'Billy Elliot' is up for 15 Tonys

NEW YORK -

Billy Elliot

, the tale of a British coal miner's son who dreams of becoming a dancer, has the potential to win a record number of 2009 Tony Awards, honoring the best of a star-driven Broadway season.

Its 15 nominations Tuesday - tying the number received by The Producers in 2001 - included best musical and a rare three-fer: The boys who share the title role - David Alvarez, Trent Kowalik, Kiril Kulish - were named together for the best actor/musical prize.

Other major multiple Tony nominees were Next to Normal with 11, and Shrek the Musical and the revival of Hair, tied with eight.

Billy Elliot's composer, Elton John, was nominated for best score along with lyricist Lee Hall. The show also was nominated for book, featured actor (two), featured actress (two), direction, scenery, costumes, lighting, sound, choreography, and orchestrations.

Other best-musical nominees are Next to Normal, about a woman battling mental illness; Shrek the Musical, based on the DreamWorks animated film; and Rock of Ages, an homage to the pop music (and long hair) of the 1980s.

The many plays this season made some categories very competitive, particularly revivals. The four snagging spots were Alan Ayckbourn's The Norman Conquests, the Roundabout Theatre Company's Waiting for Godot, the historical drama Mary Stuart, and August Wilson's Joe Turner's Come and Gone, produced by Lincoln Center Theater.

Best-play nods went to Yasmina Reza's savage comedy of manners God of Carnage; Dividing the Estate, the late Horton Foote's comedy about a family's squabbles over an inheritance; Moises Kaufman's 33 Variations, one woman's pursuit of a musical mystery; and Neil LaBute's reasons to be pretty, on how words threaten relationships.

Director Matthew Warchus will challenge himself after being nominated for God of Carnage and The Norman Conquests. The entire cast of God of Carnage was nominated: James Gandolfini and Jeff Daniels for best-actor/play, Marcia Gay Harden and Hope Davis for best-actress/play.

Other actor-play nominees were Raul Esparza for Speed-the-Plow, Geoffrey Rush for Exit the King, and Thomas Sadoski, an inarticulate slacker in reasons to be pretty.

Janet McTeer and Harriet Walter of Mary Stuart will also battle for the actress nod, as will Jane Fonda, who portrays a dying musicologist in 33 Variations.

Josefina Scaglione, Maria in the revival of West Side Story, got an actress-musical nod. She'll face Stockard Channing, Pal Joey; Sutton Foster, Shrek; Allison Janney, 9 to 5: The Musical; and Alice Ripley, Next to Normal.

Facing the three Billy Elliot boys are Gavin Creel, Hair; Brian d'Arcy James, Shrek the Musical; American Idol alum Constantine Maroulis, Rock of Ages; and J. Robert Spencer, Next to Normal.

Broadway has had an exceptionally busy spring, but now the shakeout begins. Besides Billy Elliot, the most popular box-office attractions have been God of Carnage, West Side Story, and Hair, the last two nominated for musical revival. All received multiple nominations.

Tony winners will be announced June 7.

Other nominees

Book of a musical: Billy Elliot, Next to Normal, Shrek the Musical, (Title of Show).

Revival of a play: Joe Turner's Come and Gone, Mary Stuart, The Norman Conquests, Waiting for Godot.

Revival of a musical: Guys and Dolls, Hair, Pal Joey, West Side Story.

Featured actor in a play: John Glover, Waiting for Godot; Zach Grenier, 33 Variations; Stephen Mangan, The Norman Conquests; Paul Ritter, The Norman Conquests; Roger Robinson, Joe Turner's Come and Gone.

Featured actress in a play: Hallie Foote, Dividing the Estate; Jessica Hynes, The Norman Conquests; Marin Ireland, reasons to be pretty; Angela Lansbury, Blithe Spirit; Amanda Root, The Norman Conquests.

Featured actor in a musical: David Bologna, Billy Elliot; Gregory Jbara, Billy Elliot; Marc Kudisch, 9 to 5; Christopher Sieber, Shrek the Musical; Will Swenson, Hair.

Featured actress in a musical: Jennifer Damiano, Next to Normal; Haydn Gwynne, Billy Elliot; Karen Olivo, West Side Story; Martha Plimpton, Pal Joey; Carole Shelley, Billy Elliot.

Direction of a play: Phyllida Lloyd, Mary Stuart; Bartlett Sher, Joe Turner's Come and Gone; Matthew Warchus, God of Carnage; Matthew Warchus, The Norman Conquests.

Direction of a musical: Stephen Daldry, Billy Elliot; Michael Greif, Next to Normal; Kristin Hanggi, Rock of Ages; Diane Paulus, Hair.

Special theatrical event: Liza's at the Palace, Slava's Snowshow, Soul of Shaolin, You're Welcome America: A Final Night With George W. Bush.

Choreography: Karole Armitage, Hair; Andy Blankenbuehler, 9 to 5; Peter Darling, Billy Elliot; Randy Skinner, Irving Berlin's White Christmas.

Orchestrations: Larry Blank, Irving Berlin's White Christmas; Martin Koch, Billy Elliot; Michael Starobin and Tom Kitt, Next to Normal; Danny Troob and John Clancy, Shrek the Musical.

Scenic design of a play: Dale Ferguson, Exit the King; Rob Howell, The Norman Conquests; Derek McLane, 33 Variations; Michael Yeargan, Joe Turner's Come and Gone.

Scenic design of a musical: Robert Brill, Guys and Dolls; Ian MacNeil, Billy Elliot; Scott Pask, Pal Joey; Mark Wendland, Next to Normal.

Costume design of a play: Dale Ferguson, Exit the King; Jane Greenwood, Waiting for Godot; Martin Pakledinaz, Blithe Spirit; Anthony Ward, Mary Stuart.

Costume design of a musical: Gregory Gale, Rock of Ages; Nicky Gillibrand, Billy Elliot; Tim Hatley, Shrek the Musical; Michael McDonald, Hair.

Lighting design of a play: David Hersey, Equus; David Lander, 33 Variations; Brian MacDevitt, Joe Turner's Come and Gone; Hugh Vanstone, Mary Stuart.

Lighting design of a musical: Kevin Adams, Hair; Kevin Adams, Next to Normal; Howell Binkley, West Side Story; Rick Fisher, Billy Elliot.

Sound design of a play: Paul Arditti, Mary Stuart; Gregory Clarke, Equus; Russell Goldsmith, Exit the King; Scott Lehrer and Leon Rothenberg, Joe Turner's Come and Gone.

Sound design of a musical: Acme Sound Partners, Hair; Paul Arditti, Billy Elliot; Peter Hylenski, Rock of Ages; Brian Ronan, Next to Normal.