warning Hi, we've moved to USCANNENBERGMEDIA.COM. Visit us there!

Neon Tommy - Annenberg digital news

25th Ovation Awards Proves Theatre Is Alive And Well In L.A.

Ryan David McRee, Elizabeth Mary Weir |
November 3, 2014 | 12:44 p.m. PST

Contributors

The L.A. Ovation Awards Logo. (@LaStageAlliance/Twitter)
The L.A. Ovation Awards Logo. (@LaStageAlliance/Twitter)
This year, at the 25th Annual Los Angeles Ovation Awards, 318 productions competed in 35 Ovation categories and were evaluated by 235 Ovation voters in the only peer-judged theatre awards show dedicated to recognizing excellence in theatre in the Greater Los Angeles area. Actors, directors, designers, choreographers, producers and more gathered at the San Gabriel Mission Playhouse Sunday night to celebrate the accomplishments of the past year in the Los Angeles theatre community.

Although several productions achieved wide-sweeping success, such as “Floyd Collins” at The La Mirada, “Country House” at the Geffen PLayhouse, and “The Pliant Girls” at Fugitive Kind Theater, no theatre company was a clear frontrunner above the rest.

Narcissa Vanderlip, Parmer Fuller and Els Collins. (Ryan David McRee)
Narcissa Vanderlip, Parmer Fuller and Els Collins. (Ryan David McRee)

Among the many attendees were both faculty and alumni of the USC School of Dramatic Arts, including Parmer and Lili Fuller, Joe Sofranko, Brian James Polak, Els Collins, and Kimberly Hessler, and others. Brian Kite, who will be directing USC’s spring production of “Grease”, was nominated for Best Director of a Musical for “Les Miserables” at The La Mirada Center for the Perfoming Arts.

The presentation of the awards was stunning and well organized. Katie Lowes and Kate Burton, both cast members of the hit show “Scandal," hosted the event. They were accompanied by a successful group of professionals in the industry, accomplished in theatre, film and television, for the presentation of the awards.

Along with the verbal presenters was a pair of ASL interpreters that signed for the entirety of the event. The LA Stage Alliance showed great respect for the deaf theatre community by presenting the Best Play (Large Theatre) award entirely in ASL. The staging of the show was elegant, with many elaborate drapes and curtains constantly changing behind the presenters and a variety of lighting to highlight the action onstage. Christopher Murillo’s scenic design and Dan Weingarten’s lighting design really added to the theatricality of the event.

The LA Stage Alliance has done a great service in uniting the theatre community of Los Angeles for the past twenty-five years, proving that Los Angeles is indeed a thriving hub for theatre in the United States.

Without further ado, here is the list of Ovation Award winners in each category.

Best Season:

Fountain Theatre

Best Production of a Play (Intimate Theatre):

The Recommendation, IAMA Theatre Company

Best Production of a Play (Large Theatre):

The Country House, Geffen Playhouse

Best Production of a Musical (Intimate Theatre):

110 In the Shade, Actors Co-op

Best Production of a Musical (Large Theatre):

Floyd Collins, La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts

Best Presented Production:

Matthew Bourne’s Sleeping Beauty, Center Theatre Group

Acting Ensemble For a Play:

The Country House, Geffen Playhouse

Acting Ensemble For a Musical:

Maurice Hines Is Tappin’ Thru Life, Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts

Choreography:

Kelly Todd, Lysistrata Jones, Chance Theatre

Music Direction:

Sherrie Maricle, Maurice Hines Is Tappin’ Thru Life, Wallis Annenberg Center For the Performing Arts

Book For an Original Musical:

Ross Golan, The Wrong Man, Skylight Theatre Company

Lyrics/Music For an Original Musical:

Ross Golan, The Wrong Man, Skylight Theatre Company

Playwriting For an Original Play:

Meghan Brown, The Pliant Girls, Fugitive Kind Theater

Director of a Musical:

Richard Israel , Floyd Collins, La Mirada Center For the Performing Arts

Director of a Play:

Guillermo Cienfuegos, Henry V, Pacific Resident Theatre

Amanda McRaven, The Pliant Girls, Fugitive Kind Theater

Lead Actor in a Musical:

Jamoes Barbour (Jean Valjean), Les Misérables, La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts/McCoy Rigby Entertainment

Lead Actress in a Musical:

Nicole Parker (Fanny Brice), Funny Girl, 3-D Theatricals

Lead Actor in a Play:

Malcolm Barrett (Dwight Barnes), The Recommendation, IAMA Theatre Company

Lead Actress in a Play:

Deborah Strang (Lola), Come Back, Little Sheba, A Noise Within

Featured Actor in a Musical:

Leigh Wakeford (Carmen Ghia), The Producers, 3-D Theatricals

Featured Actress in a Musical:

Tracy Lore (Frau Blucher), Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein, Musical Theatre West

Featured Actor in a Play:

Hugo Armstrong (Ted), Backyard, The Echo Theater Company

Featured Actress in a Play:

Rebecca Gray (Susan), Firemen, The Echo Theater Company

Lighting Design (Intimate Theatre):

Jeremy Pivnick, Everything You Touch, The Theatre @ Boston Court/Rattlestick Playwrights Theater

Lighting Design (Large Theatre):

Peter Kaczorowski, The Country House, Geffen Playhouse

Scenic Design (Intimate Theatre):

Jeff McLaughlin, Pray to Ball, Skylight Theatre Company

Scenic Design (Large Theatre):

Allen Moyer, Parfumerie, Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts

Sound Design (Intimate Theatre):

John Zalewski, R II, The Theatre @ Boston Court

Sound Design (Large Theatre):

Richard Woodbury, Slowgirl, Geffen Playhouse

Costume Design (Intimate Theatre):

Jenny Foldenauer, Everything You Touch, The Theatre @ Boston Court/Rattlestick Playwrights Theatre

Costume Design (Large Theatre):

Michael Krass, Parfurmerie, Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts

Video/Projection Design:

Michael Hoy & Adam Flemming, The Wrong Man, Skylight Theatre Company

Composition for a Play:

Dave Robbins, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Actors' Gang

Fight Choreography:

Ahmed Best, Backyard
, The Echo Theater Company

Puppet Design:

Michelle Zamora , Roald Dahl’s The Magic Finger, MainStreet Theatre Company

Sherwood Award:

Sean Cawelti, Director

Building Excellence In Small Theatre Award:

A Noise Within

The Blank Theatre Company

Circle X Theatre Company

East West Players

The Fountain Theatre

The Theatre @ Boston Court

For more information about the 25th L.A. Ovation Awards visit LAStageAlliance.com/OvationAwards

Contact Contributors Ryan David McRee here and Elizabeth Mary Weir here.

For more Theater & Dance coverage click here.



 

Buzz

Craig Gillespie directed this true story about "the most daring rescue mission in the history of the U.S. Coast Guard.”

Watch USC Annenberg Media's live State of the Union recap and analysis here.

 
ntrandomness