Stage Stars Nab 2007 Emmy Nominations

The 2007 Primetime Emmy Awards nominations were announced on July 19, and a number of theater pros were honored, particularly in the supporting and guest actor and actress categories. The 2006 Tony telecast received two nominations. The awards will be presented on September 16 at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles and televised on the Fox network.

Tony winner Mary-Louise Parker picked up a pair of nominations for playing the lead in the comedy Weeds and for her performance in the TV movie The Robber Bride. Playwright Jon Robin Baitz's drama series Brothers and Sisters drew only one major nod, for Sally Field's lead actress performance. The writing category for dramas was dominated by The Sopranos. Field will compete with Sopranos leading lady Edie Falco. The husband-and-wife team of Felicity Huffman and William H. Macy were nominated for Desperate Housewives and an episode of Nightmares and Dreamscapes: From the Stories of Stephen King, respectively. Alec Baldwin earned a lead actor nomination for the comedy series 30 Rock; his competition includes perennial winner Tony Shalhoub for Monk.

In the supporting actor categories, Neil Patrick Harris was nominated for the comedy How I Met Your Mother, and T. R. Knight and Michael Emerson drew nods for the dramas Grey's Anatomy and Lost, respectively. Joe Mantegna was nominated for the miniseries The Starter Wife. Actresses nominated for supporting Emmys included Holland Taylor Two and a Half Men, Vanessa Williams Ugly Betty, Sandra Oh and Chandra Wilson Grey's Anatomy, Anna Paquin HBO's Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee and Toni Collette Tsunami, The Aftermath.

In the guest actor categories, Sir Ian McKellen was nominated for playing himself in the British comedy Extras and will compete with Stanley Tucci in Monk. Eli Wallach picked up a nomination for Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, competing with David Morse of House. Four theater vets will duke it out for outstanding guest actress in a comedy series: Elaine Stritch in 30 Rock, Dixie Carter and Laurie Metcalf in Desperate Housewives and Judith Light in Ugly Betty. The fifth nominee: Salma Hayek in the series she produces, Ugly Betty. In the drama category, Kate Burton was nominated for Grey's Anatomy alongside Jean Smart in 24 and Marcia Gay Harden in Law & Order: Special Victims Unit.

In other categories, the 60th Annual Tony Awards 2006 was nominated for outstanding special class program and for Elliot Lawrence's music direction. Curtains director Scott Ellis picked up an outstanding directing nomination for an episode of 30 Rock. Rob Marshall and John DeLuca picked up a nomination for outstanding choreography for Tony Bennett: An American Classic, competing with two episodes of So You Think You Can Dance and one episode of Dancing With the Stars. Avenue Q's Jeff Marx and Robert Lopez were nominated for outstanding music and lyrics for "Everything Comes Down to Poo," a song featured on the special musical episode of Scrubs.