WOS Photos: Krakowski & Her Guys Get Awards

Broadway’s Jane Krakowski flew into town this week to collect two Best Actress in a Musical trophies for her West End debut last year in Guys and Dolls: the Laurence Olivier and our own Whatsonstage.com Theatregoers’ Choice Award (See News, 31 Jan 2006). After the Oliviers on Sunday night (See News, 27 Feb 2006), Whatsonstage.com met up with Krakowski at the Covent Garden Hotel to present her with her second award for her performance as Miss Adelaide in Michael Grandage’s revival of the Frank Loesser classic at the West End’s Piccadilly Theatre.

Speaking to Whatsonstage.com, Krakowski said: “When I came over from the US, everyone started telling me about Whatsonstage.com and the Awards and how it was a really big deal - and then your party, wow! Everybody was there, all the top directors and actors, it was fabulous. So I am really pleased to have won one of these. It is great that it is voted for by the public, too, that is very cool. They have something like this on Broadway, but I don't think they give you a trophy or anything. This is a really cool award.”

She added: “It is blowing my mind to have won the Whatsonstage.com Award and the Olivier as well. I had such a good time just playing the role and to win something for it as well, for something that has been one of the best years I've ever spent, is amazing. It's overwhelming. We all just had the best time doing the show.”

Krakowski’s Theatregoers’ Choice Award was one of four overall for Michael Grandage’s production of Frank Loesser’s Broadway classic. It also scooped Best Actor in a Musical for Ewan McGregor who collected his prize a few weeks ago, Best Supporting Actor in a Musical for Martyn Ellis and Best Musical Revival. Whatsonstage.com also recently paid visits to Ellis and director Michael Grandage to present them with their awards.

At the Piccadilly Theatre, where he is continuing in the role of Nicely Nicely Johnson, Ellis said: "I am absolutely delighted. I can see I was in a very close category, against some great actors, so I am very pleased. As I left the theatre each night, I sometimes had members of the audience come up to me to tell me that they had voted for me, which was lovely. I think I was really lucky to get the part, it is such a great cast. Michael Grandage really reinvented this musical and it works very well.”

He continued: “I was going to be leaving the show in March but have decided to stay on partly because I am enjoying it so much and partly because Neil Morrissey is joining the cast and he is a mate. He said he'd give me free membership to his club if I stayed. I asked Clive Rowe if he ever got bored playing Nicely Nicely (in the 1997 NT revival) and he said he would have played the part forever if they'd let him. I can see what he means. Getting that reaction night after night for ‘Sit Down You're rocking the Boat’, you can't beat it."

Grandage took a break from rehearsals for his premiere production of Mark Ravenhill’s The Cut, which has just opened this week at the Donmar Warehouse starring Ian McKellen, to accept the Best Musical Revival prize. He told Whatsonstage.com: "We’re delighted to win the Whatsonstage.com Theatregoers’ Choice Award for Guys and Dolls because it was – and continues to be – a really happy production to work on and it’s always nice to get an endorsement from members of the public for something you enjoy doing. Also, it means that it’s an endorsement for all the work that a lot of people have put into it over this last year, so thank you."

Guys and Dolls is currently booking until 2 September 2006. From Monday (6 March), Adam Cooper and Sally Ann Triplett will take over as Sky Masterson and Miss Adelaide with Neil Morrissey as Nathan Detroit and Kelly Price as Sarah Brown (See News, 7 Feb 2006).

Jane Krakowski

Martyn Ellis

Director Michael Grandage

To view the full list of winners & nominees as well as voting percentages
& the complete complement of acceptance comments, click here.

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