kleban, and "Jane Eyre," a retelling of the Charlotte Bronte novel.

Nominated for best play were "Proof," the 2001 Pulitzer Prize winner by David Auburn; "The Invention of Love," Tom Stoppard's drama about English poet A.E. Housman; "King Hedley II," the latest installment from August Wilson on the 20th century black experience in America, and "The Tale of the Allergist's Wife," Charles Busch's comedy about an anxiety-ridden Manhattan matron.

Nominated for best actor in a play were Brian Stokes Mitchell, the volcanic title character in "King Hedley II"; Richard Easton, who plays the older Housman in "The Invention of Love"; Gary Sinise, "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest," and the two stars of the Irish comedy "Stones in His Pockets," Sean Campion and Conleth Hill.

Actress nods went to Mary-Louise Parker, the tormented daughter in "Proof"; Linda Lavin, "The Tale of the Allergist's Wife"; Leslie Uggams, "King Hedley II"; Jean Smart, who played a tempestuous star in the revival of "The Man Who Came to Dinner"; and Juliette Binoche, "Betrayal."

Besides Lane and Broderick, best-actor musical nominations went to Kevin Chamberlin, "Seussical"; Tom Hewitt, "The Rocky Horror Show," and Patrick Wilson of "The Full Monty."

The actress-musical nods: Blythe Danner, "Follies"; "Christine Ebersole, "42nd Street"; Randy Graff, "A Class Act"; Faith Prince, "Bells Are Ringing," and Marla Schaffel, "Jane Eyre"