NEW YORK >> Three Broadway shows — “Buena Vista Social Club,” “Death Becomes Her” and “Maybe Happy Ending” — each earned a leading 10 Tony Award nominations Thursday, as nominators spread out the joy and gave nods to George Clooney,Sarah Snook and Bob Odenkirk in their debuts.

Twenty-nine shows got at least one nomination across the 26 Tony categories, even long-closed shows like “A Wonderful World: The Louis Armstrong Musical” and “Swept Away.”

James Monroe Iglehart, who played Armstrong in his musical, wasn’t expecting the nomination and woke to his phone blowing up. “I was like, ‘What’s going on? Is everything OK?’ And then I was, ‘OK! How cool is that?” he said. “I’m just really excited to be a part of this crop of amazing performers.”

“Buena Vista Social Club,” which takes its inspiration from Wim Wenders’ 1999 Oscar-nominated documentary on the making of the album “Buena Vista Social Club,” will face off for best musical crown with “Death Becomes Her,” based on the 1992 cult classic film of the same name about frenemeies who seek a magic eternal youth and beauty potion.

The category also includes “Maybe Happy Ending,” a rom-com musical about a pair of androids that crackles with humanity and “ Dead Outlaw,” a musical about a real life alcoholic drifter who was shot dead in 1911 and whose afterlife proved to be stranger than fiction as he was displayed at carnivals and sideshows for decades.