Helpmann Awards turn a shade of pink

Sir Robert Helpmann is sure to have approved. The awards named in his honour, the Helpmann Awards, have taken a decidedly bent feel, with queers, gays and icons topping the list of the nominated plays and shows.

Priscilla: Queen of the Desert, Holding the Man, Hedwig and The Angry Inch, The Boy From Oz and The Lost Echo dominated this year’s very pink list of Helpmann Award nominees.

Even Kylie Minogue’s Showgirl Homecoming Tour scored a nod.

Priscilla: Queen of the Desert scooped the pool with six nominations, including Best Musical, Best Direction and Best Choreography.

The arena spectacular production of The Boy from Oz scored four nominations, while the critically acclaimed Hedwig and the Angry Inch has three.

Best Actor in a musical is a particularly high voltage race, with the highly tipped Tony Sheldon (Priscilla) up against Hugh Jackman (The Boy from Oz) recreating his Tony Award-winning performance, iOTA (Hedwig) in his star-making role and David Harris in the acclaimed Miss Saigon.

Holding the Man, the stage adaptation of Tim Conigrave’s beloved book, has been nominated for Best Play, alongside The Lost Echo, Parramatta Girls, and the gender-bending The Season of Sarsaparilla.

The Lost Echo has also scored nominations for Best Director for Barrie Kosky and Best Supporting Actor for Paul Capsis.

The post-breast cancer stage comeback, Showgirl Homecoming Tour, scored a nomination for Kylie Minogue for Best Australian Contemporary Concert, alongside Olivia Newton-John, David Campbell and Idol winner Damien Leith.

The Helpmann Awards ceremony will be held on 6 August at the Capitol Theatre, and will be telecast on Foxtel’s Bio Channel. Tickets go on sale for the ceremony on Saturday.