Hollywood News Now: Irish love story "Once" leads with 11 Tony nominations

NEW YORK | Tue May 1, 2012 9:24am EDT

NEW YORK (Reuters) - "Once," the Broadway musical version of the Irish love story about an Irish busker and Czech immigrant who share a passion for music and an impossible attraction gained the highest number of Tony Award nominations announced on Tuesday.

The stage musical that was adapted from an off-Broadway run and from the hit 2006 indie Irish film and features the Oscar-winning song, "Falling Slowly," gained 11 nominations, including nods for its main stars, Steve Kazee and Cristin Milioti.

"Once," was followed closely by musicals "The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess" and "Nice Work If You Can Get It," both with ten nominations, and "Peter and the Starcatcher," with nine nominations.

Actress Kristin Chenoweth and actor Jim Parsons announced the nominations in New York. The Tony Awards, which honors Broadway's best musicals and plays, will be broadcast live from New York's Beacon Theater on June 10.

Among big name nominations in the leading actor in a play category, Philip Seymour Hoffman was nominated for Arthur Miller's "Death of a Salesman", James Earl Jones for "The Best Man," Frank Langella for "Man and Boy", John Lithgow for "The Columnist" and James Corden for "One Man, Two Guvnors."

The nods for leading actresses in a play went to Nina Arianda for "Venus in Fur," Stockard Channing for "Other Desert Cities," Tracie Bennett for "End of the Rainbow," Linda Lavin for "The Lyons" and Cynthia Nixon for "Wit".

(Reporting By Christine Kearney, Editing by Patricia Reaney)