Hairspray - Music Theatre of Witchita - Scene Design

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 6/19/07 at 8:19pm

hey all,

Just surfing around and wanting to share what I found...

As we all know, this August, Music Theatre of Wichita will be presenting Hairspray, starring former Broadway Edna Blake Hammond. The show is being directed/choreographed by Greg Graham.

J Branson, who is handling scenic design, just posted the rough rendering of the production's sets. I must say that I really like. very original, yet it still maintains the general groundplans and scenic concepts used in the original Rockwell designs for the show.... can't wait to see how it all comes together.

For future reference, Music Theatre of Wichita generally makes scenic and costume packages from their pasts hows available for rental. Their "Oz" package gets a LOT of use.

CHECK THEM OUT!

http://dv8dznr.tripod.com/id33.html

[sondhead]

Posted: 6/19/07 at 8:30pm

Very original? They're all pretty much carbon copies of the OBC with only very minor changes.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 6/19/07 at 8:32pm

No, they are not carbon copies... They use the original groundplans and same stylistic concept. Not a carbon copy at all as I see it.

How can a set be a cast?

[sondhead]

Posted: 6/19/07 at 8:35pm

Sorry.. the original Broadway designs

I fail to see how they're "very original" if they're almost exactly like the original Broadway designs

[mateo]

Posted: 6/19/07 at 8:35pm

The only thing I really dig is design of the Turnblad home in the first scene.

[BroadwayEnthusiast2]

Posted: 6/19/07 at 8:36pm

I don't see carbon copies at all.

[BroadwayEnthusiast2]

Posted: 6/19/07 at 8:39pm

I really like the commercial idea.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 6/19/07 at 8:40pm

Mateo, keep in mind that they are rough SKETCHES.. As he states, smallr furnitire and things are not drawn in and such.
I think the wall of records will look cool if it is how i visualize it being built...

[BroadwayEnthusiast2]

Posted: 6/19/07 at 8:42pm

Broadwayguy2, have you heard anything of the regional production in Vermont set for early August?

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 6/19/07 at 8:43pm

The wall or records looks better than what's used on broadway.

Those Beauty and the Beast sets are pretty awesome too. Way better than what was used for the last national tour. Especially for the ballroom "Beauty and the Beast" dance.

[mateo]

Posted: 6/19/07 at 8:43pm

oh i know.


I like the commercial 'it's hairspay' as well.

I was hoping taht in the movie they would have some sort of cartoon link and amber in an Ultra clutch commercial... alas - no such luck. but it would have been cute.

I think i'll draw that up.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 6/19/07 at 8:44pm

I was unaware of the one in Vermont... I've only really been keeping track of this staging and the one at Ogunquit... can't find much about that one or any others though.

[sondhead]

Posted: 6/19/07 at 8:45pm

Well.. I guess I'll do Into the Woods at a regional theatre and copy the video's set as best as possible without actually renting the designs and then I TOO can be "very original"

[Copeman63]

Posted: 6/19/07 at 9:05pm

Hmm... Looks pretty similar to the original designs... And the other sets (Millie & Beauty) look alot like to original Broadway productions. If they're going for "The Next Best Thing to Seeing It in New York", than they're good, but it's far from original.

Updated On: 6/19/07 at 09:05 PM

[Flaunt It]

Posted: 6/20/07 at 7:34am

Not the same... COME ON. Every scene looks just like the original if you squint. Every set piece is in the same place.. same feel.. same texture... same scale .... almost the same look. Certainly not ORIGINAL.

[SeanMartin]

Posted: 6/20/07 at 8:13am

Uh... folks? Before we strat beating up the poor set designer for not being "original" enough, let's remember the source material and how it will no doubt be peformed, which will probably be based heavily as well on what was done in NY. It's Hairspray, not Hamlet. There arent a whole lot of visual interpretations available to such specific material. Personally, I like what he's done scenically, although I wonder if he's taken into consideration the amount of storage offstage necessary for all that stuff. They must have one whopper of a facility.

http://docandraider.com

[Flaunt It]

Posted: 6/20/07 at 2:27pm

I think it is more protesting broadwayguy2's claim of how original the set designs are. I have no problem with them... but lets call a duck a duck.

And for the record, the early 60's can be interpreted MANY ways.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 6/20/07 at 2:35pm

can people notice notice the entirity of what I wrote? I said that he is maintaining the original Broadway groundplans and concepts, as I am suere the direction asked him to all things considered, and then taking the concept and reinventing.. and the way he reinvents things looks very cool and original.. like his solution to the expected back wall.... he use of geometric patterns, his concept of a commercial... etc.. etc.. etc.. geez.. people think that *I* like to rip things apart? Really now..

[Link Larkin Wanabe]

Posted: 6/20/07 at 2:47pm

I have mixed feelings on this. While I think it is cute and adds a few of its own new things (I really like the Turnblad home, and the record shop), most of it is HEAVILY borrowing from Rockwell's original design. Which is fine, as long as he is credited (something along the lines of "original set design by David Rockwell"). Certain things like the Baltimore skyline and the TV studio are only tweaked ever so slightly.

Having said that...I myself think that I would never be able to successfully design a set for this show, unless maybe I had a great director and choreographer throwing out some brilliant concepts. I am too big a fan of Rockwell's set for this show that I think I would have trouble truly stepping out on my own with the set and coming up with something different than his, because his is so perfect for the show.

Akiva

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 6/20/07 at 2:49pm

Amen to that, Akiva. I think Hairspray's original set is iconic in some ways for the show. It IS that world.
My arguement would be how is it any different than following the basic groundplans that come WITH playscripts...

[thevolleyballer]

Posted: 6/20/07 at 3:03pm

No one's asking the set designer to reinvent the wheel here. Obviously there are similar aspects, but the designer took it upon himself to add a few parsecs of originality to his set.

If it's the exact same as the Broadway version, where's the classroom for detention? The chain-link fence for dodgeball? Explain why the entire television aspect is in this version, yet not Broadway.

Similar, yes. The same, no.

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 6/20/07 at 3:04pm

Volley, he shows the detention drop, but didn't show any furniture to be used, and a dodgeball set IS there though.

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 6/20/07 at 3:07pm

BWG2,

I'm sorry, but as someone who did the tour, those sets are almost identical. How are you calling them original? They aren't in ANY way.

And I'm not bashing the original designer, I'm just asking how BWG2 can say these are 'original'...

[americanboy99]

Posted: 6/20/07 at 3:59pm

Why is Tracy's bed on the TV in GMB?

[mateo]

Posted: 6/20/07 at 4:03pm

Its probably just a transition shot. from preshow to prologue.

its a neat tie-in I think.