Scenic Design

77th Annual Tony Awards Predictions, Mason Pilevsky

CATEGORY: SCENIC DESIGN OF A PLAY

Circle in the Square is a tricky space to do scenic design because it is fully in the round, but the world of these characters felt very authentic to me until we hit the interval, where the bar on stage had a very modern feel. I didn’t mind the anachronism—to me it was a reminder of the chilling relevance. I was also in awe of the ice as a metaphor—drinks on the rocks and then the ice cubes representing the actual rocks through the protagonist’s window.

dots, Appropriate

Though static for most of the show, the set for Appropriate cleverly allowed a lot of spaces for characters to hide in full view of the audience so we could watch the characters watch each other. The appearance of the tree at the end was very impressive, but for me the subtler features that blended practicality and artistry were the most impressive part.

Derek McLane, Purlie Victorious: A Non-Confederate Romp Through the Cotton Patch

The set for Purlie Victorious was another one that remained static through most of the story. Truthfully, I thought the beauty of the light coming in through the windows made the set shine, but wouldn’t really fall under the purview of a scenic design award. I loved the show, but don’t expect a scenic design win.

David Zinn, Jaja’s African Hair Braiding

By far the busiest set of the nominees, each character had their own space at their salon chair that was unique to where they came from and what they wanted. This set was the closest collaboration on Broadway this season. It was not just functional or practical or decorated—it spoke volumes about the individual worlds within the larger umbrella of the play.

David Zinn, Stereophonic

This set had to accommodate three worlds at once. The recording studio where Arcade Fire was doing their actual recording, the world of the audio engineers who were mixing the show (which was the main focus of the production), and the space where the characters had their own intimate moments with each other, simultaneously alone and surrounded by the herculean recording task that they could neither embrace nor escape. The physical space allowed for these interactions in a fun and sterile way, on a single set that was static the entire show.

WHO I THINK WILL WIN: David Zinn, Jaja’s African Hair Braiding

IF IT WAS UP TO ME: David Zinn, Jaja’s African Hair Braiding

CATEGORY: SCENIC DESIGN OF A MUSICAL

Robert Brill and Peter Nigrini, Hell’s Kitchen

Hell’s Kitchen’s world is mostly created through Peter Nigrini’s beautiful video screens that show artful renditions telling us where we are and adding color to the emotional tone of the musical. Though these looks were beautiful, they were also busy, and at times it was difficult to know where to look when taken as a whole with the other design elements of the musical.

AMP featuring Tatiana Kahvegian, The Outsiders

This minimalist, yet functional scenic design takes a lot of nightly abuse from actors who get their hands dirty in the dirt, escape a fire in the church, and have a lengthy rumble scene in the rain. The echoes of the church set felt very phoned in to me—it looked cartoonish when compared to the rest of this serious, dark world. Is it commentary on what in life is real, or was it really just a scenic afterthought because not much happens there?

Takeshi Kata, Water for Elephants

This set has a lot going for it in terms of ensuring safety for acrobats. There are moments where the stage is incredibly busy, and moments where all we have are silks. It’s beautiful in a lot of ways, showing a dynamic range of complexity and simplicity. The collaboration with lighting design was pretty seamless as well.

David Korins, Here Lies Love

Conceptually, many did not enjoy the set of Here Lies Love deliberately providing the best sight lines to those who paid the least (the mezzanine—representing the elite, while the dance floor represented the proletariat). Lots of audience members and critics alike missed the point of this experimental, immersive type of storytelling. While it accomplished its goal of fully surrounding people in an uncomfortable experience, I don’t except a scenic design win.

Riccardo Hernandez and Peter Nigrini, Lempicka

The set was one of Lempicka’s redeeming qualities. Riccardo Hernandez created interesting angles from which to look at a painter that sometimes made the audience feel that we were part of the painting. The different pallets that came on and off all created interesting shapes on stage. Peter Nigini’s projections focused mostly on the history happening around and beyond the world of the play.

Tim Hatley and Finn Ross, Back to the Future

Beyond the extraordinary flying car, Tim Hatley created full sets for the neighborhood, the mother’s bedroom, and Doc’s workshop that were really exceptionally detailed. Finn Ross’s perfectly calibrated projections made the Delorian drive in a way that was magical and different every time, long before we ever saw it fly. At times, it felt like being in a motion simulator, except of course that the seats in the theatre were stationary.

Tom Scutt, Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club

The redesign of the August Wilson Theatre to turn it into an elitist set of twists and turns was really not my jam. Seating was confusing, bathrooms were difficult to find, and it seemed rather expensive for something that actually made the audience experience worse. As for the set upon which the show was performed—it was a bunch of concentric circles that went up and down, some of which had turntables.

WHO I THINK WILL WIN: Tim Hatley and Finn Ross

IF IT WAS UP TO ME: Paul Tate dePoo III got seriously snubbed here. His scenic/projections designs for both The Great Gatsby and Spamalot were absolutely breathtaking and I’m disappointed not to see him on this list. If it were up to me, his win would be for The Great Gatsby.

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Next set of design week predictions drops May 21!