Welcome to this year’s My Theatre Awards. This is our chance to weigh in on what we think were the best productions, performances and other theatrical contributions of the year. Any production that one of our reviewers saw between January 1st and December 31st 2012 is qualified for an award. (Remounts only qualify if we’re seeing them for the first time. IE: Soulpepper’s Death of a Salesman qualified but Studio 180’s Normal Heart did not because they won everything last year).
Vote for your favourites in the comments section below, via Twitter, on Facebook, or by emailing kelly@myentertainmentworld.ca. And, as always, all nominees are invited to contact us to sign up to be a part of our annual Nominee Interview Series.
Congratulations to all the nominees!
NATIONAL/PROFESSIONAL
We’ve streamlined the divisions this year and added a few categories to try and heap some praise where it’s not otherwise heaped (“Best Ensemble Member”!). Here is where you’ll find nominees from Broadway, Stratford, Shaw, Soulpepper, Tarragon, The Huntington and other major professional theatres.
Best Actor in a Play
Mike Shara in The Matchmaker (Stratford Festival)
John Beale in The Best Brothers (Stratford Festival)
Ben Sanders in French Without Tears (Shaw Festival)
Ric Reid in Come Back, Little Sheba (Shaw Festival)
Stuart Hughes in The Crucible (Soulpepper Theatre Company)
Joseph Ziegler in Death of a Salesman (Soulpepper Theatre Company)
Best Actress in a Play
Nancy Palk in Long Day’s Journey Into Night (Soulpepper Theatre Company)
Nicole Underhay in The Millionairess (Shaw Festival)
Yanna McIntosh in Elektra (Stratford Festival)
Megan Follows in The Penelopiad (Nightwood Theatre)
Johanna Day in God of Carnage (Huntington Theatre Company)
Jennie Israel in Medea (Actors’ Shakespeare Project)
Best Actor in a Musical
Jeremy Jordan in Newsies (Disney Theatrical Group- Broadway)
Robert McClure in Chaplin (Rich Entertainment Group- Broadway)
Thom Allison in Ragtime (Shaw Festival)
Kyle Blair in The Pirates of Penzance (Stratford Festival)
Sean Arbuckle in 42nd Street (Stratford Festival)
Ken James Stewart in You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown (Stratford Festival)
Martin Kaye in Million Dollar Quartet (Dancap Productions)
Best Actress in a Musical
Taylor Louderman in Bring It On (Mirvish Productions)
Patty Jamieson in Ragtime (Shaw Festival)
Amy Wallis in The Pirates of Penzance (Stratford Festival)
Jennifer Rider-Shaw in 42nd Street (Stratford Festival)
Melissa O’Neil in Snow White (Ross Petty Productions)
Arlene Duncan in Caroline, or Change (Acting Up Stage/Obsidian Theatre)
Best Supporting Actor in a Play
Gregory Prest in Long Days’s Journey Into Night (Soulpepper Theatre Company)
Oliver Dennis in High Life (Soulpepper Theatre Company)
Jordan Pettle in Speed-the-Plow (Soulpepper Theatre Company)
Eric Peterson in Endgame (Soulpepper Theatre Company)
Wade Bogert-O’Brien in French Without Tears (Shaw Festival)
Gray Powell in Hedda Gabler (Shaw Festival)
Martin Happer in The Happy Woman (Nightwood Theatre)
Best Supporting Actress in a Play
Laura Condlln in The Matchmaker (Stratford Festival)
Bethany Jillard in Henry V (Stratford Festival)
Claire Jullien in Present Laughter (Shaw Festival)
Hannah Miller in The Crucible (Soulpepper Theatre Company)
Nancy Palk in Death of a Salesman (Soulpepper Theatre Company)
Jane Spidell in The Real World? (Tarragon Theatre)
Best Supporting Actor in a Musical
Ben Fankhauser in Newsies (Disney Theatrical Group- Broadway)
Jay Turvey in Ragtime (Shaw Festival)
Sean Arbuckle in The Pirates of Penzance (Stratford Festival)
Kyle Golemba in 42nd Street (Stratford Festival)
Benjamin Perez in In the Heights (Dancap Productions)
Matt Farcher in Beauty & the Beast (Dancap Productions)
Best Supporting Actress in a Musical
Alana Hibbert in Ragtime (Shaw Festival)
Adrienne Warren in Bring it On (Mirvish Productions)
Lael Van Keuren in Sister Act (Mirvish Productions)
Sabryn Rock in Caroline, or Change (Acting Up Stage/Obsidian Theatre)
Jan Alexandra Smith in Bloodless (Theatre 20)
Presilah Nunez in In the Heights (Dancap Productions)
Best Ensemble
Long Day’s Journey Into Night (Soulpepper Theatre Company)
Newsies (Disney Theatrical Group- Broadway)
French Without Tears (Shaw Festival)
42nd Street (Stratford Festival)
The Penelopiad (Nightwood Theatre)
Now or Later (Huntington Theatre Company)
Outstanding Ensemble Member/Actor in a Small Role
Ryan Steele in Newsies (Disney Theatrical Group- Broadway)
Brandyn McKinson in Ragtime (Shaw Festival)
Sasha Hollinger in In the Heights (Dancap Productions)
Michael Blake in Much Ado About Nothing (Stratford Festival)
Randy Hughson in Henry V (Stratford Festival)
Michael Harvey in Cabaret (Hart House Theatre)*
Nicole Strawbridge in Urinetown (Stageworks Toronto)*
*included here because this category doesn’t exist in the Regional Division
Best Director
Ethan McSweeney for The Pirates of Penzance (Stratford Festival)
Des McAnuff for Henry V (Stratford Festival)
Thomas Moschopoulos for Elektra (Stratford Festival)
Antoni Cimolino for Cymbeline (Stratford Festival)
Robert LePage for The Blue Dragon (Mirvish Productions)
Albert Schultz for The Crucible (Soulpepper Theatre Company)
Eda Holmes for Misalliance (Shaw Festival)
Best Designer
Michel Gauthier for The Blue Dragon (Mirvish Productions)
Cameron Porteous for The Millionairess (Shaw Festival)
Ellie Papageorgakopoulou for Elektra (Stratford Festival)
Julie Fox for Endgame (Soulpepper Theatre Company)
Denyse Karn for The Penelopiad (Nightwood Theatre)
Denyse Karn for The Happy Woman (Nightwood Theatre)
Best Choreography
Christopher Gattelli for Newsies (Disney Theatrical Group- Broadway)
Andy Blankenbuehler for Bring it On (Mirvish Productions)
Donna Feore for You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown (Stratford Festival)
Alex Sanchez for 42nd Street (Stratford Festival)
Lorraine Green-Kimsa for Urinetown (Stageworks Toronto)*
*included here because this category doesn’t exist in the Regional Division
Best Lighting Design
Kim Purtell for The Penelopiad (Nightwood Theatre)
Robert Thomson for Cymbeline (Stratford Festival)
Alan Brodie for A Christmas Carol (Soulpepper Theatre Company)
Jeff Adelberg for Medea (Actors’ Shakespeare Project)
Benjamin Pearcy for Riverdance (National Tour)
Andrea Lundy & Sarah Yaffe for Bliss (Candles Are For Burning)*
*included here because this category doesn’t exist in the Regional Division
Best Play
Long Day’s Journey Into Night (Soulpepper Theatre Company)
The Crucible (Soulpepper Theatre Company)
French Without Tears (Shaw Festival)
Elektra (Stratford Festival)
Cymbeline (Stratford Festival)
Medea (Actors’ Shakespeare Project)
Best Musical
Newsies (Disney Theatrical Group- Broadway)
Chaplin (Rich Entertainment Group- Broadway)
Ragtime (Shaw Festival)
42nd Street (Stratford Festival)
Wanderlust (Stratford Festival)
The Pirates of Penzance (Stratford Festival)
REGIONAL/INDEPENDENT
This year we stopped splitting this division into two groups, making the competition stiffer than ever. We bumped a few companies who used to be in Division I up to National/Professional and expanded the categories to make room for up to 7 nominees each. These companies all have fewer resources and smaller acting pools than those in the previous division but the work represented here was some of the most inventive and inspiring of the year.
Best Actor
Michael-David Blostein in Cabaret (Hart House Theatre)
Paolo Santalucia in Romeo & Juliet (Hart House Theatre)
Graham Fleming in Rent (Lower Ossington Theatre)
Eli Ham in Macbeth (Humber River Shakespeare Company)
Gord Rand in The 20th of November (Candles are for Burning)
Thomas Derrah in Red (SpeakEasy Stage Company)
Cameron Gosselin in The Pillowman (Flat Earth Theatre)
Best Actress
Courtney Lamanna in Cabaret (Hart House Theatre)
Amelia Sargisson in My Name is Rachel Corrie (Hart House Theatre)
Caitlyn Conley in True Believers (Vagabond Theatre Group)
Briana Templeton in Sockdolager (The Templeton Philharmonic)
Michelle Nash in [title of show] (Blank Slate Productions)
Bianca Heuvelmans in [title of show] (Blank Slate Productions)
Scarlett Redmond in Some Explicit Polaroids (Brown Box Theatre Project)
Best Supporting Actor
Michael Underhill in Polaroid Stories (Happy Medium/Heart & Dagger/Boston Actors Theater)
Chris Karczmar in The Diary of Anne Frank (Shakespeare in Action)
James Bocock in Murph (Argos Productions)
David Patrick Flemming in Two Gents (Shakespeare in the Ruff)
Joshua Browne in Romeo & Juliet (Hart House Theatre)
Jeremy LaPalme in Romeo & Juliet (Hart House Theatre)
Best Supporting Actress
Jackie English in Alice in Blunderland (Red Sandcastle Theatre)
Leah Holder in The Campbell House Story (Single Thread Theatre Company)
Kat Letwin in Sockdolager (The Templeton Philharmonic)
Juliet Bowler in The Pillowman (Flat Earth Theatre)
Mindy Perlmutter in Fiddler on the Roof (Encore Entertainment)
Ianthe Marini in West Side Story (Turtle Lane Playhouse)
Sarah Drake in Next to Normal (SpeakEasy Stage Company)
Best Ensemble
The Laramie Project (Encore Entertainment)
Urinetown (Stageworks Toronto)
Two Gents (Shakespeare in the Ruff)
Polaroid Stories (Happy Medium/Heart & Dagger/Boston Actors Theater)
All in the Timing (Amazing Mustache Productions)
Much Ado about Nothing…with a twist (Bad Habit Productions)
Best Director
Adam Brazier for Cabaret (Hart House Theatre)
Brendan McMurtry-Howlett for Two Gents (Shakespeare in the Ruff)
Mumbi Tindyebwa Otu for My Name is Rachel Corrie (Hart House Theatre)
Sarah Gazdowicz for The Pillowman (Flat Earth Theatre)
Chad Flahive for Wild Party (Footlight Club)
Daniel Morris for Much Ado About Nothing…with a twist (Bad Habit Productions)
Best Designer
Mariuxi Zambrano for My Name is Rachel Corrie (Hart House Theatre)
Jay Pooley for The Loyalists (Single Thread Theatre)
Kat Sandler & Alain Richer for Delicacy (Theatre Brouhaha)
Best Production
Cabaret (Hart House Theatre)
The Pillowman (Flat Earth Theatre)
Sockdolager (The Templeton Philharmonic)
The Loyalists (Single Thread Theatre)
Macbeth (Humber River Shakespeare Company)
Two Gents (Shakespeare in the Ruff)
Next to Normal (SpeakEasy Stage Company)
OTHER
Our coverage has been evolving, so our awards have to evolve with it. We saw less Student Theatre this year and more Opera and Dance, so we expanded the latter from one category to three and the former we limited to just two categories- Best Student Actor and Best Student Actress (lead or supporting). We also altered the “Best Fringe/Summerworks” categories to include Showcase and Cabaret performances because we saw so many great ones this year.
Best New Work
Modern Love by Jessica Moss (Theatre Caravel)
The Campbell House Story by Alex Dault (Single Thread Theatre)
Potted Potter by Daniel Clarkson & Jeff Turner (Mirvish Productions)
The Best Brothers by Daniel MacIvor (Stratford Festival)
Alligator Pie by Soulpepper Creative Ensemble (Soulpepper Theatre Company)
Delicacy by Kat Sandler (Theatre Brouhaha)
True Believers by Thom Dunn (Vagabond Theatre Group)
Best Dance Performance
James Greenan in Riverdance (National Tour)
Christopher Stalzer in La Fille Mal Gardee (National Ballet of Canada)
Guillaume Cote in Hamlet (National Ballet of Canada)
Greta Hodgkinson in Giselle (National Ballet of Canada)
Best Opera Performance
Adrianne Pieczonka in Tosca (Canadian Opera Company)
Andriana Chuchman in The Tales of Hoffmann (Canadian Opera Company)
The Ensemble of Gianni Schicchi (Canadian Opera Company)
Jane Archibald in Semele (Canadian Opera Company)
Ramon Vargas in Il Trovatore (Canadian Opera Company)
Peter Barrett in Die Fledermaus (Canadian Opera Company)
Best Ballet or Opera
Hamlet (National Ballet of Canada)
Giselle (National Ballet of Canada)
Tosca (Canadian Opera Company)
Gianni Schicchi (Canadian Opera Company)
La Boheme (Boston Opera Collaborative)
Best Fringe/Summerworks/Showcase/Cabaret Performance
“Uncalled for” in Hypnogogic Logic (Next Stage Festival)
James Wallis in The Taming of the Shrew (Toronto Fringe Festival)
Ewa Wolniczek in The Frenzy of Queen Maeve (Summerworks Festival)
Andy Trithardt in Big Plans (Summerworks Festival)
Brent Carver at The Global Cabaret Festival (Young Centre)
Mike Ross at The Global Cabaret Festival (Young Centre)
Best Fringe/Summerworks/Showcase/Cabaret Production
The Taming of the Shrew (Shakespeare Bash’d)
Songs in the Key of Stephen (Encore Entertainment)
Big Plans (Summerworks Festival)
A Very Christerical Christmas Cabaret (Chris Tsujiuchi)
Leonard Cohen Songbook (The Global Cabaret Festival)
Elvis Songbook (The Global Cabaret Festival)
Best Student Actor
Joel Gomez in Rent (Sheridan College)
Mike Maloney in Stars of Tomorrow (Boston Conservatory)
Michael Butvinik in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (BU on Broadway)
Michael Spiroff in Curtains (No Strings Theatre)
Best Student Actress
Julia McLellan in Rent (Sheridan College)
Lauren Voorpostel in Curtains (No Strings Theatre)
Siobhan O’Malley in As You Like It (The UC Follies)
Fiona Bryson in In The Next Room (BU Stage Troupe)
Georgia Ladd in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (BU on Broadway)