(© Craig Schwartz/Craig Schwartz Photography)
Center Theatre Group’s production of Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot and Celebration Theatre‘s staging of The Color Purple: A Musical were the big winners at the 2012 LA Stage Alliance Ovation Awards, presented Monday, November 12 at the Los Angeles Theatre.
Hosted by stage and screen veteran Jane Kaczmarek (who appeared earlier this year in the Geffen Playhouse‘s Good People) and Culture Clash co-founder Herbert Siguenza, the ceremony honored 13 different Southern California theater companies.
A total of 13 awards were presented to Center Theatre Group for their various productions, which also included The Convert and War Horse, while six awards were given to Celebration’s Color Purple.
Presenters and performers included 2012 Leading Actor in a Musical winner Davis Gaines (Man of La Mancha), as well as Glenne Headly (Geffen Playhouse’s The Jacksonian), Christine Lakin (the Los Angeles Silence! The Musical), Tony Award-nominee Michele Lee (Seesaw), Olivier-winner Lesli Margherita (Zorro the Musical), and actress/playwright Charlayne Woodard (Ain’t Misbehavin), among many others.
LA Stage Alliance is an organization devoted to building support and awareness for the performing arts in Greater Los Angeles through audience development, professional development, and advocacy.
The list of winners is as follows:
Best Season
Center Theatre Group
Best Production of a Play (Intimate Theatre)
Peace in Our Time
The Antaeus Company
Best Production of a Play (Large Theatre)
Waiting for Godot
Center Theatre Group: Mark Taper Forum
Best Production of a Musical (Intimate Theatre)
The Color Purple: A Musical
Celebration Theatre
Best Production of a Musical (Large Theatre)
Forbidden Broadway: Greatest Hits, Volume 2
Musical Theatre West
Best Presented Production
War Horse
Center Theatre Group: Ahmanson Theatre
Acting Ensemble of a Play
The Cast of Waiting for Godot
Center Theatre Group: Mark Taper Forum
Acting Ensemble of a Musical
The Cast of The Color Purple: A Musical
Choreography
Janet Roston, The Color Purple: A Musical
Celebration Theatre
Music Direction
Gregory Nabours, The Color Purple: A Musical
Celebration Theatre
Book for an Original Musical
Isaac Laskin, Hey, Morgan!
Black Dahlia Theatre
Lyrics/Music for an Original Musical
Parmer Fuller and Michael Kramer, Stations: A Los Angeles Holiday Story
Ensemble Theatre Company and Boom Kat Dance Theatre
Playwriting for an Original Play
Andrew Dolan, The Many Mistresses of Martin Luther King
Ensemble Studio Theatre – LA
Director of a Musical
Michael Matthews, The Color Purple: A Musical
Celebration Theatre
Director of a Play
Emily Mann, The Convert
Center Theatre Group: Kirk Douglas Theatre
Lead Actor in a Musical
Davis Gaines as Cervantes/Quixote, Man of La Mancha
Musical Theatre West
Lead Actress in a Musical
Susanne Blakeslee as Woman 1, Forbidden Broadway: Greatest Hits, Volume 2
Musical Theatre West
Lead Actor in a Play
Alan Mandell as Estragon, Waiting for Godot
Center Theatre Group: Mark Taper Forum
Lead Actress in a Play
Pascale Armand as Jekesai/Ester, The Convert
Center Theatre Group: Kirk Douglas Theatre
Featured Actor in a Musical
Todrick Hall as Seaweed J. Stubbs, Hairspray
Musical Theatre West
Featured Actress in a Musical
La Toya London as Shug Avery, The Color Purple: A Musical
Celebration Theatre
Featured Actor in a Play
Hugo Armstrong as Lucky, Waiting for Godot
Center Theatre Group: Mark Taper Forum
Featured Actress in a Play
Zainab Jah as Prudence, The Convert
Center Theatre Group: Kirk Douglas Theatre
Lighting Design (Intimate Theatre)
Luke Moyer, Deathtrap
LA Gay & Lesbian Center
Lighting Design (Large Theatre)
Lap Chi Chu, The Convert
Center Theatre Group: Kirk Douglas Theatre
Sound Design (Large Theatre)
John Zalewski, A Wrinkle in Time
MainStreet Theatre Company
Costume Design (Intimate Theatre)
Shon LeBlanc, I Love Lucy Live on Stage
Rockahan, LLC
Costume Design (Large Theatre)
Paul Tazewell, The Convert
Center Theatre Group: Kirk Douglas Theatre
Scenic Design (Intimate Theatre)
Tom Buderwitz, Peace in Our Time
The Antaeus Company
Scenic Design (Large Theatre)
Daniel Ostling, The Convert
Center Theatre Group: Kirk Douglas Theatre
Sound Design (Intimate Theatre)
Veronika Vorel and Jone Zalewski, The Children
The Theatre @ Boston Court
Composition for a Play
Ryan Johnson, Stoneface: The Rise and Fall and Rise of Buster Keaton
Sacred Fools Theatre Company
Fight Choreography
Andrew Amani, Hearts Like Fists
Theatre of NOTE
Puppet Design
Susan Gratch, The Children
The Theatre @ Boston Court
Video Design
Brian Gale, Waiting for Godot
Center Theatre Group at Mark Taper Forum
2012 Zelda Fichandler Award (for transforming regional theatre through unique and
creative work)
Bill Rauch
Founder, Cornerstone Theatre Company; Current Artistic Director at Oregon Shakespeare Festival
2012 Sherwood Award (for innovative and adventurous artists)
John Sinner
Biller BEST (Building Excellence in Small Theatre) Awards
About Productions, The Antaeus Company, CASA 0101, Circle X Theatre Company, Ensemble Studio Theatre-LA, Independent Shakespeare Company, A Noise Within, and The Theatre @ Boston Court.
