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.

40 Years of Broadway: Creative Influencers: The Designers

40 Years of Broadway:

Creative Influencers: The Designers

I've been so fortunate to see some of the greatest stage designs of the late 20th and early 21st centuries. Many of the master influencers of their time, advancing scenic, costume and lighting designs in more ways than I ever thought possible. From classic, iconic Broadway to the sleek, dazzling future of theater, these collaborators are simply amazing.

Below are 8 of the greatest in their respective categories from the past 40 years, along with a small selection of their design credits, as well as some of their accolades. We've also selected one up and coming designer in each category - an individual who is well on their way to making an influencer list in another 40 years!

^ - Tony Award Nominee          * - Tony Award Winner

# - Theater Hall of Fame Inductee

Scenic Designers

• Bob Crowley # - Once*, Tarzan, Aladdin, Mary Poppins*, An American in Paris*, Carousel (1994)*
• David Korins - Hamilton^, Beetlejuice^, Dear Evan Hansen, Godspell, Passing Strange
• Eugene Lee # - Show Boat (1994), Ragtime,^ Wicked*, Seussical
• Mimi Lien - Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812*, Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, Sweeney Todd (2023)^

• John Napier - Cats^, Starlight Express, Les Miserables*, Miss Saigon^, Sunset Boulevard*
• Scott Pask - Urinetown, Pippin (2013)^, Hair (2009), The Book of Mormon*, Something Rotten, The Band’s Visit^, Waitress, Some Like It Hot^, Shucked^
• David Rockwell - Hairspray^, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, Legally Blonde, The Normal Heart, Kinky Boots^, She Loves Me (2016)*
• David Zinn - Kimberly Akimbo, SpongeBob SquarePants*, The Boys in the Band, The Waverly Gallery, Fun Home^, The Humans*

Up & Coming: Miriam Buether - To Kill a Mockingbird^, A Doll’s House, Part 2, Three Tall Women^

Costume Designers

• Theoni V. Aldredge # - A Chorus Line^, 42nd Street^, The Secret Garden^, La Cage aux Folles*, Dreamgirls^, Chess

• Gregg Barnes - Side Show, The Drowsy Chaperone*, Legally Blonde^, Follies (2011)*, Kinky Boots^, Aladdin, Mean Girls^, Some Like It Hot*

• Susan Hilferty - H2$ (1995), Into the Woods (2002)^, Wicked*, Spring Awakening^, Parade (2023)^

• Ann Hould-Ward - Into the Woods^, Sunday in the Park with George^, Beauty and the Beast*, The Color Purple (2015)

• William Ivey Long # - Smile, Crazy For You*, Guys and Dolls (1992), Smokey Joe’s Cafe, Chicago (1996)^, Cabaret (1998, 2014)^, The Producers*, Beetlejuice^

• Ann Roth - The Book of Mormon^, Deuce, To Kill a Mockingbird^, The Prom, Three Tall Women^, Carousel (2018)^

• Paul Tazewell - MJ^, Caroline, or Change, The Color Purple, In the Heights^, Memphis^, Hamilton*

• Catherine Zuber # - The Light in the Piazza*, South Pacific (2008)*, Women on the Verge, War Paint^, My Fair Lady (2018)*, Moulin Rouge*

Up & Coming: Emilio Sosa - Sweeney Todd (2023), A Beautiful Noise, Motown, On Your Feet!

Lighting Designers

• Kevin Adams - A Class Act, Next to Normal^, American Idiot*, Hair^, Spring Awakening*, Passing Strange, Head Over Heels, Hedwig and the Angry Inch*, A Beautiful Noise

• Howell Binkley - Hamilton*, Kiss of the Spider Woman^, The Full Monty, Avenue Q, Jersey Boys*, Xanadu, After Midnight^, In the Heights^

• Jules Fisher # & Peggy Eisenhauer - La Cage aux Folles^, Grand Hotel*, The Will Rogers Follies*, Angels in America^, Caroline, or Change, The Wild Party^

• Paul Gallo - The Mystery of Edwin Drood (1986), Anything Goes (1987)^, Guys and Dolls (1992)^, Titanic, Crazy For You^, City of Angels^

• David Hersey - Cats*, Les Miserables*, Starlight Express^, Miss Saigon^, Merrily We Roll Along, Evita*

• Natasha Katz - Sweeney Todd (2023)*, Some Like It Hot^, Beauty and the Beast^, Spelling Bee, Aladdin, Frozen, An American in Paris*, MJ^ Almost Famous, Once*

• Tharon Musser #- A Chorus Line*, 42nd Street^, Dreamgirls*, The Secret Garden

• Kenneth Posner - Hairspray^, Wicked^, Legally Blonde, Other Desert Cities^, Kinky Boots^, Pippin (2013)^

Up & Coming: Tyler Micoleau - Be More Chill, Into the Woods (2022), The Band’s Visit*