NOT content with staging a gala each year at Llewellyn Hall, the Canberra Area Theatre Awards, better known as the CATS, threw a barbecue dinner party last night to announce the nominations for the 21st annual awards.

Host for the evening was CATS patron and showbiz star Jon English, helped by ‘Mr Hollywood Gossip’ Craig Bennett and a line-up of local entertainers, overseen by the Queen of the CATS, publicist and awards founder, Coralie Wood.

Visitors included representatives of dramatic societies from around the region, as far away as Batemans Bay, Wagga Wagga and Cowra, as well as local theatre-lovers, who received booklets containing  the many nominations in various categories, technical and artistic.

Frontrunners for Best Production of a Musical included Dubbo Theatre Company’s “Evita”, Dramatic Productions’ “Into the Woods,” and productions of “Mary Poppins” by both Free-Rain Theatre Company in Canberra and Bidgee Theatre Productions in Wagga Wagga.

Short-listees for Best Production of a Play included “Shirley Valentine” by Wagga Wagga School of Arts Inc, “Moonlight and Magnolias” by Spectrum Theatre Group in Merimbula, and no fewer than four shows by Canberra REP— “Casanova,” “The Crucible”, “Don’t Dress for Dinner” and “Much Ado About Nothing.”

Conspicuous by its absence on the list of more than 150 nominations was Peewee Productions’ “Jesus Christ Superstar” at the AIS Arena – far too many CATS insiders were producers of the show.

The ICON Water and ActewAGL CAT AWARDS, at Llewellyn Hall, February 21, bookings to catawards.com.au