The awards will be handed out Oct. 19 at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie, IL.

The Jeff Awards announced 179 nominations in 35 categories for Chicago Equity theatrical productions which opened between Aug. 1, 2008, and July 31, 2009. To purchase tickets, or for complete list of nominees, visit the Jeff Awards website at www.jeffawards.org.

Goodman Theatre led the list of theatres with 17 nominations, six of them for a co-production of Ruined, produced with Manhattan Theatre Club. Lynn Nottage's Ruined earned nominations including Production and New Work. The play has already won the Pulitzer Prize and is currently playing a much-extended run at MTC Off-Broadway. Saidah Arrika Ekulona, of Ruined both in Chicago and New York City, was nominated as Actress in a Principal Role — Play.

Drury Lane Oakbrook, "reflecting their heightened commitment to production values," according to the announcement, followed with 16 nominations for five musicals, including six for Miss Saigon and four for The Boys from Syracuse. Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and the first post-Broadway production of The Light in the Piazza led the list of 15 Marriott Theatre nominations with five and four, respectively.

A Minister's Wife, the new musical version of George Bernard Shaw's Candida, from Josh Schmidt, the composer of the acclaimed musical Adding Machine, was nominated as a Production and as a New Work or Adaptation, among other nominations. The libretto is by Austin Pendleton, with lyrics by Jan Tranen. Robert Sella was a Principal Actor — Play nominee for playing Salieri in Chicago Shakespeare Theater's Amadeus. William L. Petersen was nominated in the same category for Victory Gardens' Blackbird (his co-star Mattie Hawkinson was also nommed for the two-actor drama). Mary Ernster was nominated as Principal Actress — Musical in both Marriott's The Light in the Piazza and Apple Tree Theatre's Wings. Sean Fortunato was nominated for roles in Curtains (Drury Lane Oakbrook) and The Producers (Theatre at the Center). Tanya Saracho received two nods for New Work with Kita y Fernanda at 16th Street Theater and Our Lady of the Underpass at Teatro Vista…Theatre With a View. David H. Bell topped the individual nominees with four nominations: for New Adaptation of a Musical with The Boys from Syracuse and The Bowery Boys and both Director — Musical and Choreographer for The Boys from Syracuse.

Here are the Jeff nominations in the production and playwriting categories. For a complete list of nominees, visit www.jeffawards.org.

PRODUCTION — PLAY — LARGE
The Arabian Nights - Lookingglass Theatre Company
Boleros for the Disenchanted - Goodman Theatre
The Troublesome Reign and Lamentable Death of King Edward II - Chicago Shakespeare Theater
The Lieutenant of Inishmore - Northlight Theatre
The Piano Lesson - Court Theatre
Ruined - Goodman Theatre and Manhattan Theatre Club
The Seafarer - Steppenwolf Theatre Company
Twelfth Night - Chicago Shakespeare Theater

PRODUCTION — PLAY — MIDSIZE
The History Boys - TimeLine Theatre Company
The Little Foxes - Shattered Globe Theatre
A Moon for the Misbegotten - First Folio Theatre
Not Enough Air - TimeLine Theatre Company
Our Lady of the Underpass - Teatro Vista . . . Theatre with a View
The Overwhelming - Next Theatre Company
These Shining Lives - Rivendell Theatre Ensemble

PRODUCTION — MUSICAL — LARGE
The Boys from Syracuse - Drury Lane Oakbrook
Caroline, or Change - Court Theatre
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat - Marriott Theatre
Million Dollar Quartet - Dee Gee Theatricals, John Cossette Productions and Northern Lights, Inc.
A Minister's Wife- Writers' Theatre
Miss Saigon - Drury Lane Oakbrook
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee - Marriott Theatre

PRODUCTION — MUSICAL — MIDSIZE
Once on this Island - Porchlight Music Theatre Chicago
Tomorrow Morning - Hillary A. Williams, LLC

PRODUCTION — REVUE
America: All Better! - The Second City
Forbidden Broadway: Dances with the Stars - John Freedson, Harriet Yellin and Margaret Cotter
Studs Terkel's Not Working - The Second City e.t.c.

NEW WORK — PLAY
Lisa Dillman - The Walls - Rivendell Theatre Ensemble
Lynn Nottage - Ruined - Goodman Theatre and Manhattan Theatre Club
Masha Obolensky - Not Enough Air - TimeLine Theatre Company
Tanya Saracho - Kita y Fernanda - 16th Street Theater
Tanya Saracho - Our Lady of the Underpass - Teatro Vista…Theatre with a View

NEW ADAPTATION — PLAY
Seth Bockley - Jon - Collaboraction
Frank Galati - Kafka on the Shore - Steppenwolf Theatre Company
Frank Mahon & Milissa Pacelli - The Quiet Man Tales - Libby Adler Mages, Tony D'Angelo and Smock Alley Theater Company

NEW WORK OR ADAPTATION — MUSICAL
David H. Bell & Jeremy Cohen - The Bowery Boys - Marriott Theatre
David H. Bell & Keith Dworkin - The Boys from Syracuse - Drury Lane Oakbrook
Josh Schmidt, Jan Tranen & Austin Pendleton - A Minister's Wife - Writers' Theatre