Foster, Harris, Martin, Metcalf, et al. Win 2006 L.A. Ovation Awards
(© Michael Lamont)
The annual Ovation Awards, L.A.’s peer-judged honors for local theater accomplishments, were bestowed in a ceremony on Monday, Nov. 13 at downtown’s plush Orpheum Theatre.
The Drowsy Chaperone, an Ahmanson-to-Broadway transfer which has already scored a huge success at the Tony Awards, netted five Ovations –more than any other production, including Best Musical, Large Theater, and Best Lead Actor and Actress in a Musical for stars Bob Martin and Sutton Foster. However, another impending Ahmanson-to-Broadway transfer, the John Kander-Fred Ebb-Rupert Holmes musical whodunit Curtains, received no awards despite a wealth of nominations.
Also surprising were the victories of two little-engine-that-could shows that scored last-minute triumphs after losing in other categories. Jim Brochu’s biographical Zero Mostel solo vehicle, Zero Hour, aced the World Premiere Play Award, while Patricia Cotter and Lori Scarlett’s The Breakup Notebook: The Lesbian Musical nabbed the World Premiere Musical citation. Open at the Top Productions received three awards, all for its historical costume epic Elizabeth Rex.
Hosted by a funny and ingratiating Neil Patrick Harris, the ceremony was graced by humor, camaraderie, and poignant moments. Harris good-naturedly pouted because the Geffen Playhouse production of Arthur Miller’s All My Sons was competing in eight categories, yet his critically acclaimed performance in the show was not on the roster. (The show did win awards for Best Play, Large Theater and for his co-star Laurie Metcalf). In what is perhaps this actor’s first official public “coming-out” announcement (after his statement to People magazine about his sexuality), he quipped that the voters were clearly prejudiced against gay men.
One segment of the three-hour-plus ceremony was highly appreciated: the joyous tribute to Lifetime Achievement Award winner Jerry Herman. A medley of evergreen Herman ditties was eloquently performed by David Engel, Kevin Earley, Jason Graae, and Carole Cook, with Gerald Sternbach at the piano. Last year’s recipient of this honor, director David Galligan, provided a heartwarming recap of Herman’s stellar career.
A droll moment came from ever-witty Harriet Harris, a victor for her work in Reprise’s On the Town, when she claimed complete surprise at her win, saying she only showed up because she recently lost weight and wanted to show off her new dress.
Meanwhile, the Culture Clash trio, creators of Water and Power at the Mark Taper Forum (which netted a Featured Actor win for Dakin Matthews), couldn’t resist shoehorning President Bush jokes into their awards-presentation banter and made a somewhat tasteless crack about the late playwright August Wilson’s prolific output. Yet in the end, the mood was celebratory and the results were immensely satisfying, with awards parceled out widely to a great many deserving local artists.
A complete list of nominees follows below, with the winners’ name in bold.
WORLD PREMIERE PLAY
Dakin Matthews’ A Magic Christmas, Andak Stage Company
Michael Michetti’s A Picture of Dorian Gray, The Theatre @ Boston Court
Tom Jacobson’s Bunbury: A Serious Play for Trivial People, Road Theatre Company
Richard Martin Hirsch’s The Quality of Light, Long Beach Playhouse
Pasha D. Lychnikoff and Lee Hubbard’s The Shelter, Black Square Productions
Richard Montoya and Culture Clash’s Water & Power, Center Theatre Group: Mark Taper Forum
Jim Brochu’s Zero Hour, West Coast Jewish Theatre
WORLD PREMIERE MUSICAL
Curtains, Center Theatre Group: Ahmanson Theatre
It Came From Beyond, Cornell Christianson
Lizard, Open at the Top Productions
Play It Cool, Celebration Theatre
The Break Up Notebook: The Lesbian Musical, LA Gay & Lesbian Center’s Village at Ed Gould Plaza
RAY STRICKLYN MEMORIAL AWARD FOR SOLO PERFORMANCE
Geraldine Hughes in Belfast Blues, Rubicon Theatre Company
Sybyl Walker in Beneath Rippling Water, Company of Angels
Jay Johnson in Jay Johnson: The Two and Only!, The Colony Theatre Company
Heather Raffo in Nine Parts of Desire, Geffen Playhouse
Paul Stroili in Straight Up With a Twist, Grove Theater Center
ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE
Bunbury: A Serious Play for Trivial People, Road Theatre Company
Gorey Stories, Sacred Fools Theatre Company
J.O.B. The Hip-Hopera, JOB The Hip-Hopera LLC
Swing!, La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts & McCoy Rigby Entertainment
The Brothers Karamazov, Circle X Theatre Company
The Shelter, Black Square Productions
The Trials and Tribulations of a Trailer Trash Housewife, Zephyr Theatre
DIRECTION OF A PLAY
Randall Arney for All My Sons, Geffen Playhouse
Robert Mammana for Elizabeth Rex, Open at the Top Productions
Ben Bradley for Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, Fountain Theatre
Valery Belyakovich for The Shelter, Black Square Productions
Del Shores for The Trials and Tribulations of a Trailer Trash Housewife, Zephyr Theatre
Julia Rodriguez Elliott for Ubu Roi, A Noise Within
Lisa Peterson for Water & Power, Center Theatre Group: Mark Taper Forum
DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL
Scott Ellis for Curtains, Center Theatre Group: Ahmanson Theatre
Pat Towne for Gorey Stories, Sacred Fools Theatre Company
Casey Nicholaw for The Drowsy Chaperone, Center Theatre Group: Ahmanson Theatre
Scott Schwartz for tick… tick… BOOM!, Rubicon Theatre Company
David Lee for Zorba, Reprise! Broadway’s Best
CHOREOGRAPHY
Hassan Christopher for J.O.B. The Hip-Hopera, JOB The Hip-Hopera LLC
Lee Martino for On the Town, Reprise! Broadway’s Best
Dana Solimando for Swing!, La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts
Casey Nicholaw for The Drowsy Chaperone, Center Theatre Group: Ahmanson Theatre
Jane Lanier for The Wild Party, The Blank Theatre Company
MUSICAL DIRECTION
Gerald Sternbach for On the Town, Reprise! Broadway’s Best
Louis Durra for Play It Cool, Celebration Theatre
Phil Reno for The Drowsy Chaperone, Center Theatre Group: Ahmanson Theatre
David O for The Wild Party, The Blank Theatre Company
Gerald Sternbach for Zorba, Reprise! Broadway’s Best
PLAY: INTIMATE THEATRE
Elizabeth Rex, Open at the Top Productions
Fences, The Odyssey Theatre
I Capture the Castle, Hollywood Food Chain Productions
Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, Fountain Theatre
The Shelter, Black Square Productions
The Trials and Tribulations of a Trailer Trash Housewife, Zephyr Theatre
Zero Hour, West Coast Jewish Theatre
PLAY: LARGE THEATRE
All My Sons, Geffen Playhouse
The Black Rider: The Casting of the Magic Bullets, Center Theatre Group: Ahmanson Theatre
The Turn of the Screw, Rubicon Theatre Company
Ubu Roi, A Noise Within
Water & Power, Center Theatre Group: Mark Taper Forum
FRANKLIN R. LEVY MEMORIAL AWARD FOR MUSICAL: INTIMATE THEATRE
Gorey Stories, Sacred Fools Theatre Company
It Came From Beyond, Cornell Christianson
J.O.B. The Hip-Hopera, JOB The Hip-Hopera LLC
The Break Up Notebook: The Lesbian Musical, LA Gay & Lesbian Center’s Village
The Wild Party, The Blank Theatre Company
MUSICAL: LARGE THEATRE
On the Town, Reprise! Broadway’s Best
Swing!, La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts
The Drowsy Chaperone, Center Theatre Group: Ahmanson Theatre
tick… tick… BOOM!, Rubicon Theatre Company
Zorba, Reprise! Broadway’s Best
SET DESIGN: INTIMATE THEATRE
Michael Michetti for A Picture of Dorian Gray, The Theatre @ Boston Court
Joel Daavid for Bluebonnet Court, Bluebonnet Productions
Dana Moran Williams for Elizabeth Rex, Open at the Top Productions
Tom Buderwitz for Equinox, Odyssey Theatre Ensemble
Joel Daavid & Michael Franco for Gorey Stories, Sacred Fools Theatre Company
Victoria Profitt for I Capture the Castle, Hollywood Food Chain Productions
Travis Gale Lewis for Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, Fountain Theatre
SET DESIGN: LARGE THEATRE
Robert Blackman for All My Sons, Geffen Playhouse
Jonathan Christman for Belfast Blues, Rubicon Theatre Company
James Noone for Dead End, Center Theatre Group: Ahmanson Theatre
Antje Ellerman for Nine Parts of Desire, Geffen Playhouse
Robert Wilson for The Black Rider: The Casting of the Magic Bullets, Center Theatre Group: Ahmanson Theatre
David Gallo for The Drowsy Chaperone, Center Theatre Group: Ahmanson Theatre
Melissa Ficociello for Ubu Roi, A Noise Within
LIGHTING DESIGN: INTIMATE THEATRE
Steven Young for A Picture of Dorian Gray, The Theatre @ Boston Court
Luke Moyer for Elizabeth Rex, Open at the Top Productions
Kathi O’Donohue for Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, Fountain Theatre
Jeremy Pivnick for Mother Courage and Her Children, The Theatre @ Boston Court
Brian Sidney Bembridge for The Brothers Karamazov, Circle X Theatre Company
Valery Belyakovich & Derrick McDaniel for The Shelter, Black Square Productions
Jeremy Pivnick for Unfinished American Highwayscape #9 & 32, The Theatre @ Boston Court
LIGHTING DESIGN: LARGE THEATRE
Daniel Ionazzi for All My Sons, Geffen Playhouse
Jonathan Christman for Belfast Blues, Rubicon Theatre Company
Clifton Taylor for Jay Johnson: The Two and Only!, The Colony Theatre Company
Robert Wilson for The Black Rider: The Casting of the Magic Bullets, Center Theatre Group: Ahmanson Theatre
Ken Billington & Brian Monahan for The Drowsy Chaperone, Center Theatre Group: Ahmanson Theatre
Ken Booth for Ubu Roi, A Noise Within
Alexander V. Nichols for Water & Power, Center Theatre Group: Mark Taper Forum
SOUND DESIGN: INTIMATE THEATRE
Robert Oriol for A Picture of Dorian Gray, The Theatre @ Boston Court
Jonathan Zenz & Madonna Cacciatore for Elizabeth Rex, Open at the Top Productions
Joe Barrucco & Martin Carrillo, Sable & Batalion for J.O.B. The Hip-Hopera, JOB The Hip-Hopera LLC
David B. Marling for Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, Fountain Theatre
Christopher Burns for The Lion in Winter, Theatre West
Drew Dalzell & Joe Patrick Ward for The Trials and Tribulations of a Trailer Trash Housewife, Zephyr Theatre
John Zalewski for Unfinished American Highwayscape #9 & 32, The Theatre @ Boston Court
SOUND DESIGN: LARGE THEATRE
Richard Woodbury for All My Sons, Geffen Playhouse
Drew Dalzell for Billy Bishop Goes to War, The Colony Theatre Company
David Beaudry for One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, Rubicon Theatre Company
Steve Abbott for The Black Rider: The Casting of the Magic Bullets, Center Theatre Group: Ahmanson Theatre
Acme Sound Partners for The Drowsy Chaperone, Center Theatre Group: Ahmanson Theatre
David O for Ubu Roi, A Noise Within
Paul James Prendergast for Water & Power, Center Theatre Group: Mark Taper Forum
COSTUME DESIGN: INTIMATE THEATRE
Shon Leblanc for Bluebonnet Court, Bluebonnet Productions
A. Jeffrey Schoenberg for Elizabeth Rex, Open at the Top Productions
Shon Le Blanc for Equinox, Odyssey Theatre Ensemble
Ann Closs-Farley for Gorey Stories, Sacred Fools Theatre Company
Terri Lewis for I Capture the Castle, Hollywood Food Chain Productions
Naila Aladdin Sanders for Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, Fountain Theatre
Dianne K. Graebner for The Brothers Karamazov, Circle X Theatre Company
COSTUME DESIGN: LARGE THEATRE
David Kay Mickelsen for All My Sons, Geffen Playhouse
Debra McGuire for Boston Marriage, Geffen Playhouse
William Ivey Long for Curtains, Center Theatre Group: Ahmanson Theatre
Frida Parmeggiani for The Black Rider: The Casting of the Magic Bullets, Center Theatre Group: Ahmanson Theatre
Catherine Zuber for The Cherry Orchard, Center Theatre Group: Mark Taper Forum
Gregg Barnes for The Drowsy Chaperone, Center Theatre Group: Ahmanson Theatre
Leon Wiebers for Ubu Roi, A Noise Within
LEAD ACTOR IN A PLAY
Richard Fancy as Willy Loman in Death of a Salesman, Pacific Resident Theatre
Charlie Robinson as Troy in Fences, The Odyssey Theatre
Aldophus Ward as Bynum in Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, Fountain Theatre
Dan Mailley as Valere in La Bête, Sacred Fools Theatre Company
Larry Bryggman as Judge in Romance, Center Theatre Group: Mark Taper Forum
Alfred Molina as Lopakhin in The Cherry Orchard, Center Theatre Group: Mark Taper Forum
Jim Brochu as The Artist in Zero Hour, West Coast Jewish Theatre
LEAD ACTRESS IN A PLAY
Laurie Metcalf as Kate Keller in All My Sons, Geffen Playhouse
Karesa Mcelheny as Elizabeth in Elizabeth Rex, Open At The Top Productions
Elayne J. Taylor as Rose in Fences, The Odyssey Theatre
Rebecca Mozo as Cassandra in I Capture the Castle, Hollywood Food Chain Productions
Ann Noble as Cathy in Orange Flower Water, The Victory Theatre Center
Dale Dickey as Sissy in Sordid Lives, Zephyr Theatre
Linda Livingston as Vivian Bearing in Wit, Transport Theatre
LEAD ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
David Hyde Pierce as Lt. Cioffi in Curtains, Center Theatre Group: Ahmanson Theatre
Kevin Earley as Harold/Professor in It Came From Beyond, Cornell Christianson
Bob Martin as Man In Chair in The Drowsy Chaperone, Center Theatre Group: Ahmanson Theatre
Eric Anderson as Burrs in The Wild Party, The Blank Theatre Company
Marc Kudisch as Zorba in Zorba, Reprise! Broadway’s Best
LEAD ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Jessica Sheridan as Mary in Play It Cool, Celebration Theatre
Sutton Foster as Janet in The Drowsy Chaperone, Center Theatre Group: Ahmanson Theatre
Beth Leavel as The Drowsy Chaperone in The Drowsy Chaperone, Center Theatre Group: Ahmanson Theatre
Valarie Pettiford as Queenie in The Wild Party, The Blank Theatre Company
Judy Kaye as Hortense in Zorba, Reprise! Broadway’s Best
FEATURED ACTOR IN A PLAY
J. Todd Adams as Basil Hallward in A Picture of Dorian Gray, The Theatre @ Boston Court
Granville Van Dusen as Thomas Huxley in Darwin in Malibu, Falcon Theatre
William S. Davis as Bono in Fences, The Odyssey Theatre
Dig Wayne as Gabriel in Fences, The Odyssey Theatre
Drake Simpson as Ron in Recent Tragic Events, Theatre Tribe
Leslie Jordan as Brother Boy in Sordid Lives, Zephyr Theatre
Dakin Matthews as The Fixer in Water & Power, Center Theatre Group: Mark Taper Forum
FEATURED ACTRESS IN A PLAY
Robin Riker as Sue Bayliss in All My Sons, Geffen Playhouse
Melanie Ewbank as Tardy in Elizabeth Rex, Open at the Top Productions
Kerry Michaels as Miss Marcy in I Capture the Castle, Hollywood Food Chain Productions
Nike Doukas as Topaz Mortmain in I Capture the Castle, Hollywood Food Chain Productions
Adenrele Ojo as Martha in Joe Turner’s Come and Gone, Fountain Theatre
Sarah Hunley as Juanita in Sordid Lives, Zephyr Theatre
Dale Dickey as Odette in Southern Baptist Sissies, Zephyr Theatre
FEATURED ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Edward Hibbert as Chris Belling in Curtains, Center Theatre Group: Ahmanson Theatre
Stephen Breithaupt as Fielding/Colonel in It Came From Beyond, Cornell Christianson
Todd Fournier as Steve/Steve in It Came From Beyond, Cornell Christianson
Larry Cedar as Pitkin Bridgework in On the Town, Reprise! Broadway’s Best
Patrick Bristow as Bob Sullivan in The Break Up Notebook: The Lesbian Musical, LA Gay & Lesbian Center’s Village at Ed Gould Plaza
Danny Burstein as Aldolpho in The Drowsy Chaperone, Center Theatre Group: Ahmanson Theatre
Nathan Lee Graham as Phil D’Armano in The Wild Party, The Blank Theatre Company
FEATURED ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Karen Ziemba as Georgia in Curtains, Center Theatre Group: Ahmanson Theatre
Megan Sikora as Bambi in Curtains, Center Theatre Group: Ahmanson Theatre
Ali Spuck as Benson/Jayne in It Came From Beyond, Cornell Christianson
Harriet Harris as Madame Dilly in On the Town, Reprise! Broadway’s Best
Christine Lakin as Casey in The Break Up Notebook: The Lesbian Musical, LA Gay & Lesbian Center’s Village at Ed Gould Plaza
Natascia Diaz as Susan in tick… tick… BOOM!, Rubicon Theatre Company
Camille Saviola as The Leader in Zorba, Reprise! Broadway’s Best
