2012 LA Stage Alliance Ovation Award Nominees Announced

2012 LA STAGE ALLIANCE OVATION AWARD
NOMINEES ANNOUNCED
CENTER THEATRE GROUP LEADS WITH 29,
CELEBRATION THEATRE & MUSICAL THEATRE WEST
FOLLOW WITH 16 EACH,
GEFFEN PLAYHOUSE GETS 11,
COLONY THEATRE & TROUBADOUR THEATER COMPANY
TIE WITH 9 EACH

2012 Ovation Awards Nominees for the 2012 LA STAGE Alliance Ovation Awards were announced on the evening of Tuesday, September 11 at the Renberg Theatre inside the Gay and Lesbian Center in Los Angeles. The nominations were revealed by 2011 Ovation Award-winners Beth Kennedy, Matt Walker, Oanh Nguyen, Henry Dittman, Cate Caplin, Brian Danner, and Elina de Santos, along with LA STAGE Alliance Chief Executive Officer Terence McFarland.

Center Theatre Group received the most nominations (29), followed by Celebration Theatre and Musical Theatre West (16 each), Geffen Playhouse (11), and Colony Theatre Company and Troubadour Theater Company (9 each). Center Theatre Group garnered nominations for The Convert at the Kirk Douglas Theatre (11), Waiting for Godot at the Mark Taper Forum (8), American Night: The Ballad of Juan Jose (4) at KDT, Poor Behavior (1) and Red at MTF (1), The Night Watcher (1) at KDT, and Follies (1) and War Horse (1) at the Ahmanson Theatre, and for Best Season. Celebration Theatre’s nominations are for The Color Purple: A Musical (13), and What’s Wrong With Angry? (3), and the Musical Theatre West nominations are for Forbidden Broadway: Greatest Hits, Volume 2 (9), Hairspray (3), Man of La Mancha (2), Spamalot (1), along with Best Season.

Nominated productions for the Geffen Playhouse are Good People (8), The Jacksonian (1), and The Pianist of Willesden Lane (1), along with Best Season. The Colony Theatre Company is nominated for The Savannah Disputation (5), Old Wicked Songs (2), and Dames at Sea (1), along with Best Season. Troubadour Theater Company’s nominations are for Two Gentlemen of Chicago (6), and A Christmas Westside Story (3). The fifth Best Season nomination goes to La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts (The 39 Steps, Noises Off, Miss Saigon, Life Could Be A Dream, Peter Pan). Miss Saigon also received four nominations.

Ovation Honors, which recognize outstanding achievement in areas that are not among the standard list of nomination categories, have been awarded to Sacred Fools Theatre (Composition for a Play, Stoneface: The Fall and Rise of Buster Keaton), Theatre of Note (Fight Choreography, Hearts Like Fists), Theatre @ Boston Court (Puppet Design, The Children), and Center Theatre Group/Kirk Douglas Theatre (Video Design, American Night: The Ballad of Juan Jose).

Founded in 1989, the LA STAGE Alliance Ovation Awards are the only peer-judged theater awards in Los Angeles. For the 2011-2012 voting season, there are a grand total of 191 nominations for 77 productions, presented by 50 companies. There were 400 total productions registered from 173 companies. Of those productions registered, 79 were Ovation Recommended, identified during their runs as scoring in the top quarter of all productions in the Overall Production categories. [CLICK HERE FOR A COMPLETE LIST OF NOMINEES.]

Voters are Los Angeles theatre professionals who are chosen each season by the Ovation Awards Review Committee (through an application process). The list of nominees is determined by a tabulation of scores conducted by the entertainment accounting firm Green Hasson Janks. This year’s Ovation Award eligibility period ran from September 1, 2011 through August 28, 2012.

LA STAGE Alliance is dedicated to building awareness, appreciation and support for the performing arts in Greater Los Angeles through community building, collaborative marketing/audience development, professional development to strengthen the sector, and advocacy. Providing access to the performing arts for patrons and access to information and resources for organizations has been the mission of the Alliance for over 35 years. The Alliance connects artists and arts administrators from over 500 groups annually in a six county region with opportunities to engage, inspire, educate and entertain over four million households that engage with the arts in our community. The Alliance engenders a stronger and more connected creative Los Angeles.

LA STAGE Alliance programs are sponsored, in part, by Actors Equity, The Angell Foundation, Arts Council for Long Beach, The Biller Family Foundation, California Arts Council, California Community Foundation, City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, City of Pasadena Cultural Affairs Division, City of Santa Monica Cultural Affairs Division, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, Goldstar, James Irvine Foundation, Andrew Mellon Foundation, Los Angeles County Supervisors through the LA County Arts Commission, MusiCares/Grammy Foundation, National Endowment for the Arts, Ralph M. Parsons Foundation, SDC, The Shubert Foundation, and Sony Pictures Entertainment.

The 2012 Ovation Awards ceremony will take place on Monday, November 12, at the historic Los Angeles Theatre, 615 South Broadway, in downtown Los Angeles. The curtain will rise at 7:30pm.

For more information, visit www.LASTAGEOvations.com.

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09-11-12

Announcing: Casting Announced for “A Snow White Christmas” at The Pasadena Playhouse

THE PASADENA PLAYHOUSE AND
LYTHGOE FAMILY PRODUCTIONS
ANNOUNCE CASTING AND CREATIVE TEAM FOR
PANTO AT THE PLAYHOUSE’S
A SNOW WHITE CHRISTMAS

FEATURING “VICTORIOUS’” ARIANA GRANDE,
“DALLAS’” CHARLENE TILTON AND NEIL PATRICK HARRIS IN THE ONSCREEN
SPECIAL GUEST ROLE AS
“THE MAGIC MIRROR”

THE PRODUCTION WILL PERFORM
DECEMBER 13 – 23, 2012

PASADENA, CA (September 6, 2012) – The Pasadena Playhouse (Sheldon Epps, Artistic Director and Charles Dillingham, Interim Executive Director) and Lythgoe Family Productions, announced today casting and the creative team for A SNOW WHITE CHRISTMAS, featuring Ariana Grande (Nickelodeon’s “Victorious”) as “Snow White,” an on-screen appearance by Neil Patrick Harris as “The Magic Mirror” and Charlene Tilton (“Dallas”) as “The Wicked Queen.” This inaugural “Panto at The Playhouse” production of A SNOW WHITE CHRISTMAS will be directed by Bonnie Lythgoe (“So You Think You Can Dance”) with choreography by Spencer Liff (Emmy nominee “So You Think You Can Dance”) and musical direction by Michael Orland (“American Idol”). Performances will begin December 13 through December 23, with a gala press opening night on Wednesday, December 12, 2012, at 7:00 p.m. at The Pasadena Playhouse.

Lythgoe Family Productions produces fun, musical theatre the whole family can enjoy. Known
for their creativity and involvement in television hits “American Idol” and “So You Think You Can Dance,” the Lythgoes are dedicated to bringing affordable theatre to families across America. Based on the Grimm fairytales, each story has been modernized with topical scripts for parents and well known pop songs for kids. The Lythgoes pride themselves on creating a memorable experience a family can share together.

“It brings me great delight to welcome Lythgoe Family Productions and their wonderful Panto productions into our Playhouse family, said Sheldon Epps, Artistic Director of The Playhouse.  “Their family-friendly, interactive shows are a perfect fit to our season and our community. We look forward to a very long partnership in bringing a new holiday tradition of live theatre to our patrons.”

“We are truly honored to be working with the prestigious Pasadena Playhouse in continuing the introduction of American Panto to families,” said writer/producer Kris Lythgoe. “It has always been a goal of the Lythgoe family to work with a theatre that shares in our ambition of encouraging young audiences to attend theatre and to bring families together at the holiday season. We believe The Playhouse is the perfect LA home for Panto and we look forward to “Panto at The Playhouse” for many seasons to come!”

An updated version of the classic tale, in the style of a traditional British family Panto, A SNOW WHITE CHRISTMAS features family-friendly magic, with a comedic twist, dancing (with “So You Think You Can Dance” alumni), a live miniature pony and contemporary music from Katy Perry’s “Firework” to Huey Lewis and the News’ “Power of Love” to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” and more. A Panto is known for its interactive style and humor that appeals to everyone from ages 2 – 102! Before every performance, guests and their families are invited to enjoy a “Winter Wonderland” event sponsored by Parenting Magazine in The Playhouse’s Engemann Family Courtyard, complete with holiday carolers, crafts, activities, games and photo opportunities.

The full cast for A SNOW WHITE CHRISTMAS features:

• Ariana Grande as “Snow White” (Nickelodeon’s “Victorious”)
• Neil Patrick Harris as “The Magic Mirror” (“How I Met Your Mother”)
• Charlene Tilton as “The Wicked Queen” (“Dallas”)
• Jonathan Scott Meza as “Muddles” ( “The Jumpitz”)
• David Figoli as “Herman the Huntsman”
• And “Snow White’s Prince” to be announced soon

The “Seven Dwarfs” will be cast from local children and auditions will be held on October 6 – 7, 2012, at a location to be announced.

In addition to director Bonnie Lythgoe, the creative team for A SNOW WHITE CHRISTMAS includes choreography by Spencer Liff (Emmy nominee for “So You Think You Can Dance”), musical direction by Michael Orland (“American Idol”), book by Kris Lythgoe, scenic and costume design by Lythgoe Family Productions creative department with additional costume design by designer Julia Clancy, Donna Maas and Kleev Guessford, additional scenic design by J.J. Wickham (LFP producers include Kris Lythgoe, Bonnie Lythgoe, Becky Baeling and Jason Haigh-Ellery).

A SNOW WHITE CHRISTMAS will play from December 13 – 23, 2012 with a gala press opening on Wednesday, December 12, 2012, at 7:00 p.m. The Pasadena Playhouse is located at 39 South El Molino Avenue, Pasadena, CA 91101. The performance schedule is Tuesday through Friday at 7:00 p.m.; Saturdays and Sundays at 11:00 a.m., 3:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. Single show ticket prices for A SNOW WHITE CHRISTMAS range from $32.00 – $72.00, with Premium Seating available for $100.00. Child single tickets are available for Rear Orchestra and Rear Mezzanine seating ranging from $22.00 – $47.00. Golden Tickets are available for an additional $100.00 each and are limited to 10 Golden Tickets per performance. A Golden Ticket allows the ticketholder (children only) a special on-stage experience during the production. Service and theatre restoration fees apply to all purchases. Tickets are available by calling The Pasadena Playhouse at 626-356-7529 or by visiting The Pasadena Playhouse Box Office, Tuesday – Sunday from 12:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. during non-performance dates. On performance dates the Box Office is open Tuesday – Saturday from 12:00 p.m.– 8:00 p.m. and 12:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets are available 24 hours online at www.PasadenaPlayhouse.org. Group Sales (8 or more) are available by calling 626-921-1161.

For additional information visit www.PasadenaPlayhouse.org.

Full bios for the cast and creative team of A SNOW WHITE CHRISTMAS are available upon
request.

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09-06-12

Announcing: LA Stage Alliance 2012 Ovation Award Nominees To Be Announced Tuesday, Sept. 11 at 7PM

LA STAGE ALLIANCE 2012 OVATION AWARD NOMINEES
TO BE ANNOUNCED TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 11
AT THE RENBERG THEATRE
INSIDE THE L.A. GAY & LESBIAN CENTER

AWARDS CEREMONY SET FOR MONDAY, NOVEMBER 12
AT THE LOS ANGELES THEATRE IN DOWNTOWN LA

The announcement of the 2012 LA Stage Alliance Ovation Award nominees has been set for Tuesday, September 11 at 7:00 pm. The event will be hosted by the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center’s Renberg Theatre, located within the Village at Ed Gould Plaza at 1125 N. McCadden Place in Los Angeles, 90038.

This year’s Ovation Awards ceremony will take place on Monday, November 12, 2012 at 7:30pm at the historic Los Angeles Theatre, 615 South Broadway, in downtown Los Angeles.

On September 11, various 2011 Ovation Award recipients will announce the names of this year’s nominees. Scheduled to participate are Beth Kennedy (Featured Actress in a Musical), Matt Walker (Featured Actor in and Director of a Musical), Oanh Nguyen (Best Production of a Musical, Intimate), John Flynn (Best Production of a Play, Intimate), Henry Dittman (Featured Actor in a Play), Cate Caplin (Choreography), Brian Danner (Fight Choreography), and Paul Litteral (Music Direction). These winners from last year will be joined by Terence McFarland, Chief Executive Officer of LA Stage Alliance.

The nominee announcement event is free and open to the public. A light reception will be included, and RSVP is required. To RSVP, visit www.LASTAGEOvations.com. The announcement can also be viewed live online at www.LASTAGETimes.com, or followed via twitterfeed at #OvationAwards.

The LA Stage Alliance Ovation Awards are the only peer-judged theatre awards in Los Angeles. Voters are Los Angeles theatre professionals who are chosen each year, through an application process, by the Ovation Awards Rules Committee. The list of nominees is determined by a tabulation of scores conducted by Green Hasson Janks.

The L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center provides a broad array of services for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community, welcoming nearly a quarter-million client visits from ethnically diverse youth and adults each year. Through its Jeffrey Goodman Special Care Clinic and on-site pharmacy, the Center offers free and low-cost health, mental health, HIV/AIDS medical care and HIV/STD testing and prevention. The Center also offers legal, social, cultural and educational services, with unique programs for seniors, families and youth, including a 24-bed transitional living program for homeless youth. Information about the Gay & Lesbian Center is available on the Web at www.lagaycenter.org.

Tickets and additional information about the Ovation Awards Ceremony on Monday, November 12 will be available at www.LASTAGEOvations.com beginning September 11.

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09-05-12