Entertainment

Alice in Wonderland big winner at Dora Awards celebrating best in Toronto theatre

The Dora Mavor Moore Awards followed the white rabbit, handing six statuettes to Alice in Wonderland at the Toronto theatre awards on Tuesday night.

20th anniversary revival of da Kink in My Hair takes audience choice prize

A woman in a red dress with a large train fanned out in front over her and up in the air behind her stands next to a man in a brown vest and grey pants wearing furry, white rabbit ears on his head.
Actors Vanessa Sears, left, and Matt Pilipiak perform a scene from Alice in Wonderland, which took home six statuettes in the musical theatre division at the Dora Mavor Moore Awards on Tuesday night. (The Canadian Press)

The Dora Mavor Moore Awards followed the white rabbit, handing six statuettes to Alice in Wonderland at the Toronto theatre awards on Tuesday night.

The production from Bad Hats Theatre, presented by Soulpepper Theatre, won big in the musical theatre division.

It was awarded outstanding production and outstanding new musical, while Tess Benger won outstanding performance in a leading role for her portrayal of Alice.

The contemporary reimagining of Lewis Carroll's classic tale also took home outstanding direction, outstanding achievement in design and outstanding original choreography.

Forty-six awards were handed out across seven categories at the ceremony in Toronto.

Red Velvet, a dramatization of the real-life story of Ira Aldridge, a Black man who starred in Othello in 1833, led the general theatre division.

The Crow's Theatre production won two Doras: outstanding production and outstanding direction.

In the independent theatre division, First Metis Man of Odesa won the day. The Punctuate! Theatre Production, in association with The Theatre Centre, took home awards for outstanding production, outstanding new play and outstanding direction.

The winner of the Jon Kaplan Audience Choice Award is the 20th anniversary revival of da Kink in My Hair.

The Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts, which produces and presents the awards, says the play won the online vote by a wide margin.

Two people stand on either side of a chair with a person sitting in it.
Director Weyni Mengesha, centre, is photographed with actors d'bi.young anitafrika, left, and Ordena Stephens-Thompson, seen on November 9, 2022 during a break in rehearsals for the production of da Kink in My Hair, in Toronto. (Chris Young/The Canadian Press)