Muriel’s Wedding Musical Dominates Nominees for 2017 Sydney Theatre Awards
Gala Ceremony | Monday 22 January
Celebrating the year in theatre on stage in Sydney has seen nominations in 35 categories spread across 51 productions during 2017 – with musicals once again featuring heavily and holding Sydney-siders affections – with Andrew Hallsworth and Cameron Mitchell both receiving double-nods for the category of Best Choreography.
Leading the list with a record 12 nominations is Muriel’s Wedding, produced by the Sydney Theatre Company and Global Creatures, followed by Sydney Theatre Company’s Cloud Nine and Only Heaven Knows from Luckiest Productions and Hayes Theatre Co, both on nine nominations. Calamity Jane, produced by One Eyed ManProductions in association with Neglected Musicals and Hayes Theatre Co, was awarded eight nominations, while both The Trouble With Harry from Siren Theatre Co and Seymour Centre, and Assassins from Hayes Theatre Co received seven nominations. Red Line Productions’ A View From The Bridge received six nominations.
The Sydney Theatre Awards are presented annually by a group of leading theatre critics to celebrate the strength, quality and diversity of theatre in Sydney. The Sydney Theatre Reviewers consist of Elissa Blake (Audrey Journal, formerly Fairfax), Jason Blake (Audrey Journal, formerly Sydney Morning Herald), Dee Jefferson (ABC, formerly Time Out), Deborah Jones (The Australian), Jo Litson (The Sunday Telegraph, Limelight), John McCallum (The Australian), Ben Neutze (Time Out, formerly Daily Review), Diana Simmonds (Stagenoise), Cassie Tongue (Time Out, The Guardian) and Suzy Wrong (Suzy Goes See).
The reviewers all felt 2017 was a very strong year for Sydney theatre. Elissa Blake said, “For me, this year was about the rise of the independent theatre scene. The difference in quality and ambition between the funded and unfunded theatre companies in Sydney has shrunk to the point where it is becoming minimal. Our best artists and our emerging artists are now working in both spaces, smashing the gender roles, telling all kinds of new Australian stories, cracking open audiences’ hearts and minds.”
“It is encouraging to note the number of women coming to the fore following a push to raise awareness of the lack of gender equity in Australian theatre. This year, three of the four nominations for both Best Direction of a Mainstage Production and Best Direction of an Independent Production have gone to women. Clearly there is more to be achieved in terms of gender parity, and a lot more to de done in terms of ethnic diversity in our theatre, though improvements are slowly being made,” Jo Litson said.
The nominations relevant to Musical Theatre productions in 2017 are:
BEST PRODUCTION OF A MAINSTREAM MUSICAL
Beautiful (Michael Cassel, Paul Blake, Sony/ATV Music Publishing and Mike Bosner)
Kinky Boots (Michael Cassel by arrangement with Daryl Roth and Hal Luftig)
Ladies in Black (Queensland Theatre, Sydney Festival and Sydney Lyric)
Muriel’s Wedding (Sydney Theatre Company and Global Creatures)
BEST PRODUCTION OF AN INDEPENDENT MUSICAL
Assassins (Hayes Theatre Co)
Calamity Jane (One Eyed Man Productions in association with Neglected Musicals and Hayes Theatre Co)
Only Heaven Knows (Luckiest Productions in association with Hayes Theatre Co)
BEST DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL
Dean Bryant (Assassins)
Richard Carroll (Calamity Jane)
Simon Phillips (Muriel’s Wedding)
Shaun Rennie (Only Heaven Knows)
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MUSICAL
Annie Aitken (Melba)
Virginia Gay (Calamity Jane)
Esther Hannaford (Beautiful)
Maggie McKenna (Muriel’s Wedding)
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE IN A MUSICAL
David Campbell (Assassins)
Tim Draxl (Only Heaven Knows)
Toby Francis (Kinky Boots)
Ben Hall (Only Heaven Knows)
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEMALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MUSICAL
Blazey Best (Only Heaven Knows)
Justine Clarke (Muriel’s Wedding)
Madeleine Jones (Muriel’s Wedding)
Christie Whelan Browne (Muriel’s Wedding)
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A MALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MUSICAL
Matthew Backer (Only Heaven Knows)
Rob Johnson (Calamity Jane)
Joe Kosky (High Fidelity)
Hayden Tee (Only Heaven Knows)
BEST CHOREOGRAPHY IN A MUSICAL
Andrew Hallsworth (Assassins)
Andrew Hallsworth (Muriel’s Wedding)
Cameron Mitchell (Big Fish)
Cameron Mitchell (Calamity Jane)
BEST CABARET PRODUCTION
Betty Grumble’s Love and Anger
Blue, the Songs of Joni Mitchell
Hot Brown Honey
Mother’s Ruin: A Cabaret About Gin
Muriel’s Wedding was also recognised in the categories of Best Original Score (Kate Miller-Heidke and Keir Nuttall); Best New Australian Work, Best Newcomer (Maggie McKenna); and Best Costume Design. Assassins and Calamity Jane were also both nominated for Best Stage Design and Best Costume Design, with Only Heaven Knows also nominated for Best Costume Design.
