2013 Green Room nominations announced

The 31st Annual 2013 Green Room Award Nominations were released this morning by the Green Room Awards Association as part of the Theatre Day celebrations in Victoria.

Established in 1982 by Blair Edgar and Steven Tandy, the Green Room Awards Association recognise the world-class Cabaret, Dance, Musical Theatre, Opera, Theatre and Alternative and Hybrid Performance productions that grace Melbourne’s stages every year with categories ranging from artistic excellence to technical innovation.

The first awards were held in 1984 in the foyer of what is now Hamer Hall. This year, the ceremony returns to Melbourne but this time in Comedy Theatre thanks to the generous support of the Marriner Group, the Ambassador Theatre Group and the Gordon Frost Organisation.

Nominations for the awards are for performances presented in Melbourne and surrounds for the time period between January 1 and December 31 2013.

214 nominations for 50 separate awards have been narrowed down from the enormous field of performances Green Room Award panel members attended last year. The categories for awards this year include: Alternative & Hybrid Theatre, Cabaret, Dance, Independent Theatre, Music Theatre Opera and Theatre Companies.

Melbourne Theatre Company and Opera Australia have both snagged themselves 14 nominations for various productions over the course of the year. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang leads the musical theatre nominations with a total of 7 for the show and composer/cabaret artist Gillian Cosgriff has received a total of four nods for her cabaret This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things. Interesting to note the absence of Caroline O’Connor’s name in the music theatre category nominations. Social media platforms are abuzz this morning, with many in the industry questioning why her performance as Rose in The Production Company’s Gypsy last year failed to attract a nomination for Best Actress in a Leading Role.

This year sees the introduction of a new award for choreography –  honouring the achievements of Shirley McKechnie OAM whose work as a choreographer, educator and researcher has been a driving force in the development of Australian choreography. From this year, the Shirley McKechnie Award for Choreography will be presented annually by the Dance Panel. The award compliments the Betty Pounder Award for choreography which, in previous years has been shared between Dance and Music Theatre. The Betty Pounder Award will now be presented exclusively by the Music Theatre Panel.

2014 also sees an increase in industry support for The Green Room Awards with many new industry partners responding to the invitation to sponsor the awards themselves.

“We are an entirely voluntary organisation, from the Executive Committee to the Panel Chairs and members to our hosts, presenters and patron. We give of our time because we all believe that acknowledging the work of our peers not only recognises their outstanding achievements, but contributes to a stronger, more exciting and innovative industry that is better for performance makers and audiences alike,” said Chris Thompson, President of the Green Room Awards Association.

“Inviting the industry to make a more tangible expression of their commitment to the industry’s own peer awards seemed like a logical extension of our work.’

This year’s awards ceremony will be held at the Comedy Theatre on Monday April 28 at 7.00pm.

And the nominees are…

 

Alternative & Hybrid Performance

For Innovation in Circus proudly sponsored by the Australian Circus & Physical Theatre Association

There was only one nomination in this category
To be announced on the night

 

For Outstanding Hybrid or Alternative Work proudly sponsored by Auspicious Arts

5 Short Blasts – City of Melbourne

Public – Insite Arts

 

For Outstanding Contemporary Performance proudly sponsored by Theatre Network Victoria

In Spite of Myself – Sans Hotel

Room Of Regret – Melbourne Festival, Theatre Works & The Rabble

Whelping Box – Intimate Spectacle

 

Cabaret

For Production

Yana Alana – Between The Cracks

Tommy Bradson – Tommy Bradson’s Sweet Sixteen or The Birthday Party Massacre

Gillian Cosgriff – This is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things

Kransky Sisters – Piece of Cake

Tripod – Men of Substance

 

For Artiste

Yana Alana – Between The Cracks

Trevor Ashley – I’m Every Woman

Tommy Bradson – Tommy Bradson’s Sweet Sixteen or The Birthday Party Massacre

Gillian Cosgriff – This is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things

Geraldine Quinn – Sunglasses At Night: The 80s Apocalypse Sing Along Cabaret

 

For Writing

Yana Alana – Between The Cracks

Tommy Bradson – Tommy Bradson’s Sweet Sixteen or The Birthday Party Massacre

Gillian Cosgriff: This is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things

Selina Jenkins – Beau Heartbreaker

Kransky Sisters – Piece of Cake

 

For Musical Direction

Michael Griffiths – Sweet Dreams: Songs by Annie Lennox

Kransky Sisters – Piece of Cake

Eddie Perfect and Tripod – Perfect Tripod

John Thorn – Tommy Bradson’s Sweet Sixteen or The Birthday Party Massacre

Shanon Whitelock – Oprahfication

 

For Original songs

Gillian Cosgriff – This is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things

Tripod – Men of Substance

Oprahfication

Beau Heartbreaker

The Yummy Burlesque Hour

For Outstanding Contribution to Cabaret

John Newman

 

Dance

For Concept and Realisation

Blizzard – Nat Cursio Co.

Conversation Piece – Lucy Guerin Inc.

P.O.V. – Lee Serle

The Recording – Sandra Parker Dance

Zero Zero – Tony Yap, Yumi Umimare & Matthew Gingold

 

For Best Male Dancer

Daniel Gaudiello – ‘Basilio’ Don Quixote and ‘The Prince’ Cinderella (The Australian Ballet Company)

Chengwu Guo – ‘Basilio’ Don Quixote and ‘James’ La Sylphide (The Australian Ballet Company)

Jayden Hicks – Yours Truly (Collaboration The Project)

Alisdair MacIndoe – Conversation Piece (Lucy Guerin Inc.) and Dual (Stephanie Lake & Robin Fox)

James Pham – 247 Days (Chunky Move) and Aorta (Stephanie Lake & Robin Fox)

 

For Best Female Dancer

Sara Black – Dual (Stephanie Lake)

Dalisa Pigrum – Gudirr Gudirr (Marrugeku)

Lauren Langlois – 247 Days (Chunky Move)

Stephanie Lake – Conversation Piece (Lucy Guerin Inc.)

Leanne Stojmenov – Cinderella (The Australian Ballet)

 

For Best Ensemble Performance

Aorta – Stephanie Lake & Chunky Move

Blizzard – Nat Cursio Co.

Conversation Piece – Lucy Guerin Inc.

P.O.V. – Lee Serle

Proximity – Australian Dance Theatre

 

Inaugural Shirley McKechnie Award for Choreography

Nat Cursio – Blizzard (Nat Cursio Co.)

Russell Dumas – Dance for the Time Being – Southern Exposure  (Russell Dumas)

Antony Hamilton – Black Project 2 (Antony Hamilton)

Stephanie Lake – Dual (Stephanie Lake)

Alexei Ratmansky – Cinderella (The Australian Ballet)

 

For Visual Design

Russell Dumas, Simon Lloyd, Margie Medlin & Ysabel de Maisonneuve – Design – Dance for the Time Being – Southern Exposure (Russell Dumas)

Robin Fox (sculpture design) & Jen Hector (lighting design) – A Small Prometheus (Stephanie Lake & Robin Fox)

Jérôme Kaplan – Costume & set design – Cinderella (The Australian Ballet)

Jonathon Oxlade – Set Design – Skeleton (Larissa McGowan)

Thomas Pachaud (video & video engineering), Mark Pennington (lighting design) & Geoff Cobham (design consultant) – Proximity (Australian Dance Theatre)

 

For Composition

Robin Fox – Dual (Stephanie Lake)

Alisdair Macindoe–Black Project 2 (Anthony Hamilton)

Garth Paine – And All Things Return to Nature / TOMORROW (Phillip Adams Balletlab)

Jethro Woodward – Skeleton (Larissa McGowan)

 

Independent Theatre

For Male Performer

Luke Elliot – ‘Runt’ Savages (fortyfive downstairs)

Ash Flanders – ‘Cast’ The Sovereign Wife (Sisters Grimm /Neon)

Rob Meldrum – ‘David Kelly’ Palace of the End (Theatre Works)

James O’Connell – ‘Danny’ Danny and the Deep Blue Sea (Pony Child Theatre)

Hayden Spencer – ‘Performer’ Tall Man (La Mama)

 

For Female Performer

Maude Davey – ‘Performer’ My Life in the Nude (La Mama)

Eugenia Fragos – ‘Nehjras Al Saffarh’ Palace of the End (Theatre Works)

Genevieve Giuffre – ‘Berdine’ Psycho Beach Party (Little Ones Theatre/Theatre Works)

Sarah Hamilton and Justine Campbell (Shared) – ‘Performers’ They Saw A Thylacine (Melbourne Fringe Festival)

Emily Tomlins – body of work

 

For Ensemble

Cast of M + M (Daniel Schlusser Ensemble, Theatre Works/Melbourne International Arts Festival)

Cast of Psycho Beach Party (Little Ones Theatre/Theatre Works)

Cast of Savages (fortyfive downstairs)

Cast of The Sovereign Wife (Sisters Grimm /Neon)

 

For Set and Costume Design

proudly sponsored by Theatre Network Victoria

Anna Cordingly and Romanie Harper (Set and Costume)- M + M (Daniel Schlusser Ensemble, Theatre Works/Melbourne Festival)

Kate Davis (Set and Costume) – The Story of O (The Rabble / Neon)

Marg Horwell (Set and Costume) – Savages (fortyfive downstairs)

Dayna Morrissey (Set) – On The Bodily Education of Young Girls (Fraught Outfit/Neon)

Owen Phillips (Costume) and Romanie Harper (Set) – The Sovereign Wife (Sisters Grimm/Neon)

 

For Lighting Design

Amelia Lever-Davidson – Dropped (Melbourne Fringe Festival)

Lisa Mibus – Yarn (Melbourne Fringe Festival)

Katie Sfetkidis – Summertime in the Garden of Eden (Theatre Works)

Andy Turner – Savages (fortyfive downstairs)

Richard Vabre – Night Maybe (Sassy Red productions/Stuck Pigs Squealing/Theatre Works)

 

For Sound/Music

Adele McCarthy (Sound Design)- Not A Very Good Story (La Mama)

Michael Pulsford (Music Composition and Performance), Darrin Verhaegen and James Paul (Sound Design and Composition) – M+M (Daniel Schlusser Ensemble, Theatre Works/Melbourne International Arts Festival)

Kelly Ryall (Composition and Sound Design)- Savages (fortyfive downstairs)

Jethro Woodward (Sound design)- Opera for a Small Mammal (Chamber Made Opera/La Mama)

 

For Direction

proudly sponsored by Julia Zemiro

Daniel Clarke – The Palace At The End (Theatre Works)

Prue Clarke – Dropped (Melbourne Fringe Festival)

Susie Dee – Savages (fortyfive downstairs)

Adena Jacobs – On the Bodily Education of Young Girls (Fraught Outfit/Neon)

Stephen Nicolazzo – Psycho Beach Party (Little Ones Theatre/Theatre Works)

 

For Production

proudly sponsored by the Melbourne Fringe Festival

M + M (Daniel Schlusser Ensemble, Theatre Works/Melbourne International Arts Festival)

On the Bodily Education of Young Girls (Fraught Outfit/Neon)

Savages (fortyfive downstairs)

The Sovereign Wife (Sisters Grimm/Neon)

They Saw a Thylacine (Melbourne Fringe Festival)

 

For Writing

proudly sponsored by the Melbourne Theatre Company

Angela Betzien – The Tall Man (La Mama)

Patricia Cornelius – Savages (fortyfive downstairs)

Emily Collyer – The Good Girl (Melbourne Fringe Festival)

Declan Greene and Ash Flanders – The Sovereign Wife (Sisters Grimm/Neon)

Sarah Hamilton and Justine Campbell – They Saw a Thylacine (Melbourne Fringe Festival)

 

 

Music Theatre

For Actress In A Leading Role

proudly sponsored by the Ron & Margaret Dobell Foundation

Rachael Beck – Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

Alinta Chidzey – Singin’ In The Rain

Esther Hannaford – King Kong

Claire Lyon – Pirates Of Penzance

 

For Actor In A Leading Role

proudly sponsored by the Ron & Margaret Dobell Foundation

Rohan Browne – Singin’ In The Rain

Bobby Fox – Hot Shoe Shuffle

David Harris – Legally Blonde

 

For Actor In A Supporting Role

Tyler Coppin – Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

Michael Griffiths – Jersey Boys

Matt Holly – Assassins

Nick Simpson-Deeks – Assassins

 

For Actress In A Supporting Role

Helen Dallimore – Legally Blonde

Nancye Hayes – Sunday In The Park With George

Christina Tan – Gypsy

Jennifer Vuletic – Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

Christie Whelan-Browne – Singin’ In The Rain

 

For Ensemble

‘The Tap Brothers’ – Hot Shoe Shuffle

The King’s Men – King Kong

Company – The Tap Pack

 

Betty Pounder Award For Excellence In Choreography

proudly sponsored by the Tripolino Family

David Atkins & Dein Perry – Hot Shoe Shuffle

Jesse Rasmussen, Jordan Pollard, Thomas Egan – The Tap Pack

 

For Musical Direction

proudly sponsored by the Tripolino Family

Michael Azzopardi – Jersey Boys

Luke Byrne – Assassins

Peter Casey – Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

David Stratton – Hot Shoe Shuffle

 

For Design (Lighting)

Peter Mumford – King Kong

Matt Scott – Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

 

For Design (Sound)

Kelvin Gedye  –  Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

Peter Hylenski – King Kong

Michael Waters  – Hot Shoe Shuffle

 

For Design (Set/ Costume)

The Car – Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

Dale Ferguson (Set) – Pirates Of Penzance

Roger Kirk (Costume) – King Kong

 

For Direction

There was only one nomination in this category

To be announced on the night

Opera

For Best Director

Christopher Alden – Partenope (Opera Australia)

Roger Hodgman – Nixon in China (Victorian Opera)

Cameron Menzies – The Magic Pudding (Victorian Opera)

Alex Ollé  – A Masked Ball (Opera Australia)

 

For Best Production

A Masked Ball – Opera Australia

Nixon in China – Victorian Opera

Partenope – Opera Australia

 

For Best Conductor

Daniel Carter – Magic Pudding (Victorian Opera)

Andrea Molino – A Masked Ball (Opera Australia)

Fabian Russell – Nixon In China (Victorian Opera)

 

For Best Female Lead

Csilla Boross – ‘Amelia’ (A Masked Ball, Opera Australia)

Catherine Carby – ‘Arsace’ (Partenope, Opera Australia)

Donna-Marie Dunlop – ‘Leonore’ (Fidelio, Melbourne Opera)

 

For Best Female In A Supporting Role

There was only one nomination in this category

To be announced on the night

 

For Best Male Lead

Jósé Carbo – ‘René, Count Ankarström’ (A Masked Ball, Opera Australia)

Bradley Daly – ‘Mao Tse-tung’ (Nixon in China, Victoria Opera)

Barry Ryan – ‘Richard Nixon’ (Nixon in China, Victorian Opera)

Diego Torre – ‘Gustav III of Sweden’ (A Masked Ball, Opera Australia)

 

For Best Male In A Supporting Role

Kanen Breen – ‘Emilio’ (Partenope, Opera Australia)

Michael Honeyman – ‘Amonasro’ (Aida, Opera Australia)

David Parkin – ‘Count Horn’ (A Masked Ball, Opera Australia)

 

For Best Design

Alfons Flores (set), Urs Schönebaum (lighting) – A Masked Ball (Opera Australia)

Chloe Greaves (set and costume), Peter Darby (lighting) – The Magic Pudding (Victorian Opera)

Andrew Lieberman (set), Jon Morrell (costume), Adam Silverman (lighting) – Partenope (Opera Australia)

Matt Scott (lighting) – Nixon in China (Victorian Opera)

 

For Ensemble

There was only one nomination in this category

To be announced on the night

 

Theatre Companies

For Female Actor

Alison Bell – ‘Marianne’ Constellations, Melbourne Theatre Company

Julia Blake – ‘Vera’ 4000 Miles, Red Stitch Actors’ Theatre

Julie Forsyth – ‘Mrs Van Amersfoort’ The Book of Everything, Melbourne Theatre Company presents A Belvoir and Kim Carpenter’s Theatre of Image co-production

Zahra Newman – ‘Camae’ The Mountaintop, Melbourne Theatre Company

Alison Whyte – ‘Performer’ The Bloody Chamber, Malthouse Theatre

 

For Male Actor

Jacek Koman – ‘Edgar’ Dance of Death, Malthouse Theatre

Bert LaBonté – ‘Dr Martin Luther King Jr’ The Mountaintop, Melbourne Theatre Company

Brian Lipson – ‘Deputy Governor Danforth’ The Crucible, Melbourne Theatre Company

Ian Meadows – ‘Trip Wyeth’ Other Desert Cities, Melbourne Theatre Company

Steve Mouzakis – ‘Lophakhin’ The Cherry Orchard, Melbourne Theatre Company

 

For Ensemble

The Book of Everything – Melbourne Theatre Company presents A Belvoir and Kim Carpenter’s Theatre of Image co-production

4000 Miles – Red Stitch Actors’ Theatre

The Shadow King – Malthouse Theatre

Super Discount – Back to Back Theatre, Sydney Theatre Company & Malthouse Theatre

War Horse (Ensemble of Horse puppeteers) – National Theatre of Great Britain and Global Creatures present in association with Arts Centre Melbourne

 

For Lighting Design

Rachel Burke – Solomon and Marion, Melbourne Theatre Company

Amelia Lever-Davidson – Fox Finder, Red Stitch Actors’ Theatre

Andrew Livingston (Bluebottle) – Super Discount, Back to Back Theatre, Sydney Theatre Company & Malthouse Theatre

Danny Pettingill (Bluebottle) – Other Desert Cities, Melbourne Theatre Company

Matt Scott – The Mountaintop, Melbourne Theatre Company

 

For Set and Costume

Kim Carpenter – Set and Costume, The Book of Everything, Melbourne Theatre Company presents A Belvoir and Kim Carpenter’s Theatre of Image co-production

Anna Cordingley – Set and Costume, The Bloody Chamber, Malthouse Theatre

Callum Morton – Set Designer, Other Desert Cities, Melbourne Theatre Company

Peter Mumford – Set Design, Fox Finder, Red Stitch Actors’ Theatre

Anna Tregloan – Set and Costume, The Dragon, Malthouse Theatre

 

For Sound/Composition

Marco Cher-Gibard (Sound Design) – Super Discount, Back to Back Theatre, Sydney Theatre Company & Malthouse Theatre

David Chisholm (Composer) and Jethro Woodward (Sound Design) – The Bloody Chamber, Malthouse Theatre

Steve Francis (Composer/Sound Designer) – Other Desert Cities, Melbourne Theatre Company

Iain Grandage (Composer) – The Book of Everything, Melbourne Theatre Company presents A Belvoir and Kim Carpenter’s Theatre of Image co-production.

Tripod – Scott Edgar, Steven Gates & Simon Hall (Music, Lyrics and Performance) – The Dragon, Malthouse Theatre

 

For Direction

Neil Armfield – The Book of Everything, Melbourne Theatre Company presents A Belvoir and Kim Carpenter’s Theatre of Image co-production

Kat Henry – Fox Finder, Red Stitch Actors’ Theatre

Michael Kantor – The Shadow King, Malthouse Theatre

Matthew Lutton – The Bloody Chamber, Malthouse Theatre

Simon Stone – The Cherry Orchard, Melbourne Theatre Company

 

For Production

The Book of Everything – Melbourne Theatre Company presents A Belvoir and Kim Carpenter’s Theatre of Image co-production

The Bloody Chamber – Malthouse Theatre

The Cherry Orchard – Melbourne Theatre Company

Fox Finder – Red Stitch Actors’ Theatre

The Shadow King – Malthouse Theatre

 

For Writing/Adaptation for the Australian Stage

Beached, Melissa Bubnic, Melbourne Theatre Company

The Book of Everything (by Guus Juijer) Richard Tulloch’s Adaptation, Melbourne Theatre Company presents A Belvoir and Kim Carpenter’s Theatre of Image co-production

Roam, Adam Cass, Red Stitch Actors’ Theatre

The Shadow King, Co-created by Tom E. Lewis & Michael Kantor Malthouse with translation by the cast.

The Stories I Want to Tell You In Person, Lally Katz, Malthouse Theatre

 

If you haven’t got time to read through ALL of the awards right now, just take a look at our awards summary below!

Theatre Companies (45)

Melbourne Theatre Company – 14

Red Stitch Actors Company – 7

MTC/Belvoir/Kim Carpenter’s Theatre of Image – 7

Malthouse Theatre – 13

Arts Centre Melbourne/National Theatre, Great Britain/Global Creatures – 1

Back to Back/ STC/Malthouse – 3