Top Tony Nominees Have California Roots : Theater: 'The Who's Tommy,' which premiered in La Jolla, ties 'Kiss of the Spider Woman' with 11 nods. 'Angels in America,' which was developed primarily at the Taper, sets a record among non-musicals with nine.

By DON SHIRLEY

May 11, 1993 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

Two California-bred productions are among the top three contenders for Broadway’s Tony Awards, in the nominations announced Monday at Sardi’s Restaurant in New York.

“The Who’s Tommy,” which premiered last summer at La Jolla Playhouse, garnered 11 nominations, including one for best musical. Its chief competition, “Kiss of the Spider Woman,” also received 11 nominations.

Tony Kushner’s “Angels in America: Millennium Approaches,” which was developed primarily at the Mark Taper Forum, received nine nominations--more than any non-musical ever--and is the favorite to win the best play award at the Tony ceremony at the Gershwin Theatre on June 6.

“It’s a great day for Southern California theater,” said the Taper’s Gordon Davidson. Told that “Tommy” scored slightly higher in the nominations total, Davidson quipped, “Those dirty rats. They got music, what can I say?”

Besides best play, “Millennium” won nods for George C. Wolfe’s direction, Robin Wagner’s sets, Jules Fisher’s lighting, Ron Leibman’s leading performance and featured performances by Joe Mantello, Stephen Spinella, Kathleen Chalfant and Marcia Gay Harden.

“Tommy” won nominations for the book by Pete Townshend and La Jolla artistic director Des McAnuff, Townshend’s score, McAnuff’s direction, sets by John Arnone, costumes by David C. Woolard, lighting by Chris Parry, choreography by Wayne Cilento and featured performances by Michael Cerveris, Paul Kandel and Marcia Mitzman.

“It’s great,” McAnuff said from New York where he is working on a recording of the show. “I’m really pleased they got spread around as much as they did, but I wish there was an award for best ensemble. We had a lot of performances worthy of recognition. But getting three (acting nominations) is really gratifying.”

The flood of California-related nominations, as well as the already announced Tony naming the La Jolla Playhouse the year’s outstanding regional theater, indicate that Southern California could have its highest Tony profile since 1985.

In that year, Neil Simon’s “Biloxi Blues,” which opened in Los Angeles before moving on to Broadway, won three Tonys including best play, and “Big River” took home seven Tonys--including best musical--after McAnuff had previously staged it in Cambridge, Mass., and La Jolla. Los Angeles Civic Light Opera’s Edwin Lester also won a special Tony in 1985.

“Angels in America: Millennium Approaches” has been seen in various forms in San Francisco and London, as well as Los Angeles, before opening in New York last Tuesday, one day before the eligibility for this year’s Tonys ended. The Taper remains a producer of the Broadway show.

The Tony Awards are presented by the League of American Theatres and Producers and the American Theatre Wing. A committee of 12 theater professionals nominates, and a voting membership of 670 will now make the final decisions. Liza Minnelli will host the awards ceremony, to be broadcast on CBS-TV.

The complete list of nominees:

* Play: “Angels in America: Millennium Approaches,” “The Sisters Rosensweig,” “Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me,” “The Song of Jacob Zulu”

* Musical: “Blood Brothers,” “The Goodbye Girl,” “Kiss of the Spider Woman,” “The Who’s Tommy”

* Revival: Roundabout Theatre Company’s “Anna Christie” and “The Price”; National Actors Theatre’s “Saint Joan”; Circle in the Square’s “Wilder, Wilder, Wilder”

* Book of a Musical: Peter Kellogg, “Anna Karenina”; Willy Russell, “Blood Brothers”; Terrence McNally, “Kiss of the Spider Woman”; Pete Townshend and Des McAnuff, “The Who’s Tommy”

* Original Score: Daniel Levine and Peter Kellogg, “Anna Karenina”; John Kander and Fred Ebb, “Kiss of the Spider Woman”; Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Tug Yourgrau, “The Song of Jacob Zulu”; Pete Townshend, “The Who’s Tommy”

* Director/Musical: Bill Kenwright and Bob Tomson, “Blood Brothers”; Michael Kidd, “The Goodbye Girl”; Des McAnuff, “The Who’s Tommy”; Harold Prince, “Kiss of the Spider Woman”

* Director/Play: David Leveaux, “Anna Christie”; Eric Simonson, “The Song of Jacob Zulu”; Daniel Sullivan, “The Sisters Rosensweig”; George C. Wolfe, “Angels in America: Millennium Approaches”

* Leading Actor/Play: K. Todd Freeman, “The Song of Jacob Zulu”; Ron Leibman, “Angels in America: Millennium Approaches”; Liam Neeson, “Anna Christie”; Stephen Rea, “Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me”

* Leading Actress/Play: Jane Alexander and Madeline Kahn, “The Sisters Rosensweig”; Lynn Redgrave, “Shakespeare for My Father”; Natasha Richardson, “Anna Christie”

* Leading Actor/Musical: Brent Carver, “Kiss of the Spider Woman”; Tim Curry, “My Favorite Year”; Con O’Neill, “Blood Brothers”; Martin Short, “The Goodbye Girl”

* Leading Actress/Musical: Ann Crumb, “Anna Karenina”; Stephanie Lawrence, “Blood Brothers”; Bernadette Peters, “The Goodbye Girl”; Chita Rivera, “Kiss of the Spider Woman”

* Featured Actor/Play: Robert Sean Leonard, “Candida”; Joe Mantello and Stephen Spinella, “Angels in America: Millennium Approaches”; Zakes Mokae, “The Song of Jacob Zulu”

* Featured Actress/Play: Kathleen Chalfant and Marcia Gay Harden, “Angels in America: Millennium Approaches”; Anne Meara, “Anna Christie”; Debra Monk, “Redwood Curtain”

* Featured Actor/Musical: Michael Cerveris and Paul Kandel, “The Who’s Tommy”; Anthony Crivello, “Kiss of the Spider Woman”; Gregg Edelman, “Anna Karenina”

* Featured Actress/Musical: Jan Graveson, “Blood Brothers”; Lainie Kazan and Andrea Martin, “My Favorite Year”; Marcia Mitzman, “The Who’s Tommy”

* Scenic Design: John Arnone, “The Who’s Tommy”; John Lee Beatty, “Redwood Curtain”; Jerome Sirlin, “Kiss of the Spider Woman”; Robin Wagner, “Angels in America: Millennium Approaches”

* Costume Design: Jane Greenwood, “The Sisters Rosensweig”; Florence Klotz, “Kiss of the Spider Woman”; Erin Quigley, “The Song of Jacob Zulu”; David C. Woolard, “The Who’s Tommy”

* Lighting Design: Howell Binkley, “Kiss of the Spider Woman”; Jules Fisher, “Angels in America: Millennium Approaches”; Dennis Parichy, “Redwood Curtain”; Chris Parry, “The Who’s Tommy”

* Choreography: Wayne Cilento, “The Who’s Tommy”; Graciela Daniele, “The Goodbye Girl”; Vincent Paterson and Rob Marshall, “Kiss of the Spider Woman”; Randy Skinner, “Ain’t Broadway Grand”