Howell Binkley won a Tony Award in 2006 for his lighting of Jersey Boys and at times he has had as many as six shows running on Broadway at the same time. He is being honored with a Live Design Award for Design Achievement as part of the design team for Hamilton, the hip-hop musical that has taken the theatre world by storm and is moving to Broadway in July after a sold-out run at The Public Theatre. Director Thomas Kail will present the award to the Hamilton designers, including Binkley, David Korins (sets), Nevin Steinberg (sound), and Paul Tazewell (costumes) at NYU on Thursday evening, June 4 as part of the Live Design New York Master Classes.
Live Design: Who have been your biggest influences and why?
Howell Binkley: I have been blessed to have had some remarkable mentors and teachers throughout my career. In fact, I still learn from them every day. I never stop learning—such a very important thing to remember to keep growing as an artist and designer; I never know it all.
Firstly, I must say Harold Prince. Hal is a true genius. He had seen my work for Parsons Dance and invited me to be a part of what remains one of the most extraordinary experiences of my life: Kiss Of The Spider Woman. To be in a room collaborating with the giants of our beloved theatre, Hal, John Kander, Fred Ebb, Rob Marshall, Terrence McNally, Vincent Paterson, Michael Gibson, Jerome Sirlin, Florence Klotz, and of course the superhuman cast led by Chita Rivera changed my life forever.
Of course, there is also Des McAnuff; Des and I began working together when he chose me to light his wonderful How To Succeed with Matthew Broderick. Many, many wonderful productions later, and he and I were back together for Jersey Boys. In both of these instances, I have been lucky enough to work consistently with them and learn their collaborative language and style.
These great directors have taught me that you must begin with the director’s vision.You start with the script, the text, and learn your foundation. You’ve got to know the show; you’ve got to know how it moves, where it is going to, and what it has to move through to get there. It’s about dissecting the text and formatting their vision. It’s learning the show first, going through the text, taking whatever time you can with the director, getting the feedback there, going to the model, working with the set designer, then plotting it out, claiming your real estate, and figuring out how to fit what you need in.
I honestly do learn something from everyone in every room.
LD: What would you say is your biggest achievement thus far?
HB: Of course, there is Jersey Boys. One big element of the piece, one that was very important to Des, was the piece taking place over four seasons. The journey of these men, through the seasons of their lives shown in different colors and moods. It was a great notion to play with, to layer, and to sculpt. The entire piece is the realization, by a great creative team, of a remarkable script and vision. To see that show grow and evolve from the earliest stages in LaJolla to here in New York was a true gift. To awaken each day to see what would soon be born of all these great artists in one room layering their crafts upon one another was truly monumental to me. This show means so much to me.
And of course I will always be proud of what David Parsons and I did by forming Parsons Dance. I truly believe that if a lighting designer is able to sculpt a piece with passion, imagination, and a limited amount of technology, the world will open to her or him. At Parsons, in Dave's most renowned piece, Caught, there is one dancer, almost no lighting fixtures, a black cyc, and floor. Nearly impossible, yes? And yet it is known as one of the premier dance works in the world— performed hundreds of times a year in rep all around the world.
Collaborative Relationships
LD: What is your favorite production and why?
HB: My favorite production is always the one on which I am currently working; I honestly cannot target one. I truly mean that. I dive in headfirst. Of course Kiss, and Jersey Boys, and now Hamilton—working with Lin (Manuel-Miranda) again after In The Heights has been a gift. See what I mean? It's about creating ongoing, kind, artistic, open, collaborative relationships with the greats around us!
LD: How did you get into this industry?
HB: After working in the local Winston-Salem roadhouse throughout my earlier years, I went on to attend East Carolina University. As lighting design students, we had to do workshops with the student choreographers where I learned a great deal. I then took a two-year break from school to work as a technician at Opryland before returning and working with LD Dennis Parichy when John Houseman’s Acting Company did a residency at ECU. Dennis hired me for my first out-of-school job as lighting supervisor for the company. I worked with them for two and a half years and was able to tour the world and learn more each day.
We didn’t carry our own equipment; we had a rep plot and used the house gear. It taught me a lot about the road, about lighting and about dealing with crews, with people, and with problems. Later, I worked for four and a half years as lighting supervisor for the Paul Taylor Dance Company, working under LD Jennifer Tipton who taught me more than I can ever say. It was there that I met choreographer David Parsons. Jennifer told me I needed what she had with Paul Taylor, a company of my own for which to design. David and I became great friends. We took our few little pennies and started our dance company, Parsons Dance, in 1986. Thankfully, it is still going strong. In the past 25 years, I have designed over 70 pieces for Dave’s company. It all began there.
LD: What is your favorite thing about your work as a designer?
HB: I always start out with these three words: creativity, collaboration, and credibility. My favorite thing about my life as a lighting designer is the remarkable opportunity to spend my days in a room with such talented artists: directors, choreographers, actors, set designers, sound designers and stage crews, and house staff. I am just thrilled to be a part of all of that; the layering of different crafts all in one space. That is a beautiful thing indeed.
LD: What’s your favorite piece of gear/software/gadget right now, and why?
HB: Being able to keep up with new technology is incredibly important. But again, I always begin my design simply; the way I would sculpt a dance piece. I learn new technological advances about new equipment from my associates, assistants, and students. Keeping up is a challenge—but I do as I teach: I expect those working with me to learn from those around them, by always paying attention to every single detail every moment of the creative day—and I do the same.
At the end of the day, what we utilize boils down to budget. Less can be more. Most times less technology is more of a challenge for the designer and I love that. Imagination is the best gear. I always go back to my roots- simplicity, clarity, showing the text. Not putting on a ridiculous light show. Lighting is to expand the words and music and dance— not distract from it—it is a sculptor’s tool.
They Should See Lives
LD: How do you approach a new project in terms of research and design intent?
HB: Background work is of the utmost importance. Research everything you can. Read, read, read. Study the script endlessly. Look for intricacies. Listen to your dramaturge, director, choreographer. Study things from pertinent eras.
I always believe my job is to sculpt around what a show has to say. An audience should not see the lights; they should see lives. I never want my work to overpower the music or the performances. I just want to enhance them as much as possible. I wanted to be accurate regarding the time period, but also make the show look interesting to a modern audience.
For example, the “Dawn” scene from Jersey Boys:
The “Dawn” scene which comes at the end of Act 1 began in La Jolla in a very simple way; we used a set of strip lights upstage, facing the crowd as footlights. For months after that, Des kept saying, “Howell, we need to make this a big event. How do we do that?” I worked with my assistants through the summer, in prepping the move of the show and it wasn’t until we actually moved the piece to Broadway that the scene became more fully realized. Here, we built a configuration of different fixtures and used special frames called doughnuts. The doughnut gel frames limit the size of the aperture of light after the lens. Once we coupled the placement of the PAR light fixtures with the holes in the doughnuts, each becoming increasingly smaller, we achieved our illusion of the lights being farther away. I wanted to create a perspective stadium backdrop with light. We also had star strobes and data-flashes, which mimicked flashbulbs going off in the crowd. I love that scene as well. To turn a stage 180 degrees allows for an entirely new perspective. You become one of the boys. You feel their excitement. So intent morphs and changes as the show grows up and more ideas are born. This is what excites me about my work–endless possibilities.
And remember also that a designer’s job is definitely not finished when the production opens. It does become a bit less taxing after previews begin, but I am never comfortable until the director locks down the show and that might not come until just before the official opening. However, that also doesn’t mean that things never change and I am always there if I need to be. Everyone involved in a show, for as long as it is performed, be it 20 weeks or 20 years, receive daily rehearsal reports, which contain specific detailed information about the state of the show for each of its eight shows per week. If something stops working, it needs to be fixed. If something breaks down again and again, it was not the right choice and it needs to be altered. We have to keep on top of things to keep the shows as thrilling as they were on day one. It’s like a baby: You have to keep an eye on it at all times to keep it safe and make it grow.
LD: What advice would you give to young designers just entering the business?
HB: You know, none of us are ever fully prepared. We all learn every day. My advice is to be present and to observe other designers as much as possible. See as much theatre, opera, dance etc. as you can. Ask yourself questions: How does this designer work with the director? The others in the room? Be kind, respectful, and patient with everyone in the room. There will always be someone coming up with more talent and a differing vision, but it is who you are and how you work, write, speak, and carry yourself, along with your style as an artist, that will get you hired and keep you on the call list for new pieces. Keep your phones and stuff away. Be in the room even when you don't necessarily have to be. Watch and listen!