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TORONTO - Urinetown was the big winner last night at the Dora Mavor Moore Awards, which honour Toronto's performing arts. The CanStage production scooped up six awards in the general theatre division, including outstanding musical, outstanding director for John Rando and performance recognition for David Keeley and Mary Ann McDonald. Stephen Woodjetts was recognized for musical direction and John Carrafa won the Dora for choreography. The show was a quirky musical about a city whose citizens must pay to use bathroom facilities because drought has caused a water shortage. Ottawa native Jennifer Waiser had been nominated for an award for outstanding musical performance for her role in Urinetown. The Necessary Angel Theatre Company had four awards in total - three for Bigger Than Jesus, produced in association with Factory Theatre and Wyrd productions, and one for Half Life, which was co-produced with Tarragon Theatre. Factory Theatre won two awards for The Leisure Society, including a direction prize for Ken Gass and performance award for Irene Poole. Theatre Extasis and The Theatre Centre's That Time took top honours with four wins in the independent theatre division, while Nightswimming's Rough House won two awards. In the opera category, Opera Atelier's Dido and Aeneas won both awards. In the dance division, Susie Burpee won for choreography and performance in Dancemaker's Mischance & Fair Fortune. For theatre aimed at young audiences, Theatre Direct Canada's And by the Way Miss won both awards and will receive a prize of $10,000 from the Canada Council. An honorary Dora Mavor Moore Award was given to benefactor Bluma Appel in recognition of her exceptional dedication to the performing arts. The outstanding new musical award went to David Finley for Alladin, produced by Ross Petty and presented last winter during the holiday season. |