Meet The 2011 Tony Award Nominees!

"Ooh I just screamed… Are you serious?!?" laughed the shining Patina Miller, so excited and very surprised by her well-deserved Tony nomination for Best Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical for her portrayal in Sister Act. Broadway.TV caught up with all the nominees following the announcements by Tony Award winners Matthew Broderick and Anika Noni Rose May 3rd at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts Cullman Center at Lincoln Center. We spent a moment with each star to capture the surprise, the delight, and the outrageous reactions of the spotlight nominations of all that is TONY.

Miller's co-star, Sister Act veteran and nominated bookwriter, Cheri Steinkellner, laughed sarcastically out on the red carpet following the nominations that "we have been in the Sister Act business long enough that nothing surprises us." Much like Miller and Steinkellner, the entire cast and crew was awestruck at the hit musical's 5 Tony nominations, an obvious tribute to their masterful work in the "on your feet" musical sensation of the season.

The Scottsboro Boys took home an awesome 12 Tony nominations for the production, and the cast was ecstatic. "It's not only for me but it's for everyone behind me," smiled Colman Domingo of his nomination. "It's for teachers, it's for communities of friends, it's for people who just say 'Oh- We Believe in you.' It's for all those people, and all that washes over you and it feels like a beautiful responsibility." Co-star Forest McClendon joined Domingo on the red carpet, beaming with delight- "I think that's the greatest, greatest honor and a really huge testament about what we're all trying to do," he said of their astounding Broadway hit.

"We felt like it was important work. It became a bit of a mission for us. We were all involved with it for so long, so after a while you begin to wonder if you're just having a love fest amongst yourselves, and I think that twelve nominations really says that other people think that it was important too."

The Motherf**ker with the Hat took home 6 Tony nomination nods, elevating Chris Rock's Broadway debut and controversial dramatic comedy to record sales on the Great White Way this week. "To have Stephen's play be recognized like this and be accepted now by a community that doesn't traditionally accept these kinds of plays is worth everything, and that's really the funnest part of the whole thing," smiled the sincere Bobby Cannavale of the production's Best Play nomination. Joining him on the red carpet was his ever-relaxed co-star, Yul Vasquez, smiling mischievously. "I was so stressed out from the night before that I drank a couple glasses of wine and I took an Ambien and I was almost in a coma. I was actually asleep and I'm telling you, it's the best way. Any nominee… if you think you're going to be nominated, just go to sleep," laughed Vasquez of his Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role nomination.

The cast of The Book of Mormon, leading the way with 14 Tony nominations, stood visibly astonished as we caught up with them after they received their nominations. "The last time around, I was kind of alone and the youngest one there," smiled a shaken Bobby Lopez for his nomination for Best Musical. "Now I feel like a lot of my friends and especially with Kristen, my wife, to be nominated against me, it's kind of like the problem we always wanted to have." "This is amazing. This is truly groundbreaking," agreed a beaming Casey Nicholaw, nominated with Trey Parker for Best Direction also for The Book of Mormon. "It feels fantastic. We all love the show and love working on the show and to have it be recognized like this just feels fantastic."

Baby It's You's star Beth Leavel was ear-to-ear when we sat down with her as well. "I never think 'Oh gosh, I want to do this because I'll win a Tony Award… and then to have it become that is just a gift, a real gift. That I'm working on Broadway is a gift in itself… that I'm actually working in something that I love to do… And then to have this perk, a Tony nomination is just WOW."

"It's such an incredible honor to be singled out at anytime, particularly in this season, with this group of actors. They're all heavyweights," said a very sincere Joe Mantello, nominated for Best Actor for his incredible work in The Normal Heart, which took home 5 very well-deserved nominations. "It also happens to include my favorite actor Al Pacino," smiled Mantello, "and so to be nominated with him… near him… by him… as well as the other nominees is an extraordinary moment."

Watch the incredible reactions to the shocking nominations, upsets, tears, and laughter now only at Broadway.TV as the TONY's celebrate 65 years of brilliance on Broadway, broadcast live from the Beacon Theatre, airing on CBS, Sunday, June 12th, 8-11 p.m. (ET/PT).

Broadway.TV is your TONY stop and will be there every step of the way. Stay tuned at Broadway.TV for full coverage of the moments leading up to the 65th annual TONY AWARDS!!!

For additional Broadway features visit http://www.broadway.tv/broadway-features-reviews

Tags:
Best Play Good People Author: David Lindsay-Abaire   Jerusalem Author: Jez Butterworth The Motherf**ker with the Hat Author: Stephen Adly Guirgis War Horse Author: Nick Stafford Best Musical The Book of Mormon Catch Me If You Can  The Scottsboro Boys  Sister Act Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play Brian Bedford, The Importance of Being Earnest Bobby Cannavale, The Motherf**ker with the Hat Joe Mantello, The Normal Heart Al Pacino, The Merchant of Venice Mark Rylance, Jerusalem Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play Nina Arianda, Born Yesterday Frances McDormand, Good People Lily Rabe, The Merchant of Venice Vanessa Redgrave, Driving Miss Daisy Hannah Yelland, Brief Encounter Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical Norbert Leo Butz, Catch Me If You Can Josh Gad, The Book of Mormon Joshua Henry, The Scottsboro Boys Andrew Rannells, The Book of Mormon Tony Sheldon, Priscilla Queen of the Desert Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical Sutton Foster, Anything Goes Beth Leavel, Baby It's You! Patina Miller, Sister Act Donna Murphy, The People in the Picture Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical Laura Benanti, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown Tammy Blanchard, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying Victoria Clark, Sister Act Nikki M. James, The Book of Mormon Patti LuPone, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical Sutton Foster, Anything Goes Beth Leavel, Baby It's You! Patina Miller, Sister Act Donna Murphy, The People in the Picture Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play Mackenzie Crook, Jerusalem Billy Crudup, Arcadia John Benjamin Hickey, The Normal Heart Arian Moayed, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo Yul Vázquez, The Motherf**ker with the Hat Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play Ellen Barkin, The Normal Heart Edie Falco, The House of Blue Leaves Judith Light, Lombardi Joanna Lumley, La Bête Elizabeth Rodriguez, The Motherf**ker with the Hat Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical Colman Domingo, The Scottsboro Boys Adam Godley, Anything Goes John Larroquette, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying Forrest McClendon, The Scottsboro Boys Rory O'Malley, The Book of Mormon Best Book of a Musical Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson Alex Timbers The Book of Mormon Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone The Scottsboro Boys David Thompson Sister Act Cheri Steinkellner, Bill Steinkellner and Douglas Carter Beane Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre The Book of Mormon Music & Lyrics: Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone The Scottsboro Boys Music & Lyrics: John Kander and Fred Ebb Sister Act Music: Alan Menken Lyrics: Glenn Slater Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown Music & Lyrics: David Yazbek Best Revival of a Play Arcadia The Importance of Being Earnest The Merchant of Venice The Normal Heart Best Revival of a Musical Anything Goes How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying   Best Scenic Design of a Play Todd Rosenthal, The Motherf**ker with the Hat Rae Smith, War Horse Ultz, Jerusalem Mark Wendland, The Merchant of Venice Best Scenic Design of a Musical Beowulf Boritt, The Scottsboro Boys Derek McLane, Anything Goes Scott Pask, The Book of Mormon Donyale Werle, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson Best Costume Design of a Play Jess Goldstein, The Merchant of Venice Desmond Heeley, The Importance of Being Earnest Mark Thompson, La Bête Catherine Zuber, Born Yesterday Best Costume Design of a Musical Tim Chappel & Lizzy Gardiner, Priscilla Queen of the Desert Martin Pakledinaz, Anything Goes Ann Roth, The Book of Mormon Catherine Zuber, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying Best Lighting Design of a Play Paule Constable, War Horse David Lander, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo Kenneth Posner, The Merchant of Venice Mimi Jordan Sherin, Jerusalem Best Lighting Design of a Musical Ken Billington, The Scottsboro Boys Howell Binkley, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying Peter Kaczorowski, Anything Goes Brian MacDevitt, The Book of Mormon Best Sound Design of a Play Acme Sound Partners & Cricket S. Myers, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo Simon Baker, Brief Encounter Ian Dickinson for Autograph, Jerusalem Christopher Shutt, War Horse Best Sound Design of a Musical Peter Hylenski, The Scottsboro Boys Steve Canyon Kennedy, Catch Me If You Can Brian Ronan, Anything Goes Brian Ronan, The Book of Mormon Best Direction of a Play Marianne Elliott and Tom Morris, War Horse Joel Grey & George C. Wolfe, The Normal Heart Anna D. Shapiro, The Motherf**ker with the Hat Daniel Sullivan, The Merchant of Venice Best Direction of a Musical Rob Ashford, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying Kathleen Marshall, Anything Goes Casey Nicholaw and Trey Parker, The Book of Mormon Susan Stroman, The Scottsboro Boys Best Choreography Rob Ashford, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying Kathleen Marshall, Anything Goes Casey Nicholaw, The Book of Mormon Susan Stroman, The Scottsboro Boys Best Orchestrations Doug Besterman, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying Larry Hochman, The Scottsboro Boys Larry Hochman and Stephen Oremus, The Book of Mormon Marc Shaiman & Larry Blank, Catch Me If You Can Recipients of Awards and Honors in Non-Competitive Categories Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre Athol Fugard Philip J. Smith Regional Theatre Tony Award Lookingglass Theatre Company (Chicago, IL) Isabelle Stevenson Award Eve Ensler Special Tony Award Handspring Puppet Company Tony Honor for Excellence in the Theatre William Berloni The Drama Book Shop Sharon Jensen and Alliance for Inclusion in the Arts