Whistling the set.

Everyone has been talking about shows that were bad and which were good and all that. What I want to know is which shows had the most original sets you've seen and also did you just whistle the set or was both the show and the set great? Just wanted to know. When Les Mis came to Indianapolis last year it was the first time I had seen it. The stage energy and the story were amazing I think, but I also loved the way they did the set with the turntable and all. Somehow I had managed to have been shielded from the fact about how it was satged after all those years. Just looking for some thoughts.

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LOL. awwww It is the bedtime thing sweetie....


I liked the Hairspray set.. the Lite-Brite back wall was a great touch... and there are MANY little details and fun things on that stage
and I LOVE teh show over all

for me, it has to be the lion king. the stampede scene and the stars coming together to form mufasa are two highlights. and, although they are not sets, the grass men were really cool too.

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Updated On: 12/23/03 at 12:46 AM

Tha National Theatre in London has been great for some of their sets this year. They had a season of £10 plays that used little sets but the others were great.

Particularly memorable - Mourning Becomes Electra - form my review "Initially a huge veranda on a white New England house with a gigantic tattered stars and stripes as the ceiling, it transforms swiftly into house sets and then later the ceiling collapses downwards almost to the ground to reveal the deck of a huge ship complete with sails."

Also Three Sisters at the National had great sets wonderfulyl impressive particualrly the huge house with two rooms, one seen through the other, used for initial acts and later a house courtyard set with trees and wind and rain.. wonderfully done.

The Inspector Calls

The Endgame scene in Chess London where the whole floor (a chess board) lifts and pivots then tilts with one edge hanging over the Orchestra pit- very cool

Sunset Blvd.

I'd have to go with Sunset Blvd too. A set that rose above a score that made me yawn.

I'm one of those Luddites when it comes to scenery. Too often with a big musical, it overpowers what we're watching.

The best scenery for a musical recently for me was The Full Monty because we saw it, it registered and then we went back to watching the play.

Copenhagen had a wonderful set--a semi-circle of curved polished plywood that reflected the sound into the house and we did not need any mikes at all.

In 1970 Jo Melziener (sp) won Tonys for lighting and scenery for Child's Play. Accepting the scenery award after the lighting one, he confessed that most of his set design was there to hide the lighting instruments.

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An Inspector Calls
Lion King
Les Miserables

.....and Jane Eyre! The set and lighting design evoked the "memory" narrative of the show so perfectly. I was blown away by its innovative design. I wish I could see it again...

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The Jane Eyre set and lights were incredible. I was so annoyed that the lighting fell victim to The Producers' juggernaut at the Tony's that year.

Sunset Blvd. was very impressive. The way the whole, huge mansion set lifted off the ground and other scenes wre played beneath it-- amazing!

The Private Lives revival with Alan Rickman had a really beautiful set. It's not often that you go to a non-musical and the set gets a huge audience reaction.

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The King and I set was amazing.
The Urinetown set was really cool- so original!
The Rent set is really cool, too. It's so cool- everything was right there- that's gotta be one of my favorite sets.
The Man of La Mancha set- this set is so incredible!! The grooves in the wall, the staircase, the swirly parts on the sides... wow.

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