Read what DON SHIRLEY, Times Staff Writer, said in Calendarlive on latimes.com.

And what they said in Backstage West on Backstage.com.

OVATION AWARD
CIVIC LIGHT OPERA OF SOUTH BAY CITIES WINNER: BEST MUSICAL

The 2002 Best Musical (Large Theatre) Ovation Award winner was announced Sunday night (11/24/02) at the historic Orpheum Theatre on Broadway in downtown Los Angeles: CIVIC LIGHT OPERA OF SOUTH BAY CITIES won in an unprecedented event for the third time. The Award for Best Musical went to George Gershwin's CRAZY FOR YOU, the third production of the 10th Season in September 2001.

In the last four years (losing in 2001 to Disney's A Lion King), Civic Light Opera of South Bay Cities has been nominated each year receiving the coveted awards for West Side Story in 1999, Dreamgirls  in 2000, and now Crazy for You in 2002. Enthusiastically accepting the award last night were James A. Blackman III, Executive Producer, and Steven Ullman, Producing Artistic Director, of Civic Light Opera of South Bay Cities. David Engel, the star of Crazy For You, also won the Ovation for lead actor in a musical.

The 2002 Ovation Award category included A Class Act at the Pasadena Playhouse, Flower Drum Song and Into the Woods both from the Center Theatre Group at the Music Center, and Side Show at the Colony Theatre. Flower Drum Song and Into the Woods both left Los Angeles and went directly to Broadway last Spring and Into the Woods later won the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Musical on June 2, 2002.  

One might speculate: If Civic Light Opera of South Bay Cities went to Broadway with Crazy for You last year would it have won the Tony for Best Musical Revival? Crazy for You opened at the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center in September 2001 right after the September 11th tragedy in New York City.

Contact: Pegge Forrest
Forrest and Associates
(818)760-0964