AWARD RECAP
It was a BIG BIG NIGHT for the Theatre community in Toronto as most of our homegrown talent came out in full force to show support for their colleagues. This being Canada’s version of the Toni Awards, the overflow audience was in a definite party mood. Heckling, laughter and a lot of loud applause were par for the course at this event as each piece of hardware was handed out.
Kristen Thomson wins Outstanding New Play for Someone Else produced by Crow’s Theatre in association with Canadian Stage.
The 34th Annual Dora Mavor Moore Awards for the 2012/2013 season were handed out in a star-studded ceremony in Toronto on the evening of Monday, June 24 at the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts’ Bluma Appel Theatre, hosted by the hilarious Matt Baram and Naomi Snieckus, Second City alumni and founding members of the National Theatre of the World.
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. For the 2012-2013 season, 102 producing companies registered 186 eligible productions. A total of 48 Dora Awards plus the Silver Ticket Award, and the Audience Choice Award were given out.
Award Show Highlights
Young People’s Theatre took home the most Dora Awards: a total of 8 with 7 for Cinderella (Musical Theatre Division) and 1 for La Fugue(Theatre for Young Audiences Division).
Buddies in Bad Times Theatre leads in the General Theatre Division with 4 Awards – 3 for Obaaberima (including Outstanding Production) – Brendan Healey accepting.
In the Musical Theatre Division, Cinderella won Outstanding Production and Outstanding Performance- Ensemble, Outstanding Direction, Scenic Design, Costume Design, Lighting Design and Choreography. Outstanding Touring Production goes to Harbourfront Centre’s World Stage presentation of She She Pop & Their Fathers: Testament. Buddies in Bad Times Theatre led in the General Theatre Division with 4 Awards – 3 for Obaaberima (including Outstanding Production) and 1 for Arigato, Tokyo – while Crow’s Theatre, Soulpepper Theatre Company and Tarragon each took home 2 for Someone Else (Outstanding New Play, Outstanding Performance-Male), Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead (Outstanding Performance-Ensemble) and The Little Years (Outstanding Direction, Outstanding Performance-Female) respectively.
In the Independent Theatre Division, Video Cabaret tops out with 3 Doras for THE WAR OF 1812 The History of the Village of the Small Huts, 1812-15 (Outstanding Direction, Outstanding Performance – Ensemble, Outstanding Costume Design). Outside the March earned Outstanding Production for Mr. Marmalade while The Quickening Theatre nabbed Outstanding New Play for The De Chardin Project.
Outside the March earns Outstanding Production
for Mr. Marmalade – Director Mitchell Cushman accepts.
The Canadian Opera Company dominated the Opera Division with 2 each for Dialogues des Carmélites (Outstanding Production, Outstanding Performance-Ensemble) and Il Trovatore (Outstanding Performance- Male and Female). The Lesson of Da Ji from Toronto Masque Theatre nabbed Outstanding New Musical/Opera.
In the Theatre for Young Audiences Division, Roseneath Theatre pulled ahead with 2 Doras: one for Outstanding Direction for Wrecked and one for Outstanding Performance-Individual for In This World. Young People’s Theatre earned its 8th nod with Outstanding Production for La Fugue (YPT presents SMCQ Jeunesse/Qui Va Là). Soulpepper earned a 3rd win with Outstanding Performance-Ensemble for Alligator Pie while Outstanding New Play went to Suburban Beast’s rihannaboi95.
VideoCabaret tops out with 3 Doras for THE WAR OF 1812 The History of the Village of the Small Huts, 1812-15 (Outstanding Direction, Outstanding Performance – Ensemble, Outstanding Costume Design). Ensemble accepting.
In the Dance Division, DanceWorks led with 2 wins: Outstanding Performance-Ensemble for Road Trip and Outstanding Performance-Female for Lab Rats. Political Mother (Hofesh Shechter Company’s production presented by Canadian Stage) won Outstanding Production.
GENERAL THEATRE DIVISION:
In the General Theatre Division, Buddies in Bad Times Theatre led the field with 4 Dora Mavor Moore Awards: 3 for its production of Obaaberima (Outstanding Production, Outstanding Lighting Design for Michelle Ramsay and Outstanding Sound Design/Composition for Kobena Aquaa-Harrison) and 1 for Arigato, Tokyo (Outstanding Scenic Design for Julie Fox). Kristen Thomson won Outstanding New Play for Someone Else produced by Crow’s Theatre in association with Canadian Stage. Tom Rooney won Outstanding Performance-Male for the same play. Tarragon Theatre’s The Little Years sees Chris Abraham win Outstanding Direction and Irene Poole nabbed Outstanding Performance-Female. Outstanding Performance-Ensemble went to The Ensemble of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead from Soulpepper Theatre Company, which also nabbed Outstanding Costume Design for Dana Osborne for the same play.
Young People’s Theatre takes the lead with 7 wins for Cinderella: including Outstanding Production – YPT Artistic Director and Cinderella director Allen MacInnis accepting.
MUSICAL THEATRE DIVISION:
In this Division, Young People’s Theatre took the lead with 7 wins for Cinderella: Outstanding Production, Outstanding Performance-Ensemble, Outstanding Direction to Allen MacInnis, Outstanding Scenic Design to Robin Fisher, Outstanding Costume Design to Robin Fisher, Outstanding Lighting Design to Lesley Wilkinson and Outstanding Choreography to Jo Leslie. She She Pop & Their Fathers: Testament (Harbourfront Centre’s World Stage presents She She Pop) took Outstanding Touring Production. Outstanding Performance-Female goes to Lisa Horner of The Wizard of Oz (presented by Bill Kenwright, The Really Useful Group, David Mirvish, Troika Entertainment, Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures). Bruce Dow took Outstanding Performance-Male for Of A Monstrous Musical: a gaga musical (presented by Ecce Homo Theatre in Association with Buddies in Bad Times Theatre).
OPERA DIVISION:
The Canadian Opera Company dominated the Doras in the Opera Division. Dialogues des Carmélites (Canadian Opera Company presents the Nederlandse Opera production) earns Outstanding Production, Outstanding Performance-Ensemble, and Johannes Debus takes Outstanding Musical Direction. Il Trovatore (The Canadian Opera Company presents the Opéra de Marseille production) earns Outstanding Performance-Male for Russell Braun and Outstanding Performance-Female for Elena Manistina. The Lesson of Da Ji by Alice Ping Yee Ho (composer) / Marjorie Chan (librettist) from Toronto Masque Theatre nabs Outstanding New Musical/Opera.
INDEPENDENT THEATRE PRODUCTION DIVISION:
Continuing the tradition of Bluma’s Indies, the winners in the Independent Theatre Division each received a $1,000 cheque from the Bluma Appel Community Trust in addition to Dora Awards.
In this Division, VideoCabaret tops out with 3 Doras for THE WAR OF 1812 The History of the Village of the Small Huts, 1812-15 (Outstanding Direction to Michael Hollingsworth, Outstanding Performance-Ensemble, Outstanding Costume Design to Astrid Janson). Outside the March earned Outstanding Production
for Mr. Marmalade while Adam Seybold nabs Outstanding New Play for The De Chardin Project produced by The Quickening Theatre.
Other wins in this Division include:
Outstanding Performance-Male to Gavin Crawford for A Few Brittle Leaves produced by The Cabaret Company;
Outstanding Performance-Female to Michelle Monteith for Modern Times Stage Company’s The Lesson; Outstanding Scenic Design goes to Andrea Mittler for WORDSMYTH THEATRE’s THE DUMB WAITER;
BOBLO, co-produced by Kitchenband and The Theatre Centre, nabbed Outstanding Lighting Design for Rebecca Picherack and Outstanding Sound Design/Composition for Andrew Penner.
DANCE DIVISION:
In the Dance Division, DanceWorks led with 2 wins: Outstanding Performance-Ensemble for Road Trip and Outstanding Performance-Female to Molly Johnson for Lab Rats. Outstanding Production went to Political Mother (Hofesh Shechter Company’s production presented by Canadian Stage); Outstanding Choreography went to Santee Smith for Susuriwka – willow bridge (presented by Kaha:wi Dance Theatre presents Susuriwka – willow bridge – North American Premiere – Co-produced with Yokohama Noh Theatre and Harbourfront Centre’s Planet IndigenUS Festival 2012). Aakash Odedra garnered Outstanding Performance-Male for Alchemy (Harbourfront Centre’s NextSteps in association with Sampradaya Dance Creations). Outstanding Original Sound Design/Composition went to Rodney Sharman for From the House of Mirth (Coleman Lemieux & Compagnie) and Outstanding Lighting Design went to Marc Parent for Stereophonic (Peggy Baker Dance Projects).
THEATRE FOR YOUNG AUDIENCES DIVISION:
Roseneath Theatre pulled ahead in the Theatre for Young Audiences Division with 2 Doras: Outstanding Direction to Richard Greenblatt for Wrecked and Outstanding Performance-Individual to Oyin Oladejo for In This World. Young People’s Theatre earned its 8th nod with Outstanding Production for La Fugue (YPT presents SMCQ Jeunesse/Qui Va Là). Soulpepper earned a 3rd win with Outstanding Performance-Ensemble for Alligator Pie while Outstanding New Play went to Jordan Tannahill for rihannaboi95 (presented by Suburban Beast).
THE SILVER TICKET AWARD – SPECIAL PRESENTATION
The Silver Ticket Award was bestowed upon an individual who has excelled in their career while also nurturing the development of Canadian theatre. It was presented to the venerable actor, director, and artistic director, Malcolm Black. At 85, Mr. Black is one of the few artists still living whose roots go back to the Crest Theatre, one of Toronto’s (and the country’s) earliest and most important theatres.
AUDIENCE CHOICE AWARD – SPECIAL PRESENTATION
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 was The Wizard of Oz (produced by Bill Kenwright, The Really Useful Group, David Mirvish, Troika Entertainment, Warner Bros. Theatre Ventures).
After the show, the party kept going outside the St. Lawrence Theatre as it spilled on to the street that was closed off to pedestrians and traffic. The street party featured live entertainment, a food truck, beer station, dessert stations and a bar. The mingling and congratulatory photo ops went on well into the night.
It was a great celebration of the best in Toronto theatre.
Curtains up!
Photographs by John Lauener for Dora Mavor Moore Awards
Posted by Joey Cee
For more information on the Dora Awards visit www.tapa.ca
