2011 Helpmann Awards

The 2011 Helpmann Awards, Australia’s equivalent to Broadway’s Tony Awards and London’s Olivier Awards, were presented at the Sydney Opera House on, August 1. Red carpet arrivals began at 7.30pm prior to televised the presentation ceremony which commenced at 8pm.

Awards were presented across 41 categories, with the big winner being Mary Poppins with 8 awards including Best Musical. Sydney's Belvoir was the big winner in the drama awards with 6 awards across two productions, including Best Play for The Wild Duck. Opera Australia's Partenope took out three awards including Best Opera.

Fittingly, three great musical theatre divas, Nancye Hayes, Jill Perryman and Toni Lamond, are co-recipients of this year’s JC Williamson Award, recognizing outstanding achievement, announced in advance.

The ceremony included performances by the casts of Dr Zhivago, Hairspray, Mary Poppins and Rock of Ages; Ben Lewis (from Love Never Dies), Slava and Leonard Grigorian, Expressions Dance Theatre and STOMP.

The evening commenced with 'Step in Time' performed by the cast of  Mary Poppins.

Then the first round of awards were presented.

Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical - Philip Quast
 - Mary Poppins
 - Disney and Cameron Mackintosh

Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical -  Esther Hannaford (Pictured above) 
 - Hairspray -  
Paul Dainty, Dainty Group & Joel Pearlman, Roadshow Live 

Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Play - Anthony Phelan
 - The Wild Duck - 
Belvoir

Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Play - Anita Hegh
- The Wild Duck
 - Belvoir

Best Male Performer in a Supporting Role in an Opera - Kanen Breen
 - Partenope - 
Opera Australia

Best Female Performer in a Supporting Role in an Opera - Elizabeth Campbell
 - Aida
 - State Opera of South Australia

Best Comedy Performer - Denise Scott
 - Denise Scott - Regrets
 - Token Events

Best Cabaret Performer - Eddie Perfect
 - Misanthropology 
- Sydney Festival

Ben Lewis sang from Till I Hear You Sing Love Never Dies before the awards continued.

Best Set Design -  Gabriela Tylesova
 - Love Never Dies
 - The Really Useful Company Asia Pacific and Arts Capital Trust

Best Costume Design -  Gabriela Tylesova
 - Love Never Dies
 - The Really Useful Company Asia Pacific and Arts Capital Trust

Best Lighting Design - Nick Schlieper
 - Love Never Dies
 - The Really Useful Company Asia Pacific and Arts Capital Trust

Best Sound Design - Peter Grubb
 - Mary Poppins - 
Disney and Cameron Mackintosh

Slava and Leonard Grigorian performed the next interlude.

Best Original Score - Alan John
 - The Diary of a Madman - 
Belvoir

Best Individual Classical Performance - Sir Simon Rattle
 - Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra - 
Sydney Opera House and the Perth Concert Hall

Best Chamber & Instrumental Ensemble Concert - Garrick Ohlsson in recital as part of the Sydney Symphony International Pianists in Recital Series
 - Sydney Symphony

Best Symphony Orchestra Concert - Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra - 
Sydney Opera House and the Perth Concert Hall

Best Music Direction - Stephen Brooker and Michael Tyack
 - Mary Poppins
 - Disney and Cameron Mackintosh

Todd McKenney introduced Nancye Hayes, Jill Perryman and Toni Lamond, co-recipients of this year’s JC Williamson Award, followed by fabulous footage of the three great JCW musical theatre divas, narrated by Tony Sheldon. A wonderful tribute from Caroline O'Connor, Sharon Millerchip and Amanda Harrison followed - Broadway Baby, If They Could See Me Now, Some People and Don't Rain on My Parade. Sensational!! 

Best New Australian Work - Tim Minchin & Sydney Symphony - 
Tim Minchin Vs Sydney Symphony
 - Sydney Symphony

Best Presentation for Children - Me and My Shadow
 - Patch Theatre Company

Best International Contemporary Concert - Leonard Cohen @ Hanging Rock - 
Leonard Cohen and Frontier Touring Company

Best Contemporary Music Festival - Splendor In the Grass - 2010
Village Sounds and Secret Service

Best Regional Touring Production - Mathinna
 - Bangarra Dance Theatre

Best Australian Contemporary Concert - Powderfinger – Sunsets The Farewell Tour
 - Powderfinger and Secret Service & Village Sounds

The cast of Haisrpray then entertained the audience with You Can't Stop the Beat.

Best Choreography in a Dance or Physical Theatre Production - Natalie Weir
- Where the Heart Is - 
Expressions Dance Company and Queensland Performing Arts Centre

Best Choreography in a Musical - Matthew Bourne and Stephen Mear - 
Mary Poppins - 
Disney and Cameron Mackintosh

Best Direction of a Musical - Richard Eyre and Matthew Bourne
 - Mary Poppins - 
Disney and Cameron Mackintosh

Best Direction of an Opera - Nigel Jamieson - 
La Fanciulla del West
 - Opera Australia

Best Direction of a Play - Neil Armfield
 - The Diary of a Madman
 - Belvoir

Best Male Dancer in a Dance or Physical Theatre Production - Paul White
 - In Glass
 - Sydney Opera House & Artful Management

Best Female Dancer in a Dance or Physical Theatre Production - Kristina Chan
 - In Glass
 - Sydney Opera House & Artful Management

Best Male Performer in an Opera - John Wegner
 - La Fanciulla del West
 - Opera Australia

Best Female Performer in an Opera - Emma Matthews
 - Partenope 
- Opera Australia

Lucy Maunder and Taneel Van Zyl sang It Comes as No Surprise from Dr Zhivago.

Best Male Actor in a Musical - Matt Lee
 - Mary Poppins - 
Disney and Cameron Mackintosh

Best Female Actor in a Musical - Verity Hunt-Ballard
 - Mary Poppins
 - Disney and Cameron Mackintosh

Best Male Actor in a Play - Geoffrey Rush
 - The Diary of a Madman - 
Belvoir

Best Female Actor in a Play - Cate Blanchett
 - Uncle Vanya
 - Sydney Theatre Company in association with Bell Shakespeare

The Ten Tenors then serenaded the audience, then STOMP gave the Opera House a good shaking.

Best Visual or Physical Theatre Production - Not in a Million Years
 - Force Majeure

Best Ballet or Dance Work - Where the Heart Is
 - Expressions Dance Company and Queensland Performing Arts Centre

Best Opera- Partenope
 - Opera Australia

Best Play - The Wild Duck - 
Belvoir

Best Musical - Mary Poppins - 
Disney and Cameron Mackintosh

And the cast of Rock of Ages played out the night.

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Images: Esther Hannaford; Kanen Breen; Toni Lamond, Jill Perryman and Nancye Hayes; Verity Hunt-Ballard and Matt Lee; Geoffrey Rush