AND THE OVATION AWARD GOES TO. . .
THE 2015 OVATION AWARDS EXCLUSIVE
BY RYAN M. LUÉVANO
New Yorkers have their renowned Tony Awards and we Angelenos have our celebrated L.A. Stage Alliance Ovation Awards! These awards are the only peer-judged theatre awards in Los Angeles, created to recognize excellence in theatrical performance, production and design. With every awarded granted in each of the 35 different categories our beloved theatre community is boosted time and again. This year’s Ovation Awards were presented on Monday, November 9th at the Center Theatre Group’s Ahmanson Theatre in Downtown Los Angeles.
On this crisp and clear Southern California evening actors, directors costumers, producers, and theatre fans alike gathered in their dapper tuxedos, suits and evening gowns hopes of taking home one of those treasured emerald trophies celebrating their work in the 2014-2015 theatre season. Before the ceremony the red carpet was a buzz with flashes of light popping up from the numerous cameras as guests and celebrities took their pose on the red carpet.
The ceremony was true to form a production full of excitement, entertainment and eager anticipation. This year’s hosts French and Vanessa Claire Stewart were a witty and dynamic pair, Vanessa was sweet and sincere laughing at all of French’s jokes. French was the joker of the evening using every funny bone in his body to coax laughs from the audience. Sure he had some amusing moments, but there were still jokes that yielded nothing but crickets, such as a remark about “scoring more ass than a judge at the donkey olympics” what??
Spring Awakening dominated the Ovation Awards taking home six of those shiny emerald trophies, in the categories of Best Director (Michael Arden), Best Choreography (Spencer Liff), Best Ensemble, and Best Lighting Design (Ben Stanton), as well as two Best Production of a Musical trophies for its runs at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts and Deaf West Theatre.
The highlight of the evening was an speech by the newly appointed Executive Director Steven Leigh Morris who relayed an experience about hiking at the Hollywood sign and seeing all the various cities then comparing L.A. theatre to bright lights glistening in the sky. Additionally, morris stressed his vision and the importance of more ethnic diversity on stage, and in audiences, as well as bringing more children into the theatre (large or small) so they can participate in the theatre scene and foster theatre for the future.
CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL THE 2015 OVATION AWARD RECIPIENTS!
Photo Credit: Ryan M. Luevano
For the full Tin Pan L.A. Photo Gallery click Here!
And now the moment you’ve all been waiting for . . . AND THE 2015 OVATION AWARDS GO TO:
BEST SEASON
WALLIS ANNENBERG CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
BEST PRODUCTION OF A PLAY (INTIMATE THEATRE)
TREVOR
Circle X Theatre Company
BEST PRODUCTION OF A PLAY (LARGE THEATRE)
CHAVEZ RAVINE: AN L.A. REVIVAL
Center Theatre Group
ACTING ENSEMBLE OF A PLAY
THE TEMPTATION OF ST. ANTONY
Four Larks
BEST PRODUCTION OF A MUSICAL (LARGE THEATRE)
SPRING AWAKENING
Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, Deaf West Theatre, and Cody Lassen
ACTING ENSEMBLE OF A MUSICAL
SPRING AWAKENING
Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, Deaf West Theatre, and Cody Lassen
BEST PRESENTED PRODUCTION
LUNA GALE
Center Theatre Group
CHOREOGRAPHY
SPENCER LIFF
SPRING AWAKENING
Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, Deaf West Theatre, and Cody Lassen
MUSICAL DIRECTION
ABDUL HAMID ROYAL
THE GOSPEL AT COLONUS
Ebony Repertory Theatre
PLAYWRITING FOR AN ORIGINAL PLAY
NICK JONES
TREVOR
Circle X Theatre Company
BOOK OF A WORLD PREMIERE MUSICAL
CAROLYN ALMOS, MATT ALMOS, JON BEAUREGARD & ALBERT DAYAN
THE BEHAVIOR OF BROADUS
Sacred Fools Theater Company, Burglars of Hamm & Center Theatre Group
DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL
MICHAEL ARDEN
SPRING AWAKENING
Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, Deaf West Theatre, and Cody Lassen
LYRICS/COMPOSITION OF A WORLD PREMIERE MUSICAL
BRENDAN MILBURN, MATT ALMOS & BURGLARS OF HAMM
THE BEHAVIOR OF BROADUS
Sacred Fools Theater Company, Burglars of Hamm & Center Theatre Group
DIRECTION OF A PLAY
MICHAEL MATTHEWS
FAILURE: A LOVE STORY
Coeurage Theatre Company
LEAD ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
CHRISTANNA ROWADER as Mother
RAGTIME
3-D Theatricals
LEAD ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
TODD ADAMSON as Huey
MEMPHIS
Cabrillo Music Theatre
LEAD ACTOR IN A PLAY
JIMMI SIMPSON as Trevor
TREVOR
Circle X Theatre Company
LEAD ACTRESS IN A PLAY
LAURIE METCALF as Sandra
TREVOR
Circle X Theatre Company
FEATURED ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
NICOE POTTS as Soloist
THE GOSPEL AT COLONUS
Ebony Repertory Theatre
FEATURED ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
SAMUEL BUTLER as Balladeer
THE GOSPEL AT COLONUS
Ebony Repertory Theatre
FEATURED ACTOR IN A PLAY
ALAN MANDELL as Gregory Solomon
THE PRICE
Center Theatre Group
FEATURED ACTRESS IN A PLAY
REBECCA MOZO as W
COCK
Rogue Machine
LIGHTING DESIGN (LARGE THEATRE)
BEN STANTON
SPRING AWAKENING
Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, Deaf West Theatre, and Cody Lassen
LIGHTING DESIGN (INTIMATE THEATRE)
JARED SAYEG
PICNIC
The Antaeus Company
SCENIC DESIGN (INTIMATE THEATRE)
DARCY SCANLIN
COMPLETENESS
VS. Theatre Company
SCENIC DESIGN (LARGE THEATRE)
TOM BUDERWITZ
THE WHIPPING MAN
Pasadena Playhouse
SOUND DESIGN (LARGE THEATRE)
DREW DALZELL & NOELLE HOFFMAN
WICKED LIT 2014 Unbound Productions
SOUND DESIGN (INTIMATE THEATRE)
JOHN ZALEWSKI
THE DAY SHALL DECLARE IT
Los Angeles Performance Practice
COSTUME DESIGN (INTIMATE THEATRE)
VICKI CONRAD
THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD
Actors Co-op
COSTUME DESIGN (LARGE THEATRE)
CHRISTOPHER ACEBO
CHAVEZ RAVINE: AN L.A. REVIVAL
Center Theatre Group
VIDEO/PROJECTION DESIGN
JASON THOMPSON
CHAVEZ RAVINE: AN L.A. REVIVAL
Center Theatre Group
OVATION HONORS
COMPOSITION FOR A PLAY
MAT SWEENEY & ELLEN WARKENTINE
THE TEMPTATION OF ST. ANTONY
Four Larks
FIGHT CHOREOGRAPHY
MIKE MAHAFFEY
SHE KILLS MONSTERS
Loft Ensemble
PUPPET DESIGN
TED BLEGEN
SHE KILLS MONSTERS
Loft Ensemble
