2011 Dora Mavor Moore Award Winners

From a media release:

2011 Dora Award Winners

Toronto, June 27, 2011... The 32nd Annual Dora Mavor Moore Awards for the 2010/2011 season were handed out in a star-studded ceremony in Toronto on the evening of Monday, June 27 at the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts' Bluma Appel Theatre, co-hosted by Gemini-nominated comedian/writer/actor Craig Lauzon of CBC-TV's Royal Canadian Air Farce and actress Michaela Washburn, Dora-nominated for her principal role in Theatre Passe Muraille's Such Creatures.

The Dora Mavor Moore Awards are produced and presented on behalf of the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts (TAPA) and celebrate excellence in Toronto theatre, dance and opera. The 197 Dora-eligible shows opened between June 1, 2010 and May 31, 2011. A total of 35 Dora Awards plus the Silver Ticket Award, the Pauline McGibbon Award and the Audience Choice Award were given out.

Overall, Buddies in Bad Times Theatre leads the pack with five Dora Mavor Moore Awards for its production of Blasted in the General Theatre Production Division.

David Mirvish shows earn four wins over two divisions (General Theatre and Musical Theatre) for two shows: PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT The Musical and BILLY ELLIOT The Musical.

The Canadian Opera Company scores three wins over two divisions (General Theatre and Opera) for two shows.

The winners are:

GENERAL THEATRE PRODUCTION DIVISION:
In the General Theatre Production Division, Buddies in Bad Times Theatre leads the field with five Dora Mavor Moore Awards, all for its production of Blasted: Outstanding Production, Outstanding Direction of a Play or Musical to Brendan Healy, Outstanding Set Design to Julie Fox, Outstanding Lighting Design to Kimberly Purtell and Outstanding Sound Design/Composition to Richard Feren.

Soulpepper Theatre Company wins two Dora Awards
overall: one for Death of a Salesman - Outstanding Performance by a Male in a Principal Role to Joseph Ziegler; and one for Doc ¬- Outstanding Performance by a Female in a Featured Role/Ensemble to Jane Spidell.

Yanna McIntosh wins Outstanding Performance by a Female in a Principal Role for Ruined, produced by Obsidian Theatre Company in association with Nightwood Theatre.

Factory Theatre's Brothel #9 scores Outstanding New Play for Anusree Roy. Roy also received a gift of $5,000 from the Bluma Appel Community Trust, the sixth year in a row this prize has been donated in Appel's name to the winner of Outstanding New Play in this division.

Outstanding Touring Production goes to The Andersen Project (Canadian Stage presents Ex Machina).

MUSICAL THEATRE DIVISION:

In this division, David Mirvish's PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT The Musical and BILLY ELLIOT The Musical take Outstanding Performance by a Male in a Principal Role for Tony Sheldon and Outstanding Performance by a Female in a Principal Role for Kate Hennig respectively. (In the General Theatre Production Division, the former also wins Outstanding Costume Design for Tim Chappel & Lizzy Gardiner while the latter also wins Outstanding Choreography for Peter Darling, bringing David Mirvish's total to four awards.)

Luminato's Prima Donna by Rufus Wainwright nabs Outstanding New Musical/Opera while Lorraine Kimsa Theatre for Young People scores Outstanding Production for A Year With Frog and Toad.

INDEPENDENT THEATRE PRODUCTION DIVISION:
Continuing the tradition of Bluma's Indies, the winners in the Independent Theatre Production Division each received a $1,000 cheque from the Bluma Appel Community Trust in addition to Dora Awards.

In this division, Cabaret Company, Cahoots Theatre Company and The Company Theatre tie with two Dora Awards each. Cabaret Company's The Situationists nabs Outstanding New Play or New Musical for Sky Gilbert and Outstanding Performance by a Male for Gavin Crawford. Cahoots Theatre's paper SERIES sees Nina Lee Aquino win Outstanding Direction while Richard Lee takes home Outstanding Sound Design/Composition. The Company Theatre's Through the Leaves scores Outstanding Production and Outstanding Set Design for John Thompson.
Sandy Duarte wins Outstanding Performance by a Female for Blood (Doghouse Riley Productions). Outstanding Performance in a Featured Role/Ensemble goes to Christopher Stanton for The New Electric Ballroom (MacKenzieRo: The Irish Repertory Theatre Company of Canada).

Melanie McNeill nabs Outstanding Costume Design for Eldritch Theatre's Madhouse Variations and Trevor Schwellnus snares Outstanding Lighting Design for Aluna Theatre's Nohayquiensepa (No one knows).

DANCE DIVISION:
The Dance Division's four awards go to:  Outstanding Production - Out of Context - for Pina (Harbourfront Centre's World Stage presents Alain Platel /Les Ballets C. de la B.); Outstanding Choreography - Roberto Campanella & Robert Glumbek (ProArteDanza's . . .inbetween. . .); Outstanding Performance - Juan Ogalla (Esmeralda Enrique Spanish Dance Company's Espejo de Oro / Mirror of Gold); Outstanding Sound Design/Composition - Joby Talbot (The National Ballet of Canada's Chroma).

THEATRE FOR YOUNG AUDIENCES DIVISION:
The two awards in the Theatre for Young Audiences Division: Outstanding Production goes to Routes (Lorraine Kimsa Theatre for Young People presents Concrete Theatre, bringing the LKTYP total to two with its Musical Theatre Outstanding Production win for A Year With Frog and Toad) while John Cleland earns Outstanding Performance for Edward the "Crazy Man" (Workman Arts Project of Ontario).

OPERA DIVISION:
In the Opera Division, both Dora Awards go to the Canadian Opera Company: Outstanding Production for Orfeo ed Euridice (Canadian Opera Company presents Lyric Opera of Chicago) and Outstanding Performance to Alan Oke for Death in Venice (Canadian Opera Company presents The Aldeburgh Festival, Opéra national de Lyon, Bregenz Opera and Prague State Opera). (With a win in the General Theatre Production Division for Outstanding Musical Direction to Harry Bicket for Orfeo ed Euridice, the COC tallies in with 3 awards.)

OTHER AWARDS:
The Pauline McGibbon, Silver Ticket and Audience Choice Awards were also handed out. Sound and projection designer Ben Chaisson was presented with the 2011 Pauline McGibbon Award. The $7,000 cash prize and medal designed by Dora de Pédery-Hunt is awarded on behalf of the Ministry of Culture and the Ontario Arts Council in a three-year cycle to a designer, director and theatre craftsperson.

The Silver Ticket Award is bestowed upon an individual who has excelled in their career while also nurturing the development of Canadian theatre. It was presented to one of the country's major contributors to Canada's theatrical landscape: VideoCabaret Artistic Co-Director Michael Hollingsworth whose artistic influence, for more than three decades, has been immeasurable; his epic The History of the Village of the Small Huts play cycle (20 plays and counting) stands as one of the country's greatest theatrical canons.

TAPA's Audience Choice Award for Outstanding Production, co-sponsored by NOW Magazine and Yonge-Dundas Square, was also handed out. The public was invited to vote online from a list of Outstanding Production nominees in all divisions; or choose their own favourite. Presented with a commemorative plaque, the Audience Choice Award winner is The Railway Children, produced by Matthew Gale and Jenny King for the Touring Consortium (RC) International and Robert Richardson for Marquis Entertainment.

Images come from some of the productions named:
• Billy Elliot
• Ruined
• Brothel #9 Juan Ogalla in Esmeralda Enrique Spanish Dance Company's Espejo de Oro 
• Orfeo ed Euridice

For more information on the Dora Awards visit www.tapa.ca

Comments