Key and Parker, known for their work on "MADtv," are Jeff nominees this year for Best Actor and Best Actress in a Musical for Romeo and Juliet Musical: The People vs. Friar Laurence, The Man Who Killed Romeo and Juliet. The show was produced by the nomination rich Chicago Shakespeare Theater and Second City Theatricals.

Marc Robin, director and choreographer with eight Jeff Awards and 35 Jeff nominations, is directing this year's awards ceremony.  Awards will be presented in 26 categories with 124 nominations, representing 58 productions from 25 producing organizations.

The presentation begins at 7:30 PM at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie.

Chicago Shakespeare Theater, the long-standing Windy City company whose reputation has been rising nationally in recent years, earned 25 Joseph Jefferson Award nominations for its work during the 2003-04 season. The nominations were announced on Sept. 9.

Many of the nods were for CST's lauded production of Rose Rage: Henry VI, Parts 1, 2 and 3, which played a monthlong New York City run that began Sept. 17.

Other CST shows honored are A Little Night Music, Romeo and Juliet Musical, The Moliere Comedies and King John.

Other productions that reaped multiple nominations include Joanna McClelland Glass' two-character Trying at the Victory Gardens Theater (the staging is currently at Off-Broadway's Promenade Theatre and both Fritz Weaver and Kati Brazda are Jeff nommed), Yellowman at the Next Theatre, Winesburg, Ohio at About Face and The Light in the Piazza at the Goodman, which won five noms. Piazza is expected in New York City in 2005.

Ron Hutchinson's Moonlight and Magnolias, about the making of "Gone With the Wind," is nominated for New Work. A separate staging will appear at Manhattan Theatre Club in 2005.

Among some of the more nationally-known performers nominated are Brian Bedford (The Moliere Comedies), John Mahoney (I Never Sang for My Father), Fritz Weaver (Trying),Victoria Clark (The Light in the Piazza), Michael Cerveris (A Little Night Music), Mark Harelik (The Light in the Piazza), Evan Pappas (The Pajama Game) and Eugene Fleming (Ain't Misbehavin').

Here are the nominees for the 2004 Joseph Jefferson Awards:

NEW WORK
Margaret Lewis, Burying the Bones, Stage Left Theatre
Charles Smith, Free Man of Color, Victory Gardens Theater
Marsha Estell, Heat, Chicago Dramatists
Ron Hutchinson, Moonlight and Magnolias, Goodman Theatre
Patricia Kane, Pulp, About Face Theatre
Joanna McClelland Glass, Trying, Victory Gardens

NEW ADAPTATION
Dermot Bolger, A Dublin Bloom, Irish Repertory of Chicago
Jim Lasko and Charles Newell, Cyrano, Court Theatre and Redmoon Theater
Eric Rosen, Andre Pluess and Ben Sussman, Winesburg, Ohio, About Face Theatre.

PRODUCTION — PLAY
The Doctor's Dilemma, Writers' Theatre
Our Town, Writers' Theatre
The Romance of Magno Rubio, Victory Gardens
Rose Rage, Henry VI Parts 1,2 and 3, Chicago Shakespeare Theater
Trying, Victory Gardens

PRODUCTION — MUSICAL
Annie Get Your Gun, Marriott Theatre
Fiddler on the Roof, Drury Lane Oakbrook
The Light in the Piazza, Goodman
A Little Night Music, Chicago Shakespeare
The Sound of a Voice, Court
Romeo and Juliet Musical, Chicago Shakespeare and Second City Theatricals
Winesburg, Ohio, About Face

DIRECTOR — PLAY
William Brown, Our Town, Writers' Theatre
Edward Hall, Rose Rage, Chicago Shakespeare
Sandy Shinner, Trying, Victory Gardens
Chuck Smith, Yellowman, Next Theatre
Jessica Thebus, Pulp, About Face

DIRECTOR — MUSICAL
Gary Griffin, A Little Night Music, Chicago Shakespeare
Marc Robin, Annie Get Your Gun, Marriott Theatre
Bartlett Sher, The Light in the Piazza, Goodman
Jessica Thebus, Winesburg, Ohio, About Face
Ron West, Romeo and Juliet Musical, Chicago Shakespeare and Second City Theatricals

ENSEMBLE
A Chorus Line, Theatre at the Center
Pulp, About Face
The Romance of Magno Rubio, Victory Gardens
Rose Rage, Chicago Shakespeare
Winesburg, Ohio, About Face

ACTRESS IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE — PLAY
Tracy Michelle Arnold, Lady Windermere's Fan, Northlight Theatre
Kati Brazda, Trying, Victory Gardens
Rondi Reed, The Fall to Earth, Steppenwolf
Barbara Robertson, The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia?, Goodman
Jacqueline Williams, Yellowman, Next

ACTOR IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE — PLAY
Brian Bedford, The Moliere Comedies, Chicago Shakespeare
Matt DeCaro, The Play About the Baby, Goodman
John Mahoney, I Never Sang for My Father, Steppenwolf
Mike Nussbaum, Tuesdays With Morrie, Northlight
David Rainey, Topdog/Underdog, Steppenwolf
Nick Sandys, The Misanthrope, Next
Fritz Weaver, Trying, Victory Gardens
E. Milton Wheeler, Our Lady of 121st Street, Steppenwolf

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE — PLAY
Ivonne Coll, Electricidad, Goodman
Shelley Delaney, Free Man of Color, Victory Gardens
Lisa Dodson, King John, Chicago Shakespeare
Deanna Dunagan, I Never Sang for my Father, Steppenwolf
Paula Scrofano, Necessary Targets, Apple Tree Theatre
Demetria Thomas, Burying the Bones, Stage Left

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE — PLAY
Shawn Douglass, Major Barbara, Remy Bumppo
Tarell Alvin McCraney, Blue/Orange, Northlight
Kevin McKillip, A Midsummer Night's Dream, First Folio Shakespeare Festival
Scott Parkinson, Rose Rage, Chicago Shakespeare
John Sanders, Burying the Bones, Stage Left

ACTRESS IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE — MUSICAL
Victoria Clark, The Light in the Piazza, Goodman
Deborah Lew, West Side Story, Marriott
Susie McMonagle, Annie Get Your Gun, Marriott
Nicole Parker, Romeo and Juliet Musical, Chicago Shakespeare and Second City Theatricals
Barbara Robertson, A Little Night Music, Chicago Shakespeare

ACTOR IN A PRINCIPAL ROLE — MUSICAL
Tony Duwon, The House That Rocked, Black Ensemble
Timothy Gregory, Cotton Patch Gospel, Provision Theater Company
Scott Alan Jones, The Rocky Horror Show, Chicago Center for the Performing Arts Keegan-Michael Key, Romeo and Juliet Musical, Chicago Shakespeare and Second City Theatricals
Ross Lehman, A Man of No Importance, Apple Tree

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE — MUSICAL
Mary Ernster, A Man of No Importance, Apple Tree
Janice Lorraine, Cookin' at The Cookery, Northlight
Rachel Rockwell, The Pajama Game, Marriott
Alene Robertson, The Pajama Game, Marriott
Samantha Spiro, A Little Night Music, Chicago Shakespeare

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE — MUSICAL
Michael Cerveris, A Little Night Music, Chicago Shakespeare
Jeff Dumas, Winesburg, Ohio, About Face
Mark Harelik, The Light in the Piazza, Goodman
Rob Moore, The Shaggs, Lookingglass
Roger Mueller, Annie Get Your Gun, Marriott
Evan Pappas, The Pajama Game, Marriott

ACTOR IN A REVUE
Eugene Fleming, Ain't Misbehavin', Marriott
Joseph Plummer, Jammin' With Pops, Apple Tree

SCENIC DESIGN
James Leonard Joy, The Taming of the Shrew, Chicago Shakespeare
Robert C. Martin, Lend Me a Tenor, Theatre at the Center
Matthew J. York, The Misanthrope, Next
Jacqueline and Richard Penrod, My Old Lady, Apple Tree
John Musial, Great Men of Science, Nos. 21 & 22, Lookingglass.

COSTUME DESIGN
Mara Blumenfeld, A Little Night Music, Chicago Shakespeare
Rachel Anne Healy, Lady Windermere's Fan, Northlight Theatre
Jane Greenwood, The Moliere Comedies, Chicago Shakespeare Theater
Michael Pavelka, Rose Rage, Chicago Shakespeare
Nancy Missimi, Show Boat, Marriott

LIGHTING DESIGN
Christopher Akerlind, Electricidad, Goodman
Christopher Akerlind, The Light in the Piazza, Goodman
Ken Billington, A Little Night Music, Chicago Shakespeare
Ben Ormerod, Rose Rage, Chicago Shakespeare
T.J. Gerckens, The Secret in the Wings, Lookingglass
Jaymi Lee Smith, Yellowman, Next
Diane Ferry Williams, West Side Story, Marriott.

SOUND DESIGN
Ray Nardelli and Joshua Horvath, Electricidad, Goodman
Andre Pluess and Ben Sussman, The Secret in the Wings, Lookingglass
Robert Steel, Drink Me or, The Strange Case of Alice Times Three, Seanachai Theatre Company
David Van Tieghem, King John, Chicago Shakespeare
Andre Pluess and Ben Sussman, Cyrano, Court and Redmoon
Joshua Horvath and Ray Nardelli, Fraulein Else, Court

CHOREOGRAPHY
Rudy Hogenmiller, A Chorus Line, Theatre at the Center
Tammy Mader, Singin' in the Rain, Theatre at the Center
Marc Robin, Annie Get Your Gun, Marriott
Marc Robin, West Side Story, Marriott
Patti Wilcox, The Pajama Game, Marriott

ORIGINAL MUSIC
Henry Marsh, The Taming of the Shrew, Chicago Shakespeare
Henry Marsh, A Midsummer Night's Dream, First Folio
Andre Pluess and Ben Sussman, The Secret in the Wings, Lookingglass
Patricia Kane, Amy Warren and Andre Pluess, Pulp, About Face
Andre Pluess and Ben Sussman, Winesburg, Ohio, About Face

MUSICAL DIRECTION
Margaret James, Fiddler on the Roof, Drury Lane
Oakbrook Alan Johnson, The Sound of a Voice, Court
Thomas Murray, A Little Night Music, Chicago Shakespeare
Rick Sims, The Shaggs, Lookingglass
Robert Reddrick, The House That Rocked, Black Ensemble
Jimmy Tilman, Mama Said There'll Be Days Like This, Black Ensemble

OTHER CATEGORY
David Pleasant, Crowns, Goodman (Special Achievement in Percussion)
Scott Pondrom, Cyrano, Court and Redmoon (Property Effects)
John Boesche, Great Men of Science, Nos. 21 & 22, Lookingglass (Projections)