'Hamilton' leads Tony nods, sets record with 16 nods

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Tuesday, May 3, 2016
"Hamilton"
Leslie Odom Jr., from left, Phillipa Soo, Lin-Manuel Miranda and Christopher Jackson appear at the curtain call following the opening night performance of "Hamilton"
AP-AP

NEW YORK -- The megahit musical "Hamilton" has grabbed a record-breaking 16 Tony Award nominations, the biggest haul in Broadway history and another notch in the show's march into theatrical history.

Lin-Manuel Miranda's hip-hop-flavored biography about the first U.S. treasury secretary on Tuesday broke the 15-nominations record held by "The Producers" and "Billy Elliot." ''Hamilton" was nominated in virtually every category it could compete in, from acting to scenic design.

Next month, it will compete for Broadway's biggest crown - best new musical - with "Bright Star," ''School of Rock," ''Shuffle Along" and "Waitress."

The best play category is composed of "Eclipsed," ''The Father," ''The Humans" and "King Charles III."

The awards will be handed out June 12, with James Corden playing host from the Beacon Theatre in New York.