Bravo Award Winner! Bravo Award Distinguished Artists Gala Los Angeles Times Article

Bravo Award Winner!
3/3/03
LA Music Center Presents Bravo Award to Jonas Basom!

Drama Education Network is proud to announce that Jonas Basom, author of The Drama Game File and primary creative force behind DramaEd.net, was recently named as the winner of the Bravo Award for outstanding arts educator of southern California! Congratulations, Jonas!

Bravo host Garry Marshall with 2003 Bravo Award winners Dana Howard (generalist), Principal Dale Winters (school), and Jonas Basom (arts specialist).

The Bravo Award, now in its 21st year, is presented by The Music Center of Los Angeles in association with Club 100. One of the most prestigious arts education awards in the nation, the Bravo Award honors teachers and schools for exemplary teaching in the arts that helps students thrive academically and personally.

Jonas was nominated by Carthay Center Elementary, where he had trained teachers and students in the use of theater arts in the classroom. This year, there were 32 nominees in Jonas' category of arts specialist. The specialist category includes teachers of any of the four arts disciplines (theater, music, dance, and visual arts) at any grade level from preschool through high school, and from any public or private school throughout southern California.

The applications were screened and narrowed down to 10 finalists in December. Jonas and the other finalists were then visited by a panel of judges, who came to observe and videotape the teachers in action with their students.

The judges' selections were revealed at the Bravo Gala on March 3rd at the historic Biltmore Hotel in downtown Los Angeles. Celebrity producer Garry Marshall (Happy Days, Laverne & Shirley, Pretty Woman) hosted, as he has done every year, with great wit and humor. Enjoying the stunning setting, decor, and catering were more than 300 luminaries of the arts education world including arts council board members, district superintendents, school board members, principals, artists, and university professors.

After showing a videotape montage of each finalist teaching, the winners were announced by opening secret envelopes. The entire event was presented in the style of an academy awards for teachers.

Jonas is the first and only elementary theater arts specialist to win the award and only the fourth ever elementary specialist to win. Judges praised his leadership, innovation, curriculum development, and teaching excellence. They were impressed with his creative teaching methods for getting all students actively engaged in his drama lessons and with his coaching techniques for helping classroom teachers learn how to replicate his teaching methods and integrate drama across the curriculum.

Jonas is no stranger to the Bravo Award. In 1999, his elementary school drama program helped The Buckley School win the Bravo Award for outstanding arts school, the first time a private school had won the award. In 2002, Jonas was also nominated in the specialist category and received Honorable Mention.

We congratulate Jonas and thank the Music Center Education Division and Club 100 for bringing so much positive attention to the importance of arts education.

To learn more about the Bravo Award, go to www.musiccenter.org/bravo.html

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Distinguished Artists Gala
6/21/03
LA Music Center Presents Distinguished Artists Awards to Raise Money for the Bravo Awards for Arts Teachers

Host Henry Winkler and Actress Cynthia Gibb with 2003 Bravo Award winners Dana Howard (generalist), Principal Dale Winters (school), and Jonas Basom (arts specialist).

The Music Center of Los Angeles County presented its 19th Distinguished Artist Award to legendary dancer Cyd Charisse (Singing in the Rain, Brigadoon, Silk Stockings), two-time best actor Academy Award winner Dustin Hoffman (Kramer vs. Kramer, Rain Man, Tootsie), television star John Ritter (Three's Company, Hearts Afire, Eight Simple Rules) and acclaimed composer John Williams (Star Wars, Schindler's List, Indiana Jones, E.T., Jaws) at the Regent Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills.

The black-tie event raised funds for the Bravo Awards that honor teachers and schools for providing exemplary arts education.

As Bravo Award winner of outstanding arts specialist teacher of southern California, Jonas Basom was a special guest of honor for the star-studded evening. He was given celebrity introduction and special acknowledgement during the gala event.

Presenter Debbie Allen with Antonio Manning of sponsor Washington Mutual and 2003 Bravo Award winner Jonas Basom.

The evening was hosted by multi-talented actress/director/dancer/singer Debbie Allen (Singing in the Rain, Fame) and actor/director/producer Henry Winkler ("Fonzy" from Happy Days).

Each of the four honorees gave special thanks to the teachers who made a difference in their lives. They thanked the Music Center for its support of arts education and congratulated the Bravo Award winners.

We congratulate Jonas on winning the Bravo Award and thank the Music Center, Club 100, and Washington Mutual for sponsoring the Distinguished Artists Award, the Bravo Award, and for bringing so much positive attention to the importance of arts education.

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Los Angeles Times Article
4/9/03
Los Angeles Times Feature Article in Calendar Section

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