Commentary: Two supergiant stars shine brightest in Tonys' intriguing galaxy of nominees

May 11, 2009 For those who haven't seen many or any of the Broadway plays and musicals during the 2008-09 season, this year's Tony nomination list doesn't exactly stir the soul or make one feverish with anticipation over the June 7 awards ceremony. Now that the nominations have been announced, no new Broadway entries are on the docket in the near future, but there will be a "Summer Stars Encores" musical at the City Center opening next month: "The Wiz," starring Ashanti. The usual musicals, including this coming November's "Girl Crazy" and February's "Fanny," play only four or five days, while musical revivals in the summer series play longer -- three weeks in the case of "Wiz," which is on display June 18-July 3.

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