NEWS RELEASE — FRENCH & VANESSA CLAIRE STEWART SET TO HOST 2015 OVATION AWARDS

FRENCH & VANESSA CLAIRE STEWART
SET TO HOST
THE 2015 OVATION AWARDS CEREMONY
AT THE AHMANSON THEATRE
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9 AT 7:30PM

French and Vanessa Claire Stewart have been set to host the 2015 LA STAGE Alliance Ovation Awards Ceremony on Monday, November 9 at the Ahmanson Theatre at The Music Center. Red carpet arrivals begin at 6pm and the curtain will rise at 7:30pm.

French Stewart has been a proud participant in L.A. theatre for the past 30 years, both as a member of Justin Tanner’s legendary Cast Theatre (Zombie Attack, Pot Mom, Party Mix, Teen Girl and Happy Time Xmas) and as a member of Sacred Fools Theater Company. Selected stage credits include Matthew Modine Saves The Alpacas, Watson, Voice Lessons, and Stoneface (at The Pasadena Playhouse). Stewart is best known for his work on the classic TV series Third Rock From The Sun. Other television credits include Seinfeld, The Larry Sanders Show, Just Shoot Me, The Drew Carey Show, Newsradio, Community, Psych, Bones, The Closer, Castle, Pushing Daisies, Private Practice, Mom, and a recurring role on The Middle. Stewart’s film credits include Stargate, Leaving Las Vegas, Surveillance, The Flock, and cult favorite Love Stinks.

Vanessa Claire Stewart is co-artistic director of Sacred Fools Theater Company. She co-wrote and starred as Keely Smith in Louis and Keely: Live at the Sahara which won Ovation Awards for Best Actress and Best Musical and the LA Weekly Award for Best Musical. She also penned Stoneface for husband French Stewart. She is writing the book and lyrics for an original musical about serial killer HH Holmes entitled Deadly which was recently workshopped at Sacred Fools and The Chance Theater. Film and television credits include The List, Girls Girls Girls, Rules of Engagement, The Wanda Sykes Show, and the upcoming Sensitive Men.

Sponsors for this year’s Ovation Awards ceremony are The Sheri & Les Biller Family Foundation, TheaterMania, Goldstar, Walt Disney Imagineering Creative Entertainment, USC School of Dramatic Arts, UCLA School of Theater, Film & Television, Variety, Green Hasson Janks, Bakers Man Productions, Performances Magazine, City Tavern, Peter Konerko Photography, and Ken Werther Publicity. For more information and details on how to attend the Ovation Awards ceremony on November 9, visit www.OvationAwards.com.

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10-27-15

The Sound of Music! (LAArtsOnline.com)

The Sound of Music opens September 20 at the Ahmanson Theatre

The Sound of Music!

By Ken Werther
Photo Courtesy of Center Theatre Group

Now considered a classic and unarguably one of the world’s best loved musicals, The Sound of Music opened on Broadway in November, 1959 and ran well into 1963 for a total of 1443 performances. The last show written by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein, it starred Mary Martin and Theodore Bikel and won five Tony Awards including Best Musical (in a tie with Fiorello!) … and you certainly don’t need me to tell you that in 1965 it was made into a film which remains, to this day, the most successful movie musical in history. Little known fact that The Sound of Music was originally conceived as a play that would feature songs from the repertoire of the real-life Trapp Family Singers. But during the show’s development it became clear to the creators that the story would be better told with original music. Several of the songs in the show have become standards: “Edelweiss,” “My Favorite Things,” “Climb Ev’ry Mountain,” “Do-Re-Mi,” and of course, “The Sound of Music.”

A lavish new production directed by three-time Tony Award-winner Jack O’Brien will be launching a North American tour at the Ahmanson Theatre this month. For several generations of folks who only know The Sound of Music as a movie, this will be an exciting opportunity to see how it all began.

The Sound of Music is running at the Ahmanson Theatre September 20 – October 31st.

NEWS RELEASE — 2015 OVATION AWARD NOMINATIONS TO BE ANNOUNCED DIGITALLY THURS 9/24 ON @ THIS STAGE MAGAZINE (ThisStage.LA)

2015 OVATION AWARD NOMINEES
TO BE ANNOUNCED DIGITALLY
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 24
ON @ THIS STAGE MAGAZINE (ThisStage.LA)

2015 OVATION AWARDS CEREMONY
SET FOR MONDAY, NOVEMBER 9
AT THE AHMANSON THEATRE

For the first time, the announcement of the 2015 LA STAGE Alliance Ovation Award nominees will take place digitally on Thursday, September 24 on @ This Stage Magazine (ThisStage.LA).

Said Brian Kite, Chair of the LA STAGE Alliance Board of Governors, “I’ll be online and ready for the nominee announcement along with everyone else. We’ll all find out together.” He continued, “This year’s ceremony will be thrilling, right in the heart of downtown Los Angeles at the beautiful Ahmanson Theatre. I’m looking forward to celebrating the incredible work of our community on November 9.” Variety is the media partner for the 2015 event.

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 Rules Committee. The list of nominees is determined by a tabulation of scores conducted by Green Hasson Janks.

More information about this year’s digital nominee announcement is forthcoming. Tickets to the 2015 Ovation Awards Ceremony will go on sale September 24 at OvationAwards.com.

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08-20-15