PHOTO CALL: 2011 Tony Awards Preview — The Actresses

By Matthew Blank
June 7, 2011

Playbill.com offers a look at the nominees for the 65th Annual Antoinette Perry "Tony" Awards in the categories of Best Performance by a Leading Actress in a Play and Musical and Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Play and Musical.

Neil Patrick Harris will host this season's Tony Awards ceremony June 12. CBS-TV will broadcast the event live from The Beacon Theatre.

Here is a look at the actresses nominated this year:

View the Entire Photo Gallery Laura Benanti (Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown), nominated for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical. Photo by Paul Kolnik

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play
Nina Arianda, Born Yesterday
Frances McDormand, Good People
Lily Rabe, The Merchant of Venice
Vanessa Redgrave, Driving Miss Daisy
Hannah Yelland, Brief Encounter

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical
Sutton Foster, Anything Goes
Beth Leavel, Baby It's You!
Patina Miller, Sister Act
Donna Murphy, The People in the Picture

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play
Ellen Barkin, The Normal Heart
Edie Falco, The House of Blue Leaves
Judith Light, Lombardi
Joanna Lumley, La Bête
Elizabeth Rodriguez, The Motherf**ker with the Hat

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical
Laura Benanti, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
Tammy Blanchard, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Victoria Clark, Sister Act
Nikki M. James, The Book of Mormon
Patti LuPone, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown

Click here for a full list of nominations.