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Neil Patrick Harris, Bryan Cranston among Tony Award nominees

"A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder" and the Neil Patrick Harris-starring revival of "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" led the Tony Award nominations announced Tuesday morning.Harris also received an acting nod, making him one of several nontraditional Broadway actors and creators who received nominations in 26 competitive categories, including Woody Allen ("Bullets Over Broadway"), Bryan Cranston (
Neil Patrick Harris earned his first Tony nomination for his vamped-up performance in \"Hedwig and the Angry Inch.\"
Neil Patrick Harris earned his first Tony nomination for his vamped-up performance in \"Hedwig and the Angry Inch.\"Joan Marcus / Today

"A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder" and the Neil Patrick Harris-starring revival of "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" led the Tony Award nominations announced Tuesday morning.

Harris also received an acting nod, making him one of several nontraditional Broadway actors and creators who received nominations in 26 competitive categories, including Woody Allen ("Bullets Over Broadway"), Bryan Cranston ("All the Way"), Chris O'Dowd ("Of Mice and Men"), Tony Shalhoub ("Act One"), LaTanya Richardson ("A Raisin in the Sun") and Tyne Daly ("Mothers and Sons"). 

But some surprising big-name omissions include Denzel Washington ("A Raisin in the Sun"), Daniel Radcliffe ("The Cripple of Inishmaan"), James Franco ("Of Mice and Men") and Michelle Williams ("Cabaret"). 

Meanwhile, a few Broadway staples earned honors. "Let it Go" singer Idina Menzel was tapped for "If/Then," while Mark Rylance became just one of a very select group of actors to get more than one acting nomination in a year — he was nominated for best actor in a play ("Richard III") and best featured actor in a play ("Twelfth Night").

Two-time Tony winner Sutton Foster, who appeared on TODAY fresh from her sixth nomination for "Violet," said the play she starred in had taken 17 years to get to Broadway from an Off-Broadway opening, and that success made her "already feel like we've won." 

She added, "It's just the most beautiful story, and I'm just so thrilled that audiences and people are embracing it."

"Gentleman's," a musical based on the 1907 book "Israel Rank: The Autobiography of a Criminal," had previously been made as a 1949 film starring Alec Guinness called, "Kind Hearts and Coronets" and received the most nominations overall, with 10. "Hedwig," a rock musical that originally premiered Off-Broadway in 1998 (and was made into a 2001 movie by the same name) came in second place with 8 nominations. 

In the running for best play are "Act One," by James Lapine, "All the Way" by Robert Schenkkan, "Casa Valentina" by Harvey Fierstein, "Mothers and Sons" by Terrence McNally, and "Outside Mullingar" by John Patrick Shanley. Play revival nominees are "The Cripple of Inishmaan," "The Glass Menagerie," "A Raisin in the Sun" and "Twelfth Night."

Best Musical nominees are, in addition to "Gentleman's," "Aladdin," "Beautiful: The Carole King Musical" and "After Midnight." Some controversy bubbled up after the announcement, as a fifth slot that could have been filled in the category went empty. "Hedwig," "Violet" and "Les Miserables" were named for best musical revival.

The 2014 Tony Awards will be broadcast live from Radio City Music Hall on CBS on June 8 at 8 p.m. with Hugh Jackman as host. A full list of the nominees can be found here.

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