Tony time for a South Florida trio?

Nominations for the 62nd annual Tony Awards were announced in New York this morning, with a svelte Sara Ramirez (wearing a neon chartreuse number) and a serious David Hyde Pierce (he wore a suit) doing the honors.

Among the names called were those of three guys who grew up in South Florida.

Alex Lacamoire, whose parents (Maria and Alfredo) and sister (Michelle) all live in Miami, is up for the Tony for best orchestrations (along with Bill Sherman) for In the Heights, a joyous musical set in Manhattan's Washington Heights neighborhood.  Lacamoire, who graduated from the New World School of the Arts high school program, is a hot Broadway orchestrator/musical director these days.  And he gets to share in all the pre-Tony excitement surrounding this Lin-Manuel Miranda musical, which earned 13 Tony nominations -- more than any other musical or play of the 2007-2008 Broadway season.

Also up for a Tony is producer Adam Epstein, who grew up on Miami Beach.  Epstein has been the producing force behind the development of Cry-Baby, a musical based on the 1990 John Waters movie that starred Johnny Depp.  The show got mixed reviews (some good, some negative, some truly mixed), but its Tony nomination as best musical should be a help at the box office.

And for the second year in a row, former Miamian Raul Esparza is up for a Tony (his third nomination).  Last year, he was a strong contender for leading actor in a musical for his portrayal of bachelor Bobby in Company, though he lost to Hyde Pierce.  This year's nomination is his first for work in a play, for his performance as the brutal Lenny in the revival of Harold Pinter's The Homecoming.  Though that production is now closed, so are all the other plays with nominees in the featured actor category. 

The Tony Awards will be presented from 8 to 11 p.m. June 15 in a ceremony at Manhattan's Radio City Music Hall.  For more info, visit the Tonys web site.  And to Alex, Adam and Raul: way to go!