An April 11 Tony Administration Committee ruled that the current season's solo shows starring Elaine Stritch, Bea Arthur, Barbara Cook and John Leguizamo are eligible for Tony Awards in the young category of Special Theatrical Event.

The ruling presents the very real possibility that the two-year old category will be filled this year. In 2001, Special Theatrical Event boasted only one nominee: the drum and bugle corps fantasia Blast!.

The full titles of the four solo shows are Elaine Stritch at Liberty, Bea Arthur on Broadway: Just Between Friends, Leguizamo's Sexaholix... a love story and Barbara Cook's Mostly Sondheim. Only the Stritch show will still be open at the time of the Tony nomination announcement on May 6, though the Cook revue will return to Lincoln Center Theater's Vivian Beaumont on June 23.

The Stritch and Arthur outings are both autobiographical in nature, with the veteran stars musing about their long careers, peppering the text with songs. Sexaholix is a solo comedy show with characters on the theme of "relationships: dating, trying to 'get some', breaking up, break-up sex, make-up sex, marriage, divorce." Finally, Mostly Sondheim sees legendary cabaret artist Cook devoting her talents to the songbook of the composer in question.

In other news regarding LCT, the Tonys ruled that Peter Parnell's In other news regarding LCT, the Tonys ruled that Peter Parnell's QED is eligible in the Best Play category. The work runs only on Sundays and Mondays at the Beaumont, on Contact's off-nights. Decisions concerning plays which opened on Broadway after March 26 will be made at a future meeting of the Tony Administration Committee.