PLAYED ITS FINAL PERFORMANCE
AT THE NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE, OTTAWA
ON DECEMBER 2, 2023
AT THE NATIONAL ARTS CENTRE, OTTAWA
ON DECEMBER 2, 2023
Prison Dancer: The Musical scooped five major Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Awards. This all-Filipino sensation thrilled audiences at the National Arts Centre, Ottawa from November 23 to December 2, 2023. Inspired by a viral video from 2007 of Filipino inmates dancing to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” Canada’s first ever musical produced, created and performed by Filipinos took home the following honours:
Outstanding Production of a Musical: Prison Dancer: The Musical
Outstanding Score: Romeo Candido
Outstanding Performance in a Leading Role: Julio Fuentes
Outstanding Performance in a Supporting Role: Diana Del Rosario
Outstanding Choreography or Fight Direction: Julio Fuentes
Prison Dancer: The Musical is a stage musical and transmedia experience that spans multiple platforms, as an interactive musical web series, a performative cinema experience, and a musical stage production. Prison Dancer: The Musical was created and written by Romeo Candido and Carmen De Jesus, and produced by Ana Serrano and Carla Serrano. Our Tita and Tito Founding Circle of co-producers include: Gail Asper, Vicenta Gaspar-Yoo, Jennifer Ouano and Jonathan Reinis. It is inspired by, but not based on, the viral YouTube phenomenon The Dancing Inmates of Cebu.
Dora Award-winning Director Nina Lee Aquino helmed the staged production at The Citadel Theatre in 2023, which garnered rave reviews, nominations in 8 categories at Edmonton’s Sterling Awards and won 5, including Outstanding Production of a Musical and Outstanding Score.
Prison Dancer: The Musical played a limited engagement run as part of Nina Lee Aquino’s Inaugural Season as Artistic Director of The National Arts Centre’s English Theatre from Nov 23 – Dec 2, 2023.
GALLERY
