Announcing: Carolyn Hennesy Will Now Host; Presenters Named for Ovation Awards Ceremony on Monday 11/14

2011 LA STAGE ALLIANCE OVATION AWARDS CEREMONY
SET FOR MONDAY, NOVEMBER 14
AT THE ORPHEUM THEATRE IN DOWNTOWN LA
NOW TO BE HOSTED BY CAROLYN HENNESY

SCHEDULED PRESENTERS INCLUDE
SALLY STRUTHERS, DEBBIE ALLEN, MILLICENT MARTIN,
PATRICK ADAMS, GREG WATANABE, FRANCOIS CHAU,
JASON ALEXANDER, LAURIE METCALF,
MICHELE LEE (REPRESENTING ACTORS EQUITY ASSOCIATION)

Now to be hosted by Carolyn Hennesy, the LA STAGE Alliance Ovation Awards Ceremony for the 2011 theatre season will take place Monday, November 14, at 7:30pm at the historic Orpheum Theatre in downtown Los Angeles. Due to unexpected scheduling conflicts, French Stewart has regretfully withdrawn as host.

Said Hennesy, “I am beyond thrilled to be hosting this year’s Ovations … the preeminent Los Angeles theatre awards! Everyone who’s anyone will be there. And thank you, LA STAGE Alliance, for this golden opportunity to lose five pounds.” LA STAGE Alliance CEO Terence McFarland added, “We’re thrilled Carolyn is available to step into the role of host for this year’s Ovation Awards ceremony as we celebrate excellence in our theatrical community in all its various shapes and sizes.”

Presenters scheduled to participate (along with those listed above), include Malissa Shriver (Chair, California Arts Council), Craig Watson (Director, California Arts Council), Parvesh Cheena (Outsourced), Betsy Brandt (Breaking Bad), 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 (Producing Associate, Center Theatre Group), and Anthony Byrnes (KCRW Radio).

Awards will be given in 35 competitive categories, and the recipients of the 2011 Sherwood Award and four 2011 Ovation Honors will be acknowledged. The Ovation Awards are tabulated by Green Hasson Janks.

This year’s Ovation Awards are 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.

LA STAGE Alliance (LASA), a non-profit organization empowering artists and engaging audiences since 1975, is dedicated to building awareness, appreciation, and support for the performing arts in Greater Los Angeles by strengthening the sector through community building, collaborative marketing, audience engagement, professional development, and advocacy. LASA serves over 900 arts organizations annually, including over 450 dues-paying member professional, educational, and community based producing and presenting performing arts organizations in the counties of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Santa Barbara, and Ventura. LASA’s constituents operate in intimate sized venues (99 seats or less), mid-sized venues (100-499 seats), and in large venues (500+ seats), and include independent producers, educational groups, and social service organizations that have a performing arts component. Additionally, LASA directly serves over 50,000 diverse local, regional, national, and international performing arts patrons and, indirectly, three million unique patron households by conducting research on their behavior and buying habits. Providing access to the performing arts for patrons and access to resources for organizations has been our focus for 35 years.

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

The 2011 Ovation Awards ceremony will take place on Monday, November 14, 2011 at the Orpheum Theatre, 842 South Broadway, in downtown Los Angeles. Doors open at 6:30pm, and the curtain goes up at 7:30pm. For information, visit www.LASTAGEOvations.com.

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11-3-11

Announcing: French Stewart Will Host 2011 Ovation Awards Ceremony on Monday 11/14

FRENCH STEWART SET TO HOST
LA STAGE ALLIANCE OVATION AWARDS CEREMONY
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2011
AT ORPHEUM THEATRE IN DOWNTOWN LA

Television, film, and stage star French Stewart will host the LA STAGE Alliance Ovation Awards Ceremony for the 2011 theatre season on Monday, November 14, 2011 at the Orpheum Theatre in downtown Los Angeles. The curtain will rise at 7:30pm.

Along with being a multiple nominee himself this year for his performances in Voice Lessons and Watson – The Last Great Tale of the Legendary Sherlock Holmes (both at Sacred Fools Theatre), Stewart has appeared on LA stages for the past 25 years, in productions such as Zombie Attack and Pot Mom (Cast Theatre) and, more recently, Matthew Modine Saves The Alpacas at the Geffen Playhouse, among many others.

Said Stewart, “As a longtime LA theatre honk, I am truly thrilled to host the Ovation Awards. It’s the best kind of family reunion.” Said LA STAGE CEO Terence McFarland, “When I read French’s article for LA STAGE Times (http://www.lastagetimes.com/2011/08/la-small-theater-weird-little-pirate-ships/), I knew I had found the perfect host for this year’s ceremony, with his longstanding love of and commitment to the community. When he arrived to our first meeting dressed identically to me, it didn’t hurt, either. Kindred spirits, indeed!”

Well known for his work on the classic television series Third Rock From The Sun, Stewart has also appeared on Seinfeld, The Larry Sanders Show, Just Shoot Me, The Drew Cary Show, Newsradio, Bones, The Closer, CSI, Castle, Pushing Daisies, Private Practice, Criminal Minds, and Stargate Universe. His film credits include Stargate, Leaving Las Vegas, Inspector Gadget 2, The Flock, Surveillance, and cult favorite Love Stinks.

Awards will be given in 30 competitive categories, and the recipients of the 2011 Sherwood Award and four 2011 Ovation Honors will be acknowledged. The Ovation Awards are tabulated by Green Hasson Janks.

LA STAGE Alliance CEO Terence McFarland will lead this year’s production team as executive producer, with Dan Fresh (Greenway Arts Alliance) as producer. Associate producers are Jessica Hanna (Bootleg Theater) and Douglas Clayton (LA STAGE). The production design is by Ovation nominee Dan Weingarten, with projection design by Adam Fleming. Musical direction will be by the Ovation Award-winning David O, accompanied on stage by Ameenah Kaplan (Ovation nominee) and Dean Mora (past Ovation Award winner). The voices of the Ovations are Bernadette Sullivan and Robert Yacko. Adeena Welle serves as stage manager, and the Ovation statues will be presented by the USC MFA class of 2012.

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

The 2011 Ovation Awards ceremony will take place on Monday, November 14, 2011 at the Orpheum Theatre, 842 South Broadway, in downtown Los Angeles. The curtain goes up at 7:30pm. For information, to become a volunteer or a sponsor, and to purchase tickets, visit www.LASTAGEOvations.com.

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10-17-11

2011 Ovation Award Nominees Announced

2011 OVATION AWARD NOMINEES ANNOUNCED

REPRISE THEATRE COMPANY LEADS WITH 17,
TROUBADOUR THEATER COMPANY RECEIVES 16,
CENTER THEATRE GROUP GETS 12,
DEMAND PRODUCTIONS GARNERS 11

Nominees for the 2011 LA STAGE Alliance Ovation Awards were announced on the evening of Monday, September 19 at the Falcon Theatre in Burbank. The nominations were revealed by 2010 Ovation Award winners Brendan Hunt, Bruce French, Alan Mandell, David St. Louis, Beth Grant, and Anna Khaja, along with LA STAGE Alliance Chief Executive Officer Terence McFarland.

The Reprise Theatre Company received the most nominations (17), followed by the Troubadour Theater Company (16), Center Theatre Group (12) and Demand Productions (11). The Reprise Theatre Company garnered nominations for Kiss Me, Kate (14), Gigi (1), They’re Playing Our Song (1), and Best Season. The Troubies’ nominations are for A Withers Tale (10), and The First Jo-el (5), as well as Best Season (which also included Fleetwood Macbeth). The CTG nominations are for Venice at the Kirk Douglas Theatre (11), and Leap of Faith at the Ahmanson (1). Demand Productions’ nominations are for Having It All (7) and Girls Talk (4).

The other three Best Season nominations were received by Celebration Theatre (Bash’d! A Gay Rap Opera, The Next Fairy Tale, Take Me Out), the Fountain Theatre (Bakersfield Mist, A House Not Meant to Stand, The Train Driver), and Theatre Banshee (The Crucible, The Field, The Walworth Farce, War).

Ovation Honors, which recognize outstanding achievement in areas that are not among the standard list of nomination categories, have been awarded to The Shakespeare Center of Los Angeles (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).

Founded in 1989, the LA STAGE Alliance Ovation Awards are the only peer-judged theater awards in Los Angeles. For the 2010-2011 voting season, there are a grand total of 196 nominations for 65 productions, presented by 44 companies. There were 388 total productions registered from 173 companies. Of those productions registered, 97 were Ovation Recommended, identified during their runs as scoring in the top quarter of all productions in the Overall Production categories.  PLEASE SEE COMPLETE LIST OF NOMINATIONS AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS RELEASE.

Voters are Los Angeles theater professionals who are chosen each season by the Ovation Awards Rules 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.

LA STAGE Alliance, empowering artists and engaging audiences since 1975, 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 LA STAGE for over 35 years. LA STAGE connects artists and arts administrators from over 500 groups annually in a six county region with opportunities to engage, inspire, educate and entertain nearly three million households in our community. LA STAGE engenders a stronger, more networked, creative Los Angeles.

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

The 2011 Ovation Awards ceremony will take place on Monday, November 14, 2011 at the Orpheum Theatre, 842 South Broadway, in downtown Los Angeles. The curtain will rise at 7:30pm. For more information, visit www.LASTAGEOvations.com.

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09-19-11

Click here for the complete list of 2011 Ovation Nominees.