Beloved international lighting designer Donald Holder is responsible for lighting some of the most successful Broadway shows in history. He is already the recipient of two Tony Awards, for The Lion King in 1998 (for which he also won a Drama Desk Award) and South Pacific in 2008. This year's Tony Award nod for Schmigadoon! is his 20th nomination.
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In addition to his Broadway credits, he has designed for Off-Broadway shows, projects in theatres all over the world including London's West End, film and television hits, and he has given back as an educator at CalArts and Rutgers University.
He spoke to Live Design about evoking the golden age of musicals on his latest Tony-nominated project.
Production: Schmigadoon! opened at the Nederlander Theatre in April 2026.
Collaborators
Christopher Gattelli - Direction and Choreography
Scott Pask - Scenic Designer
Linda Cho - Costume Design
Walter Trarbach - Sound Design
Tom Watson - Hair and Wig Design
Ashley Ryan - Makeup Design
Live Design: What was your intent with the design, and where did your inspiration come from?
Donald Holder: The design was conceived as an homage to the many Golden Age musicals that are referenced with a wink over the course of the show, ranging from Oklahoma!, The Sound Of Music, The King And I, Brigadoon, The Music Man, and many others. I’ve had the privilege of lighting many of these shows on Broadway and elsewhere, and I found that all of this past experience filtered into my design vocabulary. Although the production relies heavily upon state-of-the-art lighting technology, I made a concerted effort to deploy techniques for lighting the world of the play that hark back to the era in which these shows were originally produced. The light plays a big role in stoytelling, navigating the audience from a fluorescent-lit hospital break room, to a cramped NYC apartment, to a dark, stormy forest, to the the magical and painterly world of Schmigadoon. When the inhabitants of this mystical place break into song (which happens on a regular basis), the world instantly explodes into fabulous technicolor—yet another layer of narrative detail that is provided (with what I hope is an ample sense of humor) by the lighting design.
LD: What gear did you rely on for your design choices?
DH: The workhorse fixtures were Martin Mac Encore CLD and Ultra Performance Profiles, Mac Quantum Washes, Mac Aura XB Washes, GLP Impression X5 Washlights, and Impression X4 Bars.
LD: What was the biggest challenge?
DH: Summoning techniques to make the beautifully painted 2D scenery appear to be dimensional and tactile, and finding a lighting vocabulary that celebrated the fantasy, the sense of humor and the musicality of the narrative.
LD: What do you think made this design so successful?
DH: We’re relying upon visual storytelling techniques in Schmigadoon! that were most prevalent 70 or 80 years ago. Using them to transport our audience to the Golden Age of American Musical Theatre in a modern-day context surprisingly feels fresh, new and original.
Lighting Team
Associate Lighting Designer: Nick Solyom
Assistant Lighting Designer: Sarah Woods
Automated Lighting Programmer: Harrison Freni
Production Electrician: Kevin Barry
Head Electrician: Kate DeVine