Ovation Awards | |
---|---|
Awarded for | Excellence in Southern California theatre |
Country | United States |
First awarded | 1989 |
Website | ovationawards |
The Ovation Awards were a Southern California award for excellence in theatre, [1] established in 1989. [2] They were given out by the non-profit arts service organization LA Stage Alliance and are the only peer-judged theatre awards in Los Angeles. Winners were selected by a voting committee of Los Angeles–area theater professionals who are selected through an application process every year. [3] The Ovation Awards ceremony was held at different theatres throughout the Los Angeles area, including the Ahmanson Theatre and the Orpheum Theatre. [4] Hosts for the ceremonies have included Nathan Lane, [5] Lily Tomlin, [6] and Neil Patrick Harris. [7]
During the 2021 Ovation Awards ceremony, actress Jully Lee's first name was mispronounced and she was misidentified with a photograph of a different Asian American actress. In response, several participating theatre companies revoked their membership in the LA Stage Alliance, citing the organization's disenfranchisement of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) as well as people of color (BIPOC) from the Los Angeles theatre community. [8]
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in Manhattan. The ceremony is usually held in June.
The Last Session is a musical with the book by Jim Brochu and the music and lyrics by Steve Schalchlin, with additional lyrics by John Bettis and Marie Cain. The musical is about a singer/songwriter who has decided to commit suicide to end his battle with AIDS, but only after one last recording session in the studio. The musical was presented Off-Broadway in 1997.
Tracy Lynn Middendorf is an American television, movie, and stage actress. Middendorf's most notable roles were in the horror film Wes Craven's New Nightmare, the MTV series Scream, and the HBO series Boardwalk Empire. She also appeared in the Broadway production of Ah, Wilderness!. She has won two Ovation Awards, one Drama-Logue Award, and one Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award for her stage work, and also received an American Movie Award in 2015.
Michael Jerrod Moore, known professionally as Michael Arden, is an American actor, singer, musician, and theatre director. Arden won a Tony Award for Best Direction of a Musical in 2023 for the revival of the musical Parade.
Lily Nicksay is an American actress. She is known for originating the role of Morgan Matthews, Cory's little sister, in the first two seasons of Boy Meets World. She reprised the role for the season 3 finale of Girl Meets World.
Lynn Nottage is an American playwright whose work often focuses on the experience of working-class people, particularly working-class people who are Black. She has received the Pulitzer Prize for Drama twice: in 2009 for her play Ruined, and in 2017 for her play Sweat. She was the first woman to have won the Pulitzer Prize for Drama two times.
Andy Umberger is an American actor who spent the early part of his career in New York City, where he was primarily a stage actor and appeared in three Broadway shows: City of Angels, Passion and Company. Since moving to Los Angeles in the late 90s, he has had supporting roles in over 15 films and has guest starred on over 60 television shows, with recurring roles on 10 different series, including: Mad Men, Weeds, Boston Legal, The West Wing, Desperate Housewives, ER, and as D'Hoffryn on Buffy the Vampire Slayer. He is one of only five actors to appear in three series created by Joss Whedon.
The Back Stage Garland Awards — also referred to simply as the Garland Awards, and known as the Back Stage West Garland Awards from 1998 to 2008 — were bestowed by the entertainment-industry newspaper Backstage, honoring excellence in Southern California theatre. The awards recognize many different types of contributors to theatre, including actors, directors, producers, prop makers, set designers, costume designers, and choreographers.
Scott Sanders is an American television producer, film producer and theatre producer. His theatrical musical version of Alice Walker's novel The Color Purple, for which he was a lead producer alongside co-producers Oprah Winfrey and Quincy Jones, premiered on Broadway in 2005, garnering 11 Tony Award Nominations including Best Musical.
The Celebration Theatre is a 501(c)(3) non-profit theatre company in Los Angeles, founded in 1982. The company is located in West Hollywood, on the west end of Theatre Row, and specializes in works representing the LGBTQ+ experience.
Vanessa Claire Stewart is an American actress, producer, and writer.
Ross Jacob Golan is an American songwriter, record producer and playwright.
The Sacred Fools Theater Company is a Los Angeles–based theatre company and nonprofit organization. Founded in January 1997, the company is a member organization of the LA Stage Alliance.
The nominees for the 2014 Ovation Awards, aka the 25th Annual LA STAGE Alliance Ovation Awards, were announced on September 22, 2014, at the Autry National Center in Los Angeles, California. The awards were presented for excellence in stage productions in the Los Angeles area from September 2013 to August 2014 based upon evaluations from 250 members of the Los Angeles theater community.
Joe Patrick Ward is an American playwright, composer and lyricist. Ward has scored music for film and television, and has written songs for several stage plays and musicals. He is a recipient of the Los Angeles Ovation Award for Best World Premiere Musical, and the Los Angeles Drama Critics Circle Award and NAACP Theatre Award for Best Production.
John Allee is an American actor, singer and songwriter, best known for playing the role of Pasha on the Golden Globe nominated Starz limited series Flesh and Bone (2015), and for his stage work in Los Angeles, CA.
The nominees for the 2016 Ovation Awards aka the 27th Annual LA STAGE Alliance Ovation Awards were announced on November 2, 2016, by the Los Angeles Stage Alliance.
The 73rd Annual Tony Awards were held on June 9, 2019, to recognize achievement in Broadway productions during the 2018–19 season. The ceremony was held at Radio City Music Hall in New York City and was broadcast live by CBS. James Corden served as host.
Lauren Marie Patten is an American actress, singer, and writer best known for originating the role of Jo in the Broadway musical Jagged Little Pill, as well as playing Officer Rachel Witten in the crime series Blue Bloods. For her performance in Jagged Little Pill, Patten won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical.
Ebony Repertory Theatre (ERT) is a non-profit theatre company founded in June 2007 by Wren T. Brown and the late Israel Hicks. ERT is the resident company and operator of the Nate Holden Performing Arts Center, a 400-seat regional theatre in Los Angeles, California's Mid-City community. ERT, whose award-winning theatre is its cornerstone, is the only African American professional theatre company in Los Angeles. ERT also presents a music series, a dance series, lecture series and other perennial programming. Under the leadership of Producing Artistic Director, Wren T. Brown, ERT "seeks to bring diverse, high standard, professional performing arts to the Mid-City community..."