TONY NOMINATIONS

A leap of joy is in order for the team behind “Billy Elliot: The Musical,” which waltzed away Tuesday with 15 Tony nominations. The stage juggernaut was followed by “Next to Normal,” a dark-horse musical about a dysfunctional family that received 11.

The announcement of the Tony nominations provided Broadway with a brief respite from a gloomy economic atmosphere that has seen major productions struggling to sell tickets. The 63rd annual Tony Awards ceremony will be held June 7 at Radio City Music Hall and will air on CBS.

“Billy Elliot,” an import from London based on the popular 2000 movie, received nominations for best musical as well as for composer Elton John, director Stephen Daldry and the three young actors who share the title role of a working-class boy who takes up ballet. The show’s 15 nominations tie the number received by “The Producers” in 2001.

The shared acting nod for David Alvarez, Trent Kowalik and Kiril Kulish is an anomaly at the Tonys, and was necessary because the actors alternate nights in the lead role.

The big-budget musical is competing with the relatively more intimate “Next to Normal,” which tells the story of a manic-depressive housewife and the deleterious effect her mood swings have on her family. The production received nominations for best musical and for its lead performances.

“I’m going to have to lose my cynicism for at least a decade. I wasn’t really expecting anything,” said Alice Ripley, who was nominated for best lead actress in a musical for “Next to Normal.”

In the drama categories, Yasmina Reza’s “God of Carnage” received six nominations, including one for best play. In a rare feat, the drama won nominations for its entire cast of Jeff Daniels, Hope Davis, James Gandolfini and Marcia Gay Harden.

“We were directed to be a foursome and to be recognized as a foursome is thrilling,” Daniels said.

The other nominees for best play are “Dividing the Estate,” by the late Horton Foote; “Reasons to Be Pretty” by Neil LaBute; and “33 Variations” by Moises Kaufman.

The latter play won an acting nomination for Jane Fonda, who is making her Broadway comeback after 46 years.

“I am over-the-moon excited and so happy. My heart is racing,” said the actress, who last appeared on Broadway in Eugene O’Neill’s “Strange Interlude.”

Director Matthew Warchus has the distinction of receiving two nominations this year for his work on “God of Carnage” and “The Norman Conquests.”

The big underdog success story of the day was the five nominations (including one for best musical) for “Rock of Ages,” a hair-metal jukebox musical that has become an unexpected critical and audience favorite. The show began its life five years ago in Hollywood before moving to Las Vegas and then Broadway.

“Rock of Ages” received an acting nomination for “American Idol” finalist Constantine Maroulis as well as for director Kristin Hanggi, a veteran of Los Angeles’ stage community.

“I’ve done so much 99-seat theater on Santa Monica Boulevard in my career. I feel like I’m representing all of the people I’ve worked with in L.A.,” Hanggi said.

The remaining slot for best musical went to “Shrek the Musical,” which is based on the animated DreamWorks movie.

The competition for best revival of a drama was especially fierce this year, with 14 productions vying for recognition. The nominees for the category are “Joe Turner’s Come and Gone” by August Wilson, “Mary Stuart” by Friedrich Schiller, “The Norman Conquests” by Alan Ayckbourn and “Waiting for Godot” by Samuel Beckett.

In contrast, the category for best revival of a musical was easy to decide since there were only four productions competing for four slots -- “Guys and Dolls,” “Hair,” “Pal Joey” and a bilingual production of “West Side Story.”

“We worked on something that was beloved by a lot of people, and we took a lot of risks,” said Karen Olivo, who received a nomination for best featured actress for “West Side Story.”

The newly opened “9 to 5: The Musical” failed to live up to expectations -- it did not earn a nomination in the best musical category, although it did earn nods for Dolly Parton (original score) and actors Allison Janney and Marc Kudisch.

The musical, which premiered at the Ahmanson Theatre, opened to a blitz of publicity but reviews were tepid at best.

Also overlooked was the critically acclaimed revival of Chekhov’s “The Seagull,” starring Kristin Scott Thomas, which received no nominations. Scott Thomas won an Olivier Award for her portrayal of the vain actress Arkadina and her omission from the nominations qualifies as one of the biggest surprises of the day.

Earlier this week, Tony organizers announced that its lifetime achievement award will be presented to songwriter Jerry Herman, who composed songs for classics like “Hello, Dolly!,” “Mame” and “La Cage aux Folles.”

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Locals make it big on Broadway

Shows that were first produced in Southern California before moving to Broadway got some top nominations (and missed a big one) at Tuesday’s announcement of the Tony Award contenders.

“ROCK OF AGES”

The hair-metal jukebox musical received five nods, including one for best musical. The affectionate look at ‘80s rock bands on the Sunset Strip had its origins at the King King club in Hollywood before moving to Las Vegas and then to Broadway last month. The unlikely success was directed by L.A. theater veteran Kristin Hanggi, who received her first Tony nomination, and written by Chris D’Arienzo. The show also received a nomination for former “American Idol” finalist Constantine Maroulis as leading actor in a musical.

“9 TO 5: THE MUSICAL”

First produced at the Ahmanson Theatre, it failed to score a nomination for best musical, but it did walk away with four nods, including one for Dolly Parton’s score and another for actress Allison Janney.

“33 VARIATIONS”

Moises Kaufman’s play, which was produced at the La Jolla Playhouse, scored five nominations, including one for best play and one for actress Jane Fonda.

-- David Ng