Cherry Jones, Christopher Sieber among Tony nominees (15988)

Nominations for the 59th Annual Tony Awards were announced Tuesday, with numerous gay and lesbian artists among the nominees. Cherry Jones received a Best Leading Actress in a Play nomination for the Pulitzer-winning Doubt, while Christopher Sieber's multiple roles in Monty Python's Spamalot garnered a nod for Best Featured Actor in a Musical. Tony-winning director Joe Mantello received another nomination this year, for the revival of Glengarry Glen Ross, while past winner Jerry Mitchell double-dipped in the Choreography category for his contributions to Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and the revival of La Cage aux Folles. Falsettos creator William Finn scored again this year with multiple nominee The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, while Craig Lucas competes in several categories with his musical The Light in the Piazza. Mario Cantone picked up a nomination for his one-man show Laugh Whore, while Stephen Sondheim's Pacific Overtures was cited as a finalist in the Best Musical Revival category. Legendary playwright Edward Albee will receive a special award for a lifetime of contribution to the theater on June 5, when the awards are presented in New York City and televised on CBS.

Here is a complete list of nominees for the 2005 Tony Awards:

Best Play: Democracy, Michael Frayn; Doubt, John Patrick Shanley; Gem of the Ocean, August Wilson; The Pillowman, Martin McDonagh

Best Musical: Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, The Light in the Piazza, Monty Python's Spamalot, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

Best Book of a Musical: Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Jeffrey Lane; The Light in the Piazza, Craig Lucas; Monty Python's Spamalot, Eric Idle; The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Rachel Sheinkin

Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre: Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Music & Lyrics: David Yazbek; The Light in the Piazza, Music & Lyrics: Adam Guettel; Monty Python's Spamalot, Music: John Du Prez and Eric Idle, Lyrics: Eric Idle; The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Music & Lyrics: William Finn

Best Revival of a Play: Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, Glengarry Glen Ross, On Golden Pond, Twelve Angry Men

Best Revival of a Musical: La Cage aux Folles, Pacific Overtures, Sweet Charity

Best Special Theatrical Event: Dame Edna: Back With a Vengeance!; Laugh Whore; 700 Sundays; Whoopi, the 20th Anniversary Show

Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play: Philip Bosco, Twelve Angry Men; Billy Crudup, The Pillowman; Bill Irwin, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?; James Earl Jones, On Golden Pond; Brian F. O'Byrne, Doubt

Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play: Cherry Jones, Doubt; Laura Linney, Sight Unseen; Mary-Louise Parker, Reckless; Phylicia Rashad, Gem of the Ocean; Kathleen Turner, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical: Hank Azaria, Monty Python's Spamalot; Gary Beach, La Cage aux Folles; Norbert Leo Butz, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels; Tim Curry, Monty Python's Spamalot; John Lithgow, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical: Christina Applegate, Sweet Charity; Victoria Clark, The Light in the Piazza; Erin Dilly, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang; Sutton Foster, Little Women; Sherie Rene Scott, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play: Alan Alda, Glengarry Glen Ross; Gordon Clapp, Glengarry Glen Ross; David Harbour, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?; Liev Schreiber, Glengarry Glen Ross; Michael Stuhlbarg, The Pillowman

Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play; Mireille Enos, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?; Heather Goldenhersh, Doubt; Dana Ivey, The Rivals; Adriane Lenox, Doubt; Amy Ryan, A Streetcar Named Desire

Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Musical: Dan Fogler, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee; Marc Kudisch, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang; Michael McGrath, Monty Python's Spamalot; Matthew Morrison, The Light in the Piazza; Christopher Sieber, Monty Python's Spamalot

Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical: Joanna Gleason, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels; Celia Keenan-Bolger, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee; Jan Maxwell, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang; Kelli O'Hara, The Light in the Piazza; Sara Ramirez, Monty Python's Spamalot

Best Scenic Design of a Play: John Lee Beatty, Doubt; David Gallo, Gem of the Ocean; Santo Loquasto, Glengarry Glen Ross; Scott Pask, The Pillowman

Best Scenic Design of a Musical: Tim Hatley, Monty Python's Spamalot; Rumi Matsui, Pacific Overtures; Anthony Ward, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang; Michael Yeargan, The Light in the Piazza

Best Costume Design of a Play: Jess Goldstein, The Rivals; Jane Greenwood, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?; William Ivey Long, A Streetcar Named Desire; Constanza Romero, Gem of the Ocean

Best Costume Design of a Musical: Tim Hatley, Monty Python's Spamalot; Junko Koshino, Pacific Overtures; William Ivey Long, La Cage aux Folles; Catherine Zuber, The Light in the Piazza

Best Lighting Design of a Play: Pat Collins, Doubt; Donald Holder, Gem of the Ocean; Donald Holder, A Streetcar Named Desire; Brian MacDevitt, The Pillowman

Best Lighting Design of a Musical: Christopher Akerlind, The Light in the Piazza; Mark Henderson, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang; Kenneth Posner, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels; Hugh Vanstone, Monty Python's Spamalot

Best Direction of a Play: John Crowley, The Pillowman; Scott Ellis, Twelve Angry Men; Doug Hughes, Doubt; Joe Mantello, Glengarry Glen Ross

Best Direction of a Musical: James Lapine, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee; Mike Nichols, Monty Python's Spamalot; Jack O'Brien, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels; Bartlett Sher, The Light in the Piazza

Best Choreography: Wayne Cilento, Sweet Charity; Jerry Mitchell, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels; Jerry Mitchell, La Cage aux Folles; Casey Nicholaw, Monty Python's Spamalot

Best Orchestrations: Larry Hochman, Monty Python's Spamalot; Ted Sperling, Adam Guettel, and Bruce Coughlin, The Light in the Piazza; Jonathan Tunick, Pacific Overtures; Harold Wheeler, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels

Regional Theatre: Theatre de la Jeune Lune, Minneapolis

Special Tony Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Theatre: Edward Albee