New Westminster talent is once again coming up big in the 2019 OVATION! Awards nominations, announced today.
The awards celebrate the best musical theatre of 2018 in the region, and Royal City Musical Theatre is once again a major player.
Its production of Cabaret, which ran at the Massey Theatre in April, has a slew of nominations, including Outstanding Community Production of a Musical, Outstanding Music Director (James Bryson), Outstanding Direction (Valerie Easton) and Outstanding Choreography (Easton). Christopher David Gauthier picked up a nomination for costume design and Robert Sondergaard for lighting design.
The production also has several performance nominations to its credit, led by Lauren Bowler for the Amy Wallis Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical – Female award and Andrew Cownden for the Denis Simpson Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical – Male award. Nominated for their work in Supporting Performance categories are Cheryl Mullen and Damon Calderwood, while Jennifer Lynch earns a nod in the Outstanding Ensemble Member (Female) category.
The Kit Kat Girls and Boys are also nominated in the Special Award category (which honours outstanding work that doesn’t fall into a particular category).
Ryan McNeill Bolton and Mike Kovac are also nominated in the Special Award category for their fight choreography on multiple productions, including Cabaret (along with Little Miss Glitz, Cinderella, 42nd Street and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street).
Other New Westminster connections abound in the list of this year’s nominees.
Peter Jorgensen is nominated in the always competitive Outstanding Direction category for his work on Gateway Theatre’s It’s a Wonderful Life. That production also earned a host of other production and performance awards, including Outstanding Professional Production.
The Outstanding Choreography category also features local residents Keri Minty for her work on Capilano University’s Anne of Green Gables, and Nicol Spinola for Theatre Under the Stars’ Cinderella.
New Westminster’s Colleen Winton is nominated in the Amy Wallis Outstanding Lead Performance – Female (Small Theatre) category for her work with the Snapshots Collective production of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.
Two locals also earned Outstanding Newcomer nominations: Amanda Lourenco for her work in Theatre Under the Stars’ Cinderella, and Caleb Lagayan for his performance as Gilbert Blythe in Capilano’s Anne of Green Gables.
Winners will be announced at the 15th annual OVATION! Awards ceremony and show, coming Sunday, Jan. 27 to the Vancouver Academy of Music.
For a full list of nominees, see www.applausemusicals.com.
Did we miss anyone? If you know any other New Westminster connections that aren’t mentioned here, please email Julie, [email protected].
NOTE: This story was updated Jan. 14 with new information.
