The L.A. Stage Alliance presents the annual awards, honoring professional theatre in the Los Angeles area. Neil Patrick Harris served as host of the 90-minute event at The Harriet & Charles Luckman Fine Arts Complex, Cal State L.A.

Ovation Awards "celebrate the 168 theatre companies, 390 registered productions, and over 2,000 individual artists who participated in the Sept. 1, 2007 to Aug. 31, 2008, season." The awards recognize "large" theatres, "intimate" theatres and touring shows.

The Quality of Life — which also won in the category of Best Play Intimate Theatre, is currently playing an engagement at American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco, with the cast that earlier premiered the play at the Geffen Playhouse. A commercial producer is attached for a wider future.

The winner in the category of Best Play Large Theatre was R. Buckminster Fuller: The History (and Mystery) of the Universe, presented by Rubicon Theatre Company.

The theatre earning the most Ovations was Cabrillo Music Theatre, with six. The production earning the most Ovations was Civic Light Opera of South Bay Cities' Miss Saigon, with four. The nominees and recipients are below. Recipients are indicated in bold and with an asterisk. More than one recipient is possible in a category.

FEATURED ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL

Misty Cotton as Ellen
Miss Saigon
Civic Light Opera of South Bay Cities

Melissa Fahn as Lina Lamont
Singin' in the Rain
Cabrillo Music Theatre

Megan Lawrence as Charlotte
Flora, The Red Menace
Reprise Theatre Company

Tracy Lore as Miss Sandra
All Shook Up
Musical Theatre West

Beth Obregon as Emma Carew Jekyll & Hyde
Cabrillo Music Theatre

Cathy Rigby as Mammy Yokum
Li'l Abner
Reprise Theatre Company

*Gwen Stewart as Sylvia
All Shook Up
Musical Theatre West

FEATURED ACTOR IN A MUSICAL

John Bisom as The Scarecrow
The Wizard of Oz
Musical Theatre West

Danny Calvert as Dennis
All Shook Up
Musical Theater West

Larry Cedar as Finsdale
Li'l Abner
Reprise Theatre Company

Barry Pearl as Jim Haller
All Shook Up
Musical Theatre West

Aaron Phillips as John Utterson
Jekyll & Hyde
Cabrillo Music Theatre

*Randy Rogel as Cosmo Brown
Singin' in the Rain
Cabrillo Music Theatre

Harrison White as John
Miss Saigon
Civic Light Opera of South Bay Cities

FEATURED ACTRESS IN A PLAY

*J. Nicole Brooks as Nina
As Much As You Can
Hendel Productions West; Produced by Steve and Ruth Hendel and David Tarlow

Kathleen Mary Carthy as Marin
The Wreck of the Unfathomable
Theatre of NOTE

Francesca Casale as Cheetah Bee
The Fastest Clock in the Universe
Celebration Theatre

Sharon Lawrence as Vivien Leigh
Orson's Shadow
Pasadena Playhouse

Johanna McKay as Mrs. Burns
Teen Girl
Zephyr Theatre; Produced by Linda Toliver and Gary Guidinger

Lauren Patten as Elma
Bus Stop
Rubicon Theatre Company

Chloe Taylor as Mary
Teen Girl
Zephyr Theatre; Produced by Linda Toliver and Gary Guidinger

FEATURED ACTOR IN A PLAY

Mark Colson as Slim
Of Mice and Men
Theatre Banshee

JD Cullum as Joseph Tumulty
Of Equal Measure
Center Theatre Group: Kirk Douglas Theatre

Mark Doerr as Graham
Lady
Road Theatre Company

Bennet Guillory as Wining Boy
The Piano Lesson
The Hayworth, Stagewalkers Productions and 444 Productions

*Barry Lynch as Candy
Of Mice and Men
Theatre Banshee

Morgan Rusler as Boolie Werthan
Driving Miss Daisy
La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts

Mark Taylor as Peter
Secrets of the Trade
Black Dahlia Theatre

LEAD ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL

Katrina Lenk as Velma Kelly
Chicago
Musical Theatre of Los Angeles Alliance; Produced by Jeremy Lucas, Bonnie McMahan, Justine Baldwin, Mindy Rouff and Mark Espinosa

Lulu Lloyd as Lucy Harris
Jekyll & Hyde
Cabrillo Music Theatre

Bets Malone as Natalie Haller
All Shook Up

Musical Theatre West
*Jennifer Paz as Kim
Miss Saigon
Civic Light Opera of South Bay Cities

Vanessa Claire Smith as Keely Smith
Louis & Keely: Live at the Sahara
Sacred Fools Theatre Company

LEAD ACTOR IN A MUSICAL

Kevin Bailey as The Engineer
Miss Saigon
Civic Light Opera of South Bay Cities

Jake Broder as Louis Prima
Louis & Keely: Live at the Sahara
Sacred Fools Theatre Company

Brandon Victor Dixon as Ray Charles
Ray Charles Live – The Musical
Pasadena Playhouse

David Engel as Don Lockwood
Singin' in the Rain
Cabrillo Music Theatre

Eric Kunze as Chris
Miss Saigon
Civic Light Opera of South Bay Cities

Allen E. Read as Rocky
Mask
Pasadena Playhouse

*Robert J. Townsend as Jekyll/Hyde
Jekyll & Hyde
Cabrillo Music Theatre

LEAD ACTRESS IN A PLAY

Amy Aquino as Joanne
Secrets of the Trade
Black Dahlia Theatre

Meredith Bishop as Sophie
The Concept of Remainders
The Production Company

Kathleen Chalfant as Rose
Red Dog Howls
Gang of Five New York

Karesa McElheny as Vivian Bearing
Wit
The Production Company

*Laurie Metcalf as Jeannette
The Quality of Life
Geffen Playhouse

Tonya Pinkins as Jasmine
And Her Hair Went With Her
Fountain Theatre; Produced by Stephen Sachs

JoBeth Williams as Dinah
The Quality of Life
Geffen Playhouse

LEAD ACTOR IN A PLAY

Dennis Boutsikaris as Neil
The Quality of Life
Geffen Playhouse

Joe Egender as Ted
He Asked for It
Theatre of NOTE

V.J. Foster as Cotton Slocum
Carnage, a Comedy
Actors' Gang

*John Glover
Secrets of the Trade
Black Dahlia Theatre

Lance E. Nichols as Hoke Coleburn
Driving Miss Daisy
La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts

Darrett Sanders as Avram
The Wreck of the Unfathomable
Theatre of NOTE

*Joe Spano
R. Buckminster Fuller: The History (and Mystery) of the Universe
Rubicon Theatre Company

ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE

And Neither Have I Wings to Fly
Road Theatre Company

*The Andrews Brothers
Musical Theatre West

Body Politic
The Echo Theater Company

City Kid – The Musical
City Kid Productions, LLC

En Un Sol Amarillo (Memorias De Un Temblor)
Center Theatre Group: Kirk Douglas Theatre and FITLA

Tracers
The Gangbusters Theatre Company; Produced by Leon Shanglebee & Sierra Fisk

Winter Wonderettes
Marvelous Dreams, LLC; Produced by David Elzer and Peter Schneider

COSTUME DESIGN – LARGE THEATRE

Ann Closs-Farley
Norman's Ark
John Anson Ford Theatre and DuHirst Music (US) Ltd.

Marcy Froehlich
Bus Stop
Rubicon Theatre Company

Marcy Froehlich
Picasso at the Lapin Agile
Rubicon Theatre Company

Shon Le Blanc
You Can't Take It With You
Rubicon Theatre Company

Sharell Martin and Ambra Wakefield
Jekyll & Hyde
FCLO Music Theatre

*Paul Tazewell
Ray Charles Live – A New Musical
Pasadena Playhouse

Naomi Yoshida
Pippin
East West Players

COSTUME DESIGN – INTIMATE THEATRE

Stephanie Kerley-Schwartz & Lauren Tyler
Compleat Female Stage Beauty
Rogue Machine; Produced by John Perrin Flynn and Matthew Elkins

Gelareh Khalioun
And Neither Have I Wings to Fly
Road Theatre Company

*Scott A. Lane
Pest Control – The Musical
Open at the Top Productions and Canum Entertainment

Shon Le Blanc
The Milk Train Doesn't Stop Here Anymore
Fountain Theatre; Produced by Ben Bradley and Diana Gibson

Nalia Sanders
The Piano Lesson
The Hayworth, Stagewalkers Productions and 444 Productions

A. Jeffrey Shoenberg
1776
Actors Co-op/Crossley Theatre

A. Jeffrey Shoenberg
Tonight at 8:30 – Part II: Come the Wild
The Antaeus Company

SOUND DESIGN – LARGE THEATRE

David Beaudry
Bus Stop
Rubicon Theatre Company

Jonathan Burke
Singin' in the Rain
Cabrillo Music Theatre

*John Feinstein
Miss Saigon
Civic Light Opera of South Bay Cities

Giampaolo Nalli and Danuta Zarzyka
En Un Sol Amarillo (Memorias De Un Temblor)
Center Theatre Group: Kirk Douglas Theatre and FITLA

Cricket S. Myers
Emergency
Geffen Playhouse

Cricket S. Myers
Norman's Ark
John Anson Ford Theatre and DuHirst Music (US) Ltd.

Cricket S. Myers
Picasso at the Lapin Agile
Rubicon Theatre Company

SOUND DESIGN – INTIMATE THEATRE

John Ballinger
1001
The Theatre @ Boston Court

David B. Marling
Lady
Road Theatre Company

Cricket S. Myers
Dark Play or Stories for Boys
The Theatre @ Boston Court

John Nobori
The Tragical Comedy of Mr. Punch
Bootleg Theatre and the Rogue Artists Ensemble

*Ken Rich
The Common Air
Elephant Stageworks

Ken Sawyer
Crime and Punishment
Actors Co-op/Crossley Theatre

Eric Snodgrass
Snake in the Grass
Salem K Theatre Company

LIGHTING DESIGN – LARGE THEATRE

Howell Binkley
Clay
Center Theatre Group: Kirk Douglas Theatre

*Darrell Clark
Miss Saigon
Civic Light Opera of South Bay Cities

Michael Gilliam
Red Dog Howls
Gang of Five New York

Jeremy Pivnick
Dawn's Light: The Journey of Gordon Hirabayashi
East West Players

Jeremy Pivnick
Picasso at the Lapin Agile
Rubicon Theatre Company

Jean-Yves Tessier
Singin' in the Rain
Cabrillo Music Theatre

*Steven Young
Jekyll & Hyde
Cabrillo Music Theatre

LIGHTING DESIGN – INTIMATE THEATRE

Leigh Allen
Snake in the Grass
Salem K Theatre Company

Derrick McDaniel
Lady
Road Theatre Company

Luke Moyer
Pest Control – The Musical
Open at the Top Productions and Canum Entertainment

Jeremy Pivnick
1001
The Theatre @ Boston Court

*Jeremy Pivnick
Crime and Punishment
Actors Co-op/Crossley Theatre

August Viverito
Wit
The Production Company

Steven Young
Thrill Me: The Leopold & Loeb Story
Havok Theatre Company

SET DESIGN – LARGE THEATRE

Tom Buderwitz
Picasso at the Lapin Agile
Rubicon Theatre Company

Robert Brill
Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson
Center Theatre Group: Kirk Douglas Theatre and the Public Theatre

Gonzalo Callejas
En Un Sol Amarillo (Memorias De Un Temblor)
Center Theatre Group: Kirk Douglas Theatre and FITLA

*Thomas S. Giamario
Bus Stop
Rubicon Theatre Company

David Rockwell
All Shook Up
Musical Theatre West

Gary Wissman
A Delicate Balance
Rubicon Theatre Company

Gary Wissman
You Can't Take It With You
Rubicon Theatre Company

SET DESIGN – INTIMATE THEATRE

Danny Cistone
The Last Days of Judas Iscariot
68 Cent Crew Theatre Company; Produced by Ronnie Marmo

Danny Cistone
On an Average Day
Elephant Stageworks and Vs. Theatre Company

Joel Daavid
The Piano Lesson
The Hayworth, Stagewalkers Productions and 444 Productions

Helen Harwell
Crime and Punishment
Actors Co-op/Crossley Theatre

Laura Fine Hawkes
Snake in the Grass
Salem K Theatre Company

*Desma Murphy
And Neither Have I Wings to Fly
Road Theatre Company

Gary Smoot
Love Loves a Pornographer
Circle X Theatre Company

MUSICAL – LARGE THEATRE

All Shook Up
Musical Theatre West

The Andrews Brothers
Musical Theatre West

Jekyll & Hyde
Cabrillo Music Theatre

*Miss Saigon
Civic Light Opera of South Bay Cities

Singin' in the Rain
Cabrillo Music Theatre

FRANKLIN R. LEVY AWARD FOR MUSICAL IN AN INTIMATE THEATRE

City Kid – The Musical
City Kid Productions, LLC

deLEARious
Open Fist Theatre Company

*Louis & Keely: Live at the Sahara
Sacred Fools Theatre Company

Thrill Me: The Leopold & Loeb Musical
Havok Theatre Company

Winter Wonderettes
Marvelous Dreams, LLC; Produced by David Elzer and Peter Schneider

PLAY – LARGE THEATRE

Bus Stop
Rubicon Theatre Company

A Delicate Balance
Rubicon Theatre Company

Driving Miss Daisy
La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts

En Un Sol Amarillo (Memorias De Un Temblor)
Center Theatre Group: Kirk Douglas Theatre and FITLA

*R. Buckminster Fuller: The History (and Mystery) of the Universe Rubicon Theatre Company

PLAY – INTIMATE THEATRE

And Neither Have I Wings to Fly
Road Theatre Company

Body Politic
The Echo Theater Company

Lady
Road Theatre Company

The Piano Lesson
The Hayworth, Stagewalkers Productions, 444 Productions

*The Quality of Life
Geffen Playhouse

Secrets of the Trade
Black Dahlia Theatre

Wit
The Production Company

TOURING PRODUCTION

*Avenue Q
Center Theatre Group: Ahmanson Theatre

The Color Purple
Center Theatre Group: Ahmanson Theatre

The Drowsy Chaperone
Center Theatre Group: Ahmanson Theatre

My Fair Lady
Center Theatre Group: Ahmanson Theatre

Sweeney Todd
Center Theatre Group: Ahmanson Theatre

MUSIC DIRECTION

Steven Applegate
Jekyll & Hyde
Cabrillo Music Theatre

Darryl Archibald
Li'l Abner
Reprise Theatre Company

Michael Borth
All Shook Up
Musical Theatre West

Patrick Gandy
City Kid – The Musical
City Kid Productions, LLC

John Glaudini
The Andrews Brothers
Musical Theatre West

Alby Potts
Miss Saigon
Civic Light Opera of South Bay Cities

*Alby Potts
Singin' in the Rain
Cabrillo Music Theatre

CHOREOGRAPHY

Roger Castellano
The Andrews Brothers
Musical Theatre West

Roger Castellano
Jekyll & Hyde
Cabrillo Music Theatre

David Engel
Singin' in the Rain
Cabrillo Music Theatre

Jeremy Lucas
Chicago
Musical Theatre of Los Angeles Alliance; Produced by Jeremy Lucas, Bonnie McMahan, Justine Baldwin, Mindy Rouff, and Mark Espinosa

Lee Martino
All Shook Up
Musical Theatre West

Karen Nowicki
Miss Saigon
Civic Light Opera of South Bay Cities

*Bradley Rapier
City Kid – The Musical
City Kid Productions, LLC

DIRECTION OF A MUSICAL

Jeremy Aldridge
Louis & Keely: Live at the Sahara
Sacred Fools Theatre Company

Roger Bean
Winter Wonderettes
Marvelous Dreams, LLC; Produced by David Elzer and Peter Schneider

Stephanie Coltrin
Miss Saigon
Civic Light Opera of South Bay Cities

Nick DeGruccio
The Andrews Brothers
Musical Theatre West

*Nick DeGruccio
Jekyll & Hyde
Cabrillo Music Theatre

Steven Glaudini
All Shook Up
Musical Theatre West

*Larry Raben
Singin' in the Rain
Cabrillo Music Theatre

DIRECTION OF A PLAY

Jane Anderson
The Quality of Life
Geffen Playhouse

Cesar Brie
En Un Sol Amarillo (Memorias De Un Temblor)
Center Theatre Group: Kirk Douglas Theatre and FITLA

Scott Cummins
And Neither Have I Wings to Fly
Road Theatre Company

D.W. Jacobs
R. Buckminster Fuller: The History (and Mystery) of the Universe
Rubicon Theatre Company

Derek Charles Livingston
Shakespeare's R & J
The Production Company

Robert Mammana
Wit
The Production Company

*Matt Shakman
Secrets of the Trade
Black Dahlia Theatre

RAY STRICKLYN MEMORIAL AWARD FOR SOLO PERFORMANCE

Daniel Beaty
Emergency
Geffen Playhouse

Tim Ryan Meinelschmidt
All the Help You Need – The Adventures of a Hollywood Handyman
Theatre Forty

Matt Sax
Clay
Center Theatre Group: Kirk Douglas Theatre

Eve Sigall
Joan's Trip
Theatre East

*Nilaja Sun
No Child….
Center Theatre Group: Kirk Douglas Theatre

BOOKS/LYRICS/MUSIC FOR AN ORIGINAL MUSICAL

*John Bucchino and Daisy Prince
It's Only Life
Rubicon Theatre Company; Produced by Michael Jackowitz

Meryl Friedman
Tug of War
The J. Paul Getty Trust

Maury McIntyre and Nick Salamone
Gulls
The Theatre @ Boston Court

Jan Powell and Ken Stone
American Tales
The Antaeus Company

Phil Swann and Ron West
deLEARious
Open Fist Theatre Company

PLAYWRITING OF AN ORIGINAL PLAY

*Jane Anderson
The Quality of Life
Geffen Playhouse

Richard Martin Hirsch
The Concept of Remainders
The Production Company

Joe Keyes
Big Baby
Produced by Joe Keyes, Heather King and Maile Flanagan

Alex Lyras & Robert McCaskill
The Common Air
Elephant Stageworks

Timothy McNeil
Anything
Elephant Stageworks; Produced by Lindsay Albaugh and Gina Soto

Erik Patterson
He Asked for It
Theatre of NOTE

Jonathan Tolins
Secrets of the Trade
Black Dahlia Theatre

*

L.A. Stage Alliance, founded in 1975, "is dedicated to building awareness, appreciation and support for the performing arts in Greater Los Angeles."

Visit 2008OvationAwards.com.