Tony Award Countdown: 30 Years In 30 Days, Controversy and History as Three BILLY ELLIOT Stars Win, 2009

Welcome to BroadwayWorld's Tony Award Countdown: 30 Years In 30 Days, a look at some of the Tony Awards' most memorable moments from the past three decades.

2009 wasn't the first time actors were jointly nominated for their performances. In 1960 all of THE SOUND OF MUSIC's von Trapp children (Kathy Dunn, Evanna Lien, Mary Susan Locke, Marilyn Robers, William Snowden, Joseph Stewart and Lauri Peters) shared a Best Featured Actress in a Musical nomination. (Yes, even the boys.)

In 1975 Winston Ntshona and John Kani were jointly nominated, and won, for Best Actor in a Play for their performances in a pair of two-man plays that they co-wrote with Athol Fugard: SIZWE BANZI IS DEAD and THE ISLAND. In 1998 Emily Skinner and Alice Ripley were nominated as one for playing conjoined twins Daisy and Violet Hilton in SIDE SHOW.

In all three cases it could be argued that the teamwork necessary to play their roles effectively demanded that the actors be considered as a single unit, but the situation was different when the young trio of David Alvarez, Trent Kowalik and Kiril Kulish shared a nomination for dividing performances of the title role in BILLY ELLIOT.

While American kids cast in Broadway musicals often perform eight shows a week along with their adult cast mates, British law is stricter about child labor, so when BILLY ELLIOT premiered on the West End, the practice of having three Billys was established and continued on Broadway when the New York production opened. The extreme dance demands of the role might have been another reason for having each star average only 2.66 performances a week.

Normally, only the opening night cast is eligible for a nomination, but after the decision was made to consider them as a unit, the question of fairness was quickly brought up, since the other nominees performed a full schedule. Also, voters were only given comps for one performance and some were vocal about their refusal to vote for an actor that they didn't see.

But enough voters were obviously happy with the decision. After Kowalik performed the dramatic Act I closer, "Angry Dance," he, Alvarez and Kiril Kulish charmed the audience accepting their Best Actor in a Musical Tony.

It may have been an attempt to thwart the same controversy when the four young actors who alternated in MATILDA's starring role were handed special Tony honors in 2013, though it was noted by many that the child stars of ANNIE and A CHRISTMAS STORY, also opening that season, played a full eight show a week schedule.

The American Theatre Wing's 70th Annual Tony Awards, hosted by Tony Award winner James Corden, will air on the CBS Television Network on Sunday, June 12, 2016 (8:00-11:00 PM, ET/delayed PT) live from the Beacon Theatre in New York City.