2005 L.A. Stage Alliance Ovation Awards Announced

The 2005 L.A. Stage Alliance Ovation Awards, honoring the best in Los Angeles area theater, were distributed at a gala ceremony on November 14 at the Orpheum Theatre in downtown Los Angeles. The Paris Letter, which premiered in Los Angeles prior to its off-Broadway run, received the honor for World Premiere Play. Blake...da Musical!, which will return for another California run next month, was honored with the award for World Premiere Musical. Among the other winners were Julia Sweeney's solo piece Letting Go of God currently playing in New York at the Ars Nova Theatre and Caroline, or Change's Anika Noni Rose, who previously won a Tony Award for her performance in the Broadway mounting of the show.

Here is a complete list of the winners:

World Premiere Play
The Paris Letter by Jon Robin Baitz, Center Theatre Group: Kirk Douglas Theatre

WORLD PREMIERE MUSICAL
Blake...da Musical! by Rick Batalla and Henry Phillips, Grove Theater Center

RAY STRICKLYN MEMORIAL AWARD FOR SOLO PERFORMANCE
Letting Go of God by Julia Sweeney, Indefatigable Productions

ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE
Killer Joe, Lost Angels Theatre Company

DIRECTION OF A PLAY
Scott Cummins, Killer Joe, Lost Angels Theatre Company

DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL
Jan Duncan, Miss Saigon, Fullerton Civic Light Opera

CHOREOGRAPHY
Lee Martino, Guys and Dolls, Musical Theatre West

MUSICAL DIRECTION
Charles Love, Hey! Im the Mama, The Tamarind Theatre

TOURING PRODUCTION
The Deaf West Theatre Production of Big River: the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Center Theatre Group: Ahmanson Theatre, Atlanta's Theater of the Stars, Deaf West Theatre, Dallas Summer Musicals, Gorgeous Entertainment, Theatre Under the Stars, Wang Center Productions, Center Theatre Group: Mark Taper Forum, Roundabout Theatre Company and Jeff Calhoun

PLAY INTIMATE THEATRE
Killer Joe, Lost Angels Theatre Company

PLAY LARGE THEATRE
The Goat or, Who Is Sylvia?, Center Theatre Group: Mark Taper Forum

FRANKLIN R. LEVY MEMORIAL AWARD FOR MUSICAL INTIMATE THEATRE
The Big Voice, Blue Sphere Alliance

MUSICAL LARGE THEATRE
Miss Saigon, Fullerton Civic Light Opera

SET DESIGN INTIMATE THEATRE tie
Jeff G. Rack, Papa, Open Fist Theatre Company
Tom Buderwitz, Pera Palas, The Theatre @ Boston Court and The Antaeus Company
Tim Farmer, Two Gentlemen of Corona, West Coast Ensemble

SET DESIGN LARGE THEATRE
Trefoni Michael Rizzi, Songs For a New World, Rubicon Theatre Company

LIGHTING DESIGN INTIMATE THEATRE
Brian J. Lilienthal, Echo's Hammer, The Theatre @ Boston Court

LIGHTING DESIGN LARGE THEATRE
Steven Young, Songs For a New World, Rubicon Theatre Company

SOUND DESIGN INTIMATE THEATRE
Lindsay Jones, Killer Joe, Lost Angels Theatre Company

SOUND DESIGN LARGE THEATRE
Drew Dalzell, Songs For a New World Rubicon Theatre Company

COSTUME DESIGN INTIMATE THEATRE
Allison Leach, The Merchant of Venice Los Angeles Women's Shakespeare Company

COSTUME DESIGN LARGE THEATRE
Josh Agle & Joel Berlin, Shag with a Twist, LA Theatre Center in Association with Jetsetter Productions

LEAD ACTOR IN A PLAY tie
Robert Mandan, The Caretaker, Zephyr Theatre
Chris Butler, Yellowman, Fountain Theatre

LEAD ACTRESS IN A PLAY
Deidrie Henry, Yellowman, Fountain Theatre

LEAD ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Franc-Anton Harwart, Miss Saigon, Fullerton Civic Light Opera

LEAD ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Kristine Remigio, Miss Saigon, Fullerton Civic Light Opera

FEATURED ACTOR IN A PLAY tie
Don Robb, The Habitation of Dragons, Actors Co-op/Crossley Theatre
Marcelo Tubert, San Fran Scapin, Andak Stage Company

FEATURED ACTRESS IN A PLAY
Fran Bennett, The Merchant of Venice, Los Angeles Women's Shakespeare Company

FEATURED ACTOR IN A MUSICAL
Harrison White, Purlie, Pasadena Playhouse

FEATURED ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL
Anika Noni Rose, Caroline, or Change, Center Theatre Group: Ahmanson Theatre

In addition to the competitive awards, the LA Stage Alliance Board of Governors awarded special honors to David Galligan for Career Achievement, Shakespeare Festival/L.A. for Community Outreach and Luis Alfaro, who received the James A. Doolittle Award for Leadership in the Theatre.