May 13 (Bloomberg) -- ``In the Heights,'' a hip hop and salsa-infected musical set in upper Manhattan, and the first Broadway revival of the 1949 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical ``South Pacific'' received the most Tony Award nominations today in New York.

``In the Heights'' received 13 nominations and ``South Pacific'' snared 11. ``August: Osage County'' by Tracy Letts was the most nominated new play, receiving seven.

``Passing Strange,'' ``Xanadu'' and ``Cry-Baby'' also were nominated for best new musical. The season's two most expensive commercial shows, ``Young Frankenstein'' and Walt Disney Co.'s ``The Little Mermaid,'' were snubbed for the top musical award.

Also neglected were James Earl Jones in ``Cat on a Hot Tin Roof;'' Kevin Kline in ``Cyrano de Bergerac;'' Mike Nichols and Morgan Freeman, the director and star, respectively, of ``The Country Girl;'' and Harvey Fierstein, who performed in ``A Catered Affair'' and adapted the 1956 movie for Broadway.

The 62nd-annual Antoinette Perry Awards will be broadcast live on CBS television from Radio City Music Hall on June 15. The winners are determined by about 785 people who work in theater, including producers, actors, critics, press agents and presenters around the country. The 23 nominators include actor and director Roger Rees, playwright Lynn Nottage, writer Steven Suskin, Actors Fund Executive Director Joe Benincasa, choreographer Donald Saddler and actress Phyllis Newman.

Much Cachet

The best musical award carries the most commercial cachet and will be hotly contested. The past five winners -- ``Hairspray,'' ``Avenue Q,'' ``Spamalot,'' ``Jersey Boys'' and ``Spring Awakening'' -- are still making money on Broadway.

``It's the gold card,'' said Robyn Goodman, a producer of ``Avenue Q'' and ``In the Heights.'' ``All the rest of them are fun and go into your bio but they don't sell tickets.''

Lin-Manuel Miranda received two nominations, for music and lyrics for ``In the Heights'' and for his role as the homesick and lovelorn bodega owner, Usnavi. A sentimental show set in a Dominican neighborhood that debuted last season off-Broadway, it was also nominated for book, scenic design, costume design, choreography and direction.

Popular `South Pacific'

Lincoln Center Theater's ``South Pacific'' got a nod in every category save for best ushers and roomiest coat lockers. Lead actors Kelli O'Hara and Paulo Szot were recognized, as was director Bartlett Sher and choreographer Christopher Gattelli. Ticket brokers are getting $275 and up for seats. Last week it played to 97 percent capacity, second only to ``Jersey Boys'' and ``Wicked.''

In 2000, ``Kiss Me, Kate,'' set the record for most nominations for a musical revival, with 12. The original production of ``South Pacific'' was nominated for 10 Tonys and won them all. ``The Producers'' holds the record for most nominations for any musical, with 15.

``Passing Strange'' made a record of its own. Of seven nominations for this unorthodox rock musical, four went to a sunglasses-clad sphinx who goes by the name of Stew. The singer- songwriter-guitarist at the center of the show was recognized for lyrics, music -- which he wrote with Heidi Rodewald -- book, orchestrations and his performance. In recent history, only writer, director and choreographer Elizabeth Swados got four nominations, for 1978's ``Runaways.''

Bounty for Roundabout

The non-profit Roundabout Theatre Co. enjoyed 20 nominations -- six for ``The 39 Steps,'' five for ``Les Liaisons Dangereuses'' and nine for its revival of ``Sunday in the Park with George,'' by Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine. Sondheim hasn't been a regular at the Tony ceremony. Perhaps this year he'll be enticed since he will receive a lifetime achievement award.

``Gypsy,'' a commercial revival for which Sondheim wrote lyrics, got seven nominations. Lead actress Patti LuPone, a favorite in the category, got one, as did featured actress Laura Benanti and director Arthur Laurents, who wrote the book for the 1959 original. It will compete for best revival against ``Sunday in the Park,'' ``South Pacific,'' and, at least theoretically, a new ``Grease,'' which left few critics nostalgic for the 1950s.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning ``August: Osage County'' surprised no one by racking up nominations. Chicago's Steppenwolf Theatre Co. production is about an eccentrically unhappy family that gathers in a country house in Oklahoma. The windfall went to both Deanna Dunagan and Amy Morton, who play mother and daughter. Producers announced last week that they recouped their initial $2.6 million investment, the first new play of the season to do so.

Captain's Nomination

Other nominees for top play are ``Rock 'n' Roll'' by Tom Stoppard, ``The Seafarer,'' by Conor McPherson and ``The 39 Steps,'' by Patrick Barlow.

Patrick Stewart snared a leading actor nomination for the title role in ``Macbeth.'' According to the revival's producers, he's the first of Broadway's roughly 45 Macbeths to get a nomination. (As well as the first Starship Enterprise captain to be so honored.) He faces Ben Daniels in ``Les Liaisons Dangereuses,'' Laurence Fishburne in ``Thurgood,'' Mark Rylance in ``Boeing-Boeing'' and Rufus Sewell in ``Rock 'n' Roll.''

Along with Dunagan and Morton from ``August,'' the other nods for lead actress in a play are Eve Best in ``The Homecoming,'' Kate Fleetwood in ``Macbeth'' and S. Epatha Merkerson in ``Come Back, Little Sheba.''

Paucity of Hits

``Young Frankenstein,'' the $16 million comedy based on 1974 Mel Brooks black-and-white comedy, and ``Mermaid,'' inspired by a 1989 Disney animated movie, got a cool reception by critics. ``Frankenstein'' was nominated for three awards, including featured actor Christopher Fitzgerald. ``Mermaid'' had two -- original score and lighting design. It's held its own at the box office, taking in $875,000 last week.

The 12-month season, which officially ends on May 25, was hobbled by a 19-day stagehands strike in November and a paucity of hits. Broadway's season ticket sales so far are about $837 million, excluding ``Frankenstein,'' which unlike other shows elected not to disclose grosses. Sales this season appear unlikely to surpass last season's record $939 million.

The Tonys are presented by the Broadway League and the American Theatre Wing.

To contact the reporter on this story: Philip Boroff in New York at pboroff@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: May 13, 2008 16:37 EDT