For the very first time, Spain celebrates the granting of the Max Theater Awards, equivalent to the American Tony or British Olivier Awards. The Max's were created by the General Author's Society and the Spanish Author Foundation to honor the work of professionals in the world of the performing arts.
Theater and dance professionals will designate, by vote, the winners of the Max awards. Nineteen awards will be granted by vote and four other special awards will be bestowed, in the form of a sculpture created by Joan Brossa.
The inaugrual Max Awards ceremony will take place May 25 in the Parque Ferial Juan Carlos I Meeting Palace in Madrid. The Gala celebration will be directed by the famous theatre director Luis Pasqual and will be broadcast live on television.
Next year, the Max Awards will be granted in Barcelona and in the following years, the celebration will take place in several Spanish cities.
In this first Max Awards, all the shows from theater, musical theater, (opera, Spanish light opera (zarzuela), musical, revue and opera-rock), dance (contemporary, ballet, Spanish folk dance, flamenco), circus, children's theater, puppet shows, marionettes and cabaret that have run in Spain between January 1 and December 31, 1997 were eligible for participation. The first votes have revealed the following nominees: BEST PLAY
Cegada de Amor
Eslavos
El Florido Pensil
BEST MUSICAL
El Hombre de la Mancha
Sweeney Todd
West Side Story
BEST DANCE SHOW
Carmen
Fuenteovejuna
Gitano
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTRESS
Pilar Bardem in Pelo de Tormenta
Vicky Pena in Sweeney Todd
Blanca Portillo in Eslavos
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A LEADING ACTOR
Ramon Fontserre in Dr Floit y Mr Pla
Manuel Galina in El Visitante
Juan J. Otegui in Eslavos
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTRESS
Natalia Dicenta in A Bocados
Ana Labordeta in El Visitante
Tina Sainz in La Rosa Tatuada
BEST PERFORMANCE BY A FEATURED ACTOR
Teofilo Calle in El Tragaluz
Luis Merlo in El Visitante
Francisco Maestre in Pelo de Tormenta
BEST DIRECTOR
Juan C. Perez de la Fuente for Pelo de Tormenta
Mario Gas for Sweeney Todd
J. L. Gomez for Retablo de la Avaricia
BEST PRODUCER
Luis Ramirez for El Hombre de la Mancha
La Cubana for Cegada de Amor
Centro Dramatico Nacional for Pelo de Tormenta
BEST CHOREOGRAPHY
Antonio Gades for Fuenteovejuna
Antonio Gades for Carmen
Ramon Oller for Romy y July
BEST SCORE
Fernando Arbex for La Maja de Goya
Manuel Balboa for Pelo de Tormenta
Jaume Sisa for Torito Bravo
BEST AUTHOR --PLAY
Albert Boadella for Ubu President
Antonio Buero Vallejo for El Tragaluz
Francisco Nieva for Pelo de Tormenta
BEST SCENIC DESIGN
Jon Berrondo, Sweeney Todd
Juan Pedro Gaspar and Gerardo Trotti, El Hombre de la Mancha
Jose Hernandez, Pelo de Tormenta
BEST COSTUME DESIGN
Maria Araujo, Sweeney Todd
Maria Araujo, West Side Story
Pedro Moreno, Pelo de Tormenta
BEST ADAPTATION OR TRANSLATION
Albert Boadella, Dr Folit y Mr Pla
Fernando Fernan Gomez, El Lazarillo de Tormes
Carla Matteini, Eslavos
BEST FEMALE DANCER
Carmen Cortes in Yerma
Aida Gomez in El Sombrero de tres picos
Lola Greco in La Gitanilla
BEST MALE DANCER
Antonio Canales in Gitano
Joaquin Cortes in Pasion Gitana
Antonio Gades in Carmen
BEST CIRCUS OR CABARET
Circo del Arte
Circo Raluy
De la Prospe Aqui
BEST CHILDREN'S PLAY, PUPPET SHOW OR MARIONETTES SHOW
Cuentos de Papel
Frankenstein
Hormigas sin fronteras
It is possible to purchase tickets to the Max Awards. The cost is 3,000 Spanish Pesetas and proceeds will go toward the construction of the Home for Retired Actors. For more information and ticket purchase, call +34 915 229 999. You can also visit the Max awards Official Website (just in Spanish) at http://www.sgae.es/max/
--By Carlos Lorenzo
Spain Correspondent
