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They're the toughest tickets to get right now on Broadway. And on Tuesday morning, seats to Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812, Dear Evan Hansen and Hello Dolly! just got that much harder — as all three shows scored top nominations in their respective categories for the 2017 Tony Awards.
Jane Krakowski and Hamilton alum Christopher Jackson announced the candidates Tuesday morning, live from the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center.
Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 — the Josh Groban-led musical inspired by a 70-page section of War and Peace — led the new musical nominations with 12 in total, including best musical and acting honors for Groban and UnReal alum Denée Benton.
![Natasha, Pierre and Broadway's Great Comet PierogiesCredit: Chad Batka](https://people.com/thmb/h_895Qna-yDkrJIAx2uR_HGuV6E=/4000x0/filters:no_upscale():max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(757x0:759x2)/broadway-great-comet-4-1-2000-7254ea529a6e4443ab2eb34712316d16.jpg)
Hot on its heels is the tearjerking teen tale Dear Evan Hansen, whose composers — Benj Pasek and Justin Paul — picked up an Oscar for their lyrics to La La Land's "City of Stars." It has 9 nominations, including best musical and one for lead actor (and Pitch Perfect star) Ben Platt.
Other best musical contenders include the musical stage adaptation of Groundhog Day and the 9/11 musical Come From Away — which tells the true story of some of the thousands of people who were stranded in Newfoundland, Canada after traffic was grounded in the wake of the terrorist attacks.
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Bette Midler snagged a lead actress in a musical nomination for her turn in Hello Dolly! — her first leading role in a Broadway musical ever. The revival is "looking swell" with 10 nominations including best revival of a musical — where it will compete with the now-closed Falsettos and the limited-run Miss Saigon.
The four plays up for best play — A Dolls House, Part 2, Indecent, Oslo and Sweat — are all written by American authors (Lucas Hnath, Paula Vogel, J.T. Rogers, and Lynn Nottage respectively). They're each also making their Broadway playwriting debut this season. Nottage's Sweat was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Drama earlier this year.
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Some of Hollywood's biggest stars scored big nominations in the play acting categories, including Cate Blanchett (The Present), Sally Field (The Glass Menagerie), Laura Linney (The Little Foxes) and Laurie Metcalf (A Doll's House, Part 2) — who are all competing (alongside Oslo's Jennifer Ehle) for lead actress.
Cynthia Nixon, Kevin Kline, Chris Cooper and Danny DeVito all picked up nominations too — the latter for his Broadway debut in Arthur Miller's The Price.
RELATED VIDEO: From Fanboy to Broadway Sensation: All about Dear Evan Hansen Star Ben Platt
Of the 13 new musicals this year, a few big names were left in the dark in the top categories — including the screen-to-stage musical adaptations of Anastasia, Amélie, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and A Bronx Tale.
The revival of Cats, which returned to Broadway after a 15-year hiatus, also failed to claw up a nomination. Its original 1982 production won 7 Tonys including best musical.
At least one person can already start prepping his speech — James Earl Jones. The two-time Tony winner is one of the handful of people who will be given a special Tony this year. His honor will be for lifetime achievement in the theater.
Select 2017 nominees include:
Best Musical
Natasha, Pierre & the Great Comet of 1812
Best Play
A Dolls House, Part 2
Oslo
Sweat
Best Revival, Musical
Falsettos
Best Revival, Play
Jitney
Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Musical
Denée Benton, Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812
Christine Ebersole, War Paint
Patti LuPone, War Paint
Bette Midler, Hello Dolly!
Eva Noblezada, Miss Siagon
Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Musical
Christian Borle, Falsettos
Josh Groban, Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812
Andy Karl, Groundhog Day
David Hyde Pierce, Hello Dolly!
Ben Platt, Dear Evan Hansen
Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play
Cate Blanchett, The Present
Jennifer Ehle, Oslo
Sally Field, The Glass Menagerie
Laura Linney, The Little Foxes
Laurie Metcalf, A Doll's House, Part 2
Best Performance by a Leading Actor in a Play
Denis Arndt, Heisenberg
Chris Cooper, A Dolls House Part 2
Corey Hawkins, Six Degrees of Separation
Kevin Kline, Present Laughter
Jefferson Mays, Oslo
Check out the official Tony Awards site for the full list of nominees.
The 71st annual Tony Awards, hosted by Kevin Spacey, will air live on CBS on Sunday, June 11 from New York City's Radio City Music Hall.