# 7th Helpmann Awards

The 7th Annual Helpmann Awards for live performance in Australia were held on 6 August 2007 at the Capitol Theatre in Sydney.

## Winners and nominees

In the following tables, winners are listed first and highlighted in boldface. The nominees are listed below the winner and not in boldface.

### Theatre

| Best Play | Best Direction of a Play |
| The Lost Echo – Sydney Theatre Company Holding the Man – Griffin Theatre Company Parramatta Girls – Company B The Season at Sarsaparilla – Sydney Theatre Company | Barrie Kosky – The Lost Echo Benedict Andrews – The Season at Sarsaparilla Wesley Enoch – Parramatta Girls Michael Hill – Waiting for Godot (State Theatre Company of South Australia) |
| Best Female Actor in a Play | Best Male Actor in a Play |
| Ursula Yovich – Capricornia (Company B) Elena Kalinina – Uncle Vanya (Sydney Festival) Pamela Rabe – Mother Courage and Her Children (Sydney Theatre Company) Alison van Reeken – The Carnivores (Black Swan Theatre Company) | Jefferson Mays – I Am My Own Wife (Melbourne Theatre Company, Sydney Theatre Company and Hothouse Theatre) Peter Carroll – The Season at Sarsaparilla John Gaden – The Lost Echo Cameron Goodall – Hamlet (State Theatre Company of South Australia and Queensland Theatre Company) |
| Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Play | Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Play |
| Deborah Mailman – The Lost Echo Hayley McElhinney – Mother Courage and Her Children Rebecca Massey – It Just Stopped (Company B and Malthouse Theatre) Bojana Novakovic – Eldorado (Malthouse Theatre) | Paul Capsis – The Lost Echo Matthew Newton – The History Boys (Melbourne Theatre Company) Sean Taylor – Uncle Vanya (State Theatre Company of South Australia) Dan Wyllie – The Pillowman (Melbourne Theatre Company) |

### Musicals

Best Musical :
| Keating! – Company B Hedwig and the Angry Inch – Showtune Productions Miss Saigon – Michael Coppel, Louise Withers and Linda Bewick Priscilla Queen of the Desert the Musical – Liz Koops and Garry McQuinn for Back Row Productions, Alan Scott, Michael Chugg for Chugg Entertainment, Michael Hamlyn for Specific Films and John Frost ||
| Best Direction of a Musical | Best Choreography in a Musical |
| Neil Armfield – Keating! Laurence Connor – Miss Saigon Craig Ilott – Hedwig and the Angry Inch Simon Phillips – Priscilla Queen of the Desert the Musical | Kelley Abbey & Kenny Ortega – The Boy from Oz (BFO Arena) Ross Coleman – Pippin (Peter Cousens' Kookaburra: The National Musical Theatre Company) Ross Coleman – Priscilla Queen of the Desert the Musical Geoffrey Garratt & Bob Avian – Miss Saigon |
| Best Female Actor in a Musical | Best Male Actor in a Musical |
| Laurie Cadevida – Miss Saigon Chrissy Amphlett – The Boy from Oz Sharon Millerchip – Pippin Silvie Paladino – Sideshow Alley (McPherson Ink) | iOTA – Hedwig and the Angry Inch David Harris – Miss Saigon Hugh Jackman – The Boy from Oz Tony Sheldon – Priscilla Queen of the Desert the Musical |
| Best Female Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical | Best Male Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical |
| Colleen Hewett – The Boy from Oz Robyn Arthur – Sideshow Alley Genevieve Lemon – Priscilla Queen of the Desert the Musical Trisha Noble – Pippin | Terry Serio – Keating! Juan Jackson – Miss Saigon RJ Rosales – Miss Saigon Michael Caton – Priscilla Queen of the Desert the Musical |

### Opera and Classical Music

| Best Opera | Best Direction of an Opera |
| Rusalka – Opera Australia Alcina – Opera Australia The Love of the Nightingale – West Australian Opera, Perth International Arts Festival, Victorian Opera, Opera Queensland, Queendsland Music Festival and Queensland Performing Arts Centre Satyagraha – State Opera of South Australia, Leigh Warren & Dancers, The Adelaide Vocal Project | Douglas Horton – The Hive (ChamberMade) Olivia Fuchs – Rusalka Lindy Hume – The Love of the Nightingale Leigh Warren – Satyagraha |
| Best Female Performer in an Opera | Best Male Performer in an Opera |
| Emma Matthews – The Love of the Nightingale Cheryl Barker – Rusalka Susan Bullock – Tristan und Isolde (West Australian Opera) Elvira Fatykhova – La traviata (Opera Australia) | Jonathan Summers – Rigoletto (Opera Australia) Tobias Cole – Julius Caesar (Opera Australia) Julian Gavin – Rusalka Adam Goodburn – Satyagraha |
| Best Female Performer in a Supporting Role in an Opera | Best Male Performer in a Supporting Role in an Opera |
| Orla Boylan – The Love of the Nightingale Bernadette Cullen – Tristan und Isolde Taryn Fiebig – La clemenza di Tito (Opera Australia) Pamela Helen Stephen – Julius Caesar | James Egglestone – The Love of the Nightingale Christopher Field – Julius Caesar Harry Peeters – Tristan und Isolde |
| Best Classical Concert Presentation | Best Performance in a Classical Concert |
| Revolution – Australian Chamber Orchestra Ashkenazy conducts Rachmaninov – Sydney Symphony Rossini Gala – Sydney Symphony Mozart Symphony No 36 KV425, Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 5 – Vienna Philharmonic presented by Sydney Opera House | Melbourne Symphony Orchestra – Master Series - Courage under fire Shostakovich Symphony No 7 Leningrad (Melbourne Symphony Orchestra) Robert Adam – Carmina Burana/Chichester Psalms/Knoxville Concert (Opera Australia) Vadim Repin – Vadin Repin plays Sibelius (West Australian Symphony Orchestra) Terry Riley – 2006 Alfred Hook Lecture and Recital by Terry Riley as part of the Aurora Festival (Aurora New Music) |

### Dance and Physical Theatre

| Best Ballet or Dance Work | Best Visual or Physical Theatre Production |
| Structure & Sadness – Lucy Guerin Company Lawn – Brisbane Powerhouse Monumental – Melbourne International Arts Festival and Ros Warby zero degrees – Les Ballets C. De La B. and Akram Khan Company presented by Sydney Festival | Honour Bound – Sydney Opera House and Malthouse Theatre The 7 Fingers – The Arts Centre La Clique – Spiegletent International presented by Sydney Festival and the Victorian Arts Centre The Space Between – Circa presented by Sydney Festival |
| Best Choreography in a Dance or Physical Theatre Work ||
| Akram Khan and Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui – zero degrees Lucy Guerin – Structure & Sadness Michael Kantor, Gideon Obarzanek & Lucy Guerin – Tense Dave (Malthouse Theatre) Splintergroup – Lawn ||
| Best Female Dancer in a Dance or Physical Theatre Work | Best Male Dancer in a Dance or Physical Theatre Work |
| Ros Warby – Monumental Lucinda Dunn – Don Quixote (The Australian Ballet) Michelle Heaven – Tense Dave Kirstie McCracken – Structure & Sadness | Akram Khan – zero degrees Bradley Chatfield – CUT (Sydney Dance Company) Byron Perry – Headlock (Malthouse Theatre) Byron Perry – Structure & Sadness |

### Contemporary Music

| Best Australian Contemporary Concert | Best Performance in an Australian Contemporary Concert |
| Murundak – Melbourne International Arts Festival and Arts House The Countdown Spectacular – The Frontier Touring Company & Michael Gudinski Damien Leith "The Winner's Journey - Live" – The Harbour Agency David Campbell "Wild With Style" – newtheatricals, Sydney Opera House and Lunchbox Theatrical Productions | David Campbell – Wild With Style Damien Leith – The Winner's Journey - Live Kylie Minogue – Showgirl Homecoming Tour (The Frontier Touring Company) Olivia Newton-John – Olivia Newton-John with the Sydney Symphony (Sydney Symphony) |
| Best Contemporary Music Festival | Best International Contemporary Music Concert |
| The 18th East Coast Blues and Roots Music Festival – Peter Noble, Chugg Entertainment, Definitive Events WOMADelaide – WOMADelaide Foundation St Jeromes Laneway Festival – Rockin Roll Circus & Chugg Entertainment Big Day Out Festival 2007 – Vivian Lees and Ken West, Creative Festival Entertainment | Pink - I'm Not Dead! Tour – Michael Coppel Chick Corea and Gary Burton with the Sydney Symphony – Sydney Symphony Lou Reed's Berlin – Arts at St. Ann's and Sydney Festival Robbie Williams: Close Encounters Tour – Chugg Entertainment |

### Other

| Best Special Event | Best Comedy Performer |
| Billy Crystal – 700 Sundays – DCE, Janice Crystal, Larry Magid and Face Productions Gate Theatre Beckett Season – Gate Theatre Dublin presented by Sydney Festival Operatunity Oz performance of "Rigoleto" – Opera Australia Walking with Dinosaurs - the Live Experience – WW T-Rex | Adam Hills – Joymonger (Token Events) Tom Gleeson – Tom On! (A-List Entertainment) Fiona O'Loughlin – Fiona O'Loughlin (Andrew Tayor Management) Akmal Saleh – Akmal Live! (A-List Entertainment) |
| Best Presentation for Children | Best Regional Touring Production |
| Jackie French's Hitler's Daughter – Monkey Baa Theatre for Young People The Adventures of Snugglepot & Cuddlepie and Little Ragged Blossom – Windmill Performing Arts and Company B in association with Sydney Festival, Perth International Arts Festival & Adelaide Festival Centre Emily Loves to Bounce! – Patch Theatre Company The Fairies Live On Stage – Andrew Kay & Associates, GGA & ABC | Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks – Ensemble Productions in association with Christine Dunstan Productions Clan – Bangarra Dance Theatre Cosentino "Evolution" – Cosentino Entertainment The Messiah – HotHouse Theatre |

### Industry

Best New Australian Work :
| Barrie Kosky and Tom Wright – The Lost Echo Stephan Elliott and Allan Scott – Priscilla, Queen of the Desert Nigel Jamieson – Honour Bound Alan John and John Clarke with Doug MacLeod – The Adventures of Snugglepot & Cuddlepie and Little Ragged Blossom Lucy Guerin – Structure & Sadness Richard Mills and Timberlake Wertenbaker – The Love of the Nightingale ||
| Best Original Score | Best Music Direction |
| Paul Keelan & Gary Young – Sideshow Alley James Brett – Walking with Dinosaurs - the Live Experience Alan John – Mother Courage and Her Children Richard Mills – The Love of the Nightingale | Richard Mills – The Love of the Nightingale Casey Bennetto – Keating! Stephen 'Spud' Murphy – Priscilla Queen of the Desert the Musical Guy Simpson – Miss Saigon |
| Best Scenic Design | Best Costume Design |
| Brian Thomson – The Boy from Oz Robert Cousins – The Season at Sarsaparilla Dan Potra – The Love of the Nightingale Richard Roberts – Raymonda (The Australian Ballet) | Tim Chappel & Lizzie Gardiner – Priscilla Queen of the Desert the Musical Anna French – Raymonda Roger Kirk – The Pirates of Penzance (Opera Australia) Tess Schofield – The Adventures of Snugglepot & Cuddlepie and Little Ragged Blossom |
| Best Lighting Design | Best Sound Design |
| Al Gurdon – Robbie Williams: Close Encounters Tour Jon Buswell – Raymonda Bruno Poet – Rusalka John Rayment – Walking with Dinosaurs - the Live Experience | Michael Waters – The Woman in Black (Lunchbox Theatrical Productions, Singapore Repertory Theatre and newtheatricals) Steve Francis – Keating! Peter Grubb for System Sound – Miss Saigon Michael Waters – The Boy from Oz |

### Lifetime Achievement

* JC Williamson Award
* Professor Barry Tuckwell AC OBE
* Dame Margaret Scott AC DBE