27th Annual LA STAGE Alliance Ovation Award Winners Announced - THE BOY FROM OZ, HAM: A MUSICAL MEMOIR and More Big Winners!
By: BWW News Desk Jan. 18, 2017
The 27th Annual LA Stage Alliance Ovation Awards, celebrating theatrical excellence and achievement throughout Los Angeles, were presented on Tuesday, January 17, at the Ahmanson Theatre at The Music Center.
Thirty-five awards were bestowed upon 19 different Southern California theatre companies. Scroll down for the complete list!
The most honored companies of the year were Celebration Theatre (The Boy from Oz, Bootycandy); the Los Angeles LGBT Center (Hit the Wall, HAM: A Musical Memoir); The Theatre @ Boston Court for Colony Collapse, The Golden Dragon, and Mojada: A Medea in Los Angeles (co-production with the Getty Villa); Unbound Productions (Wicked Lit 2015); and Sierra Madre Playhouse (Deathtrap, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee). The Los Angeles LGBT Center received the Best Season Award (Fool for Love, HAM: A Musical Memoir, Hit the Wall).
Other companies recognized were the Falcon Theatre (The Complete History of America-Abridged), The Broad Stage (1984), The Echo Theater Company (Dry Land), Geffen Playhouse (Guards at the Taj), org*smico Theatre Company (Shakespeare's Night Out), The Road Theatre Company (John is a Father), La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts (Dreamgirls), Heart and Flame Productions (We Are The Tigers: A New Musical), The Pasadena Playhouse (Casa Valentina), Rubicon Theatre Company (See Rock City), and 24th Street Theatre (Man Covets Bird).
Ovation Honors, which recognize outstanding achievement in areas that are not among the standard list of nomination categories, were awarded to Gregory Nabours (Music Composition for a Play, The Sparrow at Coeurage Theatre Company); Edgar Landa (Fight Choreography, Son of Semele Ensemble's That Pretty Pretty; or, The Rape Play); and Greg Ballora, Sean Cawelti, Christine Papalexis, Jack Pullman, and BrIan White (Puppet Design, Woody Boy Long Fish at Bootleg Theater).
Additionally, Center Theatre Group presented the 2017 Sherwood Award for innovative and adventurous artists to Pablo Santiago. This award is endowed by the Sherwood family and is accompanied by $10,000 to further Santiago's artistic work.
The ceremony was hosted by Alexandra Billings, and this year's presenters included LA theatre luminaries (in alphabetical order) Michael Arden, Randall Arney, Jon Robin Baitz, EB Brooks, Sterling K. Brown, Sara Ryung Clement, Paul Crewes, Dale Dickey, Danny Feldman, Marilyn Fox, Beth Grant, Elizabeth Harper, Rajiv Joseph, Richard Montoya, Oanh Nguyen, Mitch O'Farrell, Bill Pullman, Diane Rodriguez, Ric Salinas, Del Shores, Herbert Siguenza, Ali Stroker, and Kitty Swink. Musical numbers were presented by DOMA Theatre Company.
For a complete list of winners, scroll down, or go to @ This Stage Magazine (ThisStage.LA)!
Best Season
Los Angeles LGBT Center
Fool For Love
Ham: A Musical Memoir Hit The Wall
Best Production Of A Play (Intimate Theatre)
Dry Land
The Echo Theater Company
Best Production Of A Play (large Theatre)
Guards At The Taj
Best Production Of A Musical (Intimate Theatre)
The Boy From Oz
Best Production Of A Musical (large Theatre)
Ham: A Musical Memoir
Los Angeles Lgbt Center
Best Presented Production
1984
The Broad Stage
Acting Ensemble Of A Play
The Complete History Of America (abridged)
Acting Ensemble Of A Musical
The Boy From Oz
Choreography
The Boy From Oz Celebration Theatre
Music Direction
Ham: A Musical Memoir Los Angeles LGBT Center
Book For An Original Musical
Michael Shaw Fisher
Shakespeare's Last Night Out org*smico Theatre Company
Lyrics/Composition For An Original Musical
Rebekah Allen
We Are The Tigers: A New Musical Heart And Flame Productions
Playwriting For An Original Play
Mojada: A Medea In Los Angeles
The Getty Villa & The Theatre @ Boston Court
Direction Of A Musical
The Boy From Oz Celebration Theatre
Direction Of A Play
Hit The Wall
Los Angeles LGBT Center
Lead Actor In A Musical
Sam Harris As Multiple Characters
Ham: A Musical Memoir Los Angeles Lgbt Center
Lead Actress In A Musical
Moya Angela As Effie
Dreamgirls
La Mirada Theatre For The Performing Arts
Lead Actor In A Play
Sam Anderson As John
John Is A Father
The Road Theatre Company
Lead Actress In A Play
Lily Nicksay As May
See Rock City
Featured Actor In A Musical
Stanton Morales As Barfee
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Sierra Madre Playhouse
Featured Actress In A Musical
The Boy From Oz Celebration Theatre
Featured Actor In A Play
Michael A. Shepperd As Actor 4
Bootycandy Celebration Theatre
Featured Actress In A Play
Paula Christensen As Nicky
Colony Collapse
The Theatre @ Boston Court
Lighting Design (Intimate Theatre)
The Golden Dragon
The Theatre @ Boston Court
Lighting Design (Large Theatre)
Kc Wilkerson
Wicked Lit 2015 Unbound Productions
Scenic Design (Intimate Theatre)
John Vertrees & Erin Walley
Deathtrap
Sierra Madre Playhouse
Scenic Design (Large Theatre)
Casa Valentina Pasadena Playhouse
Sound Design (Intimate Theatre)
John Nobori
The Golden Dragon
The Theatre @ Boston Court
Sound Design (Large Theatre)
Drew Dalzell & Noelle Hoffman
Wicked Lit 2015 Unbound Productions
Costume Design (Intimate Theatre)
Michael Mullen
The Boy From Oz Celebration Theatre
Costume Design (Large Theatre)
Christine Cover Ferro
Wicked Lit 2015 Unbound Productions
Video/Projection Design
Matthew Hill
Man Covets Bird 24th Street Theatre
Composition For A Play
The Sparrow
Coeurage Theatre Company
Fight Choreography
Edgar Landa
That Pretty Pretty; Or, The Rape Play
Son Of Semele Ensemble
Puppet Design
Greg Ballora, Sean Cawelti, Christine Papalexis, Jack Pullman, BrIan White
Wood Boy Dog Fish
Bootleg Theater & Rogue Artists Ensemble
Founded in 1989, the LA Stage Alliance Ovation Awards are the only peer-judged theatre awards in Los Angeles. Voters are Los Angeles theatre professionals who are chosen each year, through an application process, by the Ovation Rules Committee. This year's Ovation Awards eligibility period ran from August 31, 2015 through August 28, 2016.
Since 1975, LA Stage Alliance has dedicated to building awareness, appreciation, and support for the performing arts in Greater Los Angeles. All of its initiatives aim to serve and strengthen the sector - both at an individual and community level - providing resources that facilitate audience engagement, collaborative marketing, community building, and professional development.
Sponsors for this year's Ovation Awards ceremony were Wells Fargo, Walt Disney Imagineering Creative Entertainment, F&D Scene Changes Ltd., UCLA School of Theater, Film & Television, Goldstar, USC School of Dramatic Arts, Ken Werther Publicity, Bakers Man Productions, Time Out Los Angeles, TheaterMania | OvationTix, Performances Magazine, Variety, and Peter Konerko Photography. The Ovation Awards were presented in partnership with the New York Drama Desk Awards.
For more information visit www.lastagealliance.com.
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