Mike Sulprizio, Matt Walker and Beth Kennedy in "A Wither's Tale"; Photo by Chelsea Sutton
It was a triumphant night for the Troubies — that is, the Troubadour Theater Company — at the Ovation Awards ceremony Monday evening.
The madcap musical satirists based at Burbank’s Falcon Theatre won a total of five Ovations — the most for any single company. The Troubadour production A Wither’s Tale, which introduced Shakespeare Winter’s Tale to the music of Bill Withers, took home four of those — the most for any single production. And two Troubies, Matt Walker and Beth Kennedy, garnered more Ovations than any other individuals, with Walker winning or sharing in four Ovations and Kennedy in three. Troubadour won the most coveted Ovation — best season – for its lineup of A Wither’s Tale, The First Jo-el and Fleetwood Macbeth.
Matt Sax and the cast of "Venice"; Photo by Craig Schwartz
Close behind the Troubies in the overall totals was Center Theatre Group, which won four Ovations including three for Venice, the Othello-derived musical at the Kirk Douglas Theatre. The tiny Rogue Machine won three Ovations, all for its production of John Pollono’s Small Engine Repair, which was named best play in an intimate theater.
Jon Bernthal and John Pollono in "Small Engine Repair"
The other top honors for individual productions went to Ebony Repertory’s A Raisin in the Sun (best play, large theater), Reprise’s Kiss Me, Kate (best musical, large theater) and Chance Theater’s Jerry Springer, the Opera (best musical, intimate theater). Stefan Marks won the original play award for Hello, and the musical writing honors went to William Norris, Stuart Gordon, and Dennis Paoli for their book of Re-Animator: The Musical and Gregory Nabours for the lyrics and music of The Trouble With Words.
The LA STAGE Alliance Ovation Awards, celebrating theatrical excellence and achievement during the 2010-2011 season, were presented at the Orpheum Theatre in downtown Los Angeles. Thirty-five awards were bestowed upon 20 different Southern California theater companies.
Kenya Alexander, Kevin Carroll and Deidrie Henry in "A Raisin in the Sun"
Taking home two statuettes each were Crooked Arrow Productions (Hello), Ebony Repertory Theatre (A Raisin in the Sun), Pasadena Playhouse (Twist), Reprise Theatre Company (Kiss Me, Kate) and Sacred Fools Theatre Company (Voice Lessons, Watson – The Last Great Tale of the Legendary Sherlock Holmes).
Four 2011 Ovation Honors were acknowledged: Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles (music composition for a play, Much Ado About Nothing), Theatre Banshee (fight choreography, The Walworth Farce) Rogue Artists Ensemble (puppet design, D is for Dog), and Center Theatre Group/Kirk Douglas Theatre (video design, Venice).
Raul Esparza in "Leap of Faith" (Lead Actor in a Musical), Lesli Margherita in "Kiss Me, Kate" (Lead Actress in a Musical), Stefan Marks in "Hello" (Lead Actor in a Play) and Laurie Metcalf in "Voice Lessons" (Lead Actress in a Play)
Hosted by Carolyn Hennesy, presenters included Sally Struthers (Annie), Debbie Allen (Twist), Millicent Martin (Gigi), Patrick Adams (9 Circles), Greg Watanabe (Extraordinary Chambers), Francois Chau (Lost), Jason Alexander (artistic director, Reprise Theatre Company), French Stewart (Voice Lessons), Michele Lee (representing Actors’ Equity Association), Malissa Shriver (chair, California Arts Council), Craig Watson (director, California Arts Council), Parvesh Cheena (Outsourced), Betsy Brandt (Next Fall), Edi Gathegi (Superior Donuts), Vanessa Stewart (Louis & Keely Live at the Sahara), Alaman Diadhiou (Twist), Erika Sellin (casting director, Center Theatre Group), Larry Dean Harris (Dramatists Guild), Ann E. Wareham (artistic director, Laguna Playhouse), Dale Franzen (director, Broad Stage), Steve Julian (KPCC Radio), Julio Martinez (KPFK Radio), Gail Eichenthal (KUSC Radio), Michael Donovan (independent casting director), Charles Berliner (United Scenic Artists), Laura Zucker (executive director, LA County Arts Commission), Allan Miller (director/founder, Back Alley Theatre), Tom Moore (representing SDC and director of the original Broadway production of Grease), Lindsay Allbaugh (Elephant Theatre co-artistic director and producing associate, Center Theatre Group), and Anthony Byrnes (KCRW Radio).
This year’s Ovation Awards were sponsored by Actors’ Equity Association, Wells Fargo, Goldstar Events, Green Hasson Janks, Go 2 Talent Agency, International Creative Management (ICM), La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts, and Pacific Coast Entertainment.
The Ovation Awards are tabulated by Green Hasson Janks.
Matt Walker in "A Wither's Tale" (Featured Actor in a Musical), Beth Kennedy in "A Wither's Tale" (Featured Actress in a Musical), Henry Dittman in "WATSON" (Featured Actor in a Play) and Deidrie Henry in "A Raisin in the Sun" (Featured Actress in a Play)
2011 LA STAGE Alliance Ovation Award Recipients
BEST SEASON
Troubadour Theater Company – The First Jo-el, Fleetwood Macbeth, A Wither’s Tale
BEST PLAY – INTIMATE THEATER
SMALL ENGINE REPAIR
Rogue Machine
BEST PLAY – LARGE THEATER
A RAISIN IN THE SUN
Ebony Repertory Theatre
BEST MUSICAL – INTIMATE THEATER
JERRY SPRINGER: THE OPERA
The Chance Theater
BEST MUSICAL – LARGE THEATER
KISS ME, KATE
Reprise Theatre Company
ACTING ENSEMBLE FOR A PLAY
The Cast of SMALL ENGINE REPAIR
Rogue Machine
ACTING ENSEMBLE OF A MUSICAL
The Cast of A WITHER’S TALE
Troubadour Theater Company
CHOREOGRAPHY
Cate Caplin
FASCINATING RHYTHMS
Rubicon Theatre Company
MUSIC DIRECTION
Paul Litteral
HOBOKEN TO HOLLYWOOD
Reasoner Associates LLC
BOOK FOR AN ORIGINAL MUSICAL
William Norris, Stuart Gordon, and Dennis Paoli
RE-ANIMATOR: THE MUSICAL
Red Hen Productions and The Schramm Group LLC
LYRICS/MUSIC FOR AN ORIGINAL MUSICAL
Gregory Nabours
THE TROUBLE WITH WORDS
Coeurage Theatre Company
PLAYWRITING FOR AN ORIGINAL PLAY
Stefan Marks
HELLO
Crooked Arrow Productions
DIRECTOR OF A MUSICAL
Matt Walker
A WITHER’S TALE
Troubadour Theatre Company
DIRECTOR OF A PLAY
Andrew Block
SMALL ENGINE REPAIR
Rogue Machine
LEAD ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Raul Esparza as Jonas Nightingale
LEAP OF FAITH
Center Theatre Group: Ahmanson Theatre
LEAD ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Lesli Margherita as Lilli Vanessi/Kate
KISS ME, KATE
Reprise Theatre Company
LEAD ACTOR IN A PLAY
Stefan Marks as Clark
HELLO
Crooked Arrow Productions
LEAD ACTRESS IN A PLAY
Laurie Metcalf as Virginia
VOICE LESSONS
Sacred Fools Theatre Company
FEATURED ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Matt Walker as Leontes/Clown
A WITHER’S TALE
Troubadour Theater Company
FEATURED ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Beth Kennedy as Paulina/Shepherd
A WITHER’S TALE
Troubadour Theater Company
FEATURED ACTOR IN A PLAY
Henry Dittman as James Moriarty
WATSON – THE LAST GREAT TALE OF THE LEGENDARY SHERLOCK HOLMES
Sacred Fools Theatre Company
FEATURED ACTRESS IN A PLAY
Deidrie Henry as Ruth Younger
A RAISIN IN THE SUN
Ebony Repertory Theatre
LIGHTING DESIGN – INTIMATE THEATER
Christopher Kuhl
HOW TO DISAPPEAR COMPLETELY AND NEVER BE FOUND
The Theatre @ Boston Court
LIGHTING DESIGN – LARGE THEATER
David Weiner
VENICE
Center Theatre Group: Kirk Douglas Theatre
SCENIC DESIGN – INTIMATE THEATER
Joel Daavid
SKELETON STORIES
Theatre of NOTE
SCENIC DESIGN – LARGE THEATER
Todd Rosenthal
TWIST – AN AMERICAN MUSICAL
Pasadena Playhouse
SOUND DESIGN – INTIMATE THEATER
Alyssa Ishii
AWAKE
Bootleg Theater
SOUND DESIGN – LARGE THEATER
Joshua Horvath
VENICE
Center Theatre Group: Kirk Douglas Theatre
COSTUME DESIGN – INTIMATE THEATER
A. Jeffrey Schoenberg
THE MALCONTENT
The Antaeus Company
COSTUME DESIGN – LARGE THEATER
Emilio Sosa
TWIST – AN AMERICAN MUSICAL
Pasadena Playhouse
THE SHERWOOD AWARD
Presented to Christopher Kuhl
OVATION HONORS CATEGORIES
Composition for a Play
Brian Joseph, Lyle Lovett, Fred Sanders, Sara Watkins and Sean Watkins
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING
Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles
Fight Choreography
Brian Danner
THE WALWORTH FARCE
Theatre Banshee
Puppet Design
Kristopher Bicknell, Gwyneth ConawayBennison, and Miles Taber
D IS FOR DOG
Rogue Artists Ensemble
Video Design
Jason Thompson
VENICE
Center Theatre Group: Kirk Douglas Theatre
NUMERICAL TALLY (including Ovation Honors):
By Company:
Troubadour Theater Company – 5
Center Theatre Group – 4
Rogue Machine – 3
Crooked Arrow Productions – 2
Ebony Repertory Theatre – 2
Pasadena Playhouse – 2
Reprise Theatre Company – 2
Sacred Fools Theatre Company – 2
Bootleg Theater – 1
Coeurage Theatre Company – 1
Reasoner Associates LLC – 1
Red Hen Productions and the Schramm Group LLC – 1
Rogue Artists Ensemble – 1
Rubicon Theatre Company – 1
Antaeus Company – 1
Chance Theater – 1
Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles – 1
Theatre @ Boston Court – 1
Theatre Banshee – 1
Theatre of NOTE – 1
By Person (with more than one award):
Matt Walker – 4 (Featured Actor, Director, Ensemble, Season)
Beth Kennedy – 3 (Featured Actress, Ensemble, Season)
Christopher Kuhl – 2 (Lighting – Intimate, Sherwood Award)
Stefan Marks – 2 (Lead Actor, Playwriting)
By Production:
A WITHER’S TALE – 4
SMALL ENGINE REPAIR – 3
VENICE – 3
HELLO – 2
KISS ME, KATE – 2
A RAISIN IN THE SUN – 2
TWIST – AN AMERICAN MUSICAL – 2
AWAKE – 1
D IS FOR DOG – 1
FASCINATING RHYTHMS – 1
HOBOKEN TO HOLLYWOOD – 1
HOW TO DISAPPEAR COMPLETELY AND NEVER BE FOUND – 1
JERRY SPRINGER: THE OPERA – 1
LEAP OF FAITH – 1
MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING – 1
RE-ANIMATOR THE MUSICAL – 1
SKELETON STORIES – 1
THE MALCONTENT – 1
THE TROUBLE WITH WORDS – 1
THE WALWORTH FARCE – 1
VOICE LESSONS – 1
WATSON – THE LAST GREAT TALE OF THE LEGENDARY SHERLOCK HOLMES – 1
