By Emily R. Zarevich, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Who wouldn’t enjoy a summer evening where you can sip a nice, cold drink in shorts and sandals while singing along to catchy show tunes?
On Saturday, June 20, 2026, Drury Lane Theatre on New Street hosted its annual celebratory bash for the cream of the crop in Burlington’s musical theatre scene. Organized by Sheila Flis, the venue welcomed a season’s worth of stars to hand out well-deserved awards in theatre excellence. The theme was Hawaiian luau party, which was fitting, considering that everyone is in a summer mood and eager for a sunny vacation. The catering company Ross Food Serves provided a sumptuous feast of kebabs, pulled pork, cold salads, and pineapple upside-down cake. Everyone came dressed in their best Hawaiian shirts, floral dresses, sunglasses, and beaming smiles.
Paul Demario returned once again as a charismatic host. This year, shining medals of honour were presented to the talented actors and members of the stage crews who worked hard to put together Drury Lane’s great entertainment successes of 2025/2026: Mel Brooks’ comedy-horror extravaganza Young Frankenstein, the riotous 45th Annual Musical Hall, and the Gershwins’ snazzy and jazzy Nice Work If You Can Get It. The adjudicators this year, who had to make the challenging decisions of who won each award, made up a respected committee including Danny Harvey, Doug Massey, Christina Mines, and Jaclyn Scobie.
A total of thirty awards for various achievements in musical theatre went out to the best of the best of the 2025/2026 season. Some stand-out accomplishments include:
Super team Mary Buzzelli and Carrie Mines collected Best Costume Design for Nice Work if You Can Get It, for which they outfitted a huge cast in snappy flapper dresses and tailored suits to tell a story of bootlegging in New York City during the Roaring ‘20s.
Eastman Welsford and Alix Kingston took home Best Male Lead and Best Female Lead for their roles as the quirky Dr. Frederick “Fronkensteen” and his sultry love interest Inga in Young Frankenstein, about a descendant returning to his family’s infamous experiments.
May Farquhar and Paul Schlatman’s tender performance of Nat King Cole’s “Unforgettable” from the 45th Annual Music Hall, an affectionate tribute to late members of Drury Lane Theatre, was awarded Best Duet/Trio by the judges.
Young Frankenstein was ultimately awarded Best Production out of the three contenders for the prize. Co-producers Jennifer McLennan, Rick MacKenzie, and Peter Smurlick, along with the members of the cast who were present, took to the stage to accept the award.
The next generation of performers came out to Drury Lane to show off their talents. The three winners of the annual Young Artists Competition, which was held on June 6, 2026, each earned a standing ovation for their renditions of fun and popular Broadway hits. Junior division Claire LeBlanc took the audience into the world of a child’s imagination with “It’s Possible” from Seussical The Musical. Intermediate division winner Mia Hickey highlighted the character development of goth child Wednesday Addams with “Pulled” from The Addams Family Musical. And senior division winner Faye Ruthart emphasized the importance of having simple, happy dreams in life with “Somewhere That’s Green” from Little Shop of Horrors.
The versatile local actor Mark Rotil, who appeared in all three major shows at Drury Lane this year, was absent from the evening’s party. However, he was duly celebrated with a Moments of Magic Award for his memorable, varied performances as comedic sidekicks and, at one point, a love-scorned lion in a silly Disney version of Chicago’s “Cell Block Tango” during the Music Hall. The whole cast of the Music Hall scored a Moments of Magic award for the hilarious “City of Strangers” skit, which was at one point described by the adjudicators as everything a Music Hall should be. Drury Lane Theatre should be proud of everything its members and volunteers accomplished this year.
Drury Lane Theatre is taking a break from shows for now so that everyone can watch soccer and head off in all directions for even more summer vacationing. In the fall, the theatre will begin its 2026/2027 season with its highly anticipated production of A Christmas Story, in which young Ralphie Parker navigates holiday hijinks and begs for a toy gun. Theatregoers can look forward to seeing many familiar Drury Lane faces in A Christmas Story, so stay tuned for the holiday fun. Tickets are already available for purchase (click here).
