Billy will compete in the top category with Next to Normal, a brash musical about a mother's nervous breakdown; the pop compendium Rock of Ages; and Shrek the Musical.
Dolly Parton's just-opened 9 to 5 was among those overlooked in the best musical category, though one of its stars, Allison Janney, received a nod in the leading actress race. The lively revival of the '60s tribal rock musical Hair received eight nominations, including best revival.
Among dramas and comedies, the best play nominees are Horton Foote's sly Dividing the Estate, about a money-strapped Texas family; the brittle God of Carnage, starring four Tony nominees (James Gandolfini, Jeff Daniels, Marcia Gay Harden and Hope Davis); Neal LaBute's romantic drama Reasons To Be Pretty, and 33 Variations, which stars the nominated Jane Fonda as a dying musicologist.
Winners will be announced Sunday, June 7, during a three-hour CBS telecast from Radio City Music Hall. For a complete list of nominees, click here.
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