WAR HORSE, GOLDEN DRAGON, et al. Snag 2012 Dora Mavor Moore Award Nominations!
By: Kelsey Denette Jun. 05, 2012
At a press conference held June 5 at the Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre Centre, the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts (TAPA) announced 169 nominations for 212 eligible productions that opened between June 1, 2011 and May 22, 2012 for the 33rd annual Dora Mavor Moore Awards which honour excellence in the performing arts in Toronto.
For the 2011-2012 season, 116 producing companies registered eligible productions. A total of 35 Dora Awards plus the Silver Ticket Award, the Pauline McGibbon Award and the Audience Choice Award will be given out in a glittering ceremony hosted by Thom Allison on Monday, June 25 at the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts in the Bluma Appel Theatre.In the General Theatre Production Division, Tarragon Theatre and Theatre Passe Muraille tie for the overall lead with 8 nods each. Passe Muraille's Crash and Nightwood Theatre's The Penelopiad tie for top production with 6 nominations each, followed by 4 each for The Golden Dragon (Tarragon), Topdog Underdog (Obsidian Theatre Company in association with the Shaw Festival) and War Horse (Bob Boyett, Tim Levy, National Theatre of Great Britain, David Mirvish).
In the Independent Theatre Production Division, three companies tie for the lead as Ahuri Theatre's A Fool's Life, Theatre Columbus' The Story and Theatre Smash's The Ugly One each earn 6 nominations. His Greatness (independent Artists Repertory Theatre) and The Life and Times of MacKenzie King (VideoCabaret) follow closely with 5 nods each.In the Musical Theatre Division, Acting Up Stage Company (in association with Obsidian Theatre Company) leads overall with 10 nods forCaroline, or Change (and with 1 nod in the General Theatre Division for Ride the Cyclone, it brings Acting Up Stage to 11 nods overall).Young People's Theatre's Seussical is next with 6 nods.In the Opera Division, 7 out of 9 nominations go to Canadian Opera Company (COC) productions as well as another 7 in the General Division, making a total of 14 nods. COC's A Florentine Tragedy / Gianni Schicchi and Rigoletto (a new co-production of Canadian Opera Company and English National Opera each earn 5 nods as does Queen of Puddings Music Theatre's SVADBA - Wedding.
In the Dance Division, Gadfly's Klorofyl earns top spot with 3 nods.The Theatre for Young Audiences Division sees Roseneath Theatre take the lead with 4 nods, 2 for The Neverending Story and 2 for Tough Case.
As well, in a special gift from the Bluma Appel Community Trust, a $5,000 prize will be awarded to the winning playwright of Outstanding New Play in the General Theatre Production Division for the sixth year in a row, in addition to the continuation of Bluma's Indiescomprised of a cash prize of $1,000 per winning category in the Independent Theatre Production Division.
See complete list of nominees in each Division in PDF under separate cover. The full list is also available onlinewww.tapa.ca/doras/nominees
TAPA's Audience Choice Award is co-sponsored once again this year by NOW Magazine and Yonge-Dundas Square. The public is invited to choose a winner from the list of nominees for Outstanding Production in the General Theatre Production, Independent Theatre Production, Opera, Musical Theatre, Theatre for Young Audiences and Dance Divisions. Theatre, dance and opera fans can cast their votes online atwww.nowtoronto.com from Thursday, June 7, 2012 until 12:00 midnight, Wednesday June 20, 2012. The winner will be announced at the Dora Awards show ceremony and will receive a special plaque from NOW Magazine.
The Dora Mavor Moore Awards is a program of the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts (TAPA). TAPA is an arts service organization that represents nearly 200 professional theatre, dance and opera companies in Toronto. In addition to the Doras, other programs and services provided by TAPA include: T.O. TIX - Toronto's Official One Stop Ticket Shop at Yonge-Dundas Square and online at www.totix.ca; Toronto's official Theatre Guide; hipTIX, offering $5 tickets to students; citySPECIAL; the Commercial Theatre Development Fund; and the Travel Retreat Initiatives Program. For more information visit www.tapa.ca and www.totix.ca.
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