2013 Tony Award Nominees Announced, Cyndi Lauper Scores Big For Kinky Boots

The 2013 Tony Award nominees were announced in NYC this morning at a press conference hosted by Jesse Tyler Ferguson and Sutton Foster. Topping the list with 13 nominations is the Cyndi Lauper-scored Kinky Boots. Notably shut out was Bette Midler and we've got dueling gays in the Best Leading Actor In A Play category. Via Broadway.com:

Best Musical
A Christmas Story
Bring It On
Kinky Boots
Matilda

Best Play
Lucky Guy
The Assembled Parties
The Testament of Mary
Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
 
Best Revival of a Play
Golden Boy
Orphans
The Trip to Bountiful
Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Best Revival of a Musical
Annie
Cinderella
Pippin
The Mystery of Edwin Drood

Best Leading Actor in a Play
Tom Hanks, Lucky Guy
Nathan Lane, The Nance
Tracy Letts, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
David Hyde Pierce, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
Tom Sturridge, Orphans

Best Leading Actress in a Play
Laurie Metcalf, The Other Place
Amy Morton, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
Kristine Nielsen, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike
Holland Taylor, Ann
Cicely Tyson, The Trip to Bountiful

Best Leading Actor in a Musical
Bertie Carvel, Matilda
Santino Fontana, Cinderella
Rob McClure, Chaplin
Billy Porter, Kinky Boots
Stark Sands, Kinky Boots

Best Leading Actress in a Musical
Stephanie J. Block, The Mystery of Edwin Drood
Carolee Carmello, Scandalous
Valisia LeKae, Motown: The Musical
Patina Miller, Pippin
Laura Osnes, Cinderella

Gay authors Harvey Fierstein (Kinky Boots) and Douglas Carter Beane (Cinderella) are nominated for Best Book. Hit the link for the full list.

SLIDESHOW: AIDS Walk New York

Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, Rep. Carolyn Maloney, and a galaxy of Broadway, Hollywood and television stars crowded the main stage in Central Park early this morning to help kick off the GMHC's 27th Annual AIDS Walk New York. Stars on hand included Wendy Williams, Grammy nominee Keri Hilson, NCIS: Los Angeles star Barrett Foa, Tony winner David Hyde Pierce, Glee's Dot Jones, designer Jason Wu, and Ugly Betty's Michael Urie, who played to the squealing fans in the front row by throwing HIS underwear in the face of good sport Nick Jonas.You can find all of that and much more in the slideshow below, plus lots of shots of the more than 45,000 walkers who jammed Central Park from end-to-end today. To date, AIDS Walk New York has raised more than $122 million for programs and services in the tri-state region. My personal thanks to GMHC Communications Director Dirk McCall for looking after me all morning. Full-screen photos are here.

SLIDESHOW: Family Equality Council's 30th Anniversary Gala In New York City

Last night intrepid JMG photographer Dr. Jeff accompanied me to the Family Equality Council's 30th anniversary gala on Manhattan's Pier 60, where over 750 LGBT moms, dads and allies swarmed the grand ballroom and mingled with bold-face names like Zach Wahls (so tall!), Tony winner David Hyde Pierce, comedian Judy Gold, Bishop Gene Robinson, Freedom To Marry head Evan Wolfson, and crooner Clay Aiken (who drew a small but enthusiastic contingent of middle-aged Claymates.)

The evening's honorees were FEC board member Scott Davenport, who is the co-founder of P-Town's annual Family Week, and famed Broadway producer Daryl Roth, who brought along the very young cast of her latest show, the multiple Tony-nominated Newsies. Both Aiken and the Newsies cast performed, as well as Tony nominee Montego Glover (Memphis).

All evening long there was a noticeable flurry of smartphone action across the room as attendees anxiously checked for returns on Amendment One. During his set, Aiken addressed that issue and spoke passionately about his love for (and disappointment with) his home state. His words underscored the fact that sitting in the room were the very people who have the most at stake when it comes to legal protections for their families. Dr. Jeff's slideshow is below, full-screen photos are here.

VIDEO: The Family Equality Council rang the closing bell at the Stock Exchange today.

Broadway Friday

- Openly gay Broadway star Marty Thomas (Wicked, Xanadu) is suing Twitter to force them to disclose the identity of a user who claimed that Thomas was given crabs by a cast member of Avenue Q. Thomas said in court papers: "I do not suffer from, nor have I ever suffered from a sexually transmitted disease." Twitter has never been forced to identify an anonymous user.

- In The Heights star Janet Dacal opens this April in a new musical "inspired by" Alice In Wonderland. Also cast is openly gay singer/dancer Tituss Burgess (Jersey Boys). Music by Frank Wildhorn (Jekyll And Hyde).

- Openly gay actor T.R. Knight (Grey's Anatomy) and Patrick Stewart opened last night in the revival of David Mamet's A Life In The Theatre, which first ran on Broadway in 1977. One early review isn't so great.

- The Professional Bull Riders Association will hold a competition in the middle of Times Square today at 1pm. The specially-built arena is supposed be "one city block" in size. Free and open to the public.

- Openly gay Tony winner David Hyde Pierce opened last night in the revival of David Hirson's flop La Bete to decidedly mixed reviews.

- Four major musicals are opening on Broadway this fall without the usual out-of-town tryouts due to the cost. One result - terrible scenery glitches for Women On The Verge have resulted in show stoppages and apologies from the stage.

- Bette Midler so loves the musical version of Priscilla: Queen Of The Desert that she has become one of its producers. The show made its North American debut in Toronto this week and lands on Broadway in the spring.

- The Real Housewives of New York's Countess LuAnn de Lesseps is reportedly talking to casting directors from Chicago and La Cage Aux Folles about joining their shows. Money can't buy you class, as her "song" goes.

- Broadway Speaks Out founder Marti Gould Cummings opens a new weekly Broadway revue at the Upper East Side's Evolve Bar this Tuesday. First to appear are Next To Normal's Emma Hunton and Stonewall Sensation winner Erik Sisco. Showtime 10:30pm.

- Tony winner Betty Buckley (Cats) has released a new nine-track album titled Bootleg: Boardmixes from the Road. Buckley, who has been cast as Anna Madrigal in the musical version of Tales Of The City, plays Manhattan's Town Hall tomorrow night as part of their Broadway Cabaret Festival. Get tickets here.

VIDEO: Meet the door girl of La Cage Aux Folles.

David Hyde Pierce On Prop 8

On The View yesterday, David Hyde Pierce talked about his still-legal California marriage and went off on the haters. "It's like 'Oh, great, we made the cut.'" The View has disabled comments on YouTube.

2007 Tonyzzzzzz

Somehow I managed to keep my eyes open during last night's soporific unhosted Tony Awards, which may have been the most boring telecast in Tonys history and that's saying something. Bring back Hugh Jackman! The two big winners each nearly swept their respective categories, with Spring Awakening winning eight musical awards and The Coast Of Utopia taking seven Tonys, a record for a play.

Sadly, my beloved Kiki & Herb did not win for Special Theatrical Event, losing out to ventriloquist Jay Johnson in a race that the New York Times had characterized as "the dummy versus the drag queen." Boo. Also: boo, boo, boo.

David Hyde Pierce was a surprise Best Actor (Musical) winner for his performance in Curtains, bringing the only real suspense of the evening for me as I waited to see if the recently out Pierce would thank his partner. He did, but unfortunately his acknowledgement came at the end of his acceptance speech as the orchestra began playing him off the stage. Pierce said, "...and my partner Brian, 'cause it's 24 years of listening to your damn notes, that's why I'm up here tonight. Thank you." The camera did a quick shot to a beaming middle-aged man in the audience, but they'd been cutting to so many other people that Pierce thanked, I've no idea if that was Brian. (UPDATE: It was.) Still, good for Pierce.

Musical Winners:
Musical - Spring Awakening
Director - Michael Mayer / Spring Awakening
Actor - David Hyde Pierce / Curtains
Actress - Christine Ebersole / Grey Gardens
Featured Actor - John Gallagher/ Spring Awakening
Featured Actress - Mary Louise Wilson /Grey Gardens
Choreography - Bill T. Jones / Spring Awakening
Score - Duncan Sheik & Steven Sater/Spring Awakening
Orchestration - Duncan Sheik / Spring Awakening
Book - Steven Sater / Spring Awakening
Revival - Company
Sets - Bob Crowley / Mary Poppins
Costumes - William Ivey Long / Grey Gardens
Lighting - Kevin Adams / Spring Awakening

Play Winners:
Play - The Coast Of Utopia
Director - Jack O'Brien / The Coast Of Utopia
Actor - Frank Langella / Frost/Nixon
Actress - Julie White / The Little Dog Laughed
Featured Actor - Billy Crudup / The Coast Of Utopia
Featured Actress - Jennifer Ehle / The Coast Of Utopia
Revival - Journey's End
Sets - Bob Crowley & Scott Pask / The Coast Of Utopia
Costumes - Catherine Zuber / The Coast Of Utopia
Lighting -Brian MacDevitt, Kenneth Posner, and Natasha Katz / The Coast Of Utopia

NOTE: Thanks to reader Brad, for getting the full Pierce quote.

UPDATE: I snagged the below photo of David Hyde Pierce's partner, Brian Hargrove, from Towleroad.

Piercing The Veil

David Hyde Pierce's publicist confirmed yesterday that the multi-Emmy winning actor is a homosexual. Was there ever any doubt? Previously Pierce had declined to discuss his personal life, taking the Sean Hayes "my private life is personal" route, although his gayness was well-known to friends and industry associates. I think Pierce is a fantastic talent, yet I can only offer slight applause for this cautious, declaration-by-lackey, sort of self-outing.