This week, The American Theatre Wing released the nominees for this year’s annual Tony Awards. Making news in the nominations were In the Heights, Patrick Stewart, and the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre, among others.

In the Heights was nominated for 13 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical, and Best Performance by an Actor in a Musical. The revival of South Pacific was not far behind with 11 nominations, including Best Revival of a Musical. In the Heights creatively combines Latin music with several vignettes about life in Washington Heights for Latinos. As a landmark musical in theater history, South Pacific joins other Broadway classics, Gypsy, Grease, and Sunday in the Park with George in the Best Revival of a Musical category.

Patrick Stewart, one of several Brits scattered liberally throughout this year’s nominees, made history as possibly the only actor to be nominated for a Tony for the role of Macbeth. Stewart’s nuanced Shakespeare performances have been enthralling audiences and critics for decades. In the classroom, the taped rehearsals of the Royal Shakespeare Company with Stewart, Sir Ian McKellen, and Dame Judi Dench, have brought new life to Shakespeare’s text for many an aspiring Shakespearean actor. Popularly, Stewart is of course well-known for his role as Captain Jean-Luc Picard in the Star Trek series and other film roles.

The Chicago Shakespeare Theater was named the winner of the Regional Theatre Tony Award. With this award, The Chicago Shakespeare Theater becomes the fourth Chicago-area theater to win this Tony, and joins Steppenwolf Theatre (1985), The Goodman Theatre (1992), and Victory Gardens Theatre (2001).

Another notable, but expected nominee, was August: Osage County, nominated for Best Play. Tracy Letts’ play won the Pulitzer Prize this year, and originated at Steppenwolf Theatre.

All in all, it appears the nominating committee favored new voices and new interpretations, largely shunning marquee names such as Mel Brooks (Young Frankenstein only received three nominations, none Best Musical) and Disney (The Little Mermaid only received two nominations, none Best Musical).

The Tony Awards don’t usually have the red carpet affair on television that accompanies the Golden Globes and the Oscars, but the performances from those nominated for Best Musical are a glimpse into Broadway’s best shows for those who may not be able to see the complete versions on the Great White Way.

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