John Napier's Brilliant Set Designs for the original SUNSET BOULEVARD — Page 2

TBFL said: "TaffyDavenport said: "The "split screen" of "This Time Next Year" is one of the best pieces of staging I've ever seen, if not the best."

The Jamie Lloyd production heading to NYC has a nice little homage to that staging. When they light the scene, the light only goes up to about the height That the house raised to in the original. Not sure if it was intentional, seems too similar for it not to be.

As great as that set design is, it's cost was also it's downfall."

That ‘homage’ comment is quite the reach🤣

Dolly80 said: "TBFL said: "TaffyDavenport said: "The "split screen" of "This Time Next Year" is one of the best pieces of staging I've ever seen, if not the best."

The Jamie Lloyd production heading to NYC has a nice little homage to that staging. When they light the scene, the light only goes up to about the height That the house raised to in the original. Not sure if it was intentional, seems too similar for it not to be.

As great as that set design is, it's cost was also it's downfall."

That ‘homage’ comment is quite the reach🤣"

Go see it and find out

Thanks so much for sharing that clip HasBeen, it’s the best square-on view I’ve seen of it. Must have been sensational in person.

You also get some great from-above views of Napier’s stage floor. Gorgeous patterns. What a design!!!

morosco said: "Watch the video linked below. It is video captured from the infrared stage manager's camera located on the balcony rail. It allows us to "see in the dark". Napier's designs were truly mind blowing. He fit a huge amount of scenery onto that stage! This video is from a preview performance in London. LuPone stars.


SUNSET BOULEVARD - West End (July, 1993)"

What the ****? Where did they store all of that?? The mansion I understand but there's so much of everything else, I never realized just how jam-packed this design was.

Nightly during the show, the mansion would be lowered behind the Car Chase scene and hidden by scrims, and then Norma would climb up the back when it was sitting at ground level.
For the Tonys she must have been up there the entire time.

As mentioned above, the mansion’s first appearance is already on stage level then slowly glides downstage. The 2nd floor landing had a small changing area behind the small balcony so actresses were able to be costume changed up there without having to run down the set of stairs behind the set. When the mansion levitates during Artie’s New Year’s Eve party, the actress and actor playing Max are on the suspended set during the entire sequence. Also, most notably in Act 2, whenever an actor is on the set when it levitates, they are up there until the set lowers back to stage level. The set of steps behind the mansion set are only functional when the set is on stage level. Once the set levitates, you’re stuck up there.