The 1999 L.A. Ovation Awards, presented Nov. 8 at La Mirada Theatre, suffered from a severe case of Reefer Madness, as the Hudson Backstage Theater production by that name ran away with five awards, including best musical in a small theatre. The show also won for ensemble performance.

Other big winners were the Fountain Theatre's staging of Summer and Smoke and the Ahmanson's Fosse, both receiving three prizes. Donald Margulies' Collected Stories was named best play in a large theatre, while West Side Story, at the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center, won for best musical in a large theatre.

The Ovation Awards are L.A.'s equivalent of the Tony Awards. The host this year was David Hyde Pierce (of "Fraser"). Celebrity presenters included Annette Bening, Jack Lemmon, Crystal Bernard, Angela Bassett, Faith Ford, Carol Channing, Danny Glover, Joe Bologna, and Renee Taylor.

The winners are indicated by boldface and an asterisk:

Play/Larger:
Art, produced by Center Theatre Group at the Doolittle Theatre;
* Collected Stories, Geffen Playhouse;
Enigma Variations, Mark Taper Forum;
Hedda Gabler, Geffen Playhouse;
My One Good Nerve:
A Visit With Ruby Dee, a Sidney, Harry, Ossie Production at Canon Theatre Play/Smaller:
Death of a Salesman, Falcon Theatre;
Shiva Arms, Eileen T'Kaye at the Coast Playhouse;
* Summer and Smoke, Fountain Theatre;
Texarkana Waltz, Circle X Theatre at the Los Angeles Playhouse;
The Adding Machine, Sacred Fools Theatre

Musical/Larger:
Cabaret, the Cabaret Company at the Wilshire Theatre;
Fosse, Ahmanson Theatre;
Howard Crabtree's When Pigs Fly, TLS-LA Productions at Coronet Theatre;
Play On!, Pasadena Playhouse;
* West Side Story, Civic Light Opera of South Bay Cities at the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center

Musical/Smaller:
Harry Thaw Hates Everybody, Indecent Exposure at Los Angeles Theatre Center;
* Reefer Madness!, Dead Old Men Productions/Stephanie Steele at Hudson Theatre;
Richard O'Brien's Rocky Horror Show, Paula Holt at Tiffany Theaters;
The Last Session, TLS-LA Productions, Michael Alden, Kim and Ronda Espey at Tiffany Theaters;
Too Old for the Chorus, Celebration Theatre

Writing of a World Premiere:
Craig Carlisle, Bob Funk;
Dan Fante, Boiler Room;
* Doug Motel, Shiva Arms;
Louis Broome, Texarkana Waltz;
Marie Cain, Shelly Markham & Mark Winkler, Too Old for the Chorus

New Translation/Adaptation:
Roeg Jacob, Enigma Variations;
Jon Robin Baitz and Anne-Charlotte Hanes Harvey, Hedda Gabler;
Richard Krevolin, King Levine;
* Kevin Murphy & Dan Studney, Reefer Madness!;
Allison Comins-Richmond, The Cherry Orchard

Director/Musical:
Sam Mendes and Rob Marshall, Cabaret;
Richard Maltby Jr. and Ann Reinking, Fosse;
Laural Meade, Harry Thaw Hates Everybody;
Mark Waldrop, Howard Crabtree's When Pigs Fly;
* Andy Fickman, Reefer Madness!

Director/Play:
Matthew Warchus, Art;
Gene Saks, Barrymore;
Simon Levy, Summer and Smoke;
Allison Narver, Texarkana Waltz;
* Lauren Hollingsworth, The Adding Machine

Leading Actor/Play:
Joe Sears, A Tuna Christmas;
Alfred Molina, Art;
* Christopher Plummer, Barrymore;
Michael Leydon Campbell, Bob Funk;
Doug Motel, Shiva Arms

Leading Actress/Play:
Linda Lavin, Collected Stories;
Phyllis Frelich, Gila;
Annette Bening, Hedda Gabler;
Ruby Dee, My One Good Nerve:
A Visit With Ruby Dee;
* Tracy Middendorf, Summer and Smoke

Leading Actor/Musical:
Michael K. Lee, Beijing Spring;
Norbert Leo Butz, Cabaret;
John Barrowman, Putting It Together;
* Bob Simon, Richard O'Brien's Rocky Horror Show;
Bob Stillman, The Last Session

Leading Actress/Musical:
* Carolee Carmello, Bells Are Ringing;
Carol Burnett, Putting It Together;
Susan Egan, Putting It Together;
Taewon Yi Kim, The Last Empress;
Wonjung Kim, The Last Empress

Featured Actor/Play:
Mueen Ahmad, Asylum;
Geoffrey Rivas, Fool for Love;
* Byron Jennings, Hedda Gabler;
Paul Benedict, Hughie;
K.C. O'Neill, Profit

Featured Actress/Play:
Dorie Barton, Die! Mommy! Die!;
* Lee Garlington, Risk Everything/Problem Child;
Elizabeth Cava, The Clairvoyant;
Jennifer Griffin, The Elektra Fugues;
Robin Bartlett, The Old Neighborhood

Featured Actor/Musical:
Desmond Richardson, Fosse;
Chad Borden, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying;
Richard Allen, Play On!;
Kevin Ramsey, Play On!;
* Joel Traywick, The Last Session

Featured Actress/Musical:
Barbara Andres, Cabaret;
Elizabeth Parkinson, Fosse;
* Yvette Cason, Play On!;
Jennifer Leigh Warren, Starr Struck:
A Musical Investigation;
Michele Mais, The Last Session

Ensemble Performance:
Casts of Four Roses,
Harry Thaw Hates Everybody,
Howard Crabtree's When Pigs Fly,
* Reefer Madness!,
The Boys Next Door, Hollywood Court Theatre

Set Design/Larger:
Mark Thompson, Art;
Robert Brill, Cabaret;
John Arnone, Collected Stories;
* Ming Cho Lee, Enigma Variations;
Riccardo Hernandez, Hedda Gabler

Set Design/Smaller:
Steve Mitchell, Broadway;
Bob Steinberg, Gila;
Gary Smoot, Texarkana Waltz;
* Kris Sandheinrich, The Illusion;
Sharon Rubin, Wet Weather Cover

Costume Design/Larger:
William Ivey Long, Cabaret;
Santo Loquasto, Fosse;
Dunya Ramicova, Hedda Gabler;
* Howard Crabtree, Howard Crabtree's When Pigs Fly;
Mariana Elliott, Play On!

Costume Design/Smaller:
Salvatore Salamone, Broadway;
Dione H. Lebhar, Ronald Case and Michael Bottari, Die! Mommy! Die!;
* Dick Magnanti, Reefer Madness!;
Jeanne Reith, Summer and Smoke;
Karen Zeunert, The Illusion

Lighting Design/Larger:
Hugh Vanstone, Art;
Mike Baldassari and Peggy Eisenhauer, Cabaret;
Robert Wierzel, Enigma Variations;
* Andrew Bridge, Fosse;
Hyung O Choi, The Last Empress

Lighting Design/Smaller:
Kris Sandheinrich, Broadway;
Ken Booth, Richard O'Brien's Rocky Horror Show;
* Kathi O'Donohue, Summer and Smoke;
Brian Schulte, The Adding Machine;
David Hahn, The Illusion

Sound Design/Larger:
Brian Ronan, Cabaret;
John Zalewski, Fool for Love;
* Jonathan Deans, Fosse;
Jon Gottlieb, Hughie;
Ki Young Kim, The Last Empress

Sound Design/Smaller:
Paul James, Foot/Mouth;
John Zalewski, Harry Thaw Hates Everybody;
John Zalewski, One Flea Spare;
Peter Stenshoel, Summer and Smoke;
* John Zalewski, The Inspector General

Choreography:
Rob Marshall, Cabaret;
* Bob Fosse and Ann Reinking, Fosse;
Keith Cromwell, Howard Crabtree's When Pigs Fly;
Michael Goorjian, Reefer Madness!;
Sha Newman, West Side Story

This year's nominations leader, the Center Theatre Group, was the big winner at last year's awards ceremony, walking off with nine out of 26 trophies.

-- By David Lefkowitz