Who and what critics are applauding as 2025-26 Calgary theatre season wraps
- andreamvoice
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
Originally published June 26 at the City News Calgary website
It’s awards season for the performing arts community ahead of the summer break for professional theatre.
The Betty Mitchell Awards are on Monday, June 29, and the Calgary Theatre Critics Association will hand out its awards on July 6.
Ahead of the official handouts, 660 Newsradio caught up with critics Louis Hobson and Jenna Shummoogum to hear their assessments, standout moments, and what they felt needed more work.
Individual performers of note
Nikko Angelo Hinayo played Mo Sha in Theatre Calgary’s Tale of the Gifted Prince. Shummoogum notes that while this is not his first foray into professional theatre, this may be his breakout role: “He could sing and dance … he’s such an artist to watch.“
Kelsey Verzotti is a Calgary-born actor who is now based in Toronto, though she sure spends a lot of time here. This season, she took part in both Tale of the Gifted Prince at Theatre Calgary as well as The Verdict at Vertigo Theatre. Last year, she played Elle Woods in Legally Blonde. Shummoogum says her potential is undeniable. “I just think her talent is amazing. She has such a strong voice.”
Shaun Smyth, another Calgary-raised actor who went away and has come back. Audiences will remember his role in The Seafarer at ATP last year and this year, taking the lead role in Vertigo’s North American Premiere of The Verdict. Hobson says of Smythe, “He was so very good.” Smythe is nominated for Outstanding Performance in a Dramatic Lead Role by the Theatre Critics Association.
Hannah Adamson is new to the scene and blew audiences away in the role of Dorothy at ATP’s The Wizard of Oz. Shummoogum calls her a gem of a find for ATP.
“She did such a good job, like -such- a good job in carrying that character. And I’d never heard of her before. like a good kept secret because I didn’t know about her,” she said. Adamson is nominated for a Betty for Outstanding Lead Performance in a Musical for the role.
Helen Knight is a relatively busy working actor in the Calgary professional theatre world, but her role in Casey and Diana drew particular praise from Shummoogum, who says her part in humanizing the family fear present during the AIDS crisis brought the gravity of the story to a new generation. She is nominated for Best Outstanding Supporting Performance for the Betty Mitchell Awards for that role.
Daniel Fong is becoming a familiar face on Calgary stages. He kicked this season off with Vertigo’s The Brothers Paranormal and is nominated for a Betty for Outstanding Lead Performance in a Drama for that role.
“It’s a fairly new play that has been performed in a couple of cities across the States, and it failed abysmally in those productions. It succeeded so much for Vertigo, like so much for Vertigo. And I think it’s a function of the people on stage and the direction, and it completely hit the mark. And a lot of it rested on Daniel’s shoulders,” Shummoogum said.
Fong was also a puppeteer in Tale of the Gifted Prince at Theatre Calgary.
Alice Wordsworth receives a mention for her role in The Legend of Sleep Hollow at ATP, with Shummoogum noting her performance was bright and praising her ability to straddle the line between child and adult.
Calgary productions under consideration
In terms of specific productions, both Hobson and Shummoogum praise Come from Away at Theatre Calgary for highlighting local talent at such a high calibre. Hobson says it could run it forever.
“He had 12 incredible people on that stage. And he showcased them as a group for so much of the time. And then he would pull somebody out to do their bit. But it was a beautifully done thing,” she said.
The other musical at Theatre Calgary this year also received high praise, Tale of the Gifted Prince, is an original production that combines the talents of the theatre community, Green Fools puppetry, and live music by the Calgary Philharmonic. Hobson says artistic director Stafford Arima has said previously that his goal is to use Calgary as a place to share new musicals, and this is an example of that plan succeeding.
“It was such a gem for Theatre Calgary, and it was such a gem for Calgary to have national talent and international talent mixed in with local talent for a new play that was designed and thought out,” Shummoogum said, praising the collaboration — but with a caveat.
“I still think it needs some refinement because it was a touch too long.”
Hobson is also a particular fan of The Verdict at Vertigo, which was the North American premiere of the courtroom drama script; it’s also the first courtroom drama at Vertigo. A calculated risk that Hobson says was pulled off.
The trend of cooperation and partnership between theatre companies to provide longer run times over several venues continued this season. For instance, A Doll’s House at Theatre Calgary was in partnership with Arts Club Theatre Company in Vancouver, and ATP’s Wildwoman was a partnership with Gateway Theatre. Hobson says it’s a good plan for pooling resources and gives artists more time with the material.
Hobson overall is impressed with ATP this season.
“Haysam Kadri seems to have his finger on the pulse of the ATP audiences because everything he’s presented this year has been a huge success. A huge success,” she said.
“Wild Woman, and Casey and Diana had huge audiences. And, you know, those were plays that were sketchy. We didn’t know whether they’d work or not.”
Indie performances also praised
Beyond the larger theatre companies, both critics pointed out some gems coming from smaller, indie companies.
Botticelli In the Fire has earned 14 nominations between the Betty Mitchell Awards and the Calgary Theatre Critics Association awards. Directed by Clare Preuss and produced by Hit & Myth Productions and Downstage Theatre, Hobson calls it a high mark for theatre this year.
“I mean, that was huge. It could have bombed. With lesser people and a lesser company, it could have bombed big time. But instead, it is one of the highlights of the whole theatre season,” she said.
And on the lighter side, Beyond the Sea, at Lunchbox Theatre starring Mike Tan and Meg Farhall gets a special mention from Shummoogum, who says it took her by surprise.
“It was so soft and heartfelt. And I’m always amazed how Lunchbox can do that in an hour,” she said.
You can check out the nominees yourself for both The Betty Mitchell Awards and The Calgary Theatre Critics Awards.
And read reviews by both Jenna Shummoogum and Louis Hobson.
Comments