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The podcast is back and we’re not pulling any punches. Today we sit down with recent Tony Award winner Bradley King to discuss his lighting design for ‘Natasha Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812.’ He traces the journey of the design from Ars Nova, where the plot was hardly more than chandeliers and lightbulbs, all the way to his massive, immersive design at the Imperial Theatre. Hear how he and director Rachel Chavkin developed the look of the show over 4 different iterations, how he ushered in the role of “Automated Light Bulb Winch Programmer” and what it’s like winning a Tony for your Broadway debut. Bradley is also very active in the 829 union negotiations and he and Cory discuss the recently updated LORT contract and review the various expenses for which designers on the road can be reimbursed. And he discusses being a young designer with a growing family and how that impacts his life and work decisions. Heat up the dumplings, pour yourself some Borsht, and join us for a great chat!
Bradley King is an award-winning lighting designer for theater, opera, and live performance based in New York City. On Broadway, his design for Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812 earned Tony, Drama Desk, and Outer Critics Circle awards, as well as a Live Design Achievement of the Year. His collaborations with the award-winning director Rachel Chavkin include Hadestown (The Citadel, NYTW; Drama Desk Nom.), The Royal Family (The Guthrie), Preludes (LCT3), The Fairytale Lives of Russian Girls (Yale Rep), and Uncle Vanya (CSC).
In New York, his work has been seen at Roundabout Theatre Company, LCT3, Playwrights Horizons, Signature Theater Company, the Atlantic Theater Company, New York Theatre Workshop, Ars Nova, CSC, The Vineyard, The Kitchen, LAByrinth Theater Company, the Cherry Lane, Abrons Arts Center, Wild Project, and many others.
Across the US, Bradley’s designs for theater have been seen at the Alley Theater, American Repertory Theater, Berkeley Rep, the Guthrie, the Old Globe, South Coast Rep, Virignia Stage Company, Yale Rep, and many others. Bradley’s extensive experience in Opera includes work for Bard Summerscape, the Glimmerglass Festival, Kentucky Opera, Opera Omaha, Vancouver Opera, Virginia Opera, and many others.
