2012 Critter Nominations Announced
Calgary Critics’ Awards honour 60 nominees in 14 categories
We saw, we reviewed, we discussed as a group, we argued, we negotiated, we horse-traded and we drunk a lot of wine – but eventually we all agreed and were pleased with the choices. Calgary Theatre Critics, Stephen Hunt and Bob Clark of the Calgary Herald, Louis B. Hobson of the Calgary Sun and yours truly are pleased to announce the nominees for the first annual Calgary Critics’ Awards.
Nominees were chosen from any production performed in Calgary between August, 2011 and June, 2012, with the exception of Broadway Across Canada or Dancap performances. The winners will be announced at a free public award ceremony at 8pm on August 1st at the Auburn Saloon.
So, drum roll please……
The 2012 Critter nominees are:
Best Production of a Play
Penny Plain – Alberta Theatre Projects
Playing with Fire: The Theo Fleury Story – Alberta Theatre Projects
Sia – Downstage
Summer of My Amazing Luck – Sage Theatre
Fool for Love – Sage Theatre/Shadow Theatre
Best Production of a Musical
Avenue Q –Storybook Theatre
Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street – Vertigo Theatre
Wizard of Oz – Alberta Theatre Projects
Jeremy de Bergerac – Forte Musical Theatre Guild
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat – Stage West
Best New Play
Take a Bite – Take a Bite Productions
Dad’s Piano – Lunchbox Theatre
Taking Shakespeare – One Yellow Rabbit
Drama: Pilot Episode – Alberta Theatre Projects
Best Revival
Highest Step in the World – Ghost River Theatre/Pumphouse Theatre
In the Wake – Downstage
When That I Was – The Shakespeare Company
Shirley Valentine – Theatre Calgary
Best Director Play
Ron Jenkins – Playing with Fire: The Theo Fleury Story – Alberta Theatre Projects
Vanessa Sabourin – Hunger Striking – Urban Curvz
Kevin McKendrick – Race – Ground Zero/Hit and Myth Productions
Georgina Beaty – Big Shot – Surreal SoReal Theatre/ Ghost River Theatre
Best Director Musical
George Smith – Avenue Q
Mark Bellamy – Sweeny Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street – Vertigo Theatre
Glynis Leyshon – Wizard of Oz – Alberta Theatre Projects
Max Reimer– Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat – Stage West
Best Actor in a Play
Haysam Kadri – Jim Forgetting – Verb Theatre
Dave MacInnis – Fool for Love – Sage Theatre/Shadow Theatre
Chad Nobert – Hockey Mom, Hockey Dad – Beyond the Brink Productions
Ryan Luhning – Race – Ground Zero/Hit and Myth Productions
Best Actress in a Play
Jamie Konchak – Hunger Striking – Urban Curvz
Meg Roe – Mary’s Wedding – Alberta Theatre Projects
Denise Clarke – Taking Shakespeare – One Yellow Rabbit
Caley Suliak – Summer of my Amazing Luck – Sage Theatre
Best Actor in a Musical
Bruce Horak – Wizard of Oz – Alberta Theatre Projects
Kevin Aichele – Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street – Vertigo Theatre
Tory Doctor – Jeremy de Bergerac – Forte Musical Theatre Guild
JP Thibodeau – Avenue Q- Storybook Theatre
Best Actress in a Musical
Roberta Mauer Phillips – Jeremy de Bergerac – Forte Musical Theatre Guild
Madeleine Suddaby – Avenue Q – Storybook Theatre
Ksenia Thurgood – Wizard of Oz – Alberta Theatre Projects
Elizabeth Stepkowski Tarhan – Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street – Vertigo Theatre
Featured Actor in a Play or Musical
Alexander Plouffe – True Love Lies – Alberta Theatre Projects
Rejean Cournoyer – True Love Lies – Alberta Theatre Projects
Kevin Rothery – Fool for Love – Sage Theatre/Shadow Theatre
Bart Kwiatkowski– Avenue Q – Storybook Theatre
Tim Koetting – Last Christmas – Lunchbox Theatre
Featured Actress in a Play or Musical
Karen Johnson-Diamond – Last Christmas – Lunchbox Theatre
Laura Parken – When Girls Collide – Vertigo Theatre
Monice Peter – Race – Ground Zero/Hit and Myth Productions
Mabelle Carvajal – Drama: Pilot Episode – Alberta Theatre Projects
Best Solo Performance
Shaun Smyth – Playing with Fire: The Theo Fleury Story – Alberta Theatre Projects
Julia Mackey – Jake’s Gift – Lunchbox Theatre
Jon Lachlan Stewart – Big Shot – Surreal SoReal Theatre/ Ghost River Theatre
Raoul Bhaneja – Hamlet (Solo) – Hope and Hell Theatre in association with Richard Jordan Productions Ltd
Best Design
Narda McCarroll – Sweeney Todd – Vertigo Theatre
David Fraser – Playing with Fire: The Theo Fleury Story – Alberta Theatre Projects
Roger Schultz -True Love Lies – Alberta Theatre Projects
Bretta Gerecke -Enron – Theatre Calgary
Terry Gunvordahl – Rope – Vertigo Theatre
To attend the Calgary Critics’ Awards please RSVP to critterawards2012@gmail.com as soon as possible as there are a limited number of spots available. Doors open at 7pm with complimentary nibbles for everyone, the awards will begin at 8pm and the celebration will continue until they kick us all out.
The Calgary Critics would like to thank their event sponsors: Calgary Herald, Calgary Sun, Davis Jensen Law, Bottom Line Productions, Auburn Saloon, The Collectors’ Gallery of Art and Petrocraft Storage Inc. for their support and enthusiasm.
Applause! Meter 
Reblogged this on Calgary Musicals and commented:
Lots of nominees in the musical theatre categories, although musicals didn’t do so well in other categories. Bear in mind that these critics did not attend very many community theatre productions (perhaps just Avenue Q?), even though they say any performance other than the Dancap or Broadway Across Canada touring productions are eligible (as long as they don’t perform only in July, I guess – maybe next year). Lots of worthy candidates, many of which are also on the Betty Awards nominees list.
I find this website and these upcoming awards to be an absolute slap in the face of Community theatre. Avenue Q deserved great reviews. Period. Not great show AND it was community theatre…good way to reduce impact of said review. Where are the reviews for any Morpheus shows? Workshop Theatre; FRC Liffey, U of C! Cappucino etc. There were great shows this season, but this website seems to suggest that the only ones worth seeing are non community, except for Avenue Q which was clearly, according to the review, not the norm. We already have the Betty Mitchell for prom and the Cats for amateur. Why are these needed and why not have a prof ad amateur category??
Thank you for your comments. If you look through my reviews you will see that I did review a Morpheus show (Picasso at the Lapin Agile) and a U of C show (Eurydice) and that my first review ever was a Liffey Players performance (The Seafarer). You will also note that I extensively review Fringe plays.
I chose the plays I see and review not by their professional or amateur status, but rather by a combination of whether the play interests me, the timing and its importance to Calgary. I am always open to pitches from theatre companies to come see their performances and I encourage all productions to get in touch and send me information.
As for the Critter Awards, the other 3 critics and I discussed ALL the plays (professional or not) that we had seen over the past season and our nominees reflect what we feel were the best productions from our critical point of view. That said, the idea of a seperate award for a professional and amateur production might be something we look into for next year. This is our first go at the awards, and I have no doubt that our process will evolve over time.
Great list of nominees good luck to everyone!
I would just like to ask for a correction in one category Best Revival; the remount of Highest Step in the World was a co-production between Ghost River Theatre and Pumphouse Theatre, somehow our name was omitted from the list.
Cheers
Apologies Scott. Will correct on my site immediately. Thanks for letting me know!
David MacInnis was amazing in Fool for Love – hope he wins. Very deserving!!!
David MacInnis did an outstanding job in Fool for Love. He was very true to his character and portrayed all of the emotions to the audience in a manner that drew you into the play; you couldn’t help but want more. A spectacular show, one of the best I have seen all year.
These new awards are of great importance to a theatrical community jointly interested in giving expanded promotion to the theatre companies and expecially to the artists who make good theatre both possible and available to Southern Albertans. The theatre industry in Calgary exists only through the continued patronage of ticket purchases; therefore, the more promotion Calgary’s best performers and stagers receive the more we can expect to expand public support for live theatre. It should be the goal for us all to push the public, continually, towards consuming this significant personal opportunity to impact one’s intellect, emotions and ultimately the spirit of men and women. Bravo to the team of critics who invested the time to launch these new awards!
Thanks Bill! I will pass your kind words onto the other critics. Look forwrd to meeting you at the award ceremony.
Hello Jessica,
What a wonderful thing it is to have an event to celebrate Theatre and the talented Journalists who connect us to the greater community Thank you for nominating me. I wish I could have been there to toast all of you.