Sister Act Tony Nominee Douglas Carter Beane on Being 'A Susan Lucci That Can Write!'

The morning the Tony nominations are announced, phones start ringing off the hook for the happy few who get nods. As usual, Broadway.com is among the callers offering congratulations and getting responses. Here are the first reactions from 2011 Tony nominees. Congrats to all!

Douglas Carter Beane
Nominated for Best Book of a Musical, Sister Act

“You know, it’s always nice to start the day off with a Tony nomination. This is my third one; I’m like a Susan Lucci that can write! I was taking my daughter to nursery school when I said, 'Ack! Tony nomination day!' So we stopped, I put the TV on and she just sat there like a good little egg and watched and said, 'Sister Act, Sister Act, Sister Act.' She helped me count: 'One nomination, two nominations, three nominations…' Thank God I didn’t write Book of Mormon, I don’t think she could have kept up! Then we went off to school, she said, 'Yay Sister Act!' when we walked into school, and that was that. And now the circus that is the Tony nominations begins. It’s great. It’s really an honor. It’s fantastic. The category is really good, and for someone who loves to write books for musicals, that’s exhilarating and makes me incredibly proud. I’m in rehearsal with Lysistrata Jones at the Transport Group now, so I’m going to go celebrate by having 22-year-olds tell me that their character ‘wouldn’t say that.’ But really, it turns out it’s my partner's birthday today, and the great thing about the Tony nominations coming out on a loved one’s birthday is that the sitter is already paid for! I’ll just try not to suck too much focus off of his party.”