Helpmann Awards

[Talissa]

www.helpmannawards.com.au/2004nominees.asp

Here are the nominees. I'm not saying a word.

[nadine]

Sorry about UT.

But holy crap STC strikes again at the Helpmanns for nominations - so pleased for PC and MB.

My personal fav and I hope she wins but she probably won't but Dame Maggie Smith - was absolutely brilliant in Talking Heads - the best single performance I've seen in quite a while.

[jackjackjack]

For the first time this year, the Helpman Awards are going to be screened live on Ovation. Featuring performances from We Will Rock You, The Lion King, Saturday Night Live, and something else I don't remember cos it wasn't a musical.

I'm more excited about this than I get about the Tony's. I've actually seen two of those shows.

It will play live, but there are several screenings scheduled (all times AEST):

Mon Aug 9 8:30pm (live)
Tue Aug 10 5:30am
Tue Aug 10 12:30pm
Sat Aug 14 4:30pm
Sun Aug 15 2:00am
Sun Aug 15 9:15am

The down side: I'll be at work for the live screening. I could watch it at work (I work for Foxtel), but I'd be distracted by my job. I'll have to have it taped.

There's an article and pictures in the Foxtel magazine. I don't have it on me but I'll try to remember to bring it home tomorrow night.

Very exciting!

James

[jackjackjack]

Well, here's the article. I got a little over excited in the last post and said there was a performance from The Producers. My bad. I have edited it out.

Treading the boards

It seems fitting that when FOXTEL Magazine spoke to Simon Burke, host of the Helpmann Awards, he was in a hotel in South Australia. After all, the Awards' eponymous dancer, Sir Robert Helpmann, was one of the state's most iconic exports.

Now in its fourth year, the Awards celebrate excellence in all aspects of the performing arts, making Helpmann a natural choice for namesake. As Simon says, "He was a practitioner of theatre, ballet, opera and musical theatre, and he was such an extraordinary human being that to call it the Helpmann Awards, it gives it that cachet already."

In the beginning...
According to Simon, "it was long overdue that Australia had a national recognition of the performing arts," along the lines of the Tony Awards in America or the British Olivier Awards. He admits, though, that, "We started out in 2001 really not knowing what we were going to do or how it was going to be received. But we came up with a formula that seemed to be very entertaining and pretty classy and I suppose that's been reflected in the fact that Ovation have picked it up this year to be broadcast live."

The next step...
"It apparently took the Tonys 10 years to get on television," Simon points out. The Helpmanns have done it in only four. But while he's clearly excited about the Awards being broadcast nationally, Simon laughs that, "We're going out live on television, so that's going to up the ante just a little bit more!" Ovation's Head of Channel, Tony Thornton, is equally thrilled. "Giving our audience the opportunity to see so much great Australian talent performing and being rewarded in one spectacular night is a milestone for Ovation," he says.

Let them entertain you
Last year, well known actors Colin Friels and Rachel Griffiths took home the awards for Best Male and Female Actor in a Play (for Copenhagen and Proof, respectively). Other winners included Cabaret - which Simon notes, "won a swag of awards" including Best Musical - and Graeme Murphy, who collected the Best Choreography award for Swan Lake.

This year, Hugh Jackman is rumoured to be making an appearance. There will also be performances from Disney's The Lion King, We Will Rock You and Saturday Night Fever, plus the Australian Dance Theatre, george's Katie Noonan and her soprano mum, Maggie, and more.

And unlike some awards ceremonies, the Helpmanns set a cracking pace. "We're quite good at getting through them [quickly]," says Simon, "but we have to be even better this year!"

[nadine]

I went to last year's awards - it started the whole Carroll family juggernaut <vbg>

I was going to go this year but decided not to when I heard they were on Ovation

Still there's some mighty damn fine theatre nominees in there... which reminds me saw Peter last night at Theystes - kinda hard when he walked right next to me <g>

[Talissa]

Just a reminder that the Helpmanns are on tonight.

Incidentally, is anyone taping them? If so... *Puss-in-Boots eyes*

Oh, and an article about them. It says that Producers and Urinetown are up for nomination next year. Yay!

www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,10382398%255E16947,00.html

[nadine]

The phrase kicking myself is what applies to me tonight

I'm seeing blooming Othello @ the STC tonight an hour before the Helpmanns start - except Othello is 3 hours long and it's a Night with the Actors which means I won't be out until 10pm - oh well have to tape it on Ovation when it's repeated tomorrow.

re: Urinetown - that gives me the impression that they're definitely going to try and tour with it - it wouldn't surprise me at all if the STC tries to pick it up as part of their 2005 schedule for the Sydney Festival.

[nadine]

www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/08/09/1092022400003.html

Full list of winners will pop up at the official site tomorrow.

www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,10397404%255E1702,00.html

All I can say is about bloody time they had some common sense in terms of awards in general (it made up for all of the other awards) - I would have throttled someone big time if Maggie Smith didn't win that Best Female Actor in a Play - she was absolutely superb in Talking Heads.

[Talissa]

www.helpmannawards.com.au/2004winners.asp

Full list of winners is up. Congratulations to all of them. Yay for Amanda Harrison. She deserved that.

So, did anyone tape it? ;D

~Julia

[Lana]

But poor Prinnie!!
But GO AMANDA WHOOO!

[Talissa]

But at least Prinnie is keeping herself busy with Aus Idol

Edit: Ooops, or not. That's what I get for not paying enough attention to pop culture.