Los Angeles Times
October 18, 2010

Ovation Awards nominations announced for 2009-10 season

The nominations for the 2010 Ovation Awards were announced Monday evening at the Autry National Center for the American West. The awards, organized by the Los Angeles Stage Alliance, are intended to honor excellence in L.A.-area theater productions in the past season.

Leading the nominations was Pasadena's the Theatre @ Boston Court, with a total of 17 nods, followed by Center Theatre Group with 16 nods.  They were followed by the Geffen Playhouse with 12 nominations, and Musical Theatre West and Reprise Theatre Company, both with 10 nominations.

The Ovations ceremony is scheduled to take place Jan. 17 at the Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza.

The nominations for a musical at a large theater are "Carousel," Reprise Theatre Company; "Daddy Long Legs," Rubicon Theatre Company; "The Marvelous Wonderettes," Musical Theatre West;  "Oedipus the King, Mama!," Troubadour Theater Company; and "Parade," Center Theatre Group.

The nominations for a play at a large theater are "Awake and Sing!," A Noise Within; "Doubt," Rubicon Theatre Company; "Equivocation," Geffen Playhouse; "Grace & Glorie," The Colony Theatre Company; and "Through the Night," Geffen Playhouse.

Among the notable acting nominees are T.R. Knight in "Parade," Dakin Matthews in "King Lear" at the Antaeus Company, Harry Groener in "Equivocation," Sally Struthers in "Cinderella" at the Cabrillo Music Theatre and Vicki Lewis in "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" at Reprise.

Two Broadway veterans were recognized in the directing categories. David Esbjornson received a nomination for directing "Equivocation," and Rob Ashford received nominations for directing and choreographing "Parade."

The Ovation Awards also has a category honoring a theater company for its entire season. This year's nominees are the Cabrillo Music Theatre, the Fountain Theatre, Reprise Theatre Company, the Production Company, the Los Angeles Theatre Center, the Theatre @ Boston Court and the Troubadour Theater Company.

This year, the organizers of the Ovations have added a new set of prizes called "Ovation Honors," intended to recognize outstanding achievement in areas that are not among the standard list of nomination categories.

For the season, the Ovation Honors will go to "The Who's Tommy" at the Chance Theatre for video design; "The Gogol Project" at the Bootleg Theater for music composition for a play; "Project Wonderland" at the Bootleg Theater for puppet design; and "Oedipus el Rey" at the Theatre @ Boston Court for fight choreography.

Here's the full list of Ovation nominees.

2009/2010 OVATION AWARD NOMINEES

Best Season
Cabrillo Music Theatre
Fountain Theatre
Reprise Theatre Company
The Los Angeles Theatre Center (LATC)
The Production Company
The Theatre @ Boston Court
Troubadour Theater Company

Production of a Musical - Intimate Theatre
Project Wonderland (Bootleg Theater)
The Women of Brewster Place (Celebration Theatre)
The Story of My Life (Havok Theatre Company)
The Who's Tommy (The Chance Theater)
Sweeney Todd (The Production Company)

Production of a Play - Intimate Theatre
Cousin Bette (The Antaeus Company)
The Ballad of Emmett Till  (Fountain Theatre)
Four Places  (Rogue Machine)
Oedipus el Rey  (The Theatre @ Boston Court)
Opus (Fountain Theatre)
Shaheed -- The Dream and Death of Benazir Bhutto (Stephanie Feury Studio Theatre)
Something Happened (Pacific Stages)

Production of a Musical - Large Theatre
Carousel  (Reprise Theatre Company)
Daddy Long Legs  (Rubicon Theatre Company)
The Marvelous Wonderettes (Musical Theatre West)
Oedipus the King, Mama! (Troubadour Theater Company)
Parade (Center Theatre Group: Mark Taper Forum)

Production of a Play - Large Theatre
Awake and Sing! (A Noise Within)
Doubt (Rubicon Theatre Company)
Equivocation (Geffen Playhouse)
Grace & Glorie  (The Colony Theatre Company)
Through the Night (Geffen Playhouse)

Book for an Original Musical
Scott Martin, "Children of the Night" (Katselas Theatre Company)
Rick Batalla, "CHiPS the Musical" (Troubadour Theater Company)
John Caird, "Daddy Long Legs" (Rubicon Theatre Company)
Dakin Matthews "Liberty Inn: The Musical" (Andak Stage Company)
Robert Prior "Project Wonderland" (Bootleg Theater)

Lyrics/Music for an Original Musical
Henry Phillips, "CHiPS the Musical" (Troubadour Theater Company)
Paul Gordon, "Daddy Long Legs" (Rubicon Theatre Company)
BT Ryback & Dakin Matthews, "Liberty Inn: The Musical" (Andak Stage Company)
Indira Stefanianna, "Project Wonderland" (Bootleg Theater)
Richard Levinson, Larry Herbstritt & Tom Campbell, "Savin' Up for Saturday Night" (Sacred Fools Theatre Company)

 Playwriting for an Original Play
Donald Freed, "1951-2006" (The Los Angeles Theatre Center)
Jeffrey Hatcher, "Cousin Bette" (The Antaeus Company)
David Schulner, "Forgiveness" (Black Dahlia Theatre)
Luis Alfaro, "Oedipus el Rey" (The Theatre @ Boston Court)
L Trey Wilson, "Something Happened" (Pacific Stages)
Tom Jacobson, "The Twentieth-Century Way" (The Theatre @ Boston Court)
Del Shores, "Yellow" (JD3atrical)

Director of a Musical
Nick DeGruccio, "The Andrews Brothers" (Cabrillo Music Theatre)
Michael Michetti, "Carousel" (Reprise Theatre Company)
John Caird, "Daddy Long Legs" (Rubicon Theatre Company)
Matt Walker, "Oedipus the King, Mama!" (Troubadour Theater Company)
Robert Ashford, "Parade" (Center Theatre Group: Mark Taper Forum)
Oanh Nguyen, "The Who's Tommy" (The Chance Theater)
Michael Matthews, "The Women of Brewster Place the Musical" (Celebration Theatre)

Director of a Play
Shirley Jo Finney, "The Ballad of Emmett Till" (Fountain Theatre)
David Esbjornson, "Equivocation" (Geffen Playhouse)
Robin Larsen, "Four Places" (Rogue Machine)
Jon Lawrence Rivera, "Oedipus el Rey" (The Theatre @ Boston Court)
L Trey Wilson, "Something Happened" (Pacific Stages)
Charles Randolph-Wright, "Through the Night" (Geffen Playhouse)
Michael Michetti "The Twentieth-Century Way" (The Theatre @ Boston Court)

Music Direction
Lloyd Cooper, "The Andrews Brothers" (Cabrillo Music Theatre)
Michael Borth, "The Marvelous Wonderettes" (Musical Theatre West)
Tom Murray, "Parade" (Center Theatre Group: Mark Taper Forum)
David O, "Songs and Dances of Imaginary Lands" (Overtone Industries)
Michael Paternostro, "The Story of My Life" (Havok Theatre Company)
John Glaudini, "Sweeney Todd" (Musical Theatre West)
Richard Berent, "Sweeney Todd" (The Production Company)

Choreographer
Roger Castellano, "The Andrews Brothers" (Cabrillo Music Theatre)
Ameenah Kaplan, "The Ballad of Emmett Till" (Fountain Theatre)
Lee Martino, "Carousel" (Reprise Theatre Company)
Janet Miller, "The Marvelous Wonderettes" (Musical Theatre West)
Lili Fuller, Joe Sofranko, Matthew Krumpe & Juliana Tyson, "NeverWonderLand 2010" (ETC - Ensemble Theatre Company)
Robert Ashford, "Parade" (Center Theatre Group: Mark Taper Forum)
Ameenah Kaplan, "The Women of Brewster Place" (Celebration Theatre)
 
Acting Ensemble
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee (La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts)
The Ballad of Emmett Till (Fountain Theatre)
The Marvelous Wonderettes (Musical Theatre West)
Oedipus the King, Mama! (Troubadour Theater Company)
Opus (Fountain Theatre)
Something Happened (Pacific Stages)
The Women of Brewster Place (Celebration Theatre)

Lead Actor in a Musical
Josh Grisetti, "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" (Reprise Theatre Company)
T.R. Knight, "Parade" (Center Theatre Group: Mark Taper Forum)
Brendan Hunt, "Savin' Up for Saturday Night" (Sacred Fools Theatre Company)
 Chad Borden, "The Story of My Life" (Havok Theatre Company)
Robert J. Townsend, "The Story of My Life" (Havok Theatre Company)
Norman Large, "Sweeney Todd" (Musical Theatre West)
Kurt Andrew Hanson, "Sweeney Todd" (The Production Company)

Lead Actor in a Play
Bruce French "The Browning Version" (Pacific Resident Theatre)
Dakin Matthews, "King Lear" (The Antaeus Company)
Alan Mandell, "No Man's Land" (Odyssey Theatre Ensemble)
Justin Huen, "Oedipus el Rey" (The Theatre @ Boston Court)
Daniel Beaty, "Through the Night" (Geffen Playhouse)
Will Bradley, "The Twentieth-Century Way" (The Theatre @ Boston Court)
Robert Mammana, "The Twentieth-Century Way" (The Theatre @ Boston Court)

Lead Actress in a Musical
Alexandra Silber, "Carousel" (Reprise Theatre Company)
Teri Bibb, "Children of the Night" (Katselas Theatre Company)
Megan McGinnis, "Daddy Long Legs" (Rubicon Theatre Company)
Lara Pulver, "Parade" (Center Theatre Group: Mark Taper Forum)
Debbie Prutsman, "Sweeney Todd" (Musical Theatre West)

Lead Actress in a Play
Robin Pearson Rose, "Doubt" (Rubicon Theatre Company)
Anne Gee Byrd, "Four Places" (Rogue Machine)
Roxanne Hart, "Four Places" (Rogue Machine)
Beth Grant, "Grace & Glorie" (The Colony Theatre Company)
Agatha Nowicki, "Parasite Drag" (Elephant Theatre)
Anna Khaja, "Shaheed -- The Dream and Death of Benazir Bhutto" (Stephanie Feury Studio Theatre)
Eve Sigall, "Three Tall Women" (West Coast Ensemble)

Featured Actor in a Musical
Andy Taylor, "Carousel" (Reprise Theatre Company)
Sam Zeller, "Oklahoma!" (Civic Light Opera of South Bay Cities)
Michael Berresse, "Parade" (Center Theatre Group: Mark Taper Forum)
David St. Lewis, "Parade" (Center Theatre Group: Mark Taper Forum)
Dan Callaway, "Sweeney Todd" (Musical Theatre West)
Rob Herring, "Sweeney Todd" (The Production Company)
R. Christofer Sands, "Sweeney Todd" (The Production Company)

Featured Actor in a Play
John Prosky, "Cousin Bette" (The Antaeus Company)
Patrick J. Adams, "Equivocation" (Geffen Playhouse)
Harry Groener, "Equivocation" (Geffen Playhouse)
Brian Henderson, "Equivocation" (Geffen Playhouse)
Connor Trinneer, "Equivocation" (Geffen Playhouse)
Morlan Higgins, "Forgiveness" (Black Dahlia Theatre)
Matthew Scott Montgomery, "Yellow" (JD3atrical)

Featured Actress in a Musical
Jane Noseworthy, "Carousel" (Reprise Theatre Company)
Sally Struthers, "Cinderella" (Cabrillo Music Theatre)
Vicki Lewis, "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" (Reprise Theatre Company)
Deidrie Henry, "Parade" (Center Theatre Group: Mark Taper Forum)
Sarah Bermudez, "Sweeney Todd" (Musical Theatre West)
Michelle Duffy, "Sweeney Todd" (Musical Theatre West)
Jenny Ashman, "Sweeney Todd" (The Production Company)

Featured Actress in a Play

Jan Sheldrick, "Anita Bryant Died for Your Sins" (West Coast Ensemble)
Amanda Detmer, "Extinction" (Red Dog Squadron)
Lee Garlington,"Forgiveness" (Black Dahlia Theatre)
Lisa Rothschiller, "Four Places" (Rogue Machine)
Deirdre O'Connell, "The Wake" (Center Theatre Group: Kirk Douglas Theatre)
Danielle Skraastad, "The Wake" (Center Theatre Group: Kirk Douglas Theatre)
Susan Leslie, "Yellow" (JD3atrical)

Costume Design - Intimate Theatre
Vicki Conrad, "Big River: The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" (Actors Co-op/Crossley Theatre)
Joyce Ferrer, "Black Coffee" (Theatre 40)
A. Jeffrey Schoenberg, "Children of the Night" (Katselas Theatre Company)
A. Jeffrey Schoenberg, "Cousin Bette" (The Antaeus Company)
Kerry Hennessy, "Gogol Project" (Bootleg Theater)
Teresa Shea, "Project Wonderland" (Bootleg Theater)
Erika C. Miller, "The Who's Tommy" (The Chance Theater)

Costume Design - Large Theatre
Julie Keen, "Awake and Sing!" (A Noise Within)
A. Jeffrey Schoenberg, "Celadine" (The Colony Theatre Company)
Sharon McGunigle, "Frosty The Snow Manilow" (Troubadour Theater Company)
Christopher Oram, "Parade" (Center Theatre Group: Mark Taper Forum)
Shigeru Yaji, "Peace" (The J. Paul Getty Trust)
Ann Closs-Farley, "The Pee-wee Herman Show" (AEG Live)
Snezana Petrovic, "Songs and Dances of Imaginary Lands" (Overtone Industries)

Lighting Design - Intimate Theatre
Leigh Allen, "Cousin Bette" (The Antaeus Company)
Steven Young, "God Save Gertrude" (The Theatre @ Boston Court)
Brian Sidney Bembridge, "The Good Book of Pedantry and Wonder" (The Theatre @ Boston Court)
Jeremy Pivnick, "Oedipus el Rey" (The Theatre @ Boston Court)
Elizabeth Harper, "The Twentieth-Century Way" (The Theatre @ Boston Court)
KC Wilkerson, "Welcome Home, Jenny Sutter" (The Chance Theater)
KC Wilkerson, "The Who's Tommy" (The Chance Theater)

Lighting Design - Large Theatre
Christopher Ash, "1951-2006" (The Los Angeles Theatre Center)
Steven Young, "Carousel" (Reprise Theatre Company)
Scott Zielinski, "Equivocation" (Geffen Playhouse)
Mason Barker, "NeverWonderLand 2010" (ETC - Ensemble Theatre Company)
Neil Austin, "Parade" (Center Theatre Group: Mark Taper Forum)
Jeff Croiter, "The Pee-wee Herman Show" (AEG Live)
Alexander Nichols, "Through the Night" (Geffen Playhouse)

Scenic Design - Intimate Theatre
Desma Murphy, "As White as O" (Road Theatre Company)
Jeff G. Rack, "Black Coffee" (Theatre 40)
Tom Buderwitz, "Cousin Bette" (The Antaeus Company)
Susan Gratch, "God Save Gertrude" (The Theatre @ Boston Court)
Brian Sidney Bembridge, "The Good Book of Pedantry and Wonder" (The Theatre @ Boston Court)
Katie Polebaum, "Gogol Project" (Bootleg Theater)
John Binkley, "Oedipus el Rey" (The Theatre @ Boston Court)

Scenic Design - Large Theatre
John Iacovelli, "Cave Quest" (East West Players)
Stephen Gifford, "Celadine" (The Colony Theatre Company)
David Farley, "Daddy Long Legs" (Rubicon Theatre Company)
Jeff McLaughlin, "Grace & Glorie" (The Colony Theatre Company)
David Korins, "The Pee-wee Herman Show" (AEG Live)
Snezana Petrovic, "Songs and Dances of Imaginary Lands" (Overtone Industries)
David Korins, "The Wake" (Center Theatre Group: Kirk Douglas Theatre)

Sound Design - Intimate Theatre
John Zalewski, "Absinthe, Opium & Magic: 1920s Shanghai" (Grand Guignolers)
David B. Marling, "The Ballad of Emmett Till" (Fountain Theatre)
Jason Duplissea, "Blood and Thunder" (Moving Arts)
Cricket S. Myers, "Cousin Bette" (The Antaeus Company)
Mark Wilson, "Neighborhood 3 : Requisition of Doom" (Sacred Fools Theatre Company)
Rob Oriol, "Oedipus el Rey" (The Theatre @ Boston Court)
Peter Bayne, "Opus" (Fountain Theatre)

Sound Design - Large Theatre
Jonathan Burke, "Daddy Long Legs" (Rubicon Theatre Company)
Jon Gottlieb, "Equivocation" (Geffen Playhouse)
Cricket S. Myers, "Grace & Glorie" (The Colony Theatre Company)
Cricket S. Myers, "The Lieutenant of Inishmore" (Center Theatre Group: Mark Taper Forum)
Jon Weston, "Parade" (Center Theatre Group: Mark Taper Forum)
John Zalewski, "Solitude" (The Los Angeles Theatre Center)
Lindsay Jones, "Through the Night" (Geffen Playhouse)

-- David Ng