The Green Room Awards Association yesterday announced its 2007 Award recipients at a ceremony at the Arts Centre hosted by the irrepressible Julia Zemiro.
2008 marks the 25th anniversary of the Awards and fittingly it featured one of the biggest and most diverse line-ups in its history.
Home grown production Priscilla Queen of the Desert The Musical was the big winner in the most hotly contested category of the day - Music Theatre - taking home six out of ten possible awards, including Best Music Theatre Production.
Opera Australia scooped the pool in the Opera category, with its production of Rusalka winning the major awards. Barrie Kosky’s production The Tell-Tale Heart for The Malthouse was a multiple winner including Best Production in the Theatre - Companies category, whilst for Theatre - Independent the favourite was Holiday staged by Ranters Theatre for which Raimondo Cortese was also awarded Best Australian Writing.
Showbiz veteran Toni Lamond was presented with a Lifetime Achievement Award whilst opera singer John Pringle was honoured with an award for Outstanding Contribution to Opera.
President of the Green Room Awards Association Dr Mark Williams said “The 25th Green Room Awards have been an outstanding opportunity to honour and recognise excellence in a rollercoaster industry. Anyone who saw Rusalka at the State Theatre, Spamalot at Her Majesty’s, Meow Meow at The Famous Speigeltent or Raimondo Cortese’s play Holiday at La Mama received a gift of the best in Melbourne theatre last year. The good news is that some of these productions and performers, notably Priscilla, are still playing or due to return. Other companies such as Red Stitch are now firmly entrenched as centres of consistent fine work. With the Australian Ballet, Robert Curran and Jane Casson had outstanding years whilst choreographer Lucy Guerin continues to enrich contemporary dance. The full list tells a very proud story. We are grateful to all the artists and creators who astonished us in 2007.”
The Green Room voting year is from January 1st to December 31st each year. The nominations and awards are made by the Green Room membership of industry professionals, via subcommittees for each discipline.
Sydney soprano takes out Mietta AwardSydney soprano Maria Okunev has won the 10th Mietta Song Recital Award.
Maria Okunev impressed the judges with her outstanding performances of
songs by Mahler and Elgar.
Read more
