‘Purple,’ ‘Jersey Boys’ Get Tony’s Attention

Posted in News on May 16, 2006

Hit musicals The Color Purple and Jersey Boys lead the list of BMI-represented Broadway shows nominated for the 60th Annual Tony Awards, announced May 16 from New York's Lincoln Center. Both are up for Best Musical.

With a total of 11 nominations that also includes Best Original Score for BMI songwriters Allee Willis and Brenda Russell, the Pulitzer-winning-novel-turned-Oscar-nominated-film-turned-Tony-nominated musical is produced by Oprah Winfrey.

Runaway hit Jersey Boys, about the lives and music of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, nabbed eight Tony nominations, including Best Book of a Musical for BMI composer Marshall Brickman. A true crowd-pleaser, the show features the original music of Bob Gaudio, a founder and full-time member of the Four Seasons who wrote the music, and Bob Crewe, who wrote the lyrics and produced many of the group's records.

Also earning Tony nominations were BMI songwriters/actors Michael Cerveris and Harry Connick, Jr., who will compete in the Best Performance by a Leading Actor category for Sweeney Todd and The Pajama Game, respectively.

The 60th Annual Tony Awards will take place on Sunday, June 11 at Radio City Music Hall and will be broadcast live on CBS starting at 8 p.m.

SOURCENews TAGS Artists Michael Cerveris Harry Connick Jr. Bob Gaudio Jersey Boys Brenda Russell Allee Willis