With the announcement of nominees for this season’s Betty Mitchell Awards (the Bettys), and the Calgary Theatre Critics’ Awards (the Critters), the theatre awards season has officially begun. The Bettys, now in their 25th year, recognize excellence in professional theatre, while the Critters, now in their 11th year, recognize outstanding achievements in semi-professional and community as well as professional theatre. This year there are 89 nominees in 18 categories for the Bettys, and 103 nominees in 21 categories for the Critters.
With nine nods, the return of Theatre Calgary’s lavish production of A Christmas Carol received the most nominations for this season’s Bettys. This version of A Christmas Carol, shuttered in 2020 by the pandemic, received nominations for outstanding production of a play as well as outstanding performance by an ensemble. Vertigo’s The Strange Case of Dr.
Jekyll & Mr. Hyde was close behind with eight nominations. These two productions will be competing against Lunchbox Theatre and The Shakespeare Company’s The Dark Lady, Lunchbox and Chromatic Theatre’s Kisapmatic, and Theatre Calgary (TC) and Alberta Theatre Projects’ Made in Italy for outstanding production of a play.
In competition for outstanding production of a musical are TC’s Beaches The Musical, Stage West’s Beautiful – The Carole King Musical, Forte Musical Theatre’s Buy Me a Drink, Joe, Calgary Opera’s The Elixir of Love, and The Shakespeare Company and StoryBook T.
