Center Theatre Group, Celebration Theatre top 2012 Ovation Awards

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 Celebration Theatre took home six awards for its production of “The Color Purple: The Musical,” which won for best musical at an intimate theater. Musical Theatre West received a total of four awards.

“Waiting for Godot,” at the Mark Taper Forum, received five awards, including best production of a play by a large theater and for actors Alan Mandell and Hugo Armstrong. “The Convert,” by Danai Gurira, which ran at the Kirk Douglas Theatre, won six awards, including a prize for director Emily Mann.

The Antaeus Company’s production of “Peace in Our Time,” a rarely revived play by Noel Coward, received the award for best production of a play at an intimate theater. The award for original playwriting went to Andrew Dolan for “The Many Mistresses of Martin Luther King,” at the Ensemble Studio Theatre -- L.A.

The satirical show “Forbidden Broadway: Greatest Hits, Volume 2,” at Musical Theatre West, received the award for best production of a musical at a large theater.

“Malcolm in the Middle” star Jane Kaczmarek served as a co-host for Monday’s ceremony. Kaczmarek was nominated for her performance in “Good People, by David Lindsay-Abaire, at the Geffen Playhouse, but lost to Pascale Armand in “The Convert.”

Ovation Awards are voted on by a group of 250 individuals from the L.A. theater community. This year’s awards covered the season from Sept. 1, 2011, through Aug. 28, 2012.

Here is the full list with links to Los Angeles Times reviews.

BEST SEASON 
Center Theatre Group 
BEST PRODUCTION OF A PLAY (INTIMATE THEATER) 
“Peace in Our Time,” The Antaeus Company 
BEST PRODUCTION OF A PLAY (LARGE THEATER) 
“Waiting for Godot,” Center Theatre Group: Mark Taper Forum 
BEST PRODUCTION OF A MUSICAL (INTIMATE THEATER) 
“The Color Purple: A Musical,” Celebration Theatre 
BEST PRODUCTION OF A MUSICAL (LARGE THEATER) 
“Forbidden Broadway: Greatest Hits, Volume 2,” Musical Theatre West 
BEST PRESENTED PRODUCTION 
“War Horse,” Center Theatre Group: Ahmanson Theatre 
ACTING ENSEMBLE FOR A PLAY 
The Cast of “Waiting for Godot,” Center Theatre Group: Mark Taper Forum 
MUSIC DIRECTION 
Gregory Nabours, “The Color Purple: A Musical,” Celebration Theatre 
BOOK FOR AN ORIGINAL MUSICAL 
Isaac Laskin, “Hey, Morgan!” Black Dahlia Theatre 
LYRICS/MUSIC FOR AN ORIGINAL MUSICAL 
Parmer Fuller and Michael Kramer, “Stations: A Los Angeles Holiday Story,” Ensemble Theatre Company and Boom Kat Dance Theatre 

PLAYWRIGHTING FOR AN ORIGINAL PLAY 
Andrew Dolan, “The Many Mistresses of Martin Luther King,” Ensemble Studio Theatre-LA 
DIRECTOR OF A MUSICAL 
Michael Matthews, “The Color Purple: A Musical,” Celebration Theatre 
DIRECTOR OF A PLAY 
Emily Mann, “The Convert,” Center Theatre Group: Kirk Douglas Theatre 
CHOREOGRAPHY 
Janet Roston, “The Color Purple: A Musical,” Celebration Theatre 
LEAD ACTOR IN A MUSICAL 
Davis Gaines, “Man of La Mancha,” Musical Theatre West
LEAD ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL 
Susanne Blakeslee, “Forbidden Broadway: Greatest Hits, Volume 2,” Musical Theatre West 
LEAD ACTOR IN A PLAY 
Alan Mandell, “Waiting for Godot,” Center Theatre Group: Mark Taper Forum 
LEAD ACTRESS IN A PLAY 
Pascale Armand, “The Convert,” Center Theatre Group: Kirk Douglas Theatre 
FEATURED ACTOR IN A MUSICAL 
Todrick Hall, “Hairspray,” Musical Theatre West 
FEATURED ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL 
La Toya London, “The Color Purple: A Musical,” Celebration Theatre 
FEATURED ACTOR IN A PLAY 
Hugo Armstrong, “Waiting for Godot,” Center Theatre Group: Mark Taper Forum 
FEATURED ACTRESS IN A PLAY 
Zainab Jah, “The Convert,” Center Theatre Group: Kirk Douglas Theatre 
LIGHTING DESIGN (INTIMATE THEATER) 
Luke Moyer, “Deathtrap,” LA Gay & Lesbian Center 
LIGHTING DESIGN (LARGE THEATER) 
Lap Chi Chu, “The Convert,” Center Theatre Group: Kirk Douglas Theatre 
SOUND DESIGN (LARGE THEATER) 
John Zalewski, “A Wrinkle in Time,” MainStreet Theatre Company 
COSTUME DESIGN (INTIMATE THEATER) 
Shon LeBlanc, “I Love Lucy Live on Stage,” Rockahan, LLC 
COSTUME DESIGN (LARGE THEATER) 
Paul Tazewell, “The Convert,” Center Theatre Group: Kirk Douglas Theatre
SCENIC DESIGN (INTIMATE THEATER) 
Tom Buderwitz, “Peace in Our Time,” The Antaeus Company 
SCENIC DESIGN (LARGE THEATER) 
Daniel Ostling, “The Convert,” Center Theatre Group: Kirk Douglas Theatre 
SOUND DESIGN (INTIMATE THEATER) 
Veronika Vorel and John Zalewski, “The Children,” The Theatre @ Boston Court 
COMPOSITION FOR A PLAY 
Ryan Johnson, “Stoneface: The Rise and Fall of Buster Keaton,” Sacred Fools Theatre Company 
 
FIGHT CHOREOGRAPHY 
Andrew Amani, “Hearts Like Fists,” Theatre of NOTE 
 
PUPPET DESIGN 
Susan Gratch, “The Children,” The Theatre @ Boston Court 
VIDEO DESIGN 
Brian Gale, “Waiting for Godot,” Center Theatre Group: Mark Taper Forum 

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