The LA Stage Alliance presented the 29th annual Ovation Awards, honoring the best in Los Angeles theatre, January 28 at the Theatre at Ace Hotel. One of the big winners was the new musical Soft Power, which led the pack with six wins.
The Center Theatre Group engagement, which ran at the Ahmanson last spring, was awarded Best Production of a Musical (Large Theater), as well as Best Book for David Henry Hwang, Lyrics/Composition for Hwang and Jeanine Tesori, Music Direction for David O, Best Lead Actress in a Musical for Alyse Alan Louis, and Costume Design (Large Theater) for Anita Yavich.
Read: JEANINE TESORI AND DAVID HENRY HWANG EXPLAIN THE GAME-CHANGING FORM OF THEIR SOFT POWER
The musical stayed on the West Coast after the L.A. bow, playing San Francisco’s Curran shortly after. Directed by Leigh Silverman, the show tells the story of a Chinese executive who falls in love with a U.S. leader against the backdrop of power struggles between the two countries in the wake of the 2016 election.
CTG was one of 16 California theatre companies to take home awards, joining Geffen Playhouse (recognized for their Ironbound, Sell/Buy/Date, and Skeleton Crew), La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts (South Pacific and Ain’t Misbehavin’), and A Noise Within, which was awarded Best Season.
The 2019 ceremony also bestowed Ovation Honors upon members of the creative team for Rogue Artists Ensemble’s Kaidan Project: Walls Grow Thin: composer Adrien Prevost and puppet designers Brian White, Sean Cawelti, Greg Ballora, Morgan Reban, Jack Pullman, and Christine Papalexis. The Richard E. Sherwood Award, given to innovative and adventurous artists, was presented to Kristina Wong.
Click here for the full list of winners.
