BROADWAY: 2010 Tony Award nominations: La Cage aux Folles, Next Fall, Sean Hayes, Levi Kreis and Angela Lansbury

Sean earned a best lead actor in a musical nod for Promises, Promises and will compete against Kelsey Grammer and Douglas Hodge (both of La Cage aux Folles), Chad Kimball (Memphis) and Sahr Ngaujah (Fela!).Sean’s leading lady, Kristen Chemoweth was surprisingly left out of the leading actress in a musical category (she already has a Tony anyway – and an Emmy!). The five ladies who made that cut were: Kate Baldwin (Finian’s Rainbow), Sherie Rene Scott (Everyday Rapture), Montego Glover (Memphis), Christiane Noll (Ragtime) and Catherine Zeta-Jones (A Little Night Music).

Another nominee from A Little Night Music is Broadway legend Angela Lansbury! Miss Lansbury, a five-time Tony winner including last year for Blithe Spirit, earned a nod for her portrayal of the cynical Madame Armfeldt in Night Music. If she were to win the Tony for the sixth time, she would break a tie with Julie Harris for the all-time record for the most wins.The only time Miss Lansbury has lost a Tony race was in 2007 when she was nominated for the play Deuce. Her competition this time will be: Barbara Cook (Sondheim on Sondheim), Kate Finneran (Promises, Promises), Karine Plantadit (Come Fly Away) and Lillias White (Fela!).

I was very excited to see that Valerie Harper, a four-time Emmy winner, got her first Tony nomination for best actress in a play for her acclaimed performance as Tallulah Bankhead in Looped. She will face off against another television icon: Linda Lavin who played Alice for nine seasons and won the Tony for Broadway Bound is nominated this time for Collected Stories.

Their competition is fierce. Others in the leading actress in a play category are Oscar nominee Viola Davis who has earned raves opposite Denzel Washington in Fences, three-time Emmy winner Laura Linney nominated for Time Stands Still and Jan Maxwell for The Royal Family (Miss Maxwell is also a 2010 nominee in the featured actress category for Lend Me a Tenor).

Denzel leads a very star-packed lead actor in a play competition. The rest of the field is some guys were heard a thing or two about: Jude Law (Hamlet); Alfred Molina (Red); Oscar winner Christopher Walken (A Behanding in Spokane) and Liev Schrieber (A View from the Bridge).

Sean Hayes is not the only openly gay person up for a major performance award.

Nominated in the featured actor in a musical category is Levi Kreis who was recognized for his performance in Million Dollar Quartet which is up for best musical and several other awards.Levi ’s competition: Kevin Chamberlin (The Addams Family), Robin De Jesus (La Cage aux Folles), Christopher Fitzgerald (Finian’s Rainbow), and Bobby Steggert (Ragtime).(If there are other LGBT performers nominated that I’m not aware of, please let me know!) One omission is the OUT,(and old pal) Brooks Ashmanskas (Promises, Promises), who was nominated a few years ago for 'Fame becomes me'.

La Cage is, of course, one of the gayest musicals ever and it received 11 nominations in all – tying Fela! for most 2010 nods. La Cage will compete for best revival of a musical with Finian’s Rainbow, A Little Night Music and Ragtime. The wonderfully talented and gorgeous Nick Adams is a member of the cast of La Cage.

Also of gay interest: The Elton John/David Furnish–produced Next Fall scored multiple nominations, including one for Best Play.It’s competition is In the Next Room or The Vibrator Play, Red and Time Stands Still.The director of Next Fall, Sheryl Kaller, also scored a nomination.Winners will be announced June 13 during a ceremony televised by CBS from Radio City Music Hall.To see a full list of the nominees, go to the Tony Awards site.