Technical Theatre Legend Gene O'Donovan to Receive Fourth Annual "Backstage Legends and Masters" Award

One of Broadway’s most respected and successful theatre technicians will take center stage on Monday, April 20, 2015 at 7:00 p.m., as the Broadway Technical Theatre History Project at Purchase College - SUNY honors Gene O’Donovan. Selected to receive the fourth annual “Backstage Legends and Masters Award,” O’Donovan joins previous honorees Artie Siccardi (2012), Arnold Abramson (2013), and Fred Gallo (2014). The event will take place in the Performing Arts Center on the College’s campus at 735 Anderson Hill Road, Purchase, NY.

Among the world’s most distinguished theatre technicians, O’Donovan has been a leader on Broadway for more than 40 years. His technical expertise has directly enhanced a host of legendary Broadway productions, including The Wiz, 42nd Street, Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Cats, Phantom Of The Opera, The Who’s Tommy, Master Class, Titanic, Spamalot, Frost Nixon, The Book Of Mormon, Matilda, Hedwig And The Angry Inch, and The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Nighttime. O’Donovan has collaborated with a “Who’s Who” of designers, including Santo Loquasto, John Lee Beatty, Bob Crowley, Jules Fisher, Susan Hilferty, Don Holder, Natasha Katz, William Ivy Long, Anna Louizos, Brian MacDevitt, Jo Mielziner, Tharon Musser, Martin Pakledinaz, Kenneth Posner, Ann Roth, Robin Wagner, and Tony Walton.

“Gene O’Donovan is one of the reasons this award and event were created - so that we could recognize and honor the individuals who have had such enormous impact on Broadway and are typically not given the kind of formal recognition for their work they deserve. Gene is a true master who has been making Broadway better for many years,” says Dan Hanessian, associate professor at Purchase, who launched the Broadway Technical Theatre History Project in 2011. “There are others who have had remarkable careers in this industry, but you would be hard pressed to find someone else with Gene’s range, depth, and legacy.” Hanessian trains up-and-coming technical directors and production managers in the Design/Technology Program of the Conservatory of Theatre Arts at Purchase.

Presented by the Broadway Technical Theatre History Project, the Backstage Legends and Masters event is webcast live and archived for future viewing.

The event is free and open to the public.

Backstage Legends and Masters & the Broadway Technical Theatre History Project

Backstage Legends and Masters, founded by Dan Hanessian, is an annual public presentation spotlighting individuals who have been central to the realization of Broadway productions for many years, but are not typically provided recognition through the Tony or Drama Desk awards. Each year, an individual is selected by a panel of distinguished professionals who represent a variety of Broadway production specialties.

“The goal of the Broadway Technical Theatre History Project is to create a living history of the shops and technical personnel who have played a role in the realization of Broadway productions,” Hanessian explains.

This information will be available to the public in a centralized database – allowing individuals to view the data in a variety of ways. It is also intended that a visual history/ timeline of the shops will be created to augment the narrative aspects of the project.