Michael Arden, Daniel J. Watts, and More Win LA Stage Alliance Ovation Awards
By: Stephi Wild Jan. 14, 2020
The 30th Annual LA Stage Alliance Ovation Awards, celebrating theatrical excellence and achievement throughout Los Angeles, were presented on Monday, January 13, at the Theatre at Ace Hotel in downtown LA.
Thirty-six awards were bestowed upon 13 different Southern California theatre companies. The most honored companies and productions of the year were Geffen Playhouse (A Christmas Carol, Lights Out: Nat "King" Cole); Fountain Theatre (Cost of Living, Hype Man: A Break Beat Play); Sophina Brown (Two Trains Running); Pasadena Playhouse (Ragtime); La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts (Singin' in the Rain); Skylight Theatre (Bronco Billy - The Musical); Center Theatre Group (Dana H.); and Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts (Witness Uganda). Fountain Theatre received the Best Season Award (Cost of Living, Daniel's Husband, Hype Man: A Break Beat Play).
Ovation Honors, which recognizes outstanding achievement in areas that are not among the standard list of nomination categories, were awarded to Romero Moseley (Music Composition for a Play, Hype Man: A Break Beat Play at Fountain Theatre, and Dillon Nelson & Erin Walley (Puppet Design, Argonautika, A Noise Within).
Additionally, Center Theatre Group presented the 2019 Richard E. Sherwood Award for innovative and adventurous artists to writer, comedian, and performance artist Mat Diafos Sweeney. This award is endowed by the Sherwood family and is accompanied by $10,000 to further Sweeney's artistic work.
Complete list of winners:
BEST SEASON
FOUNTAIN THEATRE
Cost of Living
Daniel's Husband
Hype Man: a Break Beat Play
BEST PRODUCTION OF A PLAY - Intimate Theatre
COST OF LIVING
Fountain Theatre
BEST PRODUCTION OF A PLAY - Large Theatre
Charles Dickens' A CHRISTMAS CAROL
Geffen Playhouse
BEST PRODUCTION OF A MUSICAL - Intimate Theatre
LIZZIE, THE MUSICAL
Chance Theater
BEST PRODUCTION OF A MUSICAL - Large Theatre
RAGTIME
Pasadena Playhouse
BEST PRESENTED PRODUCTION
A NIGHT WITH Janis Joplin
La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts
ACTING ENSEMBLE OF A PLAY
COST OF LIVING
Fountain Theatre
ACTING ENSEMBLE OF A MUSICAL
WITNESS UGANDA
Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts
CHOREOGRAPHY
Spencer Liff
SINGIN' IN THE RAIN
La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts
MUSIC DIRECTION
Darryl Archibald
RAGTIME
Pasadena Playhouse
BOOK FOR AN ORIGINAL MUSICAL
DENNIS HACKIN
BRONCO BILLY - THE MUSICAL
Skylight Theatre Company
LYRICS/COMPOSITION FOR AN ORIGINAL MUSICAL
Michele Brourman, CHIP ROSENBLOOM & John Torres
BRONCO BILLY - THE MUSICAL
Skylight Theatre Company
PLAYWRITING FOR AN ORIGINAL PLAY
Lucas Hnath
DANA H.
Center Theatre Group
DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL
David Lee
RAGTIME
Pasadena Playhouse
DIRECTION OF A PLAY
Michael Arden
Charles Dickens' A CHRISTMAS CAROL
Geffen Playhouse
LEAD ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Michael Starr
SINGIN' IN THE RAIN
La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts
LEAD ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Sara King
SINGIN' IN THE RAIN
La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts
LEAD ACTOR IN A PLAY
Jefferson Mays
Charles Dickens' A CHRISTMAS CAROL
Geffen Playhouse
LEAD ACTRESS IN A PLAY
Deidre O'Connell
DANA H.
Center Theatre Group
FEATURED ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
DANIEL J. WATTS
LIGHTS OUT: NAT "KING" COLE
Geffen Playhouse
FEATURED ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Amber Iman
WITNESS UGANDA
Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts
FEATURED ACTOR IN A PLAY
Adolphus Ward
August Wilson'S TWO TRAINS RUNNING
Sophina Brown
FEATURED ACTRESS IN A PLAY
Xochitl Romero
COST OF LIVING
Fountain Theatre
COSTUME DESIGN - Intimate Theatre
MYLETTE NORA
August Wilson'S TWO TRAINS RUNNING
Sophina Brown
COSTUME DESIGN - Large Theatre
Dane Laffrey
Charles Dickens' A CHRISTMAS CAROL
Geffen Playhouse
FIGHT DIRECTION
JEN ALBERT
SUCKER PUNCH
Coeurage Theatre Company
LIGHTING DESIGN - Intimate Theatre
Andrew Schmedake
THE LAST FIVE YEARS: A MULTISENSORY EXPERIENCE
After Hours Theatre Company
LIGHTING DESIGN - Large Theatre
Ben Stanton
Charles Dickens' A CHRISTMAS CAROL
Geffen Playhouse
SCENIC DESIGN - Intimate Theatre
JOEL DAAVID
A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE
Dance On Productions, LLC
SCENIC DESIGN - Large Theatre
Dane Laffrey
Charles Dickens' A CHRISTMAS CAROL
Geffen Playhouse
SOUND DESIGN - Intimate Theatre
Jeff Gardner
August Wilson'S TWO TRAINS RUNNING
Sophina Brown
SOUND DESIGN - Large Theatre
JOSHUA D. REID
Charles Dickens' A CHRISTMAS CAROL
Geffen Playhouse
VIDEO/PROJECTION DESIGN - Intimate Theatre
NICHOLAS SANTIAGO
COST OF LIVING
Fountain Theatre
VIDEO/PROJECTION DESIGN - Large Theatre
Lucy Mackinnon
Charles Dickens' A CHRISTMAS CAROL
Geffen Playhouse
Ovations Honors Recipients
MUSIC COMPOSITION FOR A PLAY
ROMERO MOSLEY
HYPE MAN: A BREAK BEAT PLAY
Fountain Theatre
PUPPET DESIGN
DILLON NELSON & ERIN WALLEY
ARGONAUTIKA
A Noise Within
The ceremony was directed by Jonathan Muñoz-Proulx with musical direction by Dolf Ramos and choreography by Angela Todaro. Scenic advisor was Sarah Krainin, lighting design was by Tom Ontiveros, sound design was by Cricket Myers, and projection design was by Jason H. Thompson. Production stage manager was Cate Cundiff. Assistant stage managers were Brooke Baldwin and Courtney Rhodes. Producers were Marco Gomez, Max Oken, and Michaela Bulkley.
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