Ovations Award

When the annual Ovation Awards are passed out Monday, fewer people will be on hand than in the recent past. Although the event is sold out, this year's venue for awarding the peer-judged theatrical honors is the 1,264-seat La Mirada Theatre instead of the 2,139-seat Shubert Theatre in Century City, where the event attracted big crowds for the past three years.

Southern California's biggest theater company was the biggest winner at the 2012 Ovation Awards, which were handed out Monday evening at a ceremony at the Los Angeles Theatre in downtown. Center Theatre Group scooped 13 trophies for its productions of "Waiting for Godot," "The Convert" and "War Horse. " The company also received the evening's biggest honor as having the best season. The Ovations, organized by the L.A. Stage Alliance, honor excellence in stage productions throughout the L.A. area.

"The Woman in Black," "Anything Goes" and "Animal Farm" are ahead in the race for the annual Ovation Awards, L.A.'s peer-judged theater awards. Each of the three shows received seven nominations -- so far. But the total nomination figures aren't complete. Costume design nominations weren't announced Tuesday with the others. Because of a computer glitch, voters are being asked to resend their costume votes.

The nominations for the 2011-2012 Ovation Awards were announced Tuesday evening. Leading the way were Center Theatre Group with 29 nominations, followed by the Celebration Theatre and Musical Theatre West, with 16 nominations each. Productions that received the most nominations included the Celebration's staging of the musical " The Color Purple " with 13 nominations; Danai Gurira's new play " The Convert ," at the Kirk Douglas Theatre, with 11; David Lindsay-Abaire's " Good People ," at the Geffen Playhouse, with eight; and the revival of Samuel Beckett's " Waiting for Godot ," at the Mark Taper Forum, also with eight.

The Ovation Awards are presented annually by Theatre LA, a service organization for Los Angeles theaters. This year, nearly 350 productions were eligible for consideration. Any production from a producer or company that belongs to Theatre LA is eligible but must pay a $45 registration fee on top of the membership dues of between $295 and $1,800 a year (depending on a company's annual gross) or $225 for a three-month membership (used by temporary producers).

Deaf West Theatre's innovative "Big River" collected the most Ovation Award nominations, announced Sunday. The sign-language-enriched musical took 11 nominations, the most for any single show. A modified version of the production will be produced by the Mark Taper Forum, opening Nov. 14. Four shows tied for second place in the nominations tally, with eight apiece: Taper productions of "Flower Drum Song" and "Into the Woods," Colony Theatre's "Side Show" and Road Theatre's "Napoli Milionaria."

Two mid-size theaters, on opposite sides of the Los Angeles area, joined the larger Center Theatre Group in leading the pack of nominations for the 2003-04 Ovation Awards, announced Wednesday. Rubicon Theatre in Ventura received 20 nominations for five productions, including seven for a revival of "Driving Miss Daisy" and six for "All My Sons."

It's the biggest theater game in town. We're talking about Theatre LA's Ovation Awards, L.A.'s only peer-judged professional theater competition. Indeed, judging from how many productions are eligible, the Ovations tower over some much better-known competitions. For the 2001-02 Ovations, to be presented Sunday at L.A.'s Orpheum Theatre, 348 productions vied.

For a decade, competitive Ovation Awards have saluted L.A.'s supposedly finest theatrical achievements. These peer-judged honors have become a November tradition, almost like Thanksgiving turkey. In the pre-Ovations days of the '80s, Times theater reporter Sylvie Drake observed Thanksgiving by writing an annual column devoted to "turkey awards" that she presented to dubious achievements in L.A. theater.

"The Lion King" reigned in the Ovation Award nominations announced Monday. The Disney musical at the Pantages Theatre received 12 nods--three more than the runner-up, "Contact," which played the Ahmanson Theatre. Tied for third place, with five each, were the little musical "bare," Pasadena Playhouse's revival of "Do I Hear a Waltz?" and the Ahmanson Theatre musical trilogy "3hree."

In a replay of last year, Center Theatre Group dominates this year's Ovation Awards nominations, announced Monday, with a total of 18 divided among productions at CTG's Ahmanson Theatre, Mark Taper Forum and Kirk Douglas Theatre, which received 10 nominations for "Sleeping Beauty Wakes," Deaf West Theatre's first original musical. The peer-judged awards, sponsored by the LA Stage Alliance, recognize the best of L.A. theater at large and small venues.

Center Theatre Group was the big winner Monday night at the Ovation Awards, collecting eight statuettes in the peer-judged contest recognizing excellence in Los Angeles theater. With three times the nominations of any other theater company -- 34 -- CTG had been poised to rack up the most wins at the black-tie ceremony at downtown's Orpheum Theatre. Five honors went to "The Drowsy Chaperone," which moved to Broadway after its L.A. run and went on to win five Tony Awards.

"The Drowsy Chaperone," the quirky valentine to '20s musicals that had its world premiere at the Ahmanson Theatre last year, on Monday captured the most nominations -- an even dozen -- for the Ovation Awards, which recognize the best of L.A. theater. The musical, currently playing on Broadway, collected five Tony Awards this year.

Something old and something blue (and grisly) were the surprise favorites Monday at the 2005 Ovation Awards, which honor excellence in Southern California theater. Taking home four awards each were Fullerton Civic Light Opera's original staging of the perennial blockbuster "Miss Saigon" and Lost Angels Theatre Company's small-theater production of "Killer Joe," Tracy Letts' brutal comedy.

For a decade, competitive Ovation Awards have saluted L.A.'s supposedly finest theatrical achievements. These peer-judged honors have become a November tradition, almost like Thanksgiving turkey. In the pre-Ovations days of the '80s, Times theater reporter Sylvie Drake observed Thanksgiving by writing an annual column devoted to "turkey awards" that she presented to dubious achievements in L.A. theater.

A short-running revival of "1776" in Riverside -- far from most of the Ovation Award voters in Los Angeles County -- was the big winner at L.A.'s peer-judged theater awards Monday. Performance Riverside's "1776" -- which played only nine shows last April -- won five awards, including best musical in a larger theater. It took three acting awards, including a best musical actor nod for Steven Glaudini, who also was the company's executive director-producer.

L.A.'s theatrical spotlight shone on San Fernando Valley theaters at the annual Ovation Awards ceremony Sunday night. Deaf West Theatre's "Big River" and Road Theatre Company's "Napoli Milionaria," which were produced at tiny venues next door to one another in North Hollywood, won six Ovations each, more than any other single productions. "I remember a time when people tried to discredit theater in the Valley," Road Theatre artistic board member Marci Hill said after the ceremony.

The reception for Ovation Award nominees last Sunday was at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel--the sort of ritzy palace where you might expect the Emmy or the Oscar nominees to be feted. Yet Ovations are L.A.'s peer-judged theater awards. The entire annual budget of L.A.'s home-grown theater scene probably isn't as big as that of "Waterworld."

Two mid-size theaters, on opposite sides of the Los Angeles area, joined the larger Center Theatre Group in leading the pack of nominations for the 2003-04 Ovation Awards, announced Wednesday. Rubicon Theatre in Ventura received 20 nominations for five productions, including seven for a revival of "Driving Miss Daisy" and six for "All My Sons."