Imagine how jittery the cast of "God of Carnage" must have been just before the Tony Award nominations were announced on May 5. Sure, even back then the megahit was widely considered to be the front-runner to win best play on June 7, so that nomination was guaranteed. But what about the actors? The Tonys administration committee had decreed all four roles to be lead. Could they all get in to the race? Never before had such a thing happened.

Cut to a far happier ending than the one in the play: Jeff Daniels, Hope Davis, James Gandolfini and Marcia Gay Harden pulled it off for portraying suburban couples who become more vicious than their children when they hook up to discuss how to resolve a fight between their boys. Gold Derby caught up with the cast and asked for their Tonys reax.

HARDEN: It's what you always hope for — the whole cast to be nominated — but you think, "Ah, that'll never happen, that'll never happen." I believe this is the first time that a show's whole cast has been nominated in the lead categories, so the odds were against us. But when we pulled it off, we all felt tighter as a unit. It's amazing that there was no moment when the unit got split up.

DAVIS: That night I acted up a storm, trying to justify the choice the voters made. Ha! It was such a crazy night for us.

GOLD DERBY: You can't all get so lucky on Tonys night. How are you going to handle it if this one wins, that one doesn't?

GANDOLFINI: We'll be fine. We feel like we've already won.

DANIELS: We crossed the finish line when we all got nominated. At a time when Broadway is supposed to be dying — think about all those closings back in January — it's amazing that this show has become so successful. It's like a rebirth and we are part of it. That's the big victory. Geoffrey Rush is on stage every single second of "Exit the King," so I look forward to celebrating his great work.

The 54th annual Obie Awards, which honor off- and off-off-Broadway, named "Ruined" by Lynn Nottage as the best new play, following the lead set by the Pulitzer Prize and New York Drama Critics Circle Award. And three of the cast members — Saidah Arrika Ekulona, Quincy Tyler Bernstine and Russell Gebert Jones — picked up performance awards at these kudos sponsored by the Village Voice.

Unlike the Drama Desk Awards, which has abandoned its original mission to salute theater in New York beyond Broadway, the Obies have stayed true to their origins. As with the first awards bestowed in 1956, there are still no fixed categories.

Among the other winners announced Monday night at Webster Hall were Stephen Sondheim for his music and lyrics for "Road Show" which ran at the Public Theatre this season, as well as one-time Tony nominee Jonathan Groff ("Spring Awakening") for his work in off-Broadway productions of "Prayer for My Enemy" and "The Singing Forest."

The Drama Desk Awards were bestowed, as usual, to Broadway shows over off-Broadway alternatives. "Billy Elliot" danced off with 11 prizes, including best musical.

The only major upset occurred in the race for best actress in a play with Janet McTeer ("Mary Stuart") prevailing over two stars considered to be the front-runners at the upcoming Tony Awards: Marcia Gay Harden ("God of Carnage") and Jane Fonda ("33 Variations").

Otherwise, Tony faves prevailed, including Geoffrey Rush ("Exit the King") as best actor, Angela Lansbury ("Blithe Spirit") in the supporting race and "Hair" and "The Norman Conquests" as best revivals.

"Shrek" star Brian d'Arcy James triumphed in the race for best musical actor without facing the triple threat awaiting him at the Tonys: the three lead stars of "Billy Elliot," who share one nomination. They were snubbed by Drama Desk voters when "Billy Elliot" producers refused to give members of the nominating committee tickets to see all three boys perform on different nights.

As usual, the ongoing unfairness of the Drama Desk Awards is painfully apparent in the results. Even though the small group of members who belong to the nominating committee give bids to many worthy non-Broadway productions, those contenders lose after not being seen by the vast majority of members who vote for the Broadway shows they bother to attend.

When non-Broadway nominees do win, they tend to have prestigious reputations, as is the case of the winner of best play: "Ruined," which recently won the Pulitzer Prize and the New York Drama Critics Circle Award. Among the few other non-Broadway winners was "Road Show," which won best lyrics for New York theater legend Stephen Sondheim.

There are two obvious solutions to this problem. Either the Drama Desk should create separate categories for Broadway and non-Broadway productions or else permit members to vote only for productions they've seen, but the group's leadership stubbornly resists making such a change that could help to boost the award's sagging reputation.

The Drama Desk Awards are bestowed by a secret group of journalists who are widely accused of having dubious credentials. That accusation can't be addressed because it's the only media award that refuses to list its members at its website.

Bold = winner

BEST PLAY
"Body Awareness"
"Becky Shaw"
"reasons to be pretty"
"Ruined"
"Fifty Words"
"Lady"

BEST MUSICAL
"9 to 5"
"Billy Elliot"
"Fela!"
"Liza's at the Palace"
"Shrek"
"The Story of My Life"

BEST REVIVAL OF A PLAY
"Blithe Spirit"
"Exit the King"
"Mary Stuart"
"The Cripple of Inishmaan"
"The Norman Conquests"
"Waiting for Godot"

BEST REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL
"Enter Laughing "
"Hair"
"Pal Joey"
"West Side Story"

BEST ACTOR IN A PLAY
Simon Russell Beale, "The Winter's Tale"
Reed Birney, "Blasted"
Raúl Esparza, "Speed-The-Plow"
Bill Irwin, "Waiting for Godot"
Daniel Radcliffe, "Equus"
Geoffrey Rush, "Exit the King"
Thomas Sadoski, "reasons to be pretty"

The administration of the Tony Awards is very different from the other three peer-group showbiz prizes — the Oscars, Emmys and Grammys. Those are bestowed by academies. The Tonys are overseen by two groups. Here's our chitchat with the chief of one of them — Howard Sherman, executive director of the American Theatre Wing — who explains the process to us.

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"West Side Story" holds a few Tony Awards I.O.U.s. Back in 1958, it lost best musical to "The Music Man" and the spitfire role of Anita, played by Chita Rivera, wasn't even nominated! The Oscars got it right three years later, voting "West Side Story" best picture and giving Rita Moreno the Academy Award for best supporting actress for that part. Now there's a bold new staging on Broadway that's nominated for best revival with Anita played by Karen Olivo (Tony nominee, best featured actress), who recently originated the part of Vanessa in "In the Heights," which won best musical at the Tonys last year. 

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If there are felony offenses among the Tony nominations, it's that "9 to 5" didn't receive a bid for best musical and Megan Hilty was snubbed for best actress. Heck, "9 to 5" received 15 Drama Desk nominations — that's the most in the history of that theater contest! But, alas, Allison Janney got a much-deserved Tony bid. Here, below, we not only chat about that, but also about Janney's notorious romp at the Emmys during her "West Wing" days too. Lots of posters here at Gold Derby are still a bit mystified over how she managed to beat Jennifer Garner ("Alias") in 2002. Just wait till you hear Janney's hilarious answer when I ask: How did you pull that off?

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"Shrek" star Sutton Foster just joined an elite gaggle of Broadway gals to reap a fourth nomination in the Tonys race for best lead actress in a musical. Her previous bids were "Thoroughly Modern Millie" (2002 — she won), "Little Women" (2005) and "The Drowsy Chaperone" (2006). "Millie" won best musical. "Chaperone" was nominated. "Shrek" is up for the top prize as best tuner, too. Of course, Foster portrays Princess Fiona, who has a remarkably high tolerance for stinky green ogres — and, it turns out, a peculiar fondness for one of them.

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I thought I could outsmart those three shrewd young chaps who portray the title role of "Billy Elliot" on Broadway. When we chatted at the Tony nominees' reception Wednesday, I challenged them with two tough Tonys tests and – surprise – they aced them both!

Together Kiril Kulish, Trent Kowalik and David Alvarez (from left in the video below) rotate in the role of Billy at different stagings of the production throughout the week, but they share one nomination: best lead actor in a musical. Read more about that here. Most award gurus like me believe that they'll win.

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More predictions continue to pour in from brave pundits daring to forecast who will be nominated when Tony Award bids are announced Tuesday morning. The latest noodlings, featured below, are from Brian Lipton (TheaterMania.com). Compare them to the views of these gurus who also contribute prognostication to Gold Derby: Matt Windman (AMNewYork), Martin Denton (NYTheatre.com) and David Sheward (Back Stage). (Click on each guru's name to read their views.) Here is a list of leading contenders in the top Tony Award categories.

Boldest among Lipton's predictions is his forecast that "[title of show]" will be nominated for best musical over "Shrek" and "Rock of Ages." "[title of show]" was a huge critical hit when it transferred from Off-Broadway to the Lyceum Theatre last July, but it closed in October. Usually, shows that close early in Tony season don't fare well with nominations. The theory goes that producers — who comprise the largest chunk of the 700 Tony voters — like to support current shows to bolster their longevity.

Among Lipton's omissions in his acting predix: Daniel Radcliffe ("Equus") and Tovah Feldshuh ("Irena's Vow").

BEST NEW PLAY
"Dividing the Estate"
"God of Carnage"
"reasons to be pretty"
"33 Variations"

BEST MUSICAL
"Billy Elliot"
"Next to Normal"
"9 to 5"
"[title of show]"

BEST REVIVAL OF A PLAY
"Joe Turner's Come and Gone"
"Mary Stuart"
"The Norman Conquests"
"Waiting for Godot"

BEST REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL
"Guys and Dolls"
"Hair"
"Pal Joey"
"West Side Story"

Just like our other gutsy theater pundit Martin Denton (NYTheater.com), Matt Windman (amNewYork) is not only giving us his predix of who he thinks will be nominated on May 5, but who he thinks will win on June 7. Heeds his forecasts closely. Last year Matt had the highest score among all of our pundits when predicting the Tonys!

Among Windman's notable forecasts here: He eschews "Shrek" for "Rock of Ages" in the best musical race and believes "The Norman Conquests" will win best revival over "Joe Turner's Come and Gone" (Denton's choice).

BEST PLAY
* "God of Carnage"
"Dividing the Estate"
"reasons to be pretty"
"33 Variations"
 
BEST MUSICAL
* "Billy Elliot"
"Next to Normal"
"Rock of Ages"
"9 to 5"
 
BEST REVIVAL OF A PLAY
* "The Norman Conquests"
"Joe Turner’s Come and Gone"
"Mary Stuart"
"Waiting for Godot"
 
BEST REVIVAL OF A MUSICAL
* "Hair"
"Guys and Dolls"
"Pal Joey"
"West Side Story"