AGOKWE Leads, 'JERSEY BOYS' and 'SOUND OF MUSIC' Score at Canada's Dora Awards

The Dora Awards are held annually in Canada to celebrate the country's unique and diverse theatre scene.  Named after Dora Mavor Moore, this year marked the 30th Anniversary of the Award Show. 

This year proved to be a great one for Canadian Theatre, with many diverse and interesting productions up for nominations.  Ojibwa artist Waawaate Fobister saw his play Agokwe, about star-crossed love between two teenage boys on neighbouring reserves, take home the most awards with six wins.  Included in the six were Outstanding Production of a Play, Best New Play, Outstanding Performance by a Male in a Principal Role for Fobister and a directing award for Ed Roy.

Q's Jian Ghomeshi hosted this year's award ceremony, which included nominee's from large scale productions like the Tony Award Winning Jersey Boys and Andrew Lloyd's Webber's The Sound of Music.  Both won awards at tonight's gala, which took place at Toronto's beautiful Winter Garden Theatre.  The Sound of Music won three awards, including one for its star Elicia MacKenzie who won the award for Best Actress in a Musical for her role as Maria.  The Sound of Music also won Outstanding Production of a Musical and Oustanding Set Design for Robert Jones.

Jersey Boys took home two Dora's, including Best Actor in a Musical for Jeff Madden and the Best Directing Award for Des McAnuff. 

Other winners included Eternal Hydra, which won four awards in the independent theatre production division and Sanctuary Song, which won the award for outstanding new musical/opera.

In the dance category, the National Ballet of Canada's Innovation: Emergence did spectacularily well, scoring awards in four categories. 

In addition to the awards announced tonight, Colin Mochrie took home the 2009 Barbara Hamilton Award which is given out every year to a Canadian who has demonstrated "excellence and professionalism in the performing arts."

For more information please visit the official site for the Dora Awards: http://www.tapa.ca/doras/