Music Theatre Guild of Victoria 2016 Bruce Awards

CLOC Musical Theatre was the big winner at the Music Theatre Guild of Victoria’s 2016 Bruce Awards, presented at Frankston Arts Centre on Saturday December 10, 2016.

CLOC’s production of Jesus Christ Superstar took out nine awards including Production of the Year, with OCPAC’s Catch Me If You Can receiving five awards. Windmill’s The Little Mermaid took out three awards, while Footlight Productions Mary Poppins scored 2 awards.

The Edith Harhhy Award went to Paul Denham, while the Musicians Award was received jointly by Brian Davis and Sharon Leppard, and Life Membership was awarded to Dorothy Parker.

There were 63 Open Section Productions in 2016.

The 2017 Music Theatre Guild awards ceremony will take place in Bendigo.

Open Section Awards

Jesus Christ Superstar – CLOC Musical Theatre

Production of the Year

Katie Weston – Best Female Performer in a Leading Role – Mary

Scott Mackenzie – Best Male Performer in a Leading Role – Judas (shared)

Henry Shaw - Best Male Performer in a Supporting Role – Caiaphas

Best Ensemble Performance

Brad Alcock – Lighting

Marcello Lo Ricco – Sound

David Wisken – Design (for Makeup Design)

Technical Achievement

Catch Me If You Can – OCPAC

Sam Hooper – Best Direction

Dave Barclay – Best Musical Direction

Best Choreography – Sam Hooper

James Watkinson - Best Male Performer in a Leading Role – Frank Abagnale Jr (shared)

Alexander Hatzikostas - First Performance in a Featured Role – Special Agent Carl Hanratty

Little Mermaid - Windmill

Maverick De Leon - Best Male Performer in a Supporting Role – Sebastian in The

Soren Adkin – Junior Performer in an Open Production – Flounder

Jacqui Day - Wardrobe

Mary Poppins - Footlight Productions

Sophie Collins - Best Female Performer in a Supporting Role – Winifred Banks

Ash Bronca – Dancer’s Award

Miss Saigon - PLOS

Mike Fletcher – Settings

Evita - Wonthaggi Theatrical Group

Janie Gordon – Cameo Performance – Peron’s Mistress –

Junior Section Awards

The Camberwell Grammar School and Canterbury Girls’ Secondary College production of City of Angels took our four awards, including Junior Production of the Year, with Mornington Players’ 13 The Musical receiving two awards.

City of Angels  - Camberwell Grammar School and Canterbury Girls’ Secondary College

Junior Production of the Year

Direction of a Junior Production – Sam Stocker

Musical  Direction – Ben Bishop

Holland Brooks - Junior Female Performer in a supporting role – Mallory Kingsley

13 The Musical – Mornington Players

Emma Townsend - Junior Female Performer in a Leading Role - Patrice

Natasha Harvey - Best Choreography – joint recipient

Other Junior Awards

Craig Wiltshire - Best Choreography – Hairspray - Hart Theatre Company, St Leonard’s College  – joint recipient

Junior Male Performer in Leading Role- Liam McWhinney – The Boy From Oz - St Bernard’s College in conjunction with St Columba’s College – Peter Allen.

Sean Rhys-Wemyss -  Junior Male Performer in a supporting role – Bye Bye Birdie – St Michael’s Grammar School – Mrs Mae Peterson

5 Awards of Excellence

Nathan Firmin, Catchment Players for the make up of the prosthetic noses in Seussical Jr.
Kelsi Oen, Donvale Christian College as the onstage pianist in High School Musical
Lauren Jaksetic, Caulfield Grammar School for her dancing and contribution to choreography in West Side Story

For the design and staging of the Mt Olympus Scene in Xanadu, St Helena Secondary College
Catchment Players for ‘the show must go on’, All Shook Up