The sobering musical Jagged Little Pill, which plumbs Alanis Morissette’s 1995 breakthrough album to tell a story of an American family spiralling out of control, earned a leading 15 Tony Award nominations, as the Broadway community took the first steps to celebrate a pandemic-shortened season that upended the theatre world.

The nominations were pulled from just 18 eligible plays and musicals, a fraction of the 34 shows the season before.

During most years, there are 26 competitive categories; this year there are 25 with several depleted ones.

The category for best performance by an actor in a leading role in a musical had just one actor, Aaron Tveit.

Broadway theatres abruptly closed on March 12, knocking out all shows — including 16 that were still scheduled to open in the spring.

The cut-off for eligibility for all shows was set at February 19.

The nominations came from 10 new plays, four new musicals and four play revivals.

Two high profile shows, Freestyle Love Supreme and David Byrne’s American Utopia, did not accommodate Tony voters and were not eligible.

The 2020 Tony Awards ceremony will be broadcast digitally and take place later this year, at a date still to be announced.

It is one of few bright spots for theatre fans — Broadway will be shut down until at least May 30.

“Theatre will survive,” James Monroe Iglehart, the nominations host, said during Thursday’s announcement.