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Tri-City dancer clinches Ovation! award for TUTS musical

Nicol Spinola won the prestigious prize on Sunday night for her choreography in the Theatre Under the Stars production of "Something Rotten!"
nicol-spinola
Nicol Spinola.

A Tri-City dancer has a 2023 Ovation! award.

On Sunday, Nicol Spinola clinched the coveted prize from the APPLAUSE! Musicals Society for her choreography in Something Rotten!, a Theatre Under the Stars production that ran at Malkin Bowl in Stanley Park last summer.

Spinola, who is on faculty at Coquitlam’s Lindbjerg Academy of Performing Arts and the Tri-City Dance Centre, was a finalist in the same category for her moves in Cabaret, a show by Raincity Theatre — a company of which Spinola is the co-managing artistic director and resident choreographer.

Meanwhile, Danica Kobayashi, who appeared in previous Lindberg productions and now studies at Studio 58 in Vancouver, won the Cheryl Hutcherson Award at the 19th annual gala.

Other Ovation! nominees from the Tri-Cities included Kyra Leroux for her portrayal of Anne Shirley in Gateway Theatre’s Anne of Green Gables last month, and Dr. Charles Best Secondary music teacher Brent Hughes for his musical direction in Something Rotten! Hughes is also on faculty at Lindbjerg.

The 2023 Ovation! winners are:

  • Jessica Spenst (outstanding newcomer, female)
  • Tanner Zerr (outstanding newcomer, male)
  • Alex Gullason (outstanding lead performance, female)
  • Stewart Adam McKensy (outstanding lead performance, male)
  • Caltriona Murphy (outstanding supporting performance, female)
  • Kamyar Pazandeh (outstanding supporting performance, male)
  • Ariel Slack (outstanding set design)
  • Michael Smith (outstanding lighting design)
  • Stephanie Kong (outstanding costume design)
  • Arielle Balance (outstanding musical direction)
  • Rachel Peake (outstanding direction)
  • Nicol Spinola (outstanding choreography)
  • Kinky Boots (outstanding production, professional)
  • Something Rotten! (outstanding production, community)
  • String of Pearls (outstanding new work)