The cast of Theatre Calgary's Come From Away. Photo, HarderLee

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There were no real surprises at the 27th annual Betty Mitchell Awards.

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The Bettys, which honour excellence in professional theatre, were announced Monday at the Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium and reiterated what critics and audiences have been saying for months. Theatre Calgary’s production of the musical Come From Away was the critical and audience favourite of this past season. Come From Away had its run extended by a week and all those performances played to standing room only and thunderous standing ovations.

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The Betty awards committee honoured Come From Away in seven of the eight categories it was nominated, including outstanding production of a musical. Jesse Robb was honoured with Bettys for his choreography as well as his direction, and Steven Greenfield was named outstanding musical director. Scott Reid received a Betty for his set design, as did Cory Pattak for his lighting design. The cast of Come From Away received a Betty for best performance by an ensemble.

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Synthia Yusuf, Nathan Kay and Natascha Girgis in Wildwoman. Photo, Benjamin Laird

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Wildwoman which was a joint venture from Alberta Theatre Projects and Vancouver’s Gateway Theatre was named outstanding production of a play. It also took home awards for three of its actors. Natascha Girgis and Connor Stuart both received a Betty for their supporting performances, while Nathan Kay took home the Betty for outstanding lead performance in a comedy. Wildwoman also won a Betty for Olivier Lunadi’s fight direction.

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Theatre Calgary’s Tale of the Gifted Prince won Bettys for Nikko Angelo Hinayo for outstanding supporting performance in a musical, while Jessica Poirier was honoured for her costume designs.

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Eric Wigston was named outstanding lead actor in a drama for his tour de force turn in Downstage and Hit & Myth’s Botticelli in the Fire, and Grisha Martirosyan received a Betty for outstanding lead performance in a musical, for the opera Barber of Seville. Helen Knight received a Betty for her supporting work in Alberta Theatre Projects’ Casey and Diana.

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Zoe Pepper, Eswina Ngai, and Grisha Martirosyan (Figaro) in Calgary Opera’s The Barber of Seville. Photos, William Hosier

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Chromatic Theatre’s Hucksterland won Caleigh Crow, Sasha Crow and Gus Rendell a Betty for their original play Hucksterland, which also saw Neil Fleming’s video and production designs honoured. Mike Renaldi received a Betty for outstanding sound design and composition for his work on the Old Trout Puppet Workshop’s The End.

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