13th Music Theatre Award Presented: Here Are the Winners

What a circus! On Wednesday evening, the stars gathered in the ring at Circus Roncalli for the 13th presentation of the Austrian Music Theater Awards. In a two-and-a-half-hour gala moderated by master of ceremonies Christoph Wagner-Trenkwitz, the best in the field were brought to the forefront in 22 categories. The Vienna State Opera and the MusikTheater an der Wien (MaW) led the caravan with four honors each.

Awards for State Opera and MusikTheater an der Wien

The MaW was able to prevail in the operetta category, which was dedicated to Harald Serafin, who passed away two days ago and was awarded the lifetime achievement award at last year's gala. The revival of Leonard Bernstein's "Candide" brought the house the victory, which delighted its Artistic Director Carolin Wielpütz: "Anyone can do tragic, funny is the royal category!"

Both delighted and distressed, "Candide" director Lydia Steier was honored as the winner in the directing section for her achievement in bringing the piece, long considered difficult, to its peak form. "The problem child had found its theatrical form," emphasized Steier, who was all the more stunned that threatened legal actions by the heirs had prevented the production's success on other stages.

At the State Opera, it was rather the categories for performers where success was found. For instance, Holly (Flack) as Molly (Mare) in Alexander Raskatov's "Animal Farm" could have personally rejoiced - had the soprano not had to return to the USA from Schwechat due to visa issues. State Opera Director Bogdan Roščić stepped in to accept the award, while also offering the most personal praise of the evening to Georg Nigl during his honor as best lead actor: "It's great that you exist!"

For the best lead actress, the chief also stepped in due to absence. Salzburg Festival Director Markus Hinterhäuser praised the winner Lisette Oropesa as one of the new pillars of the festival. At the same time, the recognition of Mieczysław Weinberg's "The Idiot" as the best opera production gave Hinterhäuser the opportunity to address the recent exclusion of the Munich Philharmonic and its Jewish conductor Lahav Shani from the festival in Ghent, Belgium: "One must imagine this: in the midst of the so-called community of values in Europe!"

Salzburg Festival Secures Prestige Categories

Supporting role winner Michael Laurenz, awarded for his role as David in the "Meistersinger" at the State Opera, thanked his wife, "who puts up with every nonsense," while Michael Schade, as director of the Baroque Days at Stift Melk, addressed an even higher being and thanked for the support "from above." The same would probably also be needed by the orchestra of Bühne Baden, which is planned to be dissolved by politics, prompting Wagner-Trenkwitz to remark that the New Music specialists of Klangforum undoubtedly deserved their recognition as the best orchestra, "even though in light of recent developments, I would have suggested the orchestra of Bühne Baden."

"Cross Over often means that people exceed the limits of their talent," Wagner-Trenkwitz introduced the winner in this category, which certainly did not apply to Tobias Moretti. Strauss Year impresario Roland Geyer praised the honoree as a "virtuoso of transition," who pragmatically admitted: "It's a torture to stand next to such long speeches of praise." Lifetime achievement awardee Ferruccio Furlanetto, on the other hand, enjoyed the standing ovations in the circus ring: "This warmth of the audience has meant Vienna to me for 40 years."

"Cagliostro" as an Intermezzo

Heartwarmingly handmade, the 13th award gala also presented itself. Singer Eva Maria Marold came out as a presenter one category too early from the wings, while master of ceremonies Wagner-Trenkwitz already went down the wrong aisle. And those who had so far avoided the circus highlight "Cagliostro," initiated as part of the ongoing Strauss anniversary year, were offered a significant portion of the project through the evening's musical interludes. Only Der Nino aus Wien and Ernst Molden broke out of this series with their "circus music."

Between the musical interludes, a total of awards in 15 categories from the broad field of opera, operetta, and musical were announced under Roncalli's circus dome. These were joined by seven special awards. The decision on the winners was made, as always, by a panel of experts consisting of renowned music journalists, chaired by critic veteran Heinz Sichrovsky and Joachim Leitner from the "Tiroler Tageszeitung."

The Winners of the 13th Music Theatre Award at a Glance

Best Female Lead Role
Lisette Oropesa as Ophélie in "Hamlet" at the Salzburg Festival

Best Male Lead Role
Georg Nigl as Nekrotzar in "Le Grand Macabre" at the Vienna State Opera

Best Female Newcomer
Jaye Simmons in various roles at the Volksoper Vienna

Best Male Newcomer
Matteo Ivan Rašić as Nemorino in "L'elisir d'amore - The Elixir of Love" at the Opera Burg Gars

Best Female Supporting Role
Holly Flack as Mare Molly in "Animal Farm" at the Vienna State Opera

Best Male Supporting Role
Michael Laurenz as David in "Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg" at the Vienna State Opera

Best Set Design
Paolo Fantin and Klaus Bruns for "Animal Farm" at the Vienna State Opera

Best Musical Direction
Petr Popelka for "Schwanda, the Bagpiper" at the Theater an der Wien

Best Overall Opera Production
"The Idiot" at the Salzburg Festival

Best Overall Operetta Production
"Candide" at the Theater an der Wien

Best Overall Musical Production
"School of Rock" at the Landestheater Linz

Best Overall Youth Production
"Where the Wild Things Are" at the Theater an der Wien

Best Direction
Lydia Steier for "Candide" at the Theater an der Wien

Best World/First Performance
"Let's Forget the World" at the Volksoper Wien

Best Off-Production
"Luziwuzi" at the Rabenhof Theater

Special Awards

(APA/Red)

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