2008 Ovation Awards Nominees Announced

On September 22nd, the 2008 Ovation Award Nominees were announced. Now in its 19th year, the LA Stage Alliance Ovation Awards will celebrate the 168 theatre companies, 390 registered productions, and over 2,000 individual artists who participated in the September 1, 2007 to August 31, 2008 season.

The 2008 Ovation Awards will take place on November 17th, 2008 in The Fine Arts Complex in Los Angeles, CA. For more information please visit www.2008ovationawards.com

THE NOMINEES ARE…

FEATURED ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Misty Cotton as Ellen
MISS SAIGON
Civic Light Opera of South Bay Cities
Melissa Fahn as Lina Lamont
SINGIN' IN THE RAIN
Cabrillo Music Theatre
Megan Lawrence as Charlotte
FLORA, THE RED MENACE
Reprise Theatre Company
Tracy Lore as Miss Sandra
ALL SHOOK UP
Musical Theatre West
Beth Obregon as Emma Carew
JEKYLL & HYDE
Cabrillo Music Theatre
Cathy Rigby as Mammy Yokum
LI'L ABNER
Reprise Theatre Company
Gwen Stewart as Sylvia
ALL SHOOK UP
Musical Theatre West

FEATURED ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
John Bisom as The Scarecrow
THE WIZARD OF OZ
Musical Theatre West
Danny Calvert as Dennis
ALL SHOOK UP
Musical Theater West
Larry Cedar as Finsdale
LI'L ABNER
Reprise Theatre Company
Barry Pearl as Jim Haller
ALL SHOOK UP
Musical Theatre West
Aaron Phillips as John Utterson
JEKYLL & HYDE
Cabrillo Music Theatre
Randy Rogel as CosMo Brown
SINGIN' IN THE RAIN
Cabrillo Music Theatre
Harrison White as John
MISS SAIGON
Civic Light Opera of South Bay Cities

FEATURED ACTRESS IN A PLAY
J. Nicole Brooks as Nina
AS MUCH AS YOU CAN
Hendel Productions West; Produced by Steve and Ruth Hendel and David Tarlow
Kathleen Mary Carthy as Marin
THE WRECK OF THE UNFATHOMABLE
Theatre of NOTE
Francesca Casale as Cheetah Bee
THE FASTEST CLOCK IN THE UNIVERSE
Celebration Theatre
Sharon Lawrence as Vivien Leigh
ORSON'S SHADOW
Pasadena Playhouse
Johanna McKay as Mrs. Burns
TEEN GIRL
Zephyr Theatre; Produced by Linda Toliver and Gary Guidinger
Lauren Patten as Elma
BUS STOP
Rubicon Theatre Company
Chloe Taylor as Mary
TEEN GIRL
Zephyr Theatre; Produced by Linda Toliver and Gary Guidinger

FEATURED ACTOR IN A PLAY
Mark Colson as Slim
OF MICE AND MEN
Theatre Banshee
JD Cullum as Joseph Tumulty
OF EQUAL MEASURE
Center Theatre Group: Kirk Douglas Theatre
Mark Doerr as Graham
LADY
Road Theatre Company
Bennet Guillory as Wining Boy
THE PIANO LESSON
The Hayworth, Stagewalkers Productions and 444 Productions
Barry Lynch as Candy
OF MICE AND MEN
Theatre Banshee
Morgan Rusler as Boolie Werthan
DRIVING MISS DAISY
La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts
Mark Taylor as Peter
SECRETS OF THE TRADE
Black Dahlia Theatre

LEAD ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Katrina Lenk as Velma Kelly
CHICAGO
Musical Theatre of Los Angeles Alliance;
Produced by Jeremy Lucas, Bonnie McMahan, Justine Baldwin,
Mindy Rouff and Mark Espinosa
Lulu Lloyd as Lucy Harris
JEKYLL & HYDE
Cabrillo Music Theatre
Bets Malone as NatAlie Haller
ALL SHOOK UP
Musical Theatre West
Jennifer Paz as Kim
MISS SAIGON
Civic Light Opera of South Bay Cities
Vanessa Claire Smith as Keely Smith
LOUIS & KEELY: LIVE AT THE SAHARA
SacRed Fools Theatre Company

LEAD ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Kevin Bailey as The Engineer
MISS SAIGON
Civic Light Opera of South Bay Cities
Jake Broder as Louis Prima
LOUIS & KEELY: LIVE AT THE SAHARA
SacRed Fools Theatre Company
Brandon Victor Dixon as Ray Charles
Ray Charles LIVE – THE MUSICAL
Pasadena Playhouse
David Engel as Don Lockwood
SINGIN' IN THE RAIN
Cabrillo Music Theatre
Eric Kunze as Chris
MISS SAIGON
Civic Light Opera of South Bay Cities
Allen E. Read as Rocky
MASK
Pasadena Playhouse
Robert J. Townsend as Jekyll/Hyde
JEKYLL & HYDE
Cabrillo Music Theatre

LEAD ACTRESS IN A PLAY
Amy Aquino as Joanne
SECRETS OF THE TRADE
Black Dahlia Theatre
Meredith Bishop as Sophie
THE CONCEPT OF REMAINDERS
The Production Company
Kathleen Chalfant as Rose
RED DOG HOWLS
Gang of Five New York
Karesa McElheny as Vivian Bearing
WIT – THE PULITZER PRIZE WINNING MASTERPIECE
The Production Company
Laurie Metcalf as Jeannette
THE QUALITY OF LIFE
Geffen Playhouse
Tonya Pinkins as Jasmine
AND HER HAIR WENT WITH HER
Fountain Theatre; Produced by Stephen Sachs
JoBeth Williams as Dinah
THE QUALITY OF LIFE
Geffen Playhouse

LEAD ACTOR IN A PLAY
Dennis Boutsikaris as Neil
THE QUALITY OF LIFE
Geffen Playhouse
Joe Egender as Ted
HE ASKED FOR IT
Theatre of NOTE
V.J. Foster as Cotton Slocum
CARNAGE, A COMEDY
Actors' Gang
John Glover
SECRETS OF THE TRADE
Black Dahlia Theatre
Lance E. Nichols as Hoke Coleburn
DRIVING MISS DAISY
La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts
Darrett Sanders as Avram
THE WRECK OF THE UNFATHOMABLE
Theatre of NOTE
Joe Spano
R. BUCKMINSTER FULLER: THE HISTORY (AND MYSTERY) OF THE UNIVERSE
Rubicon Theatre Company

ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE
AND NEITHER HAVE I WINGS TO FLY
Road Theatre Company
THE ANDREWS BROTHERS
Musical Theatre West
BODY POLITIC
The Echo Theater Company
CITY KID – THE MUSICAL
City Kid Productions, LLC
EN UN SOL AMARILLO (MEMORIAS DE UN TEMBLOR)
Center Theatre Group: Kirk Douglas Theatre and FITLA
TRACERS
The Gangbusters Theatre Company; Produced by Leon Shanglebee & Sierra Fisk
WINTER WONDERETTES
Marvelous Dreams, LLC; Produced by David Elzer and Peter Schneider

COSTUME DESIGN – LARGE THEATRE
Ann Closs-Farley
NORMAN'S ARK
John Anson Ford Theatre and DuHirst Music (US) Ltd.
Marcy Froehlich
BUS STOP
Rubicon Theatre Company
Marcy Froehlich
PICASSO AT THE LAPIN AGILE
Rubicon Theatre Company
Shon Le Blanc
YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU
Rubicon Theatre Company
Sharell Martin and Ambra Wakefield
JEKYLL & HYDE
FCLO Music Theatre
Paul Tazewell
Ray Charles LIVE – A NEW MUSICAL
Pasadena Playhouse
Naomi Yoshida
PIPPIN
East West Players

COSTUME DESIGN – INTIMATE THEATRE
Stephanie Kerley-Schwartz & Lauren Tyler
COMPLEAT FEMALE STAGE BEAUTY
Rogue Machine; Produced by John Perrin Flynn and Matthew Elkins
Gelareh Khalioun
AND NEITHER HAVE I WINGS TO FLY
Road Theatre Company
Scott A. Lane
PEST CONTROL – THE MUSICAL
Open at the Top Productions and Canum Entertainment
Shon Le Blanc
THE MILK TRAIN DOESN'T STOP HERE ANYMORE
Fountain Theatre; Produced by Ben Bradley and Diana Gibson
Nalia Sanders
THE PIANO LESSON
The Hayworth, Stagewalkers Productions and 444 Productions
A. Jeffrey Shoenberg
1776
Actors Co-op/Crossley Theatre
A. Jeffrey Shoenberg
TONIGHT AT 8:30 – PART II: COME THE WILD
The Antaeus Company

SOUND DESIGN – LARGE THEATRE
David Beaudry
BUS STOP
Rubicon Theatre Company
Jonathan Burke
SINGIN' IN THE RAIN
Cabrillo Music Theatre
John Feinstein
MISS SAIGON
Civic Light Opera of South Bay Cities
Giampaolo Nalli and Danuta Zarzyka
EN UN SOL AMARILLO (MEMORIAS DE UN TEMBLOR)
Center Theatre Group: Kirk Douglas Theatre and FITLA
Cricket S. Myers
EMERGENCY
Geffen Playhouse
Cricket S. Myers
NORMAN'S ARK
John Anson Ford Theatre and DuHirst Music (US) Ltd.
Cricket S. Myers
PICASSO AT THE LAPIN AGILE
Rubicon Theatre Company

SOUND DESIGN – INTIMATE THEATRE
John Ballinger
1001
The Theatre @ Boston Court
David B. Marling
LADY
Road Theatre Company
Cricket S. Myers
DARK PLAY OR STORIES FOR BOYS
The Theatre @ Boston Court
John Nobori
THE TRAGICAL COMEDY OF MR. PUNCH
Bootleg Theatre and the Rogue Artists Ensemble
Ken Rich
THE COMMON AIR
Elephant Stageworks
Ken Sawyer
CRIME AND PUNISHMENT
Actors Co-op/Crossley Theatre
Eric Snodgrass
SNAKE IN THE GRASS
Salem K Theatre Company

LIGHTING DESIGN – LARGE THEATRE
Howell Binkley
CLAY
Center Theatre Group: Kirk Douglas Theatre
Darrell Clark
MISS SAIGON
Civic Light Opera of South Bay Cities
Michael Gilliam
RED DOG HOWLS
Gang of Five New York
Jeremy Pivnick
DAWN'S LIGHT: THE JOURNEY OF GORDON HIRABAYASHI
East West Players
Jeremy Pivnick
PICASSO AT THE LAPIN AGILE
Rubicon Theatre Company
Jean-Yves Tessier
SINGIN' IN THE RAIN
Cabrillo Music Theatre
Steven Young
JEKYLL & HYDE
Cabrillo Music Theatre

LIGHTING DESIGN – INTIMATE THEATRE
Leigh Allen
SNAKE IN THE GRASS
Salem K Theatre Company
Derrick McDaniel
LADY
Road Theatre Company
Luke Moyer
PEST CONTROL – THE MUSICAL
Open at the Top Productions and Canum Entertainment
Jeremy Pivnick
1001
The Theatre @ Boston Court
Jeremy Pivnick
CRIME AND PUNISHMENT
Actors Co-op/Crossley Theatre
August Viverito
WIT – THE PULITZER PRIZE WINNING MASTERPIECE
The Production Company
Steven Young
THRILL ME: THE LEOPOLD & LOEB STORY
Havok Theatre Company

SET DESIGN – LARGE THEATRE
Tom Buderwitz
PICASSO AT THE LAPIN AGILE
Rubicon Theatre Company
Robert Brill
BLOODY BLOODY Andrew Jackson
Center Theatre Group: Kirk Douglas Theatre and The Public Theatre
Gonzalo Callejas
EN UN SOL AMARILLO (MEMORIAS DE UN TEMBLOR)
Center Theatre Group: Kirk Douglas Theatre and FITLA
Thomas S. Giamario
BUS STOP
Rubicon Theatre Company
David Rockwell
ALL SHOOK UP
Musical Theatre West
Gary Wissman
A DELICATE BALANCE
Rubicon Theatre Company
Gary Wissman
YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU
Rubicon Theatre Company

SET DESIGN – INTIMATE THEATRE
Danny Cistone
THE LAST DAYS OF JUDAS ISCARIOT
68 Cent Crew Theatre Company; Produced by Ronnie Marmo
Danny Cistone
ON AN AVERAGE DAY
Elephant Stageworks and Vs. Theatre Company
Joel Daavid
THE PIANO LESSON
The Hayworth, Stagewalkers Productions and 444 Productions
Helen Harwell
CRIME AND PUNISHMENT
Actors Co-op/Crossley Theatre
Laura Fine Hawkes
SNAKE IN THE GRASS
Salem K Theatre Company
Desma Murphy
AND NEITHER HAVE I WINGS TO FLY
Road Theatre Company
Gary Smoot
LOVE LOVES A PORNOGRAPHER
Circle X Theatre Company

MUSICAL – LARGE THEATRE
ALL SHOOK UP
Musical Theatre West
THE ANDREWS BROTHERS
Musical Theatre West
JEKYLL & HYDE
Cabrillo Music Theatre
MISS SAIGON
Civic Light Opera of South Bay Cities
SINGIN' IN THE RAIN
Cabrillo Music Theatre

Franklin R. Levy AWARD FOR MUSICAL
IN AN INTIMATE THEATRE
CITY KID – THE MUSICAL
City Kid Productions, LLC
deLEARious
Open Fist Theatre Company
LOUIS & KEELY: LIVE AT THE SAHARA
SacRed Fools Theatre Company
THRILL ME: THE LEOPOLD & LOEB STORY
Havok Theatre Company
WINTER WONDERETTES
Marvelous Dreams, LLC; Produced by David Elzer and Peter Schneider

PLAY – LARGE THEATRE
BUS STOP
Rubicon Theatre Company
A DELICATE BALANCE
Rubicon Theatre Company
DRIVING MISS DAISY
La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts
EN UN SOL AMARILLO (MEMORIAS DE UN TEMBLOR)
Center Theatre Group: Kirk Douglas Theatre and FITLA
R. BUCKMINSTER FULLER: THE HISTORY (AND MYSTERY) OF THE UNIVERSE
Rubicon Theatre Company

PLAY – INTIMATE THEATRE
AND NEITHER HAVE I WINGS TO FLY
Road Theatre Company
BODY POLITIC
The Echo Theater Company
LADY
Road Theatre Company
THE PIANO LESSON
The Hayworth, Stagewalkers Productions, 444 Productions
THE QUALITY OF LIFE
Geffen Playhouse
SECRETS OF THE TRADE
Black Dahlia Theatre
WIT – THE PULITZER PRIZE WINNING MASTERPIECE
The Production Company

TOURING PRODUCTION
AVENUE Q
Center Theatre Group: Ahmanson Theatre
THE COLOR PURPLE
Center Theatre Group: Ahmanson Theatre; Produced by
Oprah Winfrey, Scott Sanders, Roy Furman, Quincy Jones, et. al.
THE DROWSY CHAPERONE – NATIONAL TOUR
Center Theatre Group: Ahmanson Theatre
MY FAIR LADY
Center Theatre Group: Ahmanson Theatre
SWEENEY TODD
Center Theatre Group: Ahmanson Theatre

MUSIC DIRECTION
Steven Applegate
JEKYLL & HYDE
Cabrillo Music Theatre
Darryl Archibald
LI'L ABNER
Reprise Theatre Company
Michael Borth
ALL SHOOK UP
Musical Theatre West
Patrick Gandy
CITY KID – THE MUSICAL
City Kid Productions, LLC
John Glaudini
THE ANDREWS BROTHERS
Musical Theatre West
Alby Potts
MISS SAIGON
Civic Light Opera of South Bay Cities
Alby Potts
SINGIN' IN THE RAIN
Cabrillo Music Theatre

CHOREOGRAPHY
Roger Castellano
THE ANDREWS BROTHERS
Musical Theatre West
Roger Castellano
JEKYLL & HYDE
Cabrillo Music Theatre
David Engel
SINGIN' IN THE RAIN
Cabrillo Music Theatre
Jeremy Lucas
CHICAGO
Musical Theatre of Los Angeles Alliance; Produced by Jeremy Lucas,
Bonnie McMahan, Justine Baldwin, Mindy Rouff, and Mark Espinosa
Lee Martino
ALL SHOOK UP
Musical Theatre West
Karen Nowicki
MISS SAIGON
Civic Light Opera of South Bay Cities
Bradley Rapier
CITY KID – THE MUSICAL
City Kid Productions, LLC

DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL
Jeremy Aldridge
LOUIS & KEELY: LIVE AT THE SAHARA
SacRed Fools Theatre Company
Roger Bean
WINTER WONDERETTES
Marvelous Dreams, LLC; Produced by David Elzer and Peter Schneider
Stephanie Coltrin
MISS SAIGON
Civic Light Opera of South Bay Cities
Nick DeGruccio
THE ANDREWS BROTHERS
Musical Theatre West
Nick DeGruccio
JEKYLL & HYDE
Cabrillo Music Theatre
Steven Glaudini
ALL SHOOK UP
Musical Theatre West
Larry Raben
SINGIN' IN THE RAIN
Cabrillo Music Theatre

DIRECTION OF A PLAY
Jane Anderson
THE QUALITY OF LIFE
Geffen Playhouse
Cesar Brie
EN UN SOL AMARILLO (MEMORIAS DE UN TEMBLOR)
Center Theatre Group: Kirk Douglas Theatre and FITLA
Scott Cummins
AND NEITHER HAVE I WINGS TO FLY
Road Theatre Company
D.W. Jacobs
R. BUCKMINSTER FULLER: THE HISTORY (AND MYSTERY) OF THE UNIVERSE)
Rubicon Theatre Company
Derek Charles Livingston
SHAKESPEARE'S R & J
The Production Company
Robert Mammana
WIT – THE PULITZER PRIZE WINNING MASTERPIECE
The Production Company
Matt Shakman
SECRETS OF THE TRADE
Black Dahlia Theatre
Ray Stricklyn MEMORIAL AWARD FOR SOLO PERFORMANCE
Daniel Beaty
EMERGENCY
Geffen Playhouse
Tim Ryan Meinelschmidt
ALL THE HELP YOU NEED – THE ADVENTURES OF A HOLLYWOOD HANDYMAN
Theatre Forty
Matt Sax
CLAY
Center Theatre Group: Kirk Douglas Theatre
Eve Sigall
JOAN'S TRIP
Theatre East
Nilaja Sun
NO CHILD…
Center Theatre Group: Kirk Douglas Theatre

BOOKS/LYRICS/MUSIC FOR AN ORIGINAL MUSICAL
John Bucchino and Daisy Prince
IT'S ONLY LIFE
Rubicon Theatre Company; Produced by Michael Jackowitz
21
Meryl Friedman
TUG OF WAR
The J. Paul Getty Trust
Maury McIntyre and Nick Salamone
GULLS
The Theatre @ Boston Court
Jan Powell and Ken Stone
AMERICAN TALES
The Antaeus Company
Phil Swann and Ron West
deLEARious
Open Fist Theatre Company

PLAYWRITING OF AN ORIGINAL PLAY
Jane Anderson
THE QUALITY OF LIFE
Geffen Playhouse
Richard Martin Hirsch
THE CONCEPT OF REMAINDERS
The Production Company
Joe Keyes
BIG BABY
Produced by Joe Keyes, Heather King and Maile Flanagan
Alex Lyras & Robert McCaskill
THE COMMON AIR
Elephant Stageworks
Timothy McNeil
ANYTHING
Elephant Stageworks; Produced by Lindsay Albaugh and Gina Soto