"Soul of Shaolin," an inaugural "China on Broadway" production, was nominated for the Tony Awards here Tuesday, shortly after it was nominated for another prestigious award.

At a special ceremony at the Times Square, where the 2009 Tony Awards nominations were announced, "Soul of Shaolin" was listed inthe category of Best Special Theatrical Event.

Appearing together in the category were "Liza's at The Palace," "Slava's Snowshow" and "You're Welcome America. A Final Night with George W. Bush."

"Soul of Shaolin," staged at Broadway's Marquis Theatre this January, was earlier nominated for the 54th Annual Drama Desk Awards in the category of Unique Theatrical Experience.

It marked the first time a production from China has appeared on Broadway and been nominated for one of the most prestigious awards honoring theatrical events in New York.

"Soul of Shaolin" features 30 Chinese nationals who are highly skilled in Shaolin kung fu. The story is about a boy taken in by the legendary monks of the Shaolin temple and raised among them, who later becomes an accomplished master of Shaolin kung fu and embarks on a spectacular journey of self-discovery.

Besides, "Next to Normal," "Rock of Ages," "Shrek The Musical" and, the favorite, "Billy Elliot, The Musical" scored Tony nominations in the crucial category of best musical, while "Dividing the Estate," "God of Carnage," "Reasons to be Pretty" and "33 Variations" were nominated as the best new play of the 2008-2009 Broadway season. "Billy Elliot" scored more nominations than any other show, with 15.

The Tony Award winners will be announced on June 7 on CBS.

The American Theatre Wing's Tony Awards got their start in 1947when the Wing established an awards program to celebrate excellence in the theatre. The awards were named after Antoinette Perry, an actress, director, producer and dynamic wartime leader of the American Theatre Wing.

(Xinhua News Agency May 6, 2009)