All four leads in Dancap's hit musical Jersey Boys won Dora acting nominations on Wednesday, including from left, Michael Lomenda, Jeff Madden, Quinn VanAntwerp and Jeremy Kushnier.All four leads in Dancap's hit musical Jersey Boys won Dora acting nominations on Wednesday, including from left, Michael Lomenda, Jeff Madden, Quinn VanAntwerp and Jeremy Kushnier. (Joan Marcus/Dancap Productions)The blockbuster musical Jersey Boys, a play exploring love between two aboriginal teens and a new Canadian contemporary dance work by choreographer Crystal Pite are among the nominees for the 30th annual Dora Mavor Moore Awards, announced at Toronto's downtown opera house on Wednesday.

Members of Toronto's performance community and media gathered at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts for news of this year's nominees for the theatre, opera and dance honours, as well as the winners of three additional distinguished prizes.

Agokwe, 23-year-old Ojibwa artist Waawaate Fobister's one-man production, lead the general theatre division with eight nominations, in categories such as outstanding new play and outstanding production of a play. His multi-character monologue, presented by Buddies in Bad Times, explores the unrequited love between two teenage boys from neighbouring reserves.

The Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts will once again present the Audience Choice Award as part of the Doras gala. The public is invited to cast a vote for their favourite — choosing from each division's nominees for outstanding production — at co-sponsor Now Magazine's website, www.nowtoronto.com. Voting runs June 11 to June 26.

Quick on its heels is the Broadway-born blockbuster Jersey Boys from Dancap Productions, which nabbed seven Dora nominations. The quartet of actors who star as the singing group the Four Seasons in the musical — Jeremy Kushnier, Michael Lomenda, Jeff Madden and Quinn VanAntwerp — were on hand Wednesday to announce this year's Dora nominees and will also compete against each other in the category of principal male role in a musical.

The hit production will also compete in the categories of direction of a musical (Des McAnuff), choreography (Sergio Trujillo) and outstanding production of a musical.

Other notable nominees among general theatre productions include Soulpepper's A Raisin in the Sun (six nominations), Crow Theatre's I, Claudia (five nominations), the Mirvish revival of The Sound of Music (five nominations, including for its CBC reality TV-chosen lead, Elicia MacKenzie) and Peggy Baker Dance Projects's Radio Play (four nominations).

National Ballet of Canada dancers Greta Hodgkinson and Aleksandar Antonijevic perform a scene from Crystal Pite's Emergence in March.National Ballet of Canada dancers Greta Hodgkinson and Aleksandar Antonijevic perform a scene from Crystal Pite's Emergence in March. (Cylla von Tiedemann/National Ballet of Canada)Crow Theatre also fared well in the independent division, with its drama Eternal Hydra up for 10 Dora trophies; fu-GEN Asian-Canadian Theatre Company's lady in the red dress follows with seven nods.

The Canadian Opera Company once again dominates the opera division, nabbing a total of 12 nominations for its stagings of War and Peace, Fidelio, Simon Boccanegra and Rusalka as well as for singers Adrianne Pieczonka, Laura Claycomb, Mikhail Agafonov and Paolo Gavanelli.

The National Ballet of Canada's Innovation — the first time in the company's nearly 60-year history it staged a program of new works by contemporary Canadian choreographers — was incredibly well received in March, and Crystal Pite's nature-inspired offering to the program, Emergence, has earned four Dora nominations.

Radiant, a Princess Productions work from the company's Made in Canada/Fait au Canada series, also got four nods.

In the realm of theatre for young audiences, Lorraine Kimsa Theatre for Young People leads the nominees with a total of 13 nominations.

A complete list of nominees is available online from the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts, which administers the annual celebration.

Careers honoured

Wednesday's announcement also included a tribute to four individuals for their overall contributions to the performance community. Actor and improv comic Colin Mochrie won the Barbara Hamilton Memorial Award, which celebrates excellence in the performing arts and advocacy on behalf of the greater arts community in Canada.

Colin Mochrie, seen at right following an appearance before the CRTC in February, is being honoured for his performing career as well as for serving as an advocate of the arts. Colin Mochrie, seen at right following an appearance before the CRTC in February, is being honoured for his performing career as well as for serving as an advocate of the arts. (ACTRA/Canadian Press)"I'm not used to getting awards; I'm much more used to handing them out at award shows. So, it's rare for me," a stunned Mochrie told CBC News after his win. "I'm very happy. I'm very honoured. You would think I would have something witty I've come up with, but [I've got] nothing."

"I started off doing theatre in Vancouver, like real plays with real actors, and I love doing it," he said, adding that after his TV roles and touring with improv colleague Brad Sherwood, he'll be returning to theatre next year in CanStage's production of Art.

"I'd forgotten how much I love being on the stage. It's the only place in my life where I'm relaxed and just enjoy being. There's no substitute for having a live audience there, being connected with you.

"I'm looking forward to [returning to theatre] and yet very scared because it's been awhile. I'm hoping to come back into the theatre community and if they keep giving me awards, it makes it a little easier."

Also honoured were Theatre Columbus co-founders and co-artistic directors Leah Cherniak and Martha Ross, who were presented the George Luscombe Award for influencing and mentoring many in the Canadian theatre world, and producer Naomi Campbell, who won the fledgling Leonard McHardy and John Harvey Award for arts administration.

The 30th annual Dora Mavor Moore Awards, hosted by CBC Radio host Jian Ghomeshi, will take place at Toronto's historic Winter Garden Theatre on June 29.