The Ovation Award winners have been announced. Congratulations to those chosen and all of the nominees. Public acknowledgement of one's work is a nice thing.
I also want to acknowledge those who were not nominated but put forth some amazing performances throughout this year.
I'm not sure exactly what qualifies -- or disqualifies -- a production for nomination. Does it have to have been reviewed by John Moore? If so, that disqualifies a lot of really good shows that only ran for a couple of weekends or that slipped under the Denver Post's radar. Don't get me wrong. the Ovation Awards are a good thing, and it's nice of John to go to the effort. It isn't practical to include every show performed in the greater Denver area in 2006 for consideration, and I think that John does a lot to keep the process fair and largely free from favoritism. It's not a perfect process.
I myself saw just over 30 shows this year (some more than once), so I would like to acknowledge what I saw as some stand-out productions this year, and companies to keep an eye on in 2007. This will include a bit of overlapping with the Ovation Awards, but also some shows that were probably missed by the "selection committee." I'm choosing not to single out individuals as I will inevitably leave someone out. (And, with my luck, it would be someone who carries pepper spray.)
Of the shows that I saw in 2007, these really impressed me:
The Pajama Game and My Fair Lady - Performance Now (looking forward to their Gypsy next year)
The Wiz - PHAMALy (Our Town opens in January with mostly the same cast)
The Full Monty - Arvada Center (I know I said it's not as funny as the movie, but it's still funny, and it was well done.)
Bat Boy, The Musical - Boulder Broadway Company (If anybody knows what they've got lined up in 2007, please let me know.)
The Intelligent Design of Jenny Chow - NextStage (Save the Phoenix! Save the Phoenix!)
Smell of the Kill -The Avenue Theatre
As It Is In Heaven - The Backstage Theatre
Equus - Lake Dillon Theatre Company
Proof - Evergreen Players
Tartuffe: Born Again - Germinal Stage
The Dresser - Bas Bleu
Turn of the Screw - Modern Muse Theatre
The Robber Bridegroom - Metro State College of Denver
Urinetown - Score Marketing
Cinderella - Town Hall Arts Center
Keep up the good work in 2007, gang, and I'll do what I can to help keep your seats filled.
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