Rob Marshall, the choreographer and director known for Broadway's Cabaret and Little Me, has been nominated for a Directors Guild of America Award for helming the 1999 musical TV movie, "Annie."

Marshall was nominated in the category of Musical Variety Program. The DGA Awards will be announced March 11. They honor those who helm TV and cinema projects.

"Annie," produced by Walt Disney and Storyline Entertainment for "Wonderful World of Disney" had massive viewership Nov. 7, 1999, and has subsequently sold more than a million units in its video release, surpassing the Disney-Storyline hit, "Rodgers & Hammerstein's Cinderella."

The TV version of the hit Broadway musical about "Little Orphan Annie" starred Alicia Morton, Victor Garber, Audra McDonald and Kathy Bates.

A newcomer to the musical genre, Bates won the American Comedy Award as Best Actress for a Television Special on Feb. 6, was nominated for a Screen Actors Guild Award for Best Actress in a TV Movie and was also nommed for the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress, all for "Annie." A re-run date has not been announced for the holiday-themed musical, but speculation has the show being an annual yule fave.

-- By Kenneth Jones