Runaway Stage Productions scored more 2008 Elly Award nominations – 38 – than any other Sacramento area theater, it was announced Sunday evening at the Magic Circle Theatre in Roseville. El Dorado Musical Theatre and Stage Nine Theatre of Folsom, with 31 and 21 nominations, respectively, were the other top nominees.

The Ellys, sponsored by the Sacramento Area Regional Theatre Alliance to recognize outstanding achievement in community theater, will be handed out Sept. 28 at the Crest Theatre in Sacramento.

For this year's awards, covering July 1, 2007, through June 30, 2008, 402 nominations for a record-breaking 255 shows were submitted by 67 participating theaters. Of these, 49 theaters (or 73 percent of those participating) and 116 productions (45 percent of those submitted) received nominations from the Ellys' volunteer judges, who must see all productions submitted in the category they are judging and must be members of SARTA. In all, 81 awards will be given.

(For a complete list of 2008 Elly Award nominations: www.sacbee.com/links.)

In a close competition among productions receiving the most nominations, El Dorado Musical Theatre's "Aladdin Jr." and El Dorado High School's "Les Miserables" tied with 13, with Franklin High School's "The Boy Friend" just behind with 12.

Nominations are given in multiple categories within the areas of comedy, drama, musicals, original works, education musicals and plays (high school), and young people's musicals and plays (theater for children).

Among comedies, nominees for the best overall production were "The Last Night of Ballyhoo" by the Imprint Theatre Company, "Moonlight and Magnolias" by Main Street Theatre Works, "The Comedy of Errors" by Solano College Theatre, "Steel Magnolias" by Stage Nine Theatre and "Charley's Aunt" by the Stockton Civic Theatre.

For musicals, three productions by Runaway Stage received nominations for best overall show – "All Shook Up," "Cabaret" and "Thoroughly Modern Millie" – with Bob Baxter receiving best director nominations for all three and Joshua James nabbing best actor nominations for "All Shook Up" and "Cabaret." The other nominations for best overall production were for Davis Musical Theatre Company's "La Cage Aux Folles" and Solano College Theatre's "A Year With Frog and Toad."

In drama, the nominees for best overall production were "Endgame" by the Actor's Theatre of Sacramento, "Love, Isadora" by California Stage, "King Hedley II" and "The Amen Corner" by Celebration Arts, and "Angels in America" by the Lambda Players. Four veteran Sacramento actors received nominations for their perform- ances in "Endgame": Ed Claudio and Dan Harlan for best actor, Boots Martin for supporting actress and Mitch Agruss for supporting actor.

The Elly Awards are named after Eleanor McClatchy, a longtime supporter of theater and the arts in the Sacramento area and the late president of McClatchy Newspapers, publisher of The Bee. McClatchy died in 1980.

Community, college and high school theaters within a 10-county radius of Sacramento are eligible for awards. Professional theater companies, including the B Street Theatre, Capital Stage, Sacramento Theatre Company, California Musical Theatre (producer of Music Circus and Broadway Sacramento) and the Foothill Theatre Company are not involved. Some eligible organizations, including River Stage, choose not to participate.

Call The Bee's Bruce Dancis, (916) 321-1112.