The Big Tony Nomination Surprise

The musicals "Fun Home" and "An American in Paris" lead the Tony Nominations Tuesday with 12 each. They're very different shows, said WNYC theater critic Jennifer Vanasco in this interview.

"Paris" is a dance-heavy stage adaptation of the 1951 musical film choreographed by Gene Kelly, while "Fun Home" is a moody show based on Alison Bechdel's lesbian, coming-of-age graphic novel about her closeted and suicidal dad.

"'An American in Paris' is gorgeous, lots of ballet, big, beautiful sets. 'Fun Home' is more intimate, very serious, almost Off Broadway-feeling. That said, I hope 'Fun Home' wins," she said.

The other nominees are "Something Rotten," and "The Visit."

For best play, nominees include "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time," "Disgraced," "Hand to God," and "Wolf Hall Parts One & Two."

And in the best revival of a play category, the nominees are "The Elephant Man," "Skylight," "This is Our Youth," and "You Can't Take It with You."

Vanasco said that the biggest surprise was what was missing — there wasn't a single nomination for Harvey Weinstein's costly "Finding Neverland."

"There are two theories," she said. to WNYC's Richard Hake. "The first is that the nominators were sending a message to Weinstein, who had been big-footing the Broadway establishment. I have another theory:  'Find Neverland' is a terrible show. Maybe one of the worst I've ever seen. So maybe they just decided — in a year with a strong field — to not nominate a bad show."

The nominations were announced in a televised event co-hosted by Mary-Louise Parker and Bruce Willis. Awards will be handed out at Radio City Music Hall on June 7.

Nominees in the top categories are below — full list is here.

Best Musical

An American in Paris

Fun Home

Something Rotten!

The Visit

Best Play

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Disgraced

Hand to God

Wolf Hall Parts 1 and 2

Best Musical Revival

The King and I

On the Town

On the Twentieth Century

Best Play Revival

The Elephant Man

Skylight

This Is Our Youth

You Can’t Take It With You

Best Leading Actor in a Play

Steven Boyer, ‘Hand to God’ 

Bradley Cooper, ‘The Elephant Man’

Ben Miles, ‘Wolf Hall Parts 1 and 2’

Bill Nighy, ‘Skylight’

Alex Sharp, ‘The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time’

Best Leading Actress in a Play

Geneva Carr, ‘Hand to God’

Helen Mirren, ‘The Audience’

Elisabeth Moss, ‘The Heidi Chronicles’

Carey Mulligan, ‘Skylight’

Ruth Wilson, ‘Constellations’

Best Leading Actor in a Musical

Michael Cerveris, ‘Fun Home’

Robert Fairchild, ‘An American in Paris’

Brian d’Arcy James, ‘Something Rotten!’

Ken Watanabe, ‘The King and I’

Tony Yazbeck, ‘On the Town’

Best Leading Actress in a Musical

Kristin Chenoweth, ‘On the Twentieth Century’

Leanne Cope, ‘An American in Paris’

Beth Malone, ‘Fun Home’

Kelli O’Hara, ‘The King and I’

Chita Rivera, ‘The Visit’

With reporting from the Associated Press.