Arabella cleans up

2008 Helpmann Awards announced last night. Among the winners

Best Direction of an Opera: John Cox, Arabella, Opera Australia
Best Female Performer in a Supporting Role in an Opera: Emma Matthews, Arabella, Opera Australia
Best Female Performer in an Opera: Cheryl Barker, Arabella, Opera Australia (damn right!!)
Best Opera: (quelle surprise!) Arabella, Opera Australia

And suddenly I feel all's right in the world...although an award for Peter C-W would have been nice.

Comments

[Isabella]

Seriously? Best Supporting Female??

[Sarah]

Apparently so. Surprised me too. It should totally have been Antoinette for Streetcar.

[David]

About time that Cheryl Barker won a Helpmann award!!! Can you believe she has never won one before and has lost out on quite a few occassions to Emma Matthews. The last time Cheryl Barker won an operatic award in this country was a Mo Award in 98 for Butterfly-just ridiculous!!

Emma Matthews has consistently raked them in over the years. Lulu was fine she was quite amazing, but the rest are highly questionable. Supporting actress for Arabella is just a joke (did thos who voted actually see it??)and confirms that those who vote have been sucked in by the hype of a singer who is talented sure, but not the consistently best and only talented singing actress who has performed in Australia.

There, I have had my Emma Matthews bitch for the week and at least sense prevailed with Ms Barker taking the award!!

[Sarah]

I can't fathom the brain of anyone who would vote against our Cheryl for such an award.
Meanwhile I'm amazed anyone even noticed Emma in Arabella, it wasn't until the last ten minutes that she really did anything special. Those who voted for her might have seen HER performance but can't possibly have seen Antoinette as Stella...she was robbed, I tell you!

[Isabella]

Brava Cheryl. At least they got that particular award right. I did see Arabella, but I did not hear Ms Matthews. Pretty good to win a national award for a pretty mime.