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Video: Meet the 2023 Tony Nominees for Lighting and Sound Design
May 17, 2024
What would Broadway be without light and sound? Lighting and Sound Designers are an integral part of creating the stage magic that makes Broadway Broadway and many of them were singled out this year for their incredible work.
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0:00
We have good lighting, Ken, don't we? Absolutely
0:09
This is the best. I've never looked so good. This never gets old
0:13
What does it mean to be sitting here today? This is fabulous. You know, I've done this a few times and it never gets old
0:20
It never gets old. And to be here with friends, you know, we, the collaboration on New York, New York was
0:27
amazing and with Stroman just leading us down the path, it was a joy for three months
0:35
to get up and be at the theater at 9 a.m. and stay until we went home at night
0:40
I could have thought of nothing better to do. The lighting is superb in that show
0:44
I mean, you see so many beautiful elements of New York. Every time you paint these beautiful pictures, what you enjoy the most
0:52
Well, you know, it's painting the pictures but taking the audience along
0:56
That's when the audience gets it, is always exciting. You know, part of my job is not to see me, you know
1:03
You should always come out saying, gee, that was good. But if you can take the audience and we do a good son's, you know, Manhattan edge at
1:12
the, it's towards the end. And that was fun. And it took a little bit of time, you know, getting it right, you know, because everybody
1:22
interestingly has a different opinion of what that moment is in New York
1:27
I've seen it on my street, but you know, everybody else has seen it too
1:30
So to get everyone to go along with us was really sort of exciting
1:35
How special was this working on your show? Oh, Parade is the most amazing show in the world
1:40
The music that Jason wrote, Michael's direction, Ben and Michaela's performances, and the entire
1:44
cast is amazing. And my team, who I love, that made this lighting design, best lighting design, best lighting designer
1:51
So there's a lot of people involved in it. And it was a really amazing process. What an incredible journey you were on moving from city center to Broadway
1:58
Yeah, it was really exciting. It was a, it was very fast, but it was a really, it was great to get to sort of expand on the
2:04
things that we were already exploring and get to further tell the story. I think we got to go deeper into it
2:10
And I think that that was really, really special for the audiences. And I think some people got to see it twice and had experiences both times that were really amazing
2:17
So in the lighting designers aspect, did you learn different things between city center and Broadway
2:21
I did. I did. I mean, here's an interesting to lighting designers
2:24
We actually had to change all of the equipment. We had to get different moving lights. And so we had to figure out how to retell the story with the same ideas, but with different lights
2:33
They have different parameters and can do different things. How excited are you two? It's Tony Day
2:37
You've both been pinned. Extremely excited. This is my first Broadway design
2:41
So it's also my first Tony nomination. So it's a huge deal
2:45
It's a huge deal. It's thrilling. You know, my wife was also nominated
2:50
So we had a great morning on Tuesday. We were thrilled. Our kids could not care less
2:56
But they're young. They'll appreciate it later. It was a wonderful day. It was a wonderful day
3:01
What's made this all so special for you, this nomination? Tell me. So definitely the collaborators that I've been nominated with, the show that I've been
3:08
nominated with. You know, every show is unique and special. But this one felt especially special
3:13
And to see it recognized, that's a real joy. And to be here celebrating with so many friends and so many colleagues and so many generous
3:19
collaborators, it's the best day. Now, talk about the show you're being nominated for
3:22
So Fat Ham is just an utterly joyous evening of theater. It is surprising
3:28
It is delightful. It is moving. James's work is truly special. And I encourage everyone to go see it
3:36
So audiences have fallen in love with this show all over again. On Broadway, how that makes you feel
3:41
I mean, to see shows like Fat Ham, like plays that don't normally get a chance to be produced
3:46
on Broadway, to see them get this kind of reception, that's why I do what I do and
3:51
that's why we're here. So that really hits hard and really hits home
3:57
Take me back to the really young version of yourself. Was there a show that you did early on when you were very, very young
4:03
And what would your older self tell your younger self now? Oh, I made so many terrible mistakes when I was younger
4:09
I did a production of Romeo and Juliet in college that we cut all the adults from it
4:14
and it was just the kids. It was terrible. But these are the sorts of terrible mistakes that you make when you're young that leads
4:19
you to do better work when you're older. So if I went back and told my younger self, I wouldn't change anything
4:24
You need to make those mistakes to grow into the person you're going to become. So yeah, keep screwing up
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