Los Angeles theater actors in search of paid work and awards should discover their love of musicals.
When the Ovation Awards nominees were announced Monday, La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts had 17 nods and 3-D Theatricals had 13. Both L.A.-area theaters specialize in musicals and received the largest swath of nods for their productions of "Floyd Collins" (9) and "The Producers" (7) respectively.
“Musicals are still in vogue,” Michael Donovan, a veteran L.A. theater casting director, told Backstage.
Donovan said many theaters in the Southland have started developing their own productions in addition to producing established Broadway shows. "There’s tremendous interest in new shows," he said, noting actors can often get involved in the workshopping of these new works.
“These are things that are great to do for actors. They push you as a performer,” he said. “The actors get paid $100 and there is no guarantee that you will go further, but there are many people that do go all the way with it.”
Meanwhile, Laguna Playhouse is getting set to cast a male and female performer for its production of “Striking 12: The New GrooveLily Musical.”
“We’re producing it from the ground up,” said Ann Wareham, who anticipated auditions would start in October. The Playhouse will have a plethora of talent to choose from, she added. “There’s a lot of triple threat talent out there. There are a lot of incredible actors who play instruments and musicians that act.”
Actors interested in a more traditional musical can audition for San Diego Musical Theatre’s production of "West Side Story." Other auditions are available through Backstage’s casting page.
Meanwhile, the other top Ovation Awards nominees were Theatre @ Boston Court, which received the most nods with 19, followed by the Geffen Playhouse, which tied La Mirada at 17, while Center Theatre Group tied 3-D Theatricals at 13 and the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts received 12. The winners will be announced Nov. 2 at the San Gabriel Mission Playhouse.
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