King Kong and Victorian Opera’s Nixon in China dominate Melbourne's Green Room Awards

Multi-million-dollar musical King Kong and the Victorian Opera have both led the list of honourees at the 31st Melbourne Green Room awards, presented at Melbourne’s Comedy Theatre on Monday night (28th April).

King Kong, which is on its way to Broadway, won six awards, including a special award for technical achievement for developing the robot monster ape. Actress Esther Hannaford won for her performance as the ape’s intended victim.

The next best performed musical was Chitty Chitty Bang Bang with two awards, including one for Peter Casey’s musical direction.

The top male performer was David Harris in Legally Blonde.

The Victorian Opera also won six awards with its version of the contemporary work Nixon in China winning in four categories, including best production, best conductor (Fabian Russell), best male lead for Bradley Daley’s performance as Mao Tse-tung and best supporting female for Eva Jinhee Kong’s performance as his wife, Chiang Ch’ing.

Other awards went to the state opera company for the ensemble in The Magic Pudding, and Stuart Maunder for best director in the cabaret category for Sondheim’s Sunday in the Park with George.

The national company Opera Australia won four awards in its category, with three going to its production of Handel’s Partenope, including one for Christopher Alden’s direction.

Malthouse Theatre topped its category with four awards, including three for its adaptation of Angela Carter’s version of the Bluebeard story, The Bloody Chamber. It won best production and Alison Whyte was best female performer in the lead role.

The company’s other award went to Tom E. Lewis and Michael Kantor for The Shadow King, their Indigenous retelling of King Lear.

The much bigger Melbourne Theatre Company won three awards, but two of these went to the guest production of the children’s summer entertainment, The Book of Everything from Sydney’s Belvoir Theatre, including one for Neil Armfield’s direction.

Actor Steve Mouzakis won the award for male lead in the MTC’s adaptation of The Cherry Orchard.

The independent theatre category was dominated by the production of Savages at fortyfivedownstairs theatre, with four awards. Patricia Cornelius won the writing gong for her depiction of male aggression unleashed on holidays, while Suzie Dee won best director.

The best production went to The Sovereign Wife by Sisters Grimm which was part of the MTC’s Neon Festival of independent work. Ash Flanders won the award for best male performer in a role he performed in drag.

St Kilda’s Theatre Works hosted two award-winning shows – the Daniel Schlusser Ensemble won two gongs for M&M, its Melbourne Festival adaptation of the Russian literary classic, The Master and Margarita, while Genevieve Giufre won the award for best female performer in Psycho Beach Party by Little Ones Theatre.

In dance, the Australian Ballet’s Cinderella won three awards, including best choreography for Alexei Ratmansky and top male performer Daniel Gaudiello, who also won for his role as Basilio in Don Quixote.

The veteran Aboriginal performer Jack Charles won the lifetime achievement award, while the Aboriginal theatre company, Ilbijerri, won for its contribution to the industry.

In the cabaret category, John Newman won a lifetime contribution award, while the other gongs category went to Yana Alana for Between the Cracks and Tommy Bradson for Sweet Sixteen Or The Birthday Party Massacre.

The Green Room Awards are Melbourne’s performing arts awards and recognise the world-class cabaret, dance, musical theatre, opera, theatre and alternative/hybrid performance productions that grace Melbourne’s stages each year. From artistic excellence to technical innovation, a Green Room Award is the most revered accolade an artist can receive in Australia’s cultural capital.

The Green Room Awards were first held in 1982.

For more information go to www.greenroom.org.au

16th April 2014 - CLOSURE OF MELBOURNE’S PALACE THEATRE CONFIRMED