The Chicago-area Jeff Awards, recognizing the work of Equity productions in the Chicago area, have announced nominations for the 2017–2018 season.
The Goodman Theatre led with 15 nominations, followed by Court Theatre with 13, Porchlight Music Theatre with 12, Marriott Theatre with 11, and 10 each for Chicago Shakespeare Theater, Paramount Theatre, and Victory Gardens Theatre.
This year also marks the introduction of two new award categories: Ensemble-Play and Ensemble-Musical, with eight plays and five musicals nominated in the respective categories. For the first time, the Jeff Awards have also separated the Director-Play and Director-Musical categories into their respective Large and Midsize divisions.
Notable nominations in the large division categories include Best Play nominees All My Sons (Court Theatre), Father Comes Home From the Wars (Parts 1, 2 & 3) (Goodman Theatre), Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (Court Theatre), Macbeth (Chicago Shakespeare Theatre), and Ivo van Hove’s A View from the Bridge (Goodman Theatre).
Best Musical, large division, nominees include Cabaret (Paramount Theatre), Five Guys Named Moe (Court Theatre), Fun Home (Victory Gardens Theatre), Million Dollar Quartet (Paramount Theatre), and Ragtime (Marriott Theatre).
Other notable nominees include the Writers Theatre production of Trevor The Musical, by Dan Collins and Julianne Wick Davis, which was nominated in the New Work category alongside Steady Rain playwright Keith Huff, nominated for Six Corners at American Blues Theatre.
Nominated in the new category of Ensemble-Play are Father Comes Home From the Wars (Parts 1, 2 & 3) (Goodman Theatre); Jitney (Congo Square Theatre Company); Machinal (Greenhouse Theater Center); Southern Gothic (Windy City Playhouse); Support Group For Men (Goodman Theatre); The Taming of the Shrew (Chicago Shakespeare Theater); Traitor (A Red Orchid Theatre); and The Wolves (Goodman Theatre).
Ensemble-Musical nominees include Buddy - The Buddy Holly Story (American Blues Theater); Five Guys Named Moe (Court Theatre); Forever Plaid (Theatre At The Center); Hair (Mercury Theater Chicago); and Million Dollar Quartet (Paramount Theatre).
For a complete list of nominees, visit jeffawards.org.
