David O is a 2008/2009 Ovation Nominee in the Musical Direction category for his work in DIVORCE! THE MUSICAL produced by Split Up Productions.  David received an Ovation Award for Sound Design-Large Theatre in 2006 for UBU ROI at A Noise Within, and was also previously nominated twice for Musical Direction (THE WILD PARTY and STEEL: JOHN HENRY AND THE SHAKER) and once for writing/composition of a World Premiere Musical (ATALANTA).

If you’d like to add a congratulatory message for David (or any other Nominee or Nominated Company), to the Ovation Awards commemorative poster (distributed to all nominees and all attendees at the Ceremony), click here!

As an Ovation Award Nominee, LA Stage asked David the following questions:

What was the moment that first inspired you to pursue working in the theatre?

It’s hard to identify a single defining moment.  From an early age, performing, whether it was music or theater or some combination of the two, was simply part of my family’s day-to-day life.  One moment that stands out was when I was in 4th Grade and our teacher, Pat Hughes, wrote the class a play to perform.  I remember it vividly.  It was called “In the Nick of Time,” a melodrama set in a girls’ boarding house in the Canadian wilderness.  In this story, an evil genius plotted to turn all the girls into Kewpie Dolls.  I played “Silent Sam,” the assistant to the mad doctor, who ended up revealing himself as an undercover Royal Canadian Mountie at the end and foiling the evil plot.  It was amazing fun.

Divorce! The Musical at the Hudson

What do you feel made the production you were nominated for particularly successful, either overall or for you specifically?

Divorce: the Musical was particularly successful for a number of reasons, but quite simply put it was due to the unique and clear artistic vision of the writer/composer Erin Kamler, realized by an extremely talented, collaborative directing/design/performance team.  It was such a pleasure to work on this show, in terms of the wonderful artistic experience and the friendships that have blossomed from the production.

What project or projects are you currently working on?

I am musically directing the upcoming production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at La Mirada Theatre for the Performing Arts.  I’m composing the music for a new musical, Hope and Possibility, with my collaborator Karen Hardcastle, as well as an opera using Shakespeare’s The Tempest as the libretto.  Other upcoming projects include collaborations with Ghost Road Company, J. Michael Friedman, and GrooveLily’s Brendan Milburn & Valerie Vigoda.

What do you love most about theatre in Los Angeles?

I love the risk-taking spirit of theatre here in LA.  I love that theatre artists here are empowered to create new, outlandish performances with huge artistic ambition.  I love that many of these artists are my friends.

What’s your dream project?

The one that nobody sees coming, and hits them right between the eyes.  It probably involves kazoos.  And monkeys.

Biography: David O is a Los Angeles-based composer, performer, and musical director.  His most notable work is the critically-acclaimed choral composition A Map of Los Angeles (LA Master Chorale/Walt Disney Concert Hall).  Thousands of Los Angeles children and their parents know David as “The Professor” for his six years of performances with Summersounds at the Hollywood Bowl, produced by the LA Philharmonic.  His original musicals for families include The Very Persistent Gappers of Frip and The Legend of Alex (CTG/PLAY), Imagine, (South Coast Rep), and Atalanta (Creative Playground/Powerhouse).  David is the musical director, arranger, and co-composer for Toy Story: The Musical. Other compositions for the theatre have included new scores for Ubu Roi (A Noise Within - 2006 Ovation Award, Sound Design/Large Theater), and Hippolytos (Getty Villa). David’s work as a musical director includes 13 (World Premiere - Mark Taper Forum), The Wild Party and Little Fish (West Coast Premieres - Blank Theatre), The Last 5 Years (Pasadena Playhouse), and Divorce: the Musical (Hudson Mainstage), among many other productions.  He has received numerous LA Weekly, LADCC, and Garland Awards for his work over the years.

For a full list of Ovation nominees, or for information about the Ovation Awards Ceremony on January 11th, click here!