Awakening

The nominees for the Laurence Olivier theater awards have been announced.

The finalists are:

best new play-

Enron
Jerusalem
The Mountaintop
Red

best new musical-

Dreamboats and Petticoats
Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
Sister Act
Spring Awakening

best new comedy-

Calendar Girls
England People Very Nice
Parlour Song
The Priory


best actor-

James Earl Jones in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
Jude Law in Hamlet
James McAvoy in Three Days of Rain
Mark Rylance in Jerusalem
Ken Stott in A View from the Bridge
Samuel West in Enron

best actress-

Gillian Anderson in A Doll's House
Lorraine Burroughs in The Mountaintop
Imelda Staunton in Entertaining Mr. Sloane
Juliet Stevenson in Duet for One Rachel Weisz in A Streetcar Named Desire


Spring Awakening led the nominations with seven nods, followed by Enron and Jerusalem with six apiece.

Some other notable nominees are:

Keira Knightley, in the supporting actress division for The Misanthrope

Rowan Atkinson (yes, Mr. Bean!), in the best actor division for Oliver!

Melanie Chisholm (yes, Spice Girl Mel C), in the best actress in a musical category for Blood Brothers


The awards, given for excellence in theater (opera, musicals, and opera) in England, will be presented on March 21.