Theater News

2004 L.A. Ovation Award Winners Announced

New York City
The winners of the 2004 LA Stage Alliance Ovation Awards were announced last night in a ceremony held at Los Angeles’s Orpheum Theater, hosted by Hector Elizondo and Garry Marshall. Performance Riverside’s production of 1776 took home five awards, while Baz Luhrmann’s La Bohème took home four; Exits and Entrances and Intimate Apparel came away with three awards each. In addition, three special honors were bestowed: the James A. Doolittle Award for Leadership in the Theatre went to Paula Holt, the LA Stage Board of Governors Award for Career Achievement went to Betty Garrett, and the Community Outreach Award went to the Cornerstone Theater Company. A complete list of winners follows.

World Premiere Play: Exits and Entrances by Athol Fugard

World Premiere Musical: The Shaggs: The Philosophy of the World by Joy Gregory and Gunnar Madsen

Lead Actor in a Play: Morlan Higgins, Exits and Entrances

Lead Actress in a Play: Viola Davis, Intimate Apparel

Lead Actor in a Musical: Steve Glaudini, 1776

Lead Actress in a Musical: Yvette Freeman, Dinah Was

Featured Actor in a Play: Joseph Fuqua, All My Sons

Featured Actress in a Play: Carolyn Hennesy, The Fan Maroo

Featured Actor in a Musical: Nils Anderson, 1776

Featured Actress in a Musical: Jill Van Velzer, 1776

Solo Performance: Non-Vital Organs (redux), Gigi Bermingham

Ensemble Performance (two awards): La Bohème and Caught in the Net

Director of a Play (three awards): Ray Cooney, Caught in the Net; Stephen Sachs, Exits and Entrances; Daniel Sullivan, Intimate Apparel

Director of a Musical: Nick DeGruccio, 1776

Choreographer: Dana Solimando, Swing!

Musical Direction: Dean Mora, Lady Macbeth Sings the Blues

Production from a Touring Company: The Phantom of the Opera

Play (Smaller Theatre): Master Class

Play (Larger Theatre): All My Sons

Musical (Smaller Theatre): Hedwig and the Angry Inch

Musical (Larger Theatre): 1776

Set Design (Smaller Theatre): Joel Daavid, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom

Set Design (Larger Theatre): Catherine Martin, La Bohème

Lighting Design (Smaller Theatre): Mike Durst, Nocturne

Lighting Design (Larger Theatre): Nigel Levings, La Bohème

Sound Design (Smaller Theatre) (two Awards): Steve Goodie, Cold/Tender; Julie Ferrin, Martin Carrilo, and Paul Hepker, Romeo and Juliet: Antebellum New Orleans, 1836

Sound Design (Larger Theatre): Acme Sound Partners, La Bohème

Costume Design (Smaller Theatre) (two awards): Alex Jaeger, Romeo and Juliet: Antebellum New Orleans, 1836; A. Jeffrey Schoenberg, The Devils

Costume Design (Larger Theatre): Catherine Zuber, Intimate Apparel