The 2015 Helpmann Awards were presented at Sydney’s Capitol Theatre on Monday 27 July, on the set of Cameron Mackintosh’s acclaimed new production of Les Misérables, in a ceremony hosted by Todd McKenney.

Les Misérables, The Perth International Festival, and the Brisbane Baroque Festival were the big winners of the 2015 Helpmann Awards.

The evening’s entertainment was launched by the cast of Les Misérables on their home turf at the Capitol Theatre in Sydney. The Cameron Mackintosh production picked up five awards including best musical. Simon Gleeson had a huge grin on his face when he picked up best male performer in a musical.

Stage Whispers could not help but notice that he was also limping up the stairs to collect his award. Afterwards he told us that the wear and tear is caused by the gruelling production.

Another five Helpmann winner on the night was the Brisbane Baroque in association with QPAC for an extraordinary production of the rarely performed Handel Opera Faramondo.

The festival director Leo Schofield had a Cheshire cat grin on his face having successfully moved the festival from Tasmania.

The Perth International Festival had success with productions large and small. It won best special event for The Incredible and Phenomenal Journey of the Giants to the Streets of Perth. This event was seen by an estimated 1.4 million people.

The Festival also picked up three Helpmanns for The Rabbits in association with Opera Australia and Barking Gecko Theatre, plus another three Helpmanns for co-productions.

Sydney’s mainstage theatre companies dominated the drama awards with the Sydney Theatre Company and Belvoir picking up awards in the heavyweight play categories.

Todd McKenney brought the house down with a powerful performance of “I Am What I Am” from La Cage aux Follesand Victorian Opera’s Sweeney Todd took the audience on a dark and twisted musical experience.

Clare Bowditch and the Paul Kelly Bandalso payed homage to this year’s JC Williamson Award® recipient, Paul Kelly, by performing his single from the 1995 acclaimed album of the same name, “Deeper Water”.

The Award Winners

 

BEST MUSICAL

LES MISÉRABLES - Cameron Mackintosh

BEST BALLET OR DANCE WORK

FRAME OF MIND - Sydney Dance Company

BEST PLAY

THE GLASS MENAGERIE - Belvoir

BEST OPERA

FARAMONDO - Brisbane Baroque, in association with QPAC

BEST FEMALE ACTOR IN A PLAY

PAMELA RABE - The Glass Menagerie - Belvoir

BEST MALE ACTOR IN A PLAY

HUGO WEAVING – Endgame - Sydney Theatre Company

BEST FEMALE ACTOR IN A MUSICAL

CAROLINE O’CONNOR -  Anything Goes - Opera Australia and John Frost

BEST MALE ACTOR IN A MUSICAL

SIMON GLEESON - Les Misérables - Cameron Mackintosh Australia (pictured right)

BEST FEMALE DANCER IN A DANCE OR PHYSICAL THEATRE PRODUCTION

CHLOE LEONG - William Forsythe’s Quintett - Sydney Dance Company

BEST MALE DANCER IN A DANCE OR PHYSICAL THEATRE PRODUCTION

CASS MORTIMER EIPPER - William Forsythe’s Quintett - Sydney Dance Company

BEST NEW AUSTRALIAN WORK

THE RABBITS - KATE MILLER-HEIDKE, LALLY KATZ and IAIN GRANDAGE - Opera Australia and Barking Gecko Theatre Company, in association with West Australian Opera, co- commissioned by Perth International Arts Festival and Melbourne Festival

BEST VISUAL AND PHYSICAL THEATRE PRODUCTION

THE PAPER ARCHITECT- Davy and Kristin McGuire and Perth International Arts Festival

BEST PRESENTATION FOR CHILDREN

THE RABBITS  - Opera Australia and Barking Gecko Theatre Company, in association with West Australian Opera, co- commissioned by Perth International Arts Festival and Melbourne Festival

REGIONAL TOURING PRODUCTIONS

BEST REGIONAL TOURING PRODUCTION

FESTIVAL OF CIRCA - Circa

BEST MUSIC DIRECTION

MARTIN LOWE  - Once  - John Frost, Barbara Broccoli, John N. Hart Jr., Patrick Milling Smith, Frederick Zollo

BEST SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA CONCERT

REFLECTIONS ON GALLIPOLI  - Australian Chamber Orchestra

BEST CHAMBER AND INSTRUMENTAL ENSEMBLE CONCERT

LES ARTS FLORISSANTS and LE JARDIN DES VOIX IN Â JARDIN Ã L’ITALIENNE  - Melbourne Recital Centre, Sydney Opera House and Perth International Arts Festival

BEST INDIVIDUAL CLASSICAL MUSIC PERFORMANCE

WILLIAM CHRISTIE  - William Christie - Melbourne Recital Centre, Sydney Opera House, and Perth International Arts Festival

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

KATE MILLER-HEIDKE with IAIN GRANDAGE  - The Rabbits - Opera Australia

BEST DIRECTION OF A PLAY

KIP WILLIAMS- Suddenly Last Summer - Sydney Theatre Company

BEST DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL

JOHN TIFFANY- Once - John Frost, Barbara Broccoli, John N. Hart Jr., Patrick Milling Smith, Frederick Zollo

BEST DIRECTION OF AN OPERA

PAUL CURRAN– Faramondo = Brisbane Baroque, in association with QPAC

BEST FEMALE PERFORMER IN AN OPERA

JENNIFER RIVERA  – Faramondo - Brisbane Baroque, in association with QPAC

BEST MALE PERFORMER IN AN OPERA

MICHAEL FABIANO  – Faust - Opera Australia

BEST FEMALE PERFORMER IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN AN OPERA

ANNA DEVIN - Faramondo - Brisbane Baroque, in association with QPAC

BEST MALE PERFORMER IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN AN OPERA

CHRISTOPHER LOWREY – Faramondo - Brisbane Baroque, in association with QPAC

BEST AUSTRALIAN CONTEMPORARY CONCERT

CHET FAKER | NATIONAL TOUR 2015 - Chet Faker, Frontier Touring, Artist Voice, Opulent, Future Classics and Perth International Arts Festival

BEST CONTEMPORARY MUSIC FESTIVAL

VIVID LIVE 2015 - Destination NSW and Sydney Opera House

BEST INTERNATIONAL CONTEMPORARY CONCERT

ED SHEERAN | X WORLD TOUR 2015

Ed Sheeran and Frontier Touring

BEST CABARET PERFORMER

CAMILLE O’SULLIVAN- Camille O’Sullivan – Changeling - Arts Centre Melbourne

BEST COMEDY PERFORMER

JUDITH LUCY- Judith Lucy – Ask No Questions of the Moth - Token Events

BEST CHOREOGRAPHY IN A DANCE OR PHYSICAL THEATRE PRODUCTION

RAFAEL BONACHELA - Frame of Mind - Sydney Dance Company

BEST CHOREOGRAPHY IN A MUSICAL

ANDREW HALLSWORTH - Anything Goes - Opera Australia and John Frost

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

GABRIELA TYLESOVA- The Rabbits - Opera Australia and Barking Gecko Theatre Company, in association with West Australian Opera. Co-commissioned by Perth International Arts Festival and Melbourne Festival.

BEST SCENIC DESIGN

GEOFF COBHAM - Little Bird - State Theatre Company of South Australia, in association with Adelaide Festival Centre

BEST LIGHTING DESIGN

PAULE CONSTABLE - Les Misérables - Cameron Mackintosh Australia

BEST SOUND DESIGN

MICK POTTER- Les Misérables - Cameron Mackintosh Australia

BEST MALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A PLAY

JOHN BELL - As You Like It - Bell Shakespeare

BEST FEMALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A PLAY

HELEN THOMSON - After Dinner - Sydney Theatre Company

BEST MALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MUSICAL

ALEX RATHGEBER - Anything Goes - Opera Australia and John Frost

BEST FEMALE ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE IN A MUSICAL

KERRIE ANNE GREENLAND - Les Misérables - Cameron Mackintosh Australia

2015 HELPMANN AWARDS BESTOWED AWARD

BEST SPECIAL EVENT

PERTH INTERNATIONAL ARTS FESTIVAL IN ASSOCIATION WITH ROYAL DE LUXE

The Incredible and Phenomenal Journey of the Giants to the Streets of Perth

LIFETIME ACHEIVEMENT AWARDS

SUE NATTRASS AWARD™

ERIC ROBINSON

JC WILLIAMSON AWARD®

PAUL KELLY

Best Actor in a Musical Simon Gleeson sings Bring Him Home.

 

 

Best Female Actor in a Musical Caroline O'Connor and the cast of Anything Goes

 

 

Best Female Actor in Supporting Role in a Musical Kerrie Anne Greenland