Bad or odd set designs- Page 5

[Dionysus3]

Posted: 1/10/20 at 11:12pm

I realize this is an old thread, but I’m flabbergasted to see so many disparage the Falsettos revival’s set. I thought that show was practically flawless, and a large part of that was the set. The child-like innocence of the blocks as these characters grow into and build news lives, and then the stark realism as things took a tragic turn, only to return to the blocks as they rebuilt once again. I thought it was gorgeous.

[SouthernCakes]

Posted: 1/10/20 at 11:24pm

Re: Falsettos I was front row and could see the wrinkles in the backdrop. It was cheap and ugly. It’s Lincoln Center! They could have done something beautiful.

I saw “Greater Clements” and found the design really interesting and a unique take on that space. It could have been done in a way more traditional way, but I loved what they did.

[Call_me_jorge]

Posted: 1/11/20 at 12:05am

I recently saw the Mean Girls tour and I agree about it being underwhelming. It serves the show, but at the same time it feels so cheap and bland.
Is it just me or have Scott Pask and David Rockwell’s designs taken a nosedive as of late? They lack creativity and originality. Instead they seem to only care about how easy it will be able to tour...

[denali.fire]

Posted: 1/11/20 at 10:08am

The revival of On a Clear Day You can see forever with Harry Connect.

Fugly it was distracting.

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 1/11/20 at 10:11am

Call_me_jorge said: "Is it just me or have Scott Pask and David Rockwell’s designs taken a nosedive as of late? They lack creativity and originality. Instead they seem to only care about how easy it will be able to tour..."

I agree re: David Rockwell... it's hard to believe that same designer who did the STUNNING revival of She Loves Me also did Pretty Woman.

[VintageSnarker]

Posted: 1/11/20 at 11:32pm

I didn't hate the Anastasia projections. The ones towards the very beginning (I think they were snow?) did look cheap. I feel like the train part also looked cheap but it was easier to swallow because it felt more purposeful. The whole show was a bit cheap though so I guess I wasn't too bothered. My biggest problem with the set was the direction/staging. I will never forget how everything seemed to either be center stage or all the way stage left or all the way stage right. It was a baffling choice, especially on a big stage like that. 

Higgins' house in the recent My Fair Lady revival was beautiful. I don't remember a lot of specifics of the other sets but I will always remember when Alfred is at the bar. Sure, it's not a huge scene. You can just roughly indicate the pub. But don't have the actors walk through a flap of fabric that's supposed to be a wall. I also remember the "set" for Mrs. Higgins' house being so flimsy that it was constantly trembling. It really shook whenever someone opened or closed the door. If it's basically going to be one panel, at least anchor it down so it looks like it has some substance. 

I didn't have a problem with Falsettos or War Paint. 

I cannot even remember what the Carousel revival set looked like.

On Your Feet looked so cheap. Especially that scene where they're on a date. I think there were fireworks or something? It was just a screen. That show felt like it was already thinking about how to tour and package the show for cruise ships rather than creating a Broadway caliber production. 

I don't know that Bat Out of Hell counts as a real show but they definitely made some odd choices. 

I feel like sets are rarely so ugly that they are an actual distraction. I tend to pick up on smaller things. Like the Zhivago table.

[SouthernCakes]

Posted: 1/12/20 at 12:16am

Zhivago’s snow coming into place and being so flimsy.

Little Mermaid too.

[Hot Pants]

Posted: 1/12/20 at 1:20am

In addition to not being a fan of the show in general, Heather’s Off Broadway set was absolutely terrible. There’s just nothing interesting about it. There’s like three steps and small platform in the middle. That’s it. I find it extremely strange how a show that over the top went with such a bland stage.

[hak5]

Posted: 1/12/20 at 9:24am

Act 2 of CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY

what a missed oppurtunity to be an over the top colourful set

Posted: 1/12/20 at 10:23am

In recent memory, it has to be Tootsie. Cheap, unimaginative, and flat out ugly

[nasty_khakis]

Posted: 1/12/20 at 10:34am

Hot Pants said: "In addition to not being a fan of the show in general, Heather’s Off Broadway set was absolutely terrible. There’s just nothing interesting about it. There’s like three steps and small platform in the middle. That’s it. I find it extremely strange how a show that over the top went with such a bland stage."

I have zero problems with that platform being the entire set. The show is written well and can stand on its own merits, but that production was so blandly directed. Everything seemed to be directed front and center and didn't even use what it had.

[Hot Pants]

Posted: 1/12/20 at 11:57am

In my opinion, the show is not well written enough to stand on its own merits. It’s aggressively unlikable. It brings to mind whenever Family Guy tries to do an emotional, dramatic episode. After spending so much time showing us just how awful basically all these people are, it’s ridiculous to try to make us feel for them.

[devonian.t]

Posted: 1/13/20 at 1:05pm

The Heathers set and staging were unbearable.  I like the score, though.

[Regina Georgia]

Posted: 1/15/20 at 10:21am

I never saw Heathers but the pictures I saw of the set looked boring. 

I actually thought the Tootsie set design was great. I liked what they did with perspective, like how the rehearsal studio seemed 3D.

I haven't seen it but i've heard a lot of controversy on the new West Side Story set with the screen.

[songanddanceman2]

Posted: 1/20/20 at 12:05am

Good Vibrations.

[magictodo123]

Posted: 1/20/20 at 6:08am

bwayphreak234 said: "Call_me_jorge said: "Is it just me or have Scott Pask and David Rockwell’s designs taken a nosedive as of late? They lack creativity and originality. Instead they seem to only care about how easy it will be able to tour..."

I agree re: David Rockwell... it's hard to believe that same designer who did the STUNNING revival of She Loves Me also did Pretty Woman."

Sorry but I just want to step in and say that if She Loves Me didn't win for Best Set Design I would have rioted. It was GORGEOUS! 

[broadwayindie]

Posted: 1/20/20 at 7:25pm

Agree with Pretty Woman and War Paint, both I saw pre-broadway Chicago and both I was thinking to myself that I had seen better storefront sets.

I didn't mind the Tootsie set, like I wasn't disappointed.

I LOVED the Falsettos set, also the Wicked set is iconic and beautiful IMHO.

The Company Revival (2006) was another bad set design.

 

[Synecdoche2]

Posted: 1/20/20 at 7:48pm

I Was Most Alive With You – what the hell was it?

[jakebloke]

Posted: 1/21/20 at 7:19am

I’ll throw in this recent Oklahoma revival. An essentially bare stage with some tables and crock pots = boring in my opinion.

[WldKingdomHM]

Posted: 1/21/20 at 12:05pm

Heathers-That UFO didn't cut it for me

Wonderland-Lets leave it like that