2023 in Review: Our Favorite Design Elements

2023 in Review:

Our Favorite Design Elements

(8 Categories + 2 Special Citations)

We were fortunate enough to see 21 different productions in 2023: 14 Broadway, 3 off-Broadway, and 4 regional; these are the shows we considered in all categories for our favorites this year: & Juliet, A Beautiful Noise, Back to the Future, Bad Cinderella, Bob Fosse's Dancin', Camelot, Here Lies Love, Leopoldstadt, Life of Pi, New York New York, Once Upon a One More Time, Pacific Overtures (Signature Theater), Parade, Shucked, Spamalot (Kennedy Center), Sunset Boulevard (Kennedy Center), Sweeney Todd, The Frogs, The Gardens of Anuncia, The Light in the Piazza and The Play That Goes Wrong (Kennedy Center). We also saw Kimberly Akimbo two additional times - what can I say? We are Fanagrams! We made our lists separately - so below you'll see where we agreed, plus performances we each just had to include! 

How did we compare to your favorites? Leave a comment below, or catch up with us on Twitter or Instagram! (@jkstheatrescene for both)

FAVORITE SHOW LOGO

 

Musical: Shucked

Play: Leopoldstadt

Regional: Pacific Overtures (Signature Theater)

FAVORITE SOCIAL MEDIA

TIE: Shucked & Sweeney Todd

FAVORITE SHOW WEBSITE

Here Lies Love

FAVORITE OVERALL MEDIA CAMPAIGN

Shucked

FAVORITE SCENIC DESIGN

Musical: Here Lies Love

Design by David Korins

Play: Life of Pi

Design by Tim Hatley

HONORABLE MENTION

New York New York

Design by Beowulf Boritt

The Play That Goes Wrong (Kennedy Center)

Design by Nigel Hook

FAVORITE COSTUME DESIGN

Musical: & Juliet

Design by Paloma Young

Play: Life of Pi

Design by Tim Hatley

HONORABLE MENTION

Bad Cinderella

Design by Gabriela Tylesova

Pacific Overtures (Signature Theater)

Design by Helen Q. Hwang

FAVORITE LIGHTING DESIGN

Here Lies Love

Design by Justin Townsend

HONORABLE MENTION

& Juliet

Design by Howard Hudson

Sweeney Todd 

Design by Natasha Katz

FAVORITE PROJECTION DESIGN

Musical: Parade

Design by Sven Ortel

Play: Life of Pi

Design by Andrzej Goulding

HONORABLE MENTION

Back to the Future 

Design by Finn Ross

SPECIAL CITATIONS

Here Lies Love 

For creating a completely immersive and all-audience inclusion experience. Kudos to the entire design team and director Alex Timbers for their eye to the future of live theater, and for not forgetting theatrical tradition.

Life of Pi Puppetry 

For creating the next generation of theatrical puppetry. Kudos to Nick Barnes and Finn Caldwell for such stunning creations, and Mr. Caldwell's brilliant movement direction, which brought many different animals to life, while still managing to convey the human element. And of course to the entire team of puppeteers, artists of the highest order, all.

Everything Old Is New Again

Broadway has revivals of plays and musicals all the time, right? Well, why not revive an ad campaign? And that's just what the MTA did just yesterday with a modern update to their classic 1977 advertisement promoting the subway as the method of transport to get you to the show.

That ad brings back some memories for me as a kid growing up outside of Albany. I was still years away from seeing my first show on Broadway, but I can distinctly remember seeing that image and thinking, "wow, people in plays must get dressed at home and ride the subway ready to start the show!" Ah, to be that starry-eyed and innocent again. Then, sometime after it first came out, I actually saw Carol Channing in a tour of Hello, Dolly!, immediately recognizing her (and that dress). I also saw her leave the theater as we were leaving the parking garage. No red dress. No subway. Way to kill a 10 year-old's dreams, Carol!

And now - everything old is new again! The new MTA has arrived, and that feeling of nostalgia was a nice rush. A flood of memories at seeing the old version juxtaposed with the new, recognizing now that there were some major players in that picture besides Ms. Channing, like Stephanie Mills, Melba Moore and the great Eartha Kitt.

I do love the new one, too. It's fun to see what shows I've seen and actors I recognize immediately, as well as to look forward to the new shows represented! It got me to thinking, what shows/ characters/actors I might pick for a next iteration. Like, I'm sure I'd add the new Aladdin and Jasmine, Mufasa and Young Simba, Albus and Scorpius, Marian, Harold and Winthrop, Fiyero and Madame Morrible, a couple of the Temptations, Hermes, Orpheus & a Fate. 

I wouldn't mind if they started those cool "I Love NY" ads again. But I'd love a new update to this print ad:

Oh, the people I'd love to see in that!