Last night, the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts presented the 41st annual Dora Mavor Moore Awards in a virtual edition, written by Diane Flacks and directed by Ed Roy, on its YouTube channel. (watch here) Though the 2019-20 Toronto theater season was cut short, there remained 160 eligible shows. Ten musicals received nominations, including eight nods to Caroline, or Change (produced by Musical Stage Company and Obsidian Theatre), and ten operas received nominations, including eight nods to Shanawdithit (produced by Tapestry Opera and Opera on the Avalon).
In the musical division, two shows picked up multiple awards. Jully Black won Outstanding Performance in a Leading Role and Vanessa Sears won Outstanding Performance in a Featured Role for Caroline, or Change, while Marie Farsi won Outstanding Direction and lighting designer Patrick Lavender won Outstanding Achievement in Design for Ghost Quartet.
Other musical winners included Outstanding Production to Piaf/Dietrich, Outstanding New Musical to Life in a Box (written by Landon Doak and Matthew Finlan), Outstanding Musical Direction to Adam Sakiyama for Sunday in the Park with George at Eclipse Theatre Company, and Outstanding Original Choreography to Julie Tomaino for The Adventures of Pinocchio at Young People’s Theatre.
In the opera division, the big winner was the Canadian Opera Company production of Antonín Dvořák’s Rusalka, which garnered trophies for Outstanding Production, Outstanding Direction by David McVicar, Outstanding Musical Direction by Johannes Debus, and Outstanding Achievement in Design by lighting designer David Finn.
Other opera awards included Outstanding New Opera to Shanawdithit (written by Yvette Nolan and Dean Burry), Outstanding Performance by an Individual to Marnie Breckenridge for Jacqueline, and Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble to the cast of Two Odysseys.