Legally Blonde musical takes out top Helpmann Awards

Legally Blonde musical takes out top Helpmann Awards

BUBBLE-gum musical Legally Blonde has triumphed over stage giant King Kong to take out five of the most coveted Helpmann Awards including best musical, direction and choreography. Star of the show Lucy Durack also won the award for best female actor in a musical during a star-studded awards ceremony at the Sydney Opera House on Monday. IN PICTURES: All the glitz and glam from the Helpmanns King Kong, a technical masterpiece, won four design awards for costumes, lighting, sound and scenery, plus a special award for Outstanding Theatrical Achievement. A total of 43 Helpmann Awards were presented during a dazzling night of entertainment honouring the most outstanding live performance in Australia in the past year. 20439bb2-f844-11e2-863a-a54f297353fa Comedian, actor, musician - the multi-talented Eddie Perfect hosted the 2013 Helpmann Awards. Comedian, actor, musician - the multi-talented Eddie Perfect hosted the 2013 Helpmann Awards. Source: Getty Images Hosted by Melbourne's Eddie Perfect and Christie Whelan-Browne, performers included Tim Minchin and the casts of Grease and Hot Shoe Shuffle. Awards were presented by a long list of stars including Tina Arena, Baz Luhrmann and Sarah Murdoch. 578643ea-f844-11e2-863a-a54f297353fa Tim Minchin arrives at the awards with his wife Sarah and Nel Minchin. Tim Minchin arrives at the awards with his wife Sarah and Nel Minchin. Source: Getty Images In other Helpmann categories: * Sydney Theatre Company dominated the theatre awards, winning six for acclaimed new production The Secret River, including best play, best direction and best new work. 5b2be874-f84e-11e2-863a-a54f297353fa photo A beaming Lucy Durack with her Helpmann Award for Best Female Actor in a Musical, which she won for her starring role in Legally Blonde. Source: Getty Images * However, best male and female actor awards both went to other companies. Colin Friels won for his role in Death of a Salesman at Sydney's Belvoir Street Theatre and Alison Bell won for her role in Hedda Gabler at the State Theatre Company of South Australia. 87aebf52-f844-11e2-863a-a54f297353fa Legally Blonde star Erika Heynatz with husband Andrew Kingston at the 2013 Helpmann Awards. Legally Blonde star Erika Heynatz with husband Andrew Kingston at the 2013 Helpmann Awards. Source: Getty Images * Geoffrey Rush was named best male actor in a musical for A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum. * Popular small-screen star Julia Morris won the award for best comedian and Robyn Archer was named best cabaret artist. * Opera Australia collected six awards, including best opera, best male performer (John Wegner) and best female performer (Cheryl Barker), all for Salome. 6d93cb9e-f84e-11e2-863a-a54f297353fa Sydney Opera House Sarah Murdoch, deputy chair of the Australian Ballet, arrives at the Sydney Opera House for the Helpmann Awards. Photo Jeremy Piper Source: News Limited * Celebrated Indigenous dance company Bangarra won best ballet or dance work for TERRAIN. * In the concert categories, Bruce Springsteen won best international act and Neil Finn and Paul Kelly won best Australian act. * Both the Melbourne Theatre Company and The Australian Ballet left empty-handed. 74bdb966-f844-11e2-863a-a54f297353fa Director Baz Luhrmann hits the red carpet at the Helpmann Awards. Photo Jeremy Piper Director Baz Luhrmann hits the red carpet at the Helpmann Awards. Photo Jeremy Piper Source: News Limited Now in its 13th year, the Helpmann Awards, run by Live Performance Australia, have become one of the major highlights on Australia's entertainment calendar. Chief executive Evelyn Richardson said competition had been fierce in a strong year of work. "It's an outstanding list," she said. "One of the things we're really pleased with was the number of entries we received this year, 822. That's a fantastic achievement." 4c380492-f844-11e2-863a-a54f297353fa Legally Blonde's Helen Dallimore with her award for Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role. Legally Blonde’s Helen Dallimore with her award for Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role. Source: Getty Images Richardson said she was not concerned that some companies went home empty-handed while others dominated. "Everyone gets sensitive about which state and which company wins, but it's swings and roundabouts," she said. "Some years one company cleans up and the next it could be completely different." 2013 HELPMANN AWARD WINNERS Best Regional Touring Production CIRCA Circa, toured by Performing Lines for Road Work Best Male Performer in a Supporting Role in an Opera Jose Carbo Die Tote Stadt Opera Australia Best Female Performer in a Supporting Role in an Opera Jacqueline Dark Salome Opera Australia Best Chamber and/or Instrumental Ensemble Concert Jordi Savall and Andrew Lawrence King Melbourne Recital Centre Best Scenic Design Peter England King Kong Global Creatures Best Costume Design Roger Kirk King Kong Global Creatures Best Presentation for Children School Dance Windmill Theatre Best Individual Classical Music Performance Simone Young conducting the Hamburg Philharmonic Orchestra Das Rheingold by Richard Wagner (concert performance) Hamburg State Opera with the Hamburg Philharmonic Orchestra and Symphony No. 2 in C Minor, Resurrection by Gustav Mahler, Soloists from the Hamburg State Opera with the Hamburg Philharmonic Orchestra and Brisbane Mahler Chorus Queensland Performing Arts Centre and Tourism and Events Queensland Best Choreography in a Musical Jerry Mitchell Legally Blonde The Musical Howard Panter for The Ambassador Theatre Group and John Frost Best Lighting Design Peter Mumford King Kong Global Creatures Best Choreography in a Dance or Physical Theatre Production Antony Hamilton Black Project 1 and 2 Antony Hamilton Projects, Arts House and Insite Arts Best Visual or Physical Theatre Production S Circa and Brisbane Festival Best Sound Design Peter Hylenski King Kong Global Creatures Best Special Event White Night Melbourne Victorian Major Events Company on behalf of the State Government of Victoria Best Music Direction Iain Grandage The Secret River Sydney Theatre Company in association with The Confederation of Australian International Arts Festivals, Sydney Festival, The Centenary of Canberra, Perth International Arts Festival Best International Contemporary Concert Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band Wrecking Ball 2013 Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band and The Frontier Touring Company in association with Jacobsen International Best Cabaret Performer Robyn Archer Robyn Archer in Concert: QUE RESTE-T-IL? at the Famous Spiegel Garden and Toulouse-Lautrec Cabaret and Curator Dinner at the National Gallery of Australia Robyn Archer, Michael Morley (Piano), George Butrumlis (Accordian) Best Direction of an Opera Alex Olle Un Ballo in Maschera Opera Australia Best Direction of a Play Neil Armfield The Secret River Sydney Theatre Company in association with The Confederation of Australian International Arts Festivals, Sydney Festival, The Centenary of Canberra, Perth International Arts Festival Best Direction of a Musical Jerry Mitchell Legally Blonde The Musical Howard Panter for The Ambassador Theatre Group and John Frost Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical Russell Dykstra The Addams Family Rodney Rigby, Stuart Oken, Roy Furman, Michael Leavitt, Five Cent Productions, Eva Price, Silvio Salom, Stuart Ditsky/Adam Ditsky, James Herbert, Arthur Hershaft, Cheryl Lachowicz, Mary Khoury, Mary Lu Roffe and Gian Christian by special arrangement with Elephant Eye Theatrical Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical Helen Dallimore Legally Blonde The Musical Howard Panter for The Ambassador Theatre Group and John Frost Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Play Colin Moody The Secret River Sydney Theatre Company in association with The Confederation of Australian International Arts Festivals, Sydney Festival, The Centenary of Canberra, Perth International Arts Festival Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Play Amber McMahon School Dance Windmill Theatre Best Australian Contemporary Concert Neil Finn and Paul Kelly Neil Finn, Paul Kelly and Live Nation Australasia by arrangement with Artist Voice Best Original Score Iain Grandage The Secret River Sydney Theatre Company in association with The Confederation of Australian International Arts Festivals, Sydney Festival, The Centenary of Canberra, Perth International Arts Festival Best Contemporary Music Festival The 24th Annual Bluesfest Byron Bay Bluesfest Best New Australian Work Kate Grenville, An Adaptation for the Stage by Andrew Bovell The Secret River Sydney Theatre Company in association with The Confederation of Australian International Arts Festivals, Sydney Festival, The Centenary of Canberra, Perth International Arts Festival Best Comedy Performer Julia Morris Julia Morris - No Judgement Fox in the Snow Outstanding Theatrical Achievement For the design, creation and operation of King Kong - the creature Creature Designer: Sonny Tilders Aerial Director and King's Men Movement: Gavin Robins Puppetry Director: Peter Wilson Kong's Voice: Harley Durst The King's Men: Lincoln Barros, James Brown, Adam Davis, Simon Fairweather, Josh Feldschuh, Brett Franzi, Nathan Jones, Nathan Kell, Russell Leonard, Brent Osborne, Troy Phillips, Mike Snow, Maxwell Trengove, Tayo Wilson Kong Voodoo: Harley Durst, Danny Miller, Jacob Williams (Kong Captain), Steve Coupe (Puppetry Captain and Voodoo Understudy) Circus Captain: Leigh-Anne Vizer Best Male Dancer in a Dance or Physical Theatre Production Alisdair Macindoe Dual Stephanie Lake and Arts House Best Female Dancer in a Dance or Physical Theatre Production Deborah Brown TERRAIN Bangarra Dance Theatre Best Ballet or Dance Work TERRAIN Bangarra Dance Theatre Best Male Performer in an Opera John Wegner Salome Opera Australia Best Female Performer in an Opera Cheryl Barker Salome Opera Australia Best Symphony Orchestra Concert Das Rheingold by Richard Wagner (concert performance), Hamburg State Opera with the Hamburg Philharmonic Orchestra Queensland Performing Arts Centre and Tourism and Events Queensland Best Male Actor in a Musical Geoffrey Rush A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum John Frost Best Female Actor in a Musical Lucy Durack Legally Blonde The Musical Howard Panter for The Ambassador Theatre Group and John Frost Best Male Actor in a Play Colin Friels Death of a Salesman Belvoir Best Female Actor in a Play Alison Bell Hedda Gabler State Theatre Company of South Australia Best Opera Salome Opera Australia Best Play The Secret River Sydney Theatre Company in association with The Confederation of Australian International Arts Festivals, Sydney Festival, The Centenary of Canberra, Perth International Arts Festival Best Musical Legally Blonde The Musical Howard Panter for The Ambassador Theatre Group and John Frost




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