2011 Tony Awards Nominees: 'Best Book of a Musical'
By: Charlie Piane May. 03, 2011
Nominations in 26 competitive categories for the American Theatre Wing's 65th Annual Antoinette Perry "Tony" Awards® were announced May 3, 2011 by Tony Award winning actor Matthew Broderick and Tony Award winning actress Anika Noni Rose, at the Tony Award Nominations Announcement sponsored by IBM. The nominees were selected by an independent committee of 22 theatre professionals appointed by the Tony Awards Administration Committee. The 2011 Tony Awards are presented by The Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing.
To view the complete list of nominees, click here.The Antoinette Perry "Tony" Awards are bestowed annually on theatre professionals for distinguished achievement. The Tony is one of the most coveted awards in the entertainment industry and the annual telecast is considered one of the most prestigious programs on television.
Marking 65 years of excellence on Broadway, The Tony Awards will be broadcast live from the Beacon Theatre on CBS, Sunday, June 12th, 8:00 - 11:00 p.m. (ET/PT time delay). For more information visit tonyawards.com.
BroadwayWorld Presents The 2011 Tony Awards Nominees:
'Best Book of a Musical'
Alex Timbers (Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson)
Alex Timbers is Artistic Director of Les Freres Corbusier. Recent Directing: The Pee-Wee Herman Show (Club Nokia), Hell House (also adaptation; Drama Desk nomination for Unique Theatrical Experience), Gutenberg! The Musical! (Drama Desk nomination for Best Director of a Musical), A Very Merry Unauthorized... (also conceiver; OBIE Award; Garland Award-Best Director), Peter and the Starcatchers (Disney Theatricals/La Jolla), The Language of Trees (Roundabout), Heddatron, Boozy, Dance Dance Revolution (writer of latter two, all Les Freres), and Beyond Therapy (Williamstown/Bay Street).
Trey Parker wrote and directed his first feature film, Cannibal! The Musical, while attending the University of Colorado in Boulder. A few years later, Trey co-created the hit animated series "South Park" with Matt Stone (his college friend and Cannibal! producer). Debuting on Comedy Central in 1997 and currently in its fifteenth season, "South Park" has won four Emmy Awards as well as the coveted Peabody Award. The same year "South Park" debuted, Parker wrote, directed, and starred in the film Orgazmo. Two years later, Parker and Stone released the critically acclaimed feature film South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut. The musical, which Parker directed and co-wrote, earned an Oscar nomination for Best Song and a NY Film Critics Award. In 2004, the pair returned to theatres with Team America: World Police, an action movie co-written and directed by Parker that starred a cast of marionettes. It has been a long-time dream of Parker's to write a musical for Broadway. Trey Parker is originally from Conifer, Colorado.
Robert Lopez sang in church choirs throughout college and always suspected he'd return to sacred music. He shared a Tony Award and Grammy nomination for Avenue Q, the twentieth-longest-running Broadway musical, which he co-wrote and conceived. With wife Kristen Anderson-Lopez, he wrote Finding Nemo: The Musical (playing Orlando(!) since 2006), the Broadway-bound original musical Up Here and songs for Winnie the Pooh (Disney feature animation, 2011). He shared two Emmy Awards for his music for "The Wonder Pets" and an Emmy nomination for the "Scrubs" musical episode. Member BMI Workshop, Dramatists Guild, WGA, AEA, Yale grad, native NY'er. Thanks Mom, Dad, Billy, Katie, Annie and especially Kristen for all the meaning.
Matt Stone met Trey Parker at the University of Colorado, and together they made a short animated piece called The Spirit of Christmas. This launched their most recognized work, the critically acclaimed and award-winning television show, "South Park." The animated series is in its fifteenth season on Comedy Central and has won Stone four Emmy Awards and the coveted Peabody Award. South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut, which Stone produced and co-wrote, earned an Oscar nomination and the first NY Film Critics Award for an animated film. In addition to "South Park," Stone has partnered with Parker on the low-budget Cannibal: The Musical, the superhero comedy Orgazmo and the marionette action thriller Team America: World Police. Matt Stone is originally from Littleton, Colorado.
David Thompson (The Scottsboro Boys)Broadway: Steel Pier (Tony nomination), Chicago (script adaptation for current revival), Lincoln Center's Thou Shalt Not. Off-Broadway: The Scottsboro Boys (Drama Desk Nomination, Outer Circle Critics Award, Lucille Lortel Award); And the World Goes 'Round (Drama Desk and Outer Circle Critics Awards); Flora, the Red Menace (Drama Desk Nomination). McCarter Theater: A Christmas Carol (now in its twentieth year). Television: "Sondheim - A Celebration at Carnegie Hall" (Emmy nomination); PBS specials - "Razzle Dazzle," "Bernstein on Broadway," "The Music of Richard Rodgers" and Great Performances' "My Favorite Broadway." Education: Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism. Cheri Steinkellner, Bill Steinkellner and Douglas Carter Beane (Sister Act)
Cheri & Bill Steinkellner: Eight Emmys, four Golden Globes, two BAFTAs, People's Choice, Parent's Choice, Writers' Guild, TV-Land Legend and Annie Awards for writing/producing "Cheers" and creating Disney's acclaimed animated series/feature film, "Teacher's Pet." They enjoy the distinction of writing one of TV Guide's top three "Funniest Television Episodes of All Time" for "Cheers." Other TV: "The Jeffersons," "Who's the Boss?," "The Facts of Life," "Family Ties." Broadway: Bill co-wrote The Pee-Wee Herman Show. Off-Broadway: Cheri co-wrote Mosaic (Primary Stages). West End: book for Sister Act (Olivier nomination, Best New Musical). World premieres: Sister Act (Pasadena Playhouse, ALLIANCE THEATRE), Princesses (Goodspeed, 5th Avenue Theatre) and Cheri's Hello! My Baby (Goodspeed Festival of New Artists, Rubicon Theatre). Alumni of Second City and the Groundlings, they co-created Instaplay, L.A.'s first and longest-running improvised musical comedy. Bill is the best-selling author of Postcards From the Moon and a popular blog, Greetings From Bill. Bill and Cheri love Kit, Teddy and Emma.
Douglas Carter Beane: Musicals: Xanadu (Tony nom., Drama Desk Best Book, Outer Critics Circle Best Musical), the upcoming Lysistrata Jones. Plays: The Little Dog Laughed (Tony nom., Olivier nom., GLAAD Media Best Play), As Bees in Honey Drown (Outer Critics Circle), Mr. & Mrs. Fitch, Music From a Sparkling Planet, The Country Club, Advice From a Caterpillar, The Cartells, upcoming The Nance. Revues: White Lies, Mondo Drama. Screenplays: To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything! Julie Newmar; Advice From a Caterpillar. Honors: Lortel Playwrights' Sidewalk, Ovation Visionary Playwright Award. All praise the Saints Paul: Paul Rudnick for the premise, Paul Downs Colaizzo for the assistance.
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