Canberra Area Theatre Awards

The Canberra Area Theatre Awards were a spectacular success in 2012.  It was a night filled with tight and terrific entertainment. And this year everyone got out by 11pm – Bravo.

The Canberra Repertory Theatre was the big winner taking out five awards. Its most celebrated production was The Pig Iron People.

One of the Actors said in his acceptance speech that it was so good he wished he’d seen it.

The Orange Theatre Company was honoured for its productions of both plays and musicals.

Pictured (right) are Peter Young and Scot Halls taking out the Stage Whispers Best Director of a Musical Award for their production of  The Witches of Eastwick.

The Gold Cat Award went to Jordan Kelly for outstanding contribution to a number of Canberra theatre companies in 2011 as a performer and choreographer (pictured below.

There were plenty of stars to hand out awards including John Wood, Simon Gallaher and Robyn Archer.

While the entertainment from schools and community theatre was great fun – Peter J Casey stole the show with a superb song dedicated to amateur theatre. Stage Whispers hopes to have it on our website in the near future.

Top Image: David Spicer Productions award for Best Direction of a Play went to Bruce Buchanan for Orange Theatre Company's for A Few Good Men. He is pictured with David.

The Awards

Best set designer for a musical - 
Ian Macdonald
 - My Fair Lady, Wagga Wagga Civic Theatre

Loan Market Weston  Best costume designer for a play - 
Jeanette Brown 
Out of Order, Canberra Repertory Society

Best costume designer for a musical - 
Lindsay Whitehead
 My Fair Lady, Wagga Wagga Civic Theatre

Best costume designer for a school or youth production - 
Lyn Townsend
 The Wizard of Oz, Parkes Musical & Dramatic Society
 AND 
Sarea Coates, Pauline Simonetti and Cindy Hereth
 The Jungle Book, Child Players ACT, Canberra

AMB Best lighting designer
 - Adrian Rytir
 Blood Brothers, Queanbeyan City Council

Recruitment Systems Technical achievement
 - The production team
 Special effects, Le School, Canberra Grammar School

John Thomson Magic moment of theatre
- The principal's coat
 Le School, Canberra Grammar School

Caphs of Manuka Best original work - 
Peter Best
 Script and music, Goldilocks & The Three Bears, Free-Rain Theatre Company, Canberra

Dalton Peace Real Estate Best original work for a school or youth production
 - Felix Schwartz
 Script, Le School, Canberra Grammar School

Best ensemble in a play
- The cast
 Grimm Tales, Hawker College, Canberra

Transact Best ensemble in a musical
 - Rebecca Brown, Emma Forde and Alex Carroll
 As Alexandra Spofford, Jane Smart and Sukie Rougemont (‘the three witches’) in The Witches of Eastwick, Orange Theatre Company

Sarah Byrne Best Orchestra for a School or Youth Musical
- Beauty and the Beast
 Kinross Wolaroi School, Orange

Patricia Kelson encouragement award
 - Denise Dion, Loretta Walsh, Jennie Hughes and Judy Davidson
First-time directing, Four Women, Four Plays, Spectrum Theatre Group, Merimbula
AND
Miriam Rivzi
First time choreography, Grease, Free-Rain Theatre Company, Canberra

Association of Community Theatre Best youth actor in a featured role in a play
- Jake Brown
as Mr Collins in Pride and Prejudice, Canberra Girls Grammar School

Association of Community Theatre Best youth actor in a featured role in a musical
 - Nathan Fernandez 
As Lumiere in Beauty and the Beast Jr, Free-Rain Theatre Company, Canberra

Association of Community Theatre Best youth actress in a featured role in a play
 - Olivia Hewson 
As Danielle in Cockroach, Canberra Youth Theatre

Association of Community Theatre Best youth actress in a featured role in a musical 
- Olivia Fisher
As Babette in Beauty and the Beast, Kinross Wolaroi School, Orange


Best youth actor in a leading role in a play - 
Tom Atkin
 As Stephen in Dealer's Choice, Canberra Grammar School

Best youth actress in a leading role in a play - 
Rebecca Attanasio 
As Lizzie in Pride and Prejudice, Canberra Girls Grammar School

Best youth actor in a leading role in a musical
 - Jordan Read
 As Daddy Warbucks in Annie, St Clare's College, Canberra
 AND 
Evan Kirby
 As Valjean in Les Miserables, Lyneham High School, Canberra

Best youth actress in a leading role in a musical 
- Maddie Furner
 As Nancy in Oliver!, Marist College, Canberra

Ryleho Homes Best variety performance by an individual or ensemble 
- Helen Barnett, Dallas Watts, Raymond Khong and Julie O'Connor
In ‘Time to Say Goodbye’ in Opera at the Dish, Parkes Under the Stars
 AND 
'Table Tennis' 
Jazz Garters, Canberra Repertory Society

The Glass Best actor in a featured role in a play
- Graham Robertson 
As Jack in The Pig Iron People, Canberra Repertory Society

Co-Op Bookshop Best actor in a featured role in a musical 
- Blake Appelqvist
 As William Barfée in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Phoenix Players, Canberra 
AND 
Will Huang
 As Rod in Avenue Q, Supa Productions, Canberra

Crowne Plaza Best actress in a featured role in a play 
- Judi Crane
 As Janette in The Pig Iron People, Canberra Repertory Society

Queanbeyan Players Best actress in a featured role in a musical
 - Amy Dunham
 Ado Annie in Oklahoma!, Free-Rain Theatre Company, Canberra

National Capital Motors Best actor in a leading role in a play - 
Greg Pringle
 As Lt Col Nathan Jessep in A Few Good Men, Orange Theatre Company

Teatro Vivaldi Best actor in a leading role in a musical
 - Ben Kindon
 As Mickey Johnstone in Blood Brothers, Queanbeyan City Council

National Capital Motors Best actress in a leading role in a play - 
Liz McBarron
 As Winsome in Bombshells, Albury Wodonga Theatre Company

Teatro Vivaldi Best actress in a leading role in a musical - 
Christine Forbes (picured right)
 As Mrs Johnstone in Blood Brothers, Queanbeyan City Council

Richards Consulting Best choreographer - 
Felix Schwartz
 Le School, Canberra Grammar School

Best musical director for a school or youth musical
 - Ruth Waters
 Jesus Christ Superstar, Wollongong High School of the Performing Arts

Best director of a school or youth play
 - Alanna Maclean
 Grimm Tales, Hawker College, Canberra

Best director of a school or youth musical
 - Adam Fisher
 Grease, Southern Highlands Youth Arts Council (SHYAC), Bowral

Sarah Byrne Best musical director
 - Sharon Tree 
Blood Brothers, Queanbeyan City Council

David Spicer Productions Best director of a play - 
Bruce Buchanan
 A Few Good Men, Orange Theatre Company

Stage Whispers Best director of a musical or variety show - 
Peter Young and Scott Halls
 The Witches of Eastwick, Orange Theatre Company

Ryleho Homes Best production of a school or youth musical
 - The Wizard Of Oz
 Parkes Musical & Dramatic Society

Ryleho Homes Best production of a school or youth play - 
Le School
 Canberra Grammar School

Ryleho Homes Best production of a variety show
 - Opera at the Dish 
Parkes Under the Stars

Westpac Alpha Best production of a play 
- The Pig Iron People
 - Canberra Repertory Society

Westpac Alpha Best production of a musical
 - Avenue Q 
Supa Productions, Canberra

In the spirit of the community award
- ACT Education and Training Directorate, Canberra
- For involving ACT public schools at all levels in theatre

ActewAGL Gold Cat award
 - For outstanding achievement simultaneously in many categories
- Jordan Kelly

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