Design Recommendations

I debated whether to post this on the student board but I hope that here I can get better and educated responses...

For a set design course I will need to design a musical. I am looking for some recommendations from you guys on what musicals to choose from.
These are some of the characteristics I am looking for:
-a musical
-a very set heavy show
-a classic
-a 'mega-musical'
-ideally something from 1980 onwards (although I am not opposed to suggestions from before then)
-nothing currently on Broadway or recently on Broadway
-a musical whose design would not necessarily be dictated by very specific locations (ie. a kitchen) but could potentially be more conceptual
-a musical that the *general* public doesn't automatically identify to its original Broadway design (ie. everyone knows Les Mis has barricades, etc.)

Thanks for suggestions and opinions!

PIPPIN and BRIGADOON - both very fantasy oriented. You can really let your imagination run wild with either of those.

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A few ideas:

NINE
CANDIDE
TOMMY
HAIR
FOLLIES
LA CAGE

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It's been a long time since I saw it, so I may be off-base, but the first show that came to my mind was Dreamgirls. Maybe it's just on my mind because of the movie.

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I second - Into the woods, it's got so many elements to make an amzing set, there's so much scope. I did the set design for it for my graduation, we use books (giant size) as the trees and everything, it complex to explain, but looked breath taking.
Best of luck.

I thought about DREAMGIRLS, but didn't mention it because it's extremely difficult to pull off. There are approx 27 different scenes, some of which require lightning quick transitions (some scenes flash back and forth between on stage and backstage using lighting cues while both scenes are going on simultaneously). Robin Wagner's original design is a masterpiece (as was Tharon Musser's lighting design), achieving its effects with a cinematic fluidity that would be hard to match. But, I suppose it would make for quite an interesting, if very challenging class project.

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Updated On: 9/7/06 at 08:55 PM

You guys are great! Keep them coming!

Regarding Dreamgirls, I'm not interested in attempting that show right now because of the anticipation for the movie. It seems like it might get a little too mainstream for my tastes.

I would like to see another take on Tarzan.

Well, let's see. Looking back a little bit...

SUPERMAN -- very comic book ish, with one highly tough ensemble number to stage.

CARNIVAL -- which is actually a little deceptive, because it's more complex than you might think

Someone mentioned SWEET CHARITY -- definitely a good choice.

SOUTH PACIFIC -- that's a real &^&*%$ to design, as is KING AND I, come to think of it.

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I would like to see Wicked done as if it was a revival.

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Probably too recent for your tastes, but ASSASSINS and THE FROGS might be good possibilities.

If you really want to go abstract and conceptual, you could do something like SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD. Pull something from the music to design the set. That'd certainly be interesting.

The mention of Brigadoon intrigued me. I saw an amazing (setwise) production at The Victoria Palace in London. The whole show was done on a turntable. It was essentially a hilltop (and clifs and valleysides) which revolved as the cast climbed up the winding paths and roads. Beautiful.

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Putting on my university professor hat for a moment, if you dont mind.

Looking at some of the suggestions, I'd gently remind everyone that the requirements are "scenically heavy", and many of the shows you've listed -- such as PIPPIN, SUNDAY IN THE PARK, and a few others -- fail under that category. The teacher here probably wants to see not only style but also how the student would organize the show from a logistical point of view... and while it's fun imagining DREAMGIRLS with its 27 scenes, that's an automatic indicator that it's to be a unit set show -- and therefore would have to be disqualified as not meeting the criteria.

It's one thing to suggests shows you *like*, but if they dont meet his assigment's requirements, they're not helping much.

That's really the problem with post-80s musicals (thinking in terms of the assignment): they're all written to exploit not only the rapidly expading thetre technology available but also in a more presentational style. The look is more fragmented and skeletal, rather than Meilziner's layer o layer of full stage drops and complicated flat work. And that's extended into revivals as well: look at the differences, for example, between the original GUYS AND DOLLS and Robin Wagner's retake for the last revival. Wagner had so many toys at his disposal that he could just about put anything on that stage and make it work. But when you're starting out as a designer, IMHO it's important to know what the limitations are so you can *then* find ways to circumvent them. Looking over the list of requirements for the assignment, it's pretty clear the teacher wants the students to understand the limitations of the pre-technology theatre so they can move on to the next step.

Just my guess, but I think it bears considering.

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