McDonagh play among Tony nominations

Legendary movie actor Christopher Walken has been nominated for a Tony award for his performance in English-born Irish playwright…

Legendary movie actor Christopher Walken has been nominated for a Tony award for his performance in English-born Irish playwright Martin McDonagh's play A Behanding in Spokane.

Fela!, a new dance musical that tells the story of Nigerian Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti, and a revival of the musical La Cage aux Folles lead the nominations for Broadway's top theatre honours, which were announced today.

Both musicals picked up 11 nominations, followed by a revival of August Wilson's play Fences, which picked up ten. Fences actors Denzel Washington and Viola Davis, who play a married couple struggling with changing USrace relations, were both nominated for their leading performances.

Mr Washington said in a statement that returning to Broadway "is like coming home again for me" and sharing a Tony nomination "makes it seem like one big family reunion."

La Cage aux Folles stars Kelsey Grammer and British stage veteran Douglas Hodge were both nominated for their turns as a gay couple who deal with their son's impending marriage in the leading actor in a musical category, joined by Sahr Ngaujah from Fela!.

Other Hollywood stars nominated for the awards, which is limited to Broadway productions, included Jude Law for Hamlet and Walken, who is included as a nominee for Best Performance by a Lead Actor in a Play for A Behanding in Spokane which  premiered on Broadway earlier this year.

Catherine Zeta-Jones said she "couldn't imagine a better way to make my Broadway debut" after being nominated for best leading actress in a musical for A Little Night Music. Actors Liev Schreiber and Scarlett Johansson were also nominated for a revival of the Arthur Miller play, A View From the Bridge.

Memphis, a new musical that looks at the roots of rock-and-roll, won eight nominations while musical revival Ragtime, received seven.

After relocating from a run in London, Red, a play about abstract artist Mark Rothko, picked up seven nominations, including a nod for best lead actor in a play to British actor Alfred Molina.

"Audiences are really responding to Rothko. They love him and they love the struggle," Red playwright John Logan said.

Enron, a show about the fraud and deception behind the Enron scandal, another transplant from London, nabbed four nominations, including best original score.

Rock band Green Day's new musical, American Idiot, picked up three nominations, including one for best musical along with Fela!, which features no big-name actors, unlike many other productions nominated.

Fela! bucks the recent trend of Broadway producers relying on Hollywood actors to attract audiences.

Fela's director Bill T. Jones was nominated for best choreographer. The former off-Broadway musical signed up hip hop star Jay-Z and actor Will Smith as Broadway co-producers.

The complete list of Tony Award nominations can be found at www.tonyawards.com. The awards will be broadcast on June 13th from New York's Radio City Music Hall.