The Canadian Opera Company’s Medea swept the Opera Division of the Dora Mavor Moore Awards last night, taking home the trophy for all five categories. The 44th annual Dora Mavor Moore Awards gala was held at the Elgin and Winter Garden Theatre Centre, hosted by Ryan G. Hinds.
Award-winning musician and composer Adam Sakiyama served as music director for what is billed as Canada’s largest and oldest professional performing arts awards, with special guests and presenters that included Mayor Olivia Chow, and actor Eric Peterson.
The Doras 2024
There were 43 separate award categories under seven divisions.
Opera Division
- Outstanding Production: Medea, Canadian Opera Company co-production with The Metropolitan Opera, Greek National Opera, and Lyric Opera of Chicago.
- Outstanding Performance by and Invdividual: Chiara Isotton, Medea, Canadian Opera Company co-production with The Metropolitan Opera, Greek National Opera, and Lyric Opera of Chicago.
- Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble: The Ensemble of: Canadian Opera Company Chorus Medea, Canadian Opera Company co-production with The Metropolitan Opera, Greek National Opera, and Lyric Opera of Chicago.
- Outstanding Creative Direction: Sir David McVicar (Director); Jo Meredith, (Movement Director); Lorenzo Passerini (Musical Director) Medea, Canadian Opera Company co-production with The Metropolitan Opera, Greek National Opera, and Lyric Opera of Chicago.
- Outstanding Achievement in Design: Sir David McVicar (Scenic) Medea, Canadian Opera Company co-production with The Metropolitan Opera, Greek National Opera, and Lyric Opera of Chicago.
The Musical Theatre and Opera divisions share one award:
- Outstanding New Musical / New Opera: Gregory Prest, Mike Ross, Sarah Wilson, De Profundis: Oscar Wilde in Jail Soulpepper Theatre Company.
Musical Theatre Division
- Outstanding Production: Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 Crow’s Theatre and The Musical Stage Company.
- Outstanding Performance by an Individual: Damien Atkins De Profundis: Oscar Wilde in Jail Soulpepper Theatre Company.
- Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble: The Ensemble of: Rita Dottor, Donna Garner, Lawrence Libor, Marcus Nance, Heeyun Park, Andrew Penner, Brendan Wall Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 Crow’s Theatre and The Musical Stage Company.
- Outstanding Creative Direction: Chris Abraham (Director); Ray Hogg (Choreographer); Ryan deSouza (Musical Director) Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 Crow’s Theatre and The Musical Stage Company.
- Outstanding Achievement in Design: Julie Fox, Joshua Quinlan (Scenic) Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 Crow’s Theatre and The Musical Stage Company.
Other Dora Highlights
The winners were chosen from a total of 228 nominations, and 197 eligible productions.
- In the General Theatre Division, Three Sisters, Bad Roads and The Master Plan win two Doras each.
- in the Independent Theatre Division, Appropriate, took home two Awards, including Outstanding
Production, and Tyson’s Song, wins the Dora for Outstanding New Play. - In the Dance Division, Young, Gifted & Jazz and Cymatix (Citadel Spring Mix – Programme 1), won two Doras each, with Young, Gifted & Jazz picking up the Outstanding Production Award
- In the Theatre For Young Audiences Division, Storybook Search wins three Doras including
Outstanding Production. - Pinocchio earns the Dora in the Touring Division with Outstanding Touring Production.
- Benevolence Hall (Broadleaf Creative with Why Not Theatre and Toronto History Museums) takes home the inaugural Outstanding Innovative Experience Award.
- Woking Phoenix wins the Jon Kaplan Audience Choice Award, given for an Outstanding Production, in honour of the long-time theatre critic Jon Kaplan, supported by nowToronto, and chosen by online vote.
- Leonard McHardy was named as 2024 Silver Ticket Award Laureate, an award that goes to an individual who’s made an outstanding contribution to the stage.
The 44th Annual Dora Mavor Moore Awards were presented by Romano D’Andrea Foundation, and produced and presented by the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts (TAPA). It was the last Dora Mavor Moore Awards show for Producer Jacoba Knaapen, who is stepping down from TAPA at the end of this year.
Congratulations to all the winners and nominees.
Find a full list of the winners [HERE].
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