AceShowbiz -

"Monty Python's Spamalot," the hit musical based on the 1975 film "Monty Python and the Holy Grail," which was written by original Python member Eric Idle and directed by Broadway veteran Mike Nichols, picked up 12 nominations on Thursday April 28, 2005, for the 50th annual Drama Desk awards. Close behind with 11 nominations was "The Light in the Piazza," an opera-like musical based on the film of the same name. "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels," to follow, garnered 10 Drama Desk nominations.

Those three will join "Altar Boyz," "The Audience" and "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" to compete in the best musical category. In addition, there were "Doubt," "Democracy," "Pentecost," "The Pillowman," "Sailor's Song" and "Sin (A Cardinal Deposed)," all of which played a leading role in the nominees for best play.

Moreover, best revival of a play nominees include "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?," "Glengarry Glen Ross," "Hurlybury," "Outward Bound," "Pullman Car Hiawatha" and "Twelve Angry Men." Competing for best musical revival were "Ain't Supposed to Dia a Natural Death," "La Cage Aux Folles," "On Second Avenue" and "Sweet Charity."