By Sheryl Aronson
On Tuesday evening, January 17th, the Ovation Awards lit up the Ahmanson Theater, first with a red carpet welcoming the nominees and presenters, then a fun filled ceremony which included music, dance numbers, humorous celebrity presenters and finally, the glorious, outrageously funny host, Alexandra Billings who kept the entire evening moving with her campy humor, dramatic flair and virtuoso vocal chops.
There were 35 awards presented to 19 different Southern California theater companies. This year’s presenters included LA theatre luminaries: 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.
The biggest winners of the night were Celebration Theatre, the Los Angeles LGBT Center, The Theatre @ Boston Court, Unbound Productions, and Sierra Madre Playhouse. The Los Angeles LGBT Center received the Best Season Award for its productions of Fool for Love, HAM: A Musical Memoir, and Hit the Wall.
Other companies recognized for their productions included the Falcon Theatre, The Broad Stage, The Echo Theater Company, Geffen Playhouse, Orgasmico Theatre Company (Shakespeare’s Night Out), The Road Theatre Company, La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, Heart and Flame Productions, Pasadena Playhouse, Rubicon Theatre Company, and 24th Street Theatre.
The Hollywood 360 interviewed the nominees, presenters, the choreographer and musical director for the evening’s festivities. For some, this was their first nomination and for some, they had been nominated multiple times. Either way, everyone beamed with excitement and anticipation.
Here are a few of the interviews:
Jason Caceres: I am nominated for Best Ensemble for Hit the Wall. It’s half musical and half drama about the Stonewall riots that sparked the gay civil rights movement. It took place in the 1960’s in New York. I play the character Newbie, new to town, discovering himself through the community and coming to terms with his inner power. I am very happy to be here tonight with this wonderful ensemble of actors.
Joe Calarco, nominated for best Direction of a Play, The Sparrow.
I’m honored to be here amongst these wonderfully talented people. The play is about a super hero in high school…it was a very unique show.
Robert Gossett nominated for Featured Actor in a Play, playing the role of Oz, in Watching OJ.
We were at the Ensemble Studio Theater that we were in for quite a while. I want to thank the Ovation Committee and LA Stage Alliance.
Christopher Raymond, Music Director for the Ovation Awards.
I will be playing piano and conducting and there will be four others in the band. There will be three full musical numbers of singing, then all the incidental walk on, walk off music. I’ve music directed a lot of musicals but this is the first time that I am the Music Director of the Ovation Awards. My band members are: Yuhong Ng, keyboard, Michael Abraham, guitar, Graham Chapman, bass, and Logan Shrewsbury, drums.
John Farmanesh-Bocca, nominated for Best Choreography, Tempest Redux.
I am the only one in the category for a play, everyone else is for a musical. For about 15 years my company has been creating Shakepeares that we put Redux at the end. We do highly visceral, physical versions of them. choreographed from beginning to end. This time around I’ve gotten with my longtime collaborator Jack Stallon, of American Theater and Odyssey Theater and we did a version of The Tempest Redux where I adapted it, directed it and choreographed it. They chose to nominate it.
Angela Todoro, Choreographer for the Ovation Awards.
This is the first time we are having musical numbers throughout the show so there’s going to be a big opening number and then a mid-show number that will keep everyone moving throughout the whole night. My dancers were from the Domo Theater Company.
The Ensemble cast/choreographer, director, musical director of Boy from Oz
Janet Roston, Choreographer –This show had been done on Broadway as big, elaborate show. But we brought the show down into a very intimate, small space which really helped to tell the story of Peter Allen in an intimate way. People really responded to that intimacy of the story.
Michael A. Shepperd, Director.
I think because of the honesty the actors brought to these roles in such an intimate space, you couldn’t help but fall in love with them, you couldn’t help but believe their story because they lived it so honestly and truly. Just for the glamour of things and the fine dancing, I owe that to Janet Roston, and for the beauty of the voices, I owe that to Bryan Blaskie.
Bryan Blaskie, Musical Director.
What was great was everyone already knew the entire score, so when a new song started, you could hear people in the audience gasp in recognition in hearing one of their favorite songs. Boy from Oz had a familiar score, familiar story, everyone loved it. It was a trip through time for them.
Janet Roston – I also feel the story of Peter Allen really resonates now because this was a man who lived his life the way he wanted to live it, in a way that was true to himself and full of joy. That life was something people could relate to.
The Boy From Oz was a big winner on Tuesday evening receiving Ovation Awards for Best Production of a Musical, Best Acting Ensemble of a Musical, Best Choreography, Best Direction of a Musical, and Best Featured Actress in a Musical.
The delightful evening ended at a reception at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion where a DJ, Manny Patel spun the tunes and an open bar with Hors d’oeuvres were served.
The winners of the Ovation Awards are listed below. Congratulations to all!
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
Geffen Playhouse
Best Production of a Musical (Intimate Theatre)
The Boy From Oz
Celebration Theatre
Best Production of a Musical (Large Theatre)
HAM: A Musical Memoir
Los Angeles LGBT Center
Best Presented Production
1984
The Broad Stage
Best Acting Ensemble of a Play
The Complete History of America (Abridged)
Falcon Theatre
Best Acting Ensemble of a Musical
The Boy From Oz
Celebration Theatre
Best Choreography
Janet Roston
The Boy From Oz
Celebration Theatre
Best Music Direction
Todd Schroeder
HAM: A Musical Memoir
Los Angeles LGBT Center
Best Book for an Original Musical
Michael Shaw Fisher
Shakespeare’s Last Night Out
Orgasmico Theatre Company
Best Lyrics/Composition for an Original Musical
Rebekah Allen
We Are the Tigers: A New Musical
Heart And Flame Productions
Best Playwriting for an Original Play
Luis Alfaro
Mojada: A Medea in Los Angeles
The Getty Villa & The Theatre @ Boston Court
Best Direction of a Musical
Michael A. Shepperd
The Boy From Oz
Celebration Theatre
Best Direction of a Play
Ken Sawyer
Hit the Wall
Los Angeles LGBT Center
Best Lead Actor in a Musical
Sam Harris as Multiple Characters
HAM: A Musical Memoir
Los Angeles LGBT Center
Best Lead Actress In a Musical
Moya Angela as Effie
Dreamgirls
La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts
Best Lead Actor in a Play
Sam Anderson as John
John Is a Father
The Road Theatre Company
Best Lead Actress in a Play
Lily Nicksay as May
See Rock City
Rubicon Theatre Company
Best Featured Actor in a Musical
Stanton Morales as Barfee
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee
Sierra Madre Playhouse
Best Featured Actress in a Musical
Bess Motta as Judy Garland
The Boy From Oz
Celebration Theatre
Best Featured Actor in a Play
Michael A. Shepperd as Actor 4
Bootycandy
Celebration Theatre
Best Featured Actress in a Play
Paula Christensen as Nicky
Colony Collapse
The Theatre @ Boston Court
Best Lighting Design (Intimate Theatre)
Elizabeth Harper
The Golden Dragon
The Theatre @ Boston Court
Best Lighting Design (Large Theatre)
KC Wilkerson
Wicked Lit 2015
Unbound Productions
Best Scenic Design (Intimate Theatre)
John Vertrees & Erin Walley
Deathtrap
Sierra Madre Playhouse
Best Scenic Design (Large Theatre)
Tom Buderwitz
Casa Valentina
Pasadena Playhouse
Best Sound Design (Intimate Theatre)
John Nobori
The Golden Dragon
The Theatre @ Boston Court
Best Sound Design (Large Theatre)
Drew Dalzell & Noelle Hoffman
Wicked Lit 2015
Unbound Productions
Best Costume Design (Intimate Theatre)
Michael Mullen
The Boy From Oz
Celebration Theatre
Best Costume Design (Large Theatre)
Christine Cover Ferro
Wicked Lit 2015
Unbound Productions
Best Video/Projection Design
Matthew Hill
Man Covets Bird
24th Street Theatre
OVATION HONORS RECIPIENTS
Composition for a Play
Gregory Nabours
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
Center Theatre Group additionally presented the 2017 Sherwood Award for innovative and adventurous artists to Pablo Santiago. The award is endowed by the Sherwood family and is accompanied by $10,000 to further Santiago’s artistic work.
Photo Credit: Sheryl Aronson / Linita Masters / The Hollywood 360