Awards Generously Sponsored by: 

The January 2017 Ovation Awards, Celebrating the Musicals of 2016
​The 13th Annual OVATION! Awards, was held on Sunday January 29 at the ​Vancouver Academy of Music. 
The Awards Show will be MC'd by local musical theatre favorites: Jesse Alvarez, Cecilly Day, Ryan Nuñez, and Katie Purych. 

Special guest Bill Millerd, announced the re-namining of two financial awards in honour of Amy Wallis (1983-2015) and Denis Simpson (1950-2010). These two awards were then presented by special guests Gloria Reuben and Warren Kimmel. More information about these financial awards will be available on our site shortly. 

A cast of over 50 performers sang out show tunes from 25 musicals that were presented in the Lower Mainland in 2016, and 23 awards were presented in a number of categories (listed below). Over 120 individuals and companies were nominated (listed below) and the winners are listed in BOLD. 

And the nominees (and winners in bold) for the 2016 OVATION! Awards are:

Outstanding Professional Production

• Billy Elliot - Arts Club Theatre Company
• Fame - Bring On Tomorrow Co-Op
• The Music Man - Gateway Theatre
• Onegin - Arts Club Theatre Company
• Rock of Ages - Arts Club Theatre Company

 
Outstanding Community Production - Large Theatre (150 + seats)

• Beauty and the Beast - Theatre Under The Stars
• Cabaret - Exit 22/Capilano University
• Fiddler on the Roof - Royal City Musical Theatre
• Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat - Align Entertainment
• Rent – URP Event Production in association with The Capilano University Theatre Department

 
Outstanding Community Production - Small Theatre (less than 150 seats)

• Bonnie & Clyde - Play On Words Productions
• Company - United Players
• Hair - The Renegade Arts Company
• Tommy - The Renegade Arts Company
• The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee - Fighting Chance Productions

 
Outstanding Chamber Production (small cast/six or fewer performers)

• Always… Patsy Cline - First Impressions Theatre
• Closer Than Ever - Gateway Theatre
• Go, Dog. Go! - Carousel Theatre for Young People
• The (Post) Mistress - Arts Club Theatre Company

 
Outstanding New Work

• Carry On, Music & Lyrics by Britt MacLeod, Book by Deborah Vogt - Presented by Awkward Stage Productions.
• Facing East, Music by David Rigano, Book & Lyrics by Mark Eugene Garcia, Based on the play by Carol Lynn Pearson - Presented by Fighting Chance Productions.
• Onegin, by Amiel Gladstone & Veda Hille - Presented by the Arts Club Theatre Company.

 
Outstanding Music Direction

• James Bryson - Fiddler on the Roof
• Kevin Michael Cripps - Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
• Caitlin Hayes - Closer Than Ever
• Veda Hille - Onegin
• Christopher King - The Music Man

 
Outstanding Direction

• Stephen Atkins - Cabaret
• Valerie Easton - Fiddler on the Roof
• Amiel Gladstone - Onegin
• Chad Matchette - Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
• Jovanni Sy - Closer Than Ever
• Barbara Tomasic - The Music Man

Outstanding Choreography

• Dawn Ewan - Hair
• Rachael Carlson - Cats
• Keri Minty - Cabaret
• Suzanne Ouellette - The Music Man
• Tracey Power - Onegin
• Melissa Turpin - Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

 
Outstanding Set Design

• Brian Ball - Fiddler on the Roof (RCMT)
• Drew Facey - Onegin
• Shizuka Kai - Go, Dog. Go!
• Marshall McMahen - The Music Man
• Marshall McMahen - Closer Than Ever
• Carolyn Rapanos - Cabaret

 
Outstanding Costume Design

• Carmen Alatorre - The Music Man
• Jacqueline Firkins - Onegin
• Fairlith Harvey - Cats
• Stephanie Kong - Go, Dog. Go!
• Julie White - Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat

 
Outstanding Lighting Design

• Ed Arteaga - Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
• Jeff Harrison - Closer Than Ever
• Robert Sondergaard - Rent
• Robert Sondergaard - Rock of Ages
• John Webber - Onegin

 
The Denis Simpson, Outstanding Lead Performance Award (male)

• Stuart Barkley (Joseph) - Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
• Charlie Deagnon (William Barfee) - The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
• Nick Fontaine (Bobby) - Company
• Jay Hindle (Harold Hill) - The Music Man
• Alessandro Juliani (Evgeni Onegin) Onegin
• Warren Kimmel (Tevye) Fiddler on the Roof
• Kamyar Pazandeh (J.D.) - Heathers (Co-Op)
• Kale Penny (Drew) - Rock of Ages

 
The Amy Wallis, Outstanding Lead Performance Award (female)

• Marlie Collins (Sherrie) - Rock of Ages
• Katie-Rose Connors (Narrator) - Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
• Sherry Freeman (Bonnie Parker) - Bonnie & Clyde
• Meghan Gardiner (Marion Paroo) - The Music Man
• Colleen Rae Lornie (Patsy Cline) - Always… Patsy Cline
• Christine Quintana (Veronica Sawyer) - Heathers (Co-Op)
• Meg Roe (Tatyana Larin) - Onegin
• Sara Walters (Olive Ostrovsky) - The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

 
Outstanding Supporting Performance (male/large theatre)

• Kurtis D'Aoust (Angel) - Rent
• Josh Epstein (Vladimir Lensky) - Onegin
• Steven Greenfield (Cogsworth) - Beauty and the Beast
• Victor Hunter (Lumiere) - Beauty and the Beast
• Kieran Martin Murphy (Dennis) - Rock of Ages
• Colin Sheen (Ram Sweeny) Heathers (Co-Op)
• Valin Shinyei (Michael) - Billy Elliot
• Daniel James White (Riff) - West Side Story

 
Outstanding Supporting Performance (male/small theatre)       

• Matthew Fedorowicz (Peter Phyle) - Little Miss Glitz
• Julien Galipeau (Claude) – Hair
• William Ford Hopkins (Buck Barrow) Bonnie & Clyde
• Cody Fonda (Rum Tum Tugger) - Cats
• Ryan Lino (Chip Tolentino) - The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
• Seth Little (Miss Holly Gofuckyourself) - Shine, A Burlesque Musical
• Dimitrios Stephanoy (Joe) - Fame
• Doug Thoms (Old Deuteronomy) - Cats

 
Outstanding Supporting Performance  (female/large theatre)

• Steffanie Davis (Martha Dunnstock) Heathers (Co-op)
• Paige Fraser (Franz) - Rock of Ages
• Lauren Jackson (Olga Larin) - Onegin
• Alexandra Lainfiesta (Anita) - West Side Story
• Catriona Murphy (Mrs. Wilkinson) - Billy Elliot
• Barbara Pollard (Grandma) - Billy Elliot
• Annastasia Unger (Martha Dunnstock) - Heathers (Fighting Chance Productions)
• Synthia Yusuf (Maureen) - Rent

 
Outstanding Supporting Performance (female/small theatre)

• Caitlin Clugston (Joanne) - Company
• Michelle Creber (Grace Lam) - Fame
• Lucia Forward & Amanda Lau (Mungojerrie & Rumpleteazer) - Cats
• Meaghan Hommy (McKenize Ziplock) - Little Miss Glitz
• Danielle Lemon (Lulu) - Shine A Burlesque Musical
• Stephanie Liatopoulos (Yvonne) - Bad Girls
• Florence Reiher (Namida) - Jumpin’ The Q/Virgins, a musical threesome
• Jennifer Suratos (Rona Peretti) - The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

 
Outstanding Chorus Gypsy

• Ian Backstrom - Tommy, Cats, Hair
• Maia Beresford - Rent, Beauty and the Beast
• Andrew McNee - Onegin
• Natalia McLaughlin - Beauty and the Beast
• Riley Qualtieri - West Side Story
• Stephanie Wong - Hair

 
Outstanding Newcomer

• Jolene Bernardino (Giselle) - Carry On
• Nolan Fahey (Billy) - Billy Elliot
• Tiana Jung (Jaylene Darlene) - Little Miss Glitz
• Jaime MacLean (Jemima Potts) - Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
• Isscac McAndless-Davis (Casey) - Carry On
• Jenika Schofield (Hodel) - Fiddler on the Roof (RCMT)
• Valin Shinyei (Michael) - Billy Elliot
• William Tippery (Fyedka) - Fiddler on the Roof (RCMT)

 
Special 2016 Awards

• Sharon Grogan for her make up design for Cats, presented by Fighting Chance Productions.
• The flying car created and operated for the production of Chitty Chitty Bang Bang produced by Align Entertainment. Flying components - Rob Moser & Eric Verba, car build – Mike Norlund, production manager - Patti Volk & technical director - Robin Richardson.
• The cast of Hair, who created an authentic and youthful tribe, presented by The Renegade Arts Company.
• The children’s ensemble of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat , who were an active and engaged part of the entire production.
• TThe male quartet in The Music Man (Gateway Theatre) including David Cotton, Oliver Castillo, Sean Patrick Sonier, and Theo Budd)

The 2016 Cheryl Hutcherson Award was presented to two local performers Paige Fraser & Erin Palm. Funds from this award will go directly to the post-secondary school for their continuing studies in the performing arts. 
 
Winners of the 2016 AUDIENCE CHOICE Awards were presented online before the awards show.

• 2016 Audience Choice: Outstanding Production: Onegin - presented by the Arts Club Theatre Company
• 2016 Audience Choice: Outstanding Panto - Little Red Riding Hood: An East Side Panto - presented by Theatre Replacement & The Cultch
• 2016 Audience Choice: Outstanding Remounted Musical - Avenue Q, presented by The Arts Club Theatre Company
• 2016 Audience Choice: Outstanding Special Event - Hairspray, The Lawyer Show - presented by Carousel Theatre for Young People & Touchstone Theatre