The Ovation Awards, given annually for "artistic excellence of L.A.'s theatres and theatre artists, and their continuing contribution to the vibrant cultural scene" will be presented on November 13th. The awards are peer-judged and were established in 1989.
This year, among the nominees are several productions that originated in Canada, like The Drowsy Chaperone, Elizabeth Rex, Billy Bishop Goes To War, and JOB The Hip-Hopera.
The Drowsy Chaperone leads all nominees with 12 total, including Best Musical - Large Theatre, Best Director and Choreographer nominations for Casey Nicholaw, and a Best Actor nomination for Bob Martin. The Drowsy Chaperone originated as a wedding gift, turned into a Fringe Festival hit, which went on to many larger productions before making it's U.S. debut in Los Angeles prior to opening on Broadway this season, where it won 5 Tony Awards.
Elizabeth Rex, written by Timothy Findley, premiered at the Stratford Festival starring Brent Carver and Diane D'Aquila, and was later recorded for CBC.
Billy Bishop Goes To War premiered in 1978 in Vancouver. Written by John Gray and Eric Peterson, the original production starred Peterson as Bishop, the World War I Canadian flying ace.
JOB The Hip-Hopera began as a small, two-hander hip hop opera featuring its writers, Eli Batalion and Jerome Sable re-telling the biblical story of Job, and has been expanded over the years to become a "hip-hopera". Sable and Batalion are also known for their educational piece, entitled Hip Hop For Dummeez.
For the list of complete nominations, click on the Theatre L.A. Website.
