NEW YORK — The musicals “An American in Paris” and “Fun Home” each received a leading 12 Tony Award nominations on Tuesday, showing two very different sides of this Broadway season.

One side is sunny — the dance-heavy stage adaptation of the 1951 musical film with George and Ira Gershwin songs — and the other moody — the dark show based on Alison Bechdel’s coming of age graphic novel about her closeted, suicidal dad.

“It’s nice to know if something’s good, there’s room for it,” said Max von Essen, who earned a nomination for featured actor in a musical in “American in Paris.” “There’s room for a smaller, darker piece and there’s room for a big, show-stopping revival.”

Michael Cerveris got one of the dozen nods for “Fun Home” — as best leading actor in a musical — and hopes they will attract more people to see his critically acclaimed and poignant show.

“The real value of the Tonys — and I suppose any awards — is to draw attention to something that people otherwise might not seek out. So the fact that every aspect of the production has been acknowledged is the best kind of advertising,” he said.

The nominations ranged from 11-year-old Sydney Lucas in “Fun Home” to 82-year-old Chita Rivera, looking for her third Tony.

Rivera, who is wowing crowds just with a raised eyebrow, has championed her show, the dark John Kander and Fred Ebb musical “The Visit,” since 2001. She called its arrival on Broadway “joyous” and said the experienced cast and creators are superb.

The best new play category includes “Wolf Hall, Parts One & Two,” “Hand to God,” “Disgraced” and “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.” Larry David’s “Fish in the Dark” was snubbed entirely.

In addition to “An American in Paris” and “Fun Home,” the best new musical category includes “Something Rotten!” and “The Visit.”