It was a good year for the musical. Especially the Signature musical.

The 2009 Helen Hayes Awards nominations are out (D.C.’s local version of the Tony Awards), and leading the pack is Signature Theatre with a whopping 39 nominations in various categories.

It’s not a surprise, really. The Arlington-based company is on a fabulous streak, finishing off a year that included a critically-acclaimed Kander & Ebb festival (including the haunting Chita Rivera vehicle The Visit, adventurous (if flawed) work such as the new musical Ace, and the triumphant regional production of Les Miserables.

Also well-recognized were two very different takes on Romeo & Juliet, Shakespeare Theatre’s all-male version and a silent production from perennial Helen Hayes (and DCist) favorite Synetic Theater.

The Teller take on Macbeth at Folger was well-represented, as was Arena’s adventurous new work Next To Normal, MetroStage’s invigorating Rooms: A Rock Romance and a variety of Shakespeare Theatre and Woolly Mammoth productions.