Kaye, Fishburne, Felder Among Nominees for 2007 L.A. Stage Alliance Ovation Awards

By Ernio Hernandez
24 Sep 2007

Nominee Judy Kaye, who is now appearing in the national tour of Sweeney Todd, in Souvenir.
Nominee Judy Kaye, who is now appearing in the national tour of Sweeney Todd, in Souvenir.
photo by Carol Rosegg

Judy Kaye, Laurence Fishburne, Hershey Felder and Lynn Redgrave are among the stars nominated for 2007 LA Stage Alliance Ovation Awards.

The honors — "celebrating excellence in theatre" in Los Angeles — will take place Nov. 12 at 7:30 PM at the Orpheum Theatre in downtown L.A. Neil Patrick Harris will host the evening, which will feature the presentation of the Career Achievement Award to Annette Bening.

The Pasadena Playhouse's production of Can-Can and the Center Theatre Group's Sleeping Beauty Wakes tie for the show with the most nominations at 12 apiece. Other multiple-nommed shows include Paradise Lost: Shadows and Wings and Sleeping Beauty Wakes (10), Trying (8), George Gershwin Alone (7) and Jitney (6).

Can-Can helped push Pasadena Playhouse to the lead among the most nominated companies with 15 total nods. The Theatre @ Boston Court (14), Geffen Playhouse (13), Center Theatre Group: Kirk Douglas Theatre (10) as well as Rubicon Theatre Company and The Colony Theatre Company (9) also head the pack.

The nominations for the 2007 L.A. Ovation Awards follow:

WORLD PREMIERE PLAY
  • Bad Hurt On Cedar Street - Mark Kemble
    Greenway Arts Alliance, Molly Miles, John C. Mooney
  • Because They Have No Words - Tim Maddock & Lotti Louise Pharriss
    Weirdsmobile Productions LLC, Lotti Louise Pharriss
  • Fallujah - W. Colin McKay
    Theatre East, W. Colin McKay
  • Film Chinois - Damon Chua
    Grove Theatre Center, Kevin Cochran & Charles Johanson
  • Gulf View Drive - Arlene Hutton
    Actors Co-op/Crossley Theatre
  • Space Therapy - Justin Tanner
    Zephyr Theatre, Linda Toliver & Gary Guidinger
  • Yellow Face - David Henry Hwang
    Center Theatre Group: Mark Taper Forum

    WORLD PREMIERE MUSICAL

  • 13 - Music & lyrics by Jason Robert Brown; Book by Dan Elish
    Center Theatre Group: Mark Taper Forum
  • Back Home Again: A John Denver Holiday Concert - Randal Myler and Dan Wheetman, based on the music of John Denver
    Rubicon Theatre Company & Harold Thau Productions
  • Paradise Lost: Shadows and Wings - Book & music by Eric Whitacre, Lyrics by David Norona and Eric Whitacre
    The Theatre @ Boston Court
  • Sleeping Beauty Wakes - Book by Rachel Sheinkin; Music & lyrics by Brendan Milburn and Valerie Vigoda
    Center Theatre Group: Kirk Douglas Theatre
  • A Time For Love - Conceived by Richard Maltby, Jr. & Joel Silberman; Music by David Shire; Lyrics by Richard Maltby, Jr
    Rubicon Theatre Company

    RAY STRICKLYN MEMORIAL AWARD FOR SOLO PERFORMANCE

  • Dael Orlandersmith, The Gimmick - Fountain Theatre, Simon Levy
  • Keo Woolford, I Land - East West Players, Co-commissioned by the Asia Society and the Ma-Yi Theater Company in New York City
  • Lynn Redgrave, Nightingale - Center Theatre Group: Mark Taper Forum
  • Jodi Long, Surfing DNA - East West Players
  • Fritz Coleman, Tonight at 11! - Falcon Theatre & Steven Ullman

    ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE

  • Because They Have No Words - Weirdsmobile Productions, LLC, Lotti Louise Pharriss
  • Beehive, The 60's Musical - Valley Musical Theatre, Ronn Goswick
  • Jitney - Stagewalker Productions
  • The Long Christmas Ride Home - Theatre Tribe
  • The Marvelous Wonderettes Marvelous Dreams, LLC, David Elzer & Peter Schneider
  • Plaid Tidings - La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts & McCoy Rigby Entertainment
  • Small Tragedy - Odyssey Theatre Ensemble

    DIRECTION OF A PLAY

  • Michael Matthews, The Bacchae - Celebration Theatre
  • Michael Matthews, Beautiful Thing - Celebration Theatre
  • Claude Purdy, Jitney - Stagewalker Productions
  • Stuart Rogers, The Long Christmas Ride Home - Theatre Tribe
  • Vivian Matalon, Souvenir - Richmark Entertainment & Janice Montana
  • Cameron Watson, Trying - The Colony Theatre Company
  • Robin Larsen, Tryst - Black Dahlia Theatre

    DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL

  • David Lee, Can-Can - Pasadena Playhouse
  • Joel Zwick, George Gershwin Alone - Geffen Playhouse, Hershey Felder/Eighty-Eight Productions
  • Joel Zwick, Monsieur Chopin - Geffen Playhouse, Hershey Felder/Eighty Eight Productions
  • Roger Bean, The Marvelous Wonderettes - Marvelous Dreams, LLC, David Elzer & Peter Schneider
  • Michael Michetti, Paradise Lost: Shadows and Wings - The Theatre @ Boston Court
  • Jeff Calhoun, Sleeping Beauty Wakes - Center Theatre Group: Kirk Douglas Theatre
  • Nick DeGruccio, Zanna, Don't! - West Coast Ensemble

    CHOREOGRAPHY

  • Lee Martino, Beehive, The 60's Musical - Valley Musical Theatre, Ronn Goswick
  • Patti Colombo, Can-Can - Pasadena Playhouse
  • Cheryl Baxter, Duke Ellington's Sophisticated Ladies - Civic Light Opera of South Bay Cities, James A. Blackman, III
  • Lee Martino, On Your Toes - Reprise! Broadway's Best
  • Bubba Carr & Caleb Terray, Paradise Lost: Shadows and Wings - The Theatre @ Boston Court
  • Tracy Powell, Urinetown: The Musical - Interact Theatre Company
  • Christine Lakin & Paul Nygro, Zanna, Don't! - West Coast Ensemble

    MUSICAL DIRECTION

  • Dan Wheetman, Back Home Again: A John Denver Holiday Concert - Rubicon Theatre Company & Harold Thau Productions
  • Steve Orich, Can-Can - Pasadena Playhouse
  • Hershey Felder, George Gershwin Alone - Geffen Playhouse, Hershey Felder/Eighty-Eight Productions
  • Hershey Felder, Monseiur Chopin - Geffen Playhouse, Hershey Felder/Eighty-Eight Productions
  • Gerald Sternbach, On Your Toes - Reprise! Broadway's Best
  • Greg Chun, Paradise Lost: Shadows and Wings - The Theatre @ Boston Court
  • Brendan Milburn, Sleeping Beauty Wakes - Center Theatre Group: Mark Taper Forum

    TOURING PRODUCTION

  • Doubt - Center Theatre Group: Ahmanson Theatre
  • In The Continuum - Center Theatre Group: Kirk Douglas Theatre, Primary Stages and Perry Street Theatre
  • Jersey Boys - Center Theatre Group: Ahmanson Theatre
  • Twelve Angry Men - Center Theatre Group: Ahmanson Theatre
  • Who's Afraid Of Virginia Woolf? - Center Theatre Group: Ahmanson Theatre

    PLAY (INTIMATE THEATRE)

  • The Bacchae - Celebration Theatre
  • Bad Hurt on Cedar Street - Greenway Arts Alliance, Molly Miles & John C. Mooney
  • Beautiful Thing - Celebration Theatre
  • Jitney - Stagewalker Productions
  • The Long Christmas Ride Home - Theatre Tribe
  • Safety - Closet Space Theatre
  • Tryst - Black Dahlia Theatre

    PLAY (LARGE THEATRE)

  • As You Like It - A Noise Within
  • Greater Tuna - La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts & McCoy Rigby Entertainment
  • Souvenir - Richmark Entertainment & Janice Montana
  • Trying - The Colony Theatre Company
  • The Value of Names - Falcon Theatre

    FRANKLIN R. LEVY MEMORIAL AWARD FOR MUSICAL (INTIMATE THEATRE)

  • The Beastly Bombing - The Secret Order of Revolutionary Operettists, Rorry Daniels & Amit Itelman
  • The Marvelous Wonderettes - Marvelous Dreams, LLC, David Elzer & Peter Schneider
  • Paradise Lost: Shadows and Wings - The Theatre @ Boston Court
  • Urinetown: The Musical - Interact Theatre Company
  • Zanna, Don't! - West Coast Ensemble

    MUSICAL (LARGE THEATRE)

  • Can-Can - Pasadena Playhouse
  • George Gershwin Alone - Geffen Playhouse, Hershey Felder/Eighty-Eight Productions
  • Monseiur Chopin - Geffen Playhouse, Hershey Felder/Eighty-Eight Productions
  • Plaid Tidings - La Mirada Theater for the Performing Arts & McCoy Rigby Entertainment
  • Sleeping Beauty Wakes - Center Theatre Group: Kirk Douglas Theatre

    LEAD ACTOR IN A PLAY

  • Eddie Jones, Death of a Salesman - Miss O Productions, Coleen Kolbacher
  • Laurence Fishburne, Fences - Pasadena Playhouse
  • Joe Sears, Greater Tuna - La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts & McCoy Rigby Entertainment
  • Jaston Williams, Greater Tuna - La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts & McCoy Rigby Entertainment
  • Tim Sullens, Taking Care - The Victory Theatre Center, Tom Ormeny
  • Alan Mandell, Trying - The Colony Theatre Company
  • Dan Lauria, The Value of Names - Falcon Theatre

    LEAD ACTRESS IN A PLAY

  • Yeardley Smith, Balancing Act - Falcon Theatre
  • Anne Gee Byrd, The Bay at Nice - Andak Stage Company
  • Anne Gee Byrd, Death of a Salesman - Miss O Productions, Coleen Kolbacher
  • Anna Khaja, Palace of the End - 49th Parallel Theatre
  • Judy Kaye, Souvenir - Richmark Entertainment & Janice Montana
  • Rebecca Mozo, Trying - The Colony Theatre Company
  • Deborah Puette, Tryst - Black Dahlia Theatre

    LEAD ACTOR IN A MUSICAL

  • Kevin Bailey, Annie Get Your Gun - Civic Light Opera of South Bay Cities, James A. Blackman, III
  • Kevin Earley, Can-Can - Pasadena Playhouse
  • Hershey Felder, George Gershwin Alone - Geffen Playhouse, Hershey Felder/Eighty-Eight Productions
  • Hershey Felder, Monsieur Chopin - Geffen Playhouse, Hershey Felder/Eighty-Eight Productions
  • Jeffry Denman, On Your Toes - Reprise! Broadway's Best

    LEAD ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL

  • Michelle Duffy, Can-Can - Pasadena Playhouse
  • Misty Cotton, Duke Ellington's Sophisticated Ladies - Civic Light Opera of South Bay Cities, James A. Blackman, III
  • Hila Plitmann, Paradise Lost: Shadows and Wings - The Theatre @ Boston Court
  • Valerie Vigoda, Sleeping Beauty Wakes - Center Theatre Group: Kirk Douglas Theatre
  • Alexandria Wailes, Sleeping Beauty Wakes - Center Theatre Group: Kirk Douglas Theatre

    FEATURED ACTOR IN A PLAY

  • Laurence Cohen, Bad Hurt on Cedar Street - Greenway Arts Alliance, Molly Miles & John C. Mooney
  • Hugo Armstrong, Bleed Rail - The Theatre @ Boston Court
  • Richard Tatum, A Doll's House - Ark Theatre Company
  • Dan Alemshah, The Fat of the Land - The New Theatre, Don Cummings, Dan Alemshah & Mary McBride
  • Orlando Jones, Fences - Pasadena Playhouse
  • Wendell Pierce, Fences - Pasadena Playhouse
  • Matt Foyer, Power - Theatre Banshee

    FEATURED ACTRESS IN A PLAY

  • Iris Gilad, Bad Hurt on Cedar Street - Greenway Arts Alliance, Molly Miles & John C. Mooney
  • Lily Holleman, Bleed Rail - The Theatre @ Boston Court
  • Sharon Johnston, Kimberly Akimbo - The Victory Theatre Center, Tom Ormeny & Maria Gobetti
  • Judy Moreland,Miss Julie - Fountain Theatre
  • Peggy Goss, Safety - Closet Space Theatre
  • Bonnie Bailey-Reed, See Rock City - Actors Co-op/Crossley Theatre
  • Deborah Strang, A Touch of the Poet - A Noise Within

    FEATURED ACTOR IN A MUSICAL

  • David Engel, Can-Can - Pasadena Playhouse
  • Amir Talai, Can-Can - Pasadena Playhouse
  • Kevin McMahon, The Full Monty - Musical Theatre West
  • John Massey, Jr., The Full Monty - Musical Theatre West
  • Randal Keith, Man of La Mancha - Rubicon Theatre Company
  • Norman Large, The Pirates of Penzance - Musical Theatre West
  • Kevin Earley, Sleeping Beauty Wakes - Center Theatre Group: Kirk Douglas Theatre

    FEATURED ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL

  • Carol Hatchett, Duke Ellington's Sophisticated Ladies - Civic Light Opera of South Bay Cities, James A. Blackman, III
  • Mary Jo Catlett, The Full Monty - Musical Theatre West
  • Tami Tappan Damiano, The Full Monty - Musical Theatre West
  • Vicki Lewis, Hotel C'est L'amour - The Blank Theatre Company
  • Yvette Tucker, On Your Toes - Reprise! Broadway's Best
  • Erika Amato, Sleeping Beauty Wakes - Center Theatre Group: Kirk Douglas Theatre
  • Gina D'Acciaro, Tales of Tinseltown - Actors Co-op/Crossley Theatre

    SET DESIGN (INTIMATE THEATRE)

  • Two Blue Chairs, 1 to 10? - The Theatre District
  • Brian Sidney Bembridge, Eurydice - Circle X Theatre Company
  • Leonard Ogden, Film Chinois - Grove Theatre Center, Kevin Cochran & Charles Johanson
  • Joel Daavid, Jitney Stagewalker Productions
  • Travis Gale Lewis, Miss Julie - Fountain Theatre
  • Tom Buderwitz, Paradise Lost: Shadows and Wings - The Theatre @ Boston Court
  • Craig Siebels, Tryst - Black Dahlia Theatre

    SET DESIGN (LARGE THEATRE)

  • Roy Christopher, Can-Can - Pasadena Playhouse
  • Thomas S. Giamario, The Diary of Anne Frank - Rubicon Theatre Company
  • Yael Pardess, George Gershwin Alone - Geffen Playhouse, Hershey Felder/Eighty-Eight Productions
  • Thomas S. Giamario, Man of La Mancha - Rubicon Theatre Company
  • Francois-Pierre Couture, A Picasso - Geffen Playhouse
  • Victoria Profitt, Trying - The Colony Theatre Company
  • Keith Mitchell, The Value of Names - Falcon Theatre

    LIGHTING DESIGN (INTIMATE THEATRE)

  • Tim Swiss, The Bacchae - Celebration Theatre
  • Brian Sidney Bembridge, Eurydice - Circle X Theatre Company
  • Jeremy Pivnick, Gilgamesh - The Theatre @ Boston Court
  • Joel Daavid, Jitney - Stagewalker Productions
  • Luke Moyer, The Long Christmas Ride Home - Theatre Tribe
  • Christopher Kuhl, Monster of Happiness - 24th St. Theatre
  • Steven Young, Paradise Lost: Shadows and Wings - The Theatre @ Boston Court

    LIGHTING DESIGN (LARGE THEATRE)

  • Michael Gilliam, Can-Can - Pasadena Playhouse
  • Michael Gilliam, George Gershwin Alone - Geffen Playhouse, Hershey Felder/Eighty-Eight Productions
  • Richard Norwood, Monsieur Chopin - Geffen Playhouse, Hershey Felder/Eighty-Eight Productions
  • Jeremy Pivnick, Man of La Mancha - Rubicon Theatre Company
  • Michael Gilliam, Sleeping Beauty Wakes - Center Theatre Group: Kirk Douglas Theatre
  • Jason H. Thompson, Sunday in the Park with George - Reprise! Broadway's Best
  • Jared Sayeg, Trying - The Colony Theatre Company

    SOUND DESIGN (INTIMATE THEATRE)

  • Cricket Myers, The Bacchae - Celebration Theatre
  • John Zalewski, Bleed Rail - The Theatre @ Boston Court
  • Robbin E. Broad, Eurydice - Circle X Theatre Company
  • John Zalewski, Melancholia - Latino Theater Company
  • Richard Alger & Tina Kronis, Monster of Happiness - 24th St. Theatre
  • John Zalewski, No Mercy - 24th St. Theatre
  • Martin Carillo, Paradise Lost: Shadows and Wings - The Theatre @ Boston Court

    SOUND DESIGN (LARGE THEATRE)

  • Francois Bergeron, Can-Can - Pasadena Playhouse
  • Ken Huncovsky, Greater Tuna - La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts & McCoy Rigby Entertainment
  • Jon Gottlieb, George Gershwin Alone - Geffen Playhouse, Hershey Felder/Eighty-Eight Productions
  • Eric Snodgrass, Sleeping Beauty Wakes - Center Theatre Group: Kirk Douglas Theatre
  • David Budries, Souvenir - Richmark Entertainment & Janice Montana
  • John Zalewski, The Thousandth Night - The Colony Theatre Company
  • Cricket Myers, Trying - The Colony Theatre Company

    COSTUME DESIGN (INTIMATE THEATRE)

  • Leonard Ogden, Film Chinois - Grove Theatre Center, Kevin Cochran & Charles Johanson
  • Rudy Dillon, Hogan's Goat - Pacific Resident Theatre, Alley Mills, Jake Arnette & Dan Kozlowski
  • Nanci Martin, Jitney - Stagewalker Productions
  • JoAnna Jocelyn, Les Liaisons Dangeureses - Ark Theatre Company
  • Soojin Lee, Paradise Lost: Shadows and Wings - The Theatre @ Boston Court
  • A. Jeffrey Schoenberg, Travesties - Open Fist Theatre Company
  • Audrey Fisher, Tryst - Black Dahlia Theatre

    COSTUME DESIGN (LARGE THEATRE)

  • Randy Gardell, Can-Can - Pasadena Playhouse
  • Linda Fisher, Greater Tuna - La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts & McCoy Rigby Entertainment
  • Marcy Froehlich, Hamlet - Rubicon Theatre Company
  • Marcy Froehlich, Man of La Mancha - Rubicon Theatre Company
  • Bob Mackie & Joe McFate, No Strings - Reprise! Broadway's Best
  • Tracy Christensen, Souvenir - Richmark Entertainment & Janice Montana
  • A. Jeffrey Schoenberg, Trying - The Colony Theatre Company

    LA STAGE ALLIANCE BOARD OF GOVERNORS AWARDS:

    CAREER ACHIEVEMENT
    Annette Bening

    THE JAMES A. DOOLITTLE LEADERSHIP IN THEATRE AWARD
    Community Redevelopment Agency of the City of Los Angeles

    COMMUNITY OUTREACH AWARD
    The Actors Fund

    Tickets available by calling (213) 614-0556 ext. 40. For more information visit, LAStageAlliance.com.