‘Gem of the Ocean’ shines at the Ovations

The Mark Taper Forum production of August Wilson’s “Gem of the Ocean” became the gem of the Ovation Awards on Sunday, nabbing six Ovations -- more than any other show -- in L.A.’s annual peer-judged theater honors at the Orpheum Theatre.

The Road Theatre Company’s production of the thriller “The Woman in Black” won five of the green Ovation trophies, including best play in a smaller theater. Unlike most Ovation-winning shows, “The Woman in Black” is still playing. It moved from the Road’s tiny North Hollywood theater to the Coronet Theatre on La Cienega Boulevard in September.

“La Gioconda,” a production done silent-film style at Stages Theatre Center, won four Ovations. “War Music,” a co-production of Playwrights’ Arena and Echo Theatre at Los Angeles Theatre Center, won three Ovations and will be restaged at Geffen Playhouse next year.

Four other productions won two awards each: Colony Theatre’s “Toys in the Attic,” which was named best play in a larger theater; Son of Semele’s “Animal Farm,” which garnered best musical in a smaller theater; “Times Like These,” produced by Padua Playwrights at 2100 Square Feet and the Odyssey Theatre; and Lorna Luft’s revue about her mother, Judy Garland, “Songs My Mother Taught Me.”

Nearly 400 shows that played from September 2002 through August 2003 were eligible for this year’s Ovations, which are sponsored by the L.A. Stage Alliance.

Lily Tomlin was the host for the ceremony. Her solo show, “The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe,” was named best touring production for its engagement at the Ahmanson Theatre.

In her opening remarks, Tomlin noted that California spends less per capita on the arts than any other state. But “now that there is a fellow actor in the governor’s mansion,” she added, “I am confident things will change. Watch out, Idaho!”

David Engel was named best actor in a musical for playing the same role in “Crazy for You” that won him the same honor last year. This year he won for a Musical Theatre West production, last year for Civic Light Opera of South Bay Cities. “This is weird,” Engel said as he accepted the trophy. “I guess I’ll just do this role every year. It’ll be a shoo-in.”

Another anomaly was that the two of the four world premiere awards -- intended to salute plays and musicals that have their first productions at L.A. Stage Alliance member theaters -- went to shows that premiered outside California.

“Gem of the Ocean,” the latest chapter in Wilson’s cycle of dramas about African Americans in the 20th century, won one of three citations for world premiere play, even though it opened in Chicago before moving to Los Angeles. The Taper run was, however, considered part of the play’s “world premiere production.”

“Songs My Mother Taught Me,” named best world premiere of a musical for its run at the Canon Theatre in Beverly Hills this year, opened in Atlantic City, N.J., in 1999 -- a fact that was noted in the show’s program in Beverly Hills -- and toured to 34 engagements in 28 cities before reaching Beverly Hills.

After the ceremony, “Songs” producer Susan Dietz said that in its previous runs, the show was “basically a cabaret act or a concert,” with only one act and less storytelling between songs. L.A. Stage Alliance does not attempt to independently verify the status of world premieres.

“If it wasn’t a world premiere, I don’t understand why it was nominated,” said Steve Schalchlin, composer of another nominee in that category, “The Big Voice: God or Merman?” after the ceremony.

Among the five nominees in the category won by “Songs” was another show that focused in part on Judy Garland -- “Judy’s Scary Little Christmas.” Regarding his own Ethel Merman-related musical, Schalchlin joked, “It’s very hard to do an Ethel show in a town full of Judy queens.”

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Ovation Award winners

Play, larger theaters: “Toys in the Attic,” Colony Theatre

Play, smaller theaters: “The Woman in Black,” Road Theatre Company

Musical, larger theaters: “Anything Goes,” Reprise!

Musical, smaller theaters: “Animal Farm,” Son of Semele Ensemble

World premiere play: August Wilson, “Gem of the Ocean”; Randy Schulman, “La Gioconda”; Bryan Davidson, “War Music”

World premiere musical: Mitzie and Ken Welch, Lorna Luft, “Songs My Mother Taught Me”

Touring production: “The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe”

Director, play: Randy Schulman, “La Gioconda”; Ken Sawyer, “The Woman in Black”

Director, musical: Edgar Landa, “Animal Farm”

Lead actor, play: David Paladino, “The Island”; Norbert Weisser, “Times Like These”

Lead actress, play: Beth Grant, “The Trials and Tribulations of a Trailer Trash Housewife”; Laurie O’Brien, “Times Like These”

Lead actor, musical: David Engel, “Crazy for You”

Lead actress, musical: Connie Champagne, “Judy’s Scary Little Christmas”

Featured actor, play: James Farentino, “Boy Gets Girl”

Featured actress, play: Nancy Linehan Charles, “Toys in the Attic”

Featured actor, musical: Larry Cedar, “She Loves Me”

Featured actress, musical: Sally Struthers, “Mame”

Solo performance: Geraldine Hughes, “Belfast Blues”

Ensemble performance: casts of “Gem of the Ocean,” “La Gioconda,” “War Music”

Choreographer: Sergio Trujillo, “Empire”

Musical direction: Colin R. Freeman, “Songs My Mother Taught Me”

Set design, larger theaters: David Gallo, “Gem of the Ocean”; John Lee Beatty, “Morning’s at Seven”

Set design, smaller theaters: Desma Murphy, “The Woman in Black”

Lighting design, larger theaters: Donald Holder, “Gem of the Ocean”

Lighting design, smaller theaters: Robert L. Smith, “The Woman in Black”; Jeremy Pivnick, “War Music.”

Costume design, larger theaters: Constanza Romero, “Gem of the Ocean”

Costume design, smaller theaters: Delcie Adams and Nina Ameri, “La Gioconda”; Shon LeBlanc, “The Women”

Sound design, larger theaters: Dan Moses Schreier, “Gem of the Ocean”

Sound design, smaller theaters: David B. Marling and Ken Sawyer, “The Woman in Black”

James Doolittle Award: Ed Waterstreet

Career Achievement Award: Gordon Davidson