Podcast appearances and mentions of Ken Billington

This is the second half of this week's Encore presentation of my conversation with Tony-award-winning lighting designer Ken Billington. Last week, Ken received rave reviews for his lighting design of the new Broadway musical SMASH, which amazingly is his 108th Broadway production. So, I thought it was an ideal time to revisit this fascinating conversation about the history of lighting design on Broadway and Ken's own tremendous contribution to it.  If you missed part one you may want to catch up with that before listening to this one! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is a special encore episode of my 2022 interview with Tony-award-winning lighting designer Ken Billington. This past week, Ken received rave reviews for his lighting design of the new Broadway musical SMASH, which amazingly is his 108th Broadway production. So, I thought it was an ideal time to revisit this fascinating conversation about the history of lighting design on Broadway and Ken's own tremendous contribution to it. This is a two-part conversation and I will be rereleasing both parts this week. Original Description: My guest on this episode is Tony Award winning lighting designer Ken Billington who created the lighting for an incredible 105 Broadway plays and musicals, including 21 productions that were directed by Harold Prince.  Ken's career spans from his very first Broadway show in 1967 when he was the assistant to legendary lighting designer Tharon Musser, to his most recent Broadway show, the hit musical, Waitress.  Along the way, he designed the original productions of Sweeney Todd, On The 20th Century, The Drowsy Chaperone, The Scottsboro Boys, The Search For Signs Of Intelligent Life In the Universe starring Lily Tomlin, three revivals of Fiddler On The Roof, two revivals of Sunday In The Park with George, and the still running 1996 revival of Chicago for which he received the Tony Award. I have had the great pleasure of knowing and working with Ken for more than 40 years, and it is always fascinating and always a delight to speak with him. Theatrical lighting design is a very young art form. Its history begins primarily in the early 20th Century -- just as the Broadway musical was being invented. Lighting design's earliest innovators include the American actress Maude Adams – most famous today for her performance as Peter Pan – and producer, director, playwright, and theater owner David Belasco.  One of the recurring themes of this podcast, and one of my obsessions, is how the art and craft of the Broadway Musical have been handed down directly – firsthand – from artists to artists, from craftsperson to craftsperson.  Ken Billington's long career and especially his early experiences as the assistant to the pioneering designers Peggy Clark, Pat Collins, Tom Skelton, William Rittman, and Tharon Musser make him the ideal guest for this episode. And of course, after Ken stopped being an assistant, he eventually became one of Broadway's most acclaimed and most prolific lighting designers. And we'll hear the story of how that came about on the next episode of Broadway Nation! You can learn more about Jean Rosenthal, Tharon Musser and other great women lighting designers on Episode 8 of Broadway Nation, which is titled, “Agnes DeMille & The Women That Invented Broadway”. It's a fascinating episode and I encourage you to check it out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of LIGHT TALK, The Lumen Brothers discuss everything from Finding Qualified Technology Teachers to Sipping Buffalo Milk on the Bay. Join Steve, Stan, and David as they pontificate about: How to critique lighting designs; Controlling lighting systems remotely; How to integrate lights that can't be dimmed into a lighting design; Ken Billington's prodigy moment; Legal help to protect your AI designs; Teaching Old Dogs New Tricks; The days of pontification are over; Faculty directors not embracing technology in design; Different ways to deliver teaching content; A question of control; A little color never hurt anyone; and How to self-learn advanced design software programs. Nothing is Taboo, Nothing is Sacred, and Very Little Makes Sense.

In this episode of LIGHT TALK, the Lumen Brothers (and Sister!) welcome Lighting Designer Jared Sayeg to the show. They discuss everything from Talking to the Console, to Talking Turtles, Live Camels, and Flying Armadillos.   Join Jared, Ellen, Steve, Stan, and David, as they pontificate about: Backstage Babies; Training with mentor Elizabeth Stillwell; Recreating Phantom of the Opera in Jared's spare room;  Working at the LA Opera; Being admitted into 829 as a teenager; "A Little Night Music" at The Pasedena Playhouse; Very long sunsets; Lighting on Cruise Ships; "Anything goes on the High Seas... Make it a three count!";  Incorporating Pre-Viz in the process; Vibration Challenges; Walking the Plank; The differences of working on The West End vs. Broadway; Working at Radio City Music Hall with Ken Billington; 100 Rockettes; Talking Turtles; A Sea of Legs; and How Artificial Intelligence may change our profession... "I don't want to talk to the console!"   Nothing is Taboo, Nothing is Sacred, and Very Little Makes Sense.

A Lighting Panel with Special Guests Ken Billington, Paul Gregory Jason Kantrowitz and Anne Militello - interviewed by Marsha Stern The Heartbeat Of The Dance Floor® # 012 I'm honored to be joined by Ken Billington, Paul Gregory, Jason Kantrowitz and Anne Militello, ALL award winning lighting designers, as we discuss how lighting, while not necessarily thought of as music typically is, is both an integral and highly influential part of the overall experience. We talk about their numerous projects across a variety of disciplines including Broadway, Concert Touring and Architectural Installations with the common denominator between us being we all have had at least one toe, if not an entire foot in the Disco/NYC Club scene late 70's-early 80's. Along with tales and back-stories from their various you'll learn how they've influenced so much of today's culture and our visual experiences with their creativity and contributions over the years and how the basic premise of the ‘Heartbeat' remains consistent in the creative process. BACKLIT PRODUCTIONS, LLC - The Heartbeat Of The Dance Floor®. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

My guest on this episode is Tony Award winning lighting designer Ken Billington who created the lighting for an incredible 105 Broadway plays and musicals, including 21 productions that were directed by Harold Prince.  Ken's career spans from his very first Broadway show in 1967 when he was the assistant to legendary lighting designer Tharon Musser, to his most recent Broadway show, the hit musical, Waitress.  Along the way he designed the original productions of Sweeney Todd, On The 20th Century, The Drowsy Chaperone, The Scottsboro Boys, The Search For Signs Of Intelligent Life In the Universe starring Lily Tomlin, three revivals of Fiddler On The Roof, two revivals of Sunday In The Park with George, and the still running 1996 revival of Chicago for which he received the Tony Award. I have had the great pleasure of knowing and working with Ken for more than 40 years, and it is always fascinating, and always a delight to speak with him. Theatrical lighting design is a very young art form. Its history begins primarily in the early 20th Century -- just as the Broadway musical was being invented. Lighting design's earliest innovators include the American actress Maude Adams – most famous today for her performance as Peter Pan – and producer, director, playwright, and theater owner David Belasco.  One of the recurring themes of this podcast, and one of my obsessions, is how the art and craft of the Broadway Musical has been handed down directly – first hand – from artists to artists, from craftsperson to craftsperson.  Ken Billington's long career and especially his early experiences as the assistant to the pioneering designers Peggy Clark, Pat Collins, Tom Skelton, William Rittman, and Tharon Musser make him the ideal guest for this episode. And of course, after Ken stopped being an assistant, he eventually became one of Broadway's most acclaimed and most prolific lighting designers. And we'll hear the story of how that came about on the next episode of Broadway Nation! You can learn more about Jean Rosenthal, Tharon Musser and other great women lighting designers on Episode 8 of Broadway Nation, which is titled, “Agnes DeMille & The Women That Invented Broadway”. It's a fascinating episode and I encourage you to check it out. Broadway Nation is written and produced by me, David Armstrong. Special thanks to Pauls Macs for his help with editing this episode, to KVSH 101.9 The Voice of Vashon, and to the entire team at the Broadway Podcast Network. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

For Video Edition, Please Click and Subscribe Here: https://youtu.be/BsFCkds8WUQ Ken has designed nearly 100 Broadway productions including Act One, Chaplin, Hugh Jackman Back on Broadway, The Scottsboro Boys, Sondheim on Sondheim, [Title of Show], The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe starring Lily Tomlin, Footloose, Candide (1997), Annie (1997), Annie Warbucks, Inherit the Wind, Moon Over Buffalo, The Red Shoes, Fiddler on the Roof (1990, 81,76), Lettice and Lovage, Tru, Meet Me in St. Louis, On the 20th Century, Side by Side by Sondheim among others. He has been honored with seven Tony award nominations and received the 1997 Tony Award for his work on Chicago.  For a complete list of Broadway shows go to www.idbd.com. For a more complete list go to www.lortel.org/lla_archive Ken works in all forms of theatrical lighting including opera, dance, concerts and spectaculars. 13 productions for the NY City Opera including: Candide, the American premiers of Silverlake, The Voice of Ariadne and Ashmedai. Other companies include Dallas Opera, Chicago Lyric Opera, San Francisco Opera, La Scala, Theatro Real in Madrid and Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires. Some of the great entertainers that Ken has lit include Hugh Jackman, Ann-Margret, Shirley MacLane, Liberace, Sigfried and Roy, Juliet Prowse, Chita Rivera and Lisa Minelli to name just a few. For 27 years the Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular had lighting by Ken Billington as well as the annual Easter Show. Other spectaculars include the relighting of Jubilee at Bally's Las Vegas in 2004, Fantasmic! at Disneyland, Shamu Night shows at the Seaworld Parks and Illuminights at Busch Gardens Williamsburg. 

We discuss tax deductions for theatre personnel with set designer John Lee Beatty and lighting designer Ken Billington. Ken is incorporated as a business whereas John Lee is an unincorporated independent contractor. John Lee has designed more than 100 Broadway shows. He has won two Tony Awards, one for Tally’s Folly in 1980 and the second for The Nance in 2013. He has received an additional 13 Tony nominations, has won 5 Drama Desk awards, and has been nominated for 10 more.Ken has also designed more than 100 Broadway shows. He won the Tony Award for Chicago and has been nominated for 9 more. He also won the Drama Desk award for Chicago and has been nominated for 5 more. Ken is a member of the Theatre Hall of Fame. To learn more about John Lee Beatty, listen to his previous interview:https://www.artisticfinance.com/episode/OpgExflo4ya6zwKeU8k1 To learn more about Ken Billington, listen to his previous interview:https://www.artisticfinance.com/episode/VGQZlvyQFnMeL1pRA5OB Charo:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charo Links From The Patreon Only Episode: Favored Nations - Contracts:https://www.backstage.com/magazine/article/favored-nations-clauses-20381/ Interview by Ethan Steimel Become a patron at:www.patreon.com/artisticfinance www.artisticfinance.comwww.patreon.com/artisticfinanceinstagram.com/artisticfinancetwitter.com/ethansteimelfacebook.com/artisticfinanceyoutube.com/artisticfinance

Tony Award winning lighting designer Ken Billington discusses how he has managed his personal finances during more than sixty years of designing on Broadway and running a design studio. Ken has designed more than 100 Broadway shows, has been nominated for 9 Tony Awards for Best Lighting Design, and won for the musical Chicago. Ken spent 25 years as the principle lighting designer for Radio City Music hall, lighting their Christmas and Easter Spectaculars. He founded KB Associates, Inc. an international design and production firm that has created hundreds of theatrical shows, television specials, architectural environments. From nightclubs in Japan, to theme parks, to the Vienna State Opera, to Disneyland’s Fantasmic, his lighting has been seen across the world and has earned him a spot in the Theatre Hall of Fame.  Ken's Design Studio - KB Associates, Inc:http://kenbillington.com/ Ken's IBDB.com Page:https://www.ibdb.com/broadway-cast-staff/ken-billington-24677 Ken's Wikipedia Page:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ken_Billington FINRA Fund Analyzer:https://tools.finra.org/fund_analyzer/Fidelity - Ticker - FXAIXSchwab - Ticker - SWPPXVanguard - Ticker - VFINXState Street - Ticker - SVSPXT. Rowe Price - Ticker - PREIX  Thyseen-Bornemisza Museum - across the street from the Prado in Madrid, Spain:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thyssen-Bornemisza_Museum USA 829 - United Scenic Artists Pension Fund Plan (designers and stagehands):http://usa829funds.benserconj.com/ Actors Equity Association - Pension Fund Plan:https://www.actorsequity.org/join/WhyJoin/pension/ Links From the Patron Only Episode: Shirley Prendergast (part of Ken's class, first African American woman admitted to United Scenic Artists - USA 829):https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shirley_Prendergast Kathy Perkins (guest on our podcast, second African American woman admitted to the United Scenic Artists - USA 829):https://www.artisticfinance.com/episode/HwXnrcTOYRUBQ3SZ664T Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark (Broadway's $75 million flop):https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spider-Man:_Turn_Off_the_Dark Tharon Musser (Ken assisted, Pioneer of American Lighting Design):https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tharon_Musser Interview by Ethan Steimel Become a patron at:www.patreon.com/artisticfinance www.artisticfinance.comwww.patreon.com/artisticfinanceinstagram.com/artisticfinancetwitter.com/ethansteimelfacebook.com/artisticfinanceyoutube.com/artisticfinance

Randy Reid discusses the October issue of designing lighting, Safer Schools Webinar by SBT Alliance, German Light Product's interview with Ken Billington, and the stock market.

This week I interview Tony Award Winning Lighting Designer, Ken Billington! He has worked on close to 100 Broadway shows. "You are illuminating the playwright's words." - Ken Billington. Make sure to check out our website https://realtalkpodcast.weebly.com/ Or you can find ALL of my social media at my link tree! https://linktr.ee/realtalkpodcast AUDIBLE FREE TRIAL AND ONE FREE BOOK: http://www.audibletrial.com/RealTalkPodcast --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/realtalkwithmasonbray/message

In this episode of LIGHT TALK, the Lumen Brothers discuss everything from Mixbooks to Sputnik. Join David, Stan, and Steve as they pontificate about: Disabling smoke alarms; Good looking First Responders;  AGMA and haze; Favorite angles and lighting positions; Pit Rails and Pit Booms; Incorporating dance lighting angles into all your shows; False preconceived lighting practices; Raw and ugly shows; Integrating lights into the scenery; Do designers need to understand the technology?; Understanding your limitations and trusting your technical team; Problems with bluetooth; Hammonds and Moogs; "Fantastic LumenVoyage"; "ETC On Headset" with Ken Billington;  Being there; and Voltage spikes and lightning strikes. Nothing is Taboo, Nothing is Sacred, and Very Little Makes Sense.

In this episode, Ken introduces himself, the team, the idea behind Encores!, and preps you for the schedule you are about to hear.

Ken (kbany.com) has designed nearly 100 Broadway productions including Act One, Chaplin, Hugh Jackman Back on Broadway, The Scottsboro Boys, Sondheim on Sondheim, [Title of Show], The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe starring Lily Tomlin, Footloose, Candide(1997), Annie (1997), Annie Warbucks, Inherit the Wind, Moon Over Buffalo, The Red Shoes, Fiddler on the Roof (1990, 81,76), Lettice and Lovage, Tru, Meet Me in St. Louis, On the 20th Century, Side by Side by Sondheim among others. He has been honored with seven Tony award nominations and received the 1997 Tony Award for his work on Chicago. His Tony nominations include: Sunday in the Park with George(2008), The Drowsy Chaperone (2006), End of the World (1984), Foxfire(1982), Sweeney Todd (1979), Working (1978), and The Visit (1973). For a complete list of Broadway shows go to www.idbd.com. Off-Broadway he has many productions to his credit including Nikolai and the Others, Fame, The Thing About Men, Sylvia, London Suite, Annie Warbucks, Lips Together, Teeth Apart, The Lisbon Traviata, Snoopy and Fortune in Men’s Eyes. For a more complete list go to www.lortel.org/lla_archive Ken works in all forms of theatrical lighting including opera, dance, concerts and spectaculars. 13 productions for the NY City Opera including: Candide, the American premiers of Silverlake, The Voice of Ariadne and Ashmedai. For the Houston Grand Opera 31 productions including the world premier of Willie Stark and Aida for the opening of the Worthem Center Brown Theatre. Other companies include Dallas Opera, Chicago Lyric Opera, San Francisco Opera, La Scala, Theatro Real in Madrid and Teatro Colon in Buenos Aires. Some of the great entertainers that Ken has lit include Hugh Jackman, Ann-Margret, Shirley MacLane, Liberace, Sigfried and Roy, Juliet Prowse, Chita Rivera and Lisa Minelli to name just a few. For 27 years the Radio City Music Hall Christmas Spectacular had lighting by Ken Billington as well as the annual Easter Show. Other spectaculars include the relighting of Jubilee at Bally’s Las Vegas in 2004, Fantasmic! at Disneyland, Shamu Night shows at the Seaworld Parks and Illuminights at Busch Gardens Williamsburg. Ken has been received many awards including the Ace Award for Television Lighting, the Luman Award for Architectural Lighting and many theatre awards including the Tony, NY Drama Desk, Los Angeles Drama Critics and Boston Drama Critics, to name a few.

In this episode of LIGHT TALK, the Lumen Brothers (and Sistah) talk about everything from LED Lekos to "Billington Afterglow".  Join Anne, Steve, David, and Stan as they pontificate about: The brothers' and sister's reactions to the Ken Billington interview; the generosity of designers; standards of professionalism; focusing strategies for your first black box show; getting nervous; how to teach programming to students; manufacturers' training programs;  benefits of LED lekos without the "Salesmen Talking Points"; new Pet-Sweat of Japan beverages; creating texture with and without gobos; Anne's gobo earrings; Tharon's brilliant cueing sequence for A Chorus Line; good and bad uses of gobos; and Best books for beginning high school lighting students.  Nothing is Taboo, Nothing is Sacred, and Very Little Makes Sense.

In this episode of LIGHT TALK, the Lumen Brothers talk with Broadway lighting legend Ken Billington. Join David, Steve, Stan, and Ken as they pontificate about: Lighting Major Celebrity Acts in Vegas, Killer Whales, and The Rockettes, Ken's Gingerbread Man experience in the 4th grade, Perfecting black-outs with knife switches, Sherri Zimmerman’s cymbals, Loving the "Good Stuff" and erasing the "Bad Stuff", Great moments working with the perfect team, "Marie, Dancing Still", "Sweeney Todd" stories, Follow your gut and take it to FULL... then leave it there, Feeling the light, Getting the cues in the right place, Cues that "pop off the page", Watching assistants become successful artists, Tharon Musser's influence, Dealing with the other people in the room, There’s no room for temperament in the theatre, When you know it's time to stop assisting, What makes us love this business, and The synergy of groups of desperate characters. Nothing is Taboo, Nothing is Sacred, and Very Little Makes Sense.

In this episode of LIGHT TALK, the Lumen Brothers talk about everything from Painting your Bedroom to DDT Fog Machines. Join Steve, David, and Stan, as they pontificate about: The upcoming Ken Billington interview, Bugs activating touch-screens, How life experiences shape our artistry, Teams of Cats, The Master of Masking Tape, Luminaire Hickeys, How to assign student designers to school production, How to clean your cyc, Going to the source, and Making lifelong relationships. Nothing is Taboo, Nothing is Sacred, and Very Little Makes Sense.   http://lighttalk.libsyn.com/light-talk-episode-105-the-scarecrow-concept

For our 75th Episode we present a very special group of designers. In 1989, a panel was held at the Museum of the City of New York as part of their "Direct from Broadway" series featuring some of the most influential lighting designers of the 20th century: Tharon Musser, Peggy Clark, Abe Feder and Jeff Davis, moderated by the man who followed the leads set by these pioneers and continued their legacies...Ken Billington. For the first time in nearly 30 years, hear these luminaries (pun intended) discuss their work, their process and what is was like paving the way in a design field that was just in it's infancy. Thanks for listening for 75 episodes and enjoy this special holiday treat!

In this episode of LIGHT TALK, the Lumen Brothers interview lighting designer and software guru, John McKernon. Join Steve, Stan, David, and John as they pontificate about The history of Lightwright, Working with Ken Billington, Stan and David in Napoli, The key to keeping a relationship with your spouse in the business, New features in Lightwright 7, Creating hookups by hand, Working as an associate on Broadway, Being in the right place at the right time, IP Addresses vs. Universes, Gary Fails and Multiverces, 6x22's on the Balcony Rail, Broadway stories with Mary Tyler Moore and Lynn Redgrave, Working on Broadway flops, The Red Shoes, You Have to Work the Room, Optimism for the next generation of lighting designers, Surprised by things that never happened, and What's the deal with the Corgis? Nothing is Taboo, Nothing is Sacred, and very little makes sense.

Curtain up! Light the lights....literally, because this week's guest is Tony Award winning lighting designer Ken Billington, Ken swings by Shetler Studios to discuss his over one hundred Broadway credits including Sweeney Todd, Chicago, and On the 20th Century. Ken pulls back the curtain on his career to discuss how he was the first to use moving lights in a Broadway musical, what was the moment his parents were truly impressed with his choice of career, and why you should always look your best on tech day! Also, Ken shines the spotlight on Susan Stroman, Hal Prince, and Bob Fosse! Become a sponsor of Behind The Curtain and get early access to interviews, private playlists, and advance knowledge of future guests so you can ask the legends your own questions. Go to patreon.com and search Behind The Curtain: http://bit.ly/2i7nWC4

Episode 70 is direct from Cory's kitchen and it's with Lighting Designer Paul Toben. Paul is currently in town serving as the Associate LD for the new Broadway musical 'War Paint,' but he's with us today to do some deep excavating into the true nature of being a working designer. Cory and Paul trace their 10 year friendship and explore topics such as varied career paths, how he measures personal and professional success, how he finds happiness and fulfillment through his work, and how theatre can play a role in our extremely divisive political climate. Paul also shares insight from working with great designers like Ken Billington, Paul Gallo and Kevin Adams, recalls what it felt like designing a Broadway show in his twenties, and tries to tackle the question all designers ask themselves from time to time: "Do I still love what I do?" And lastly, no conversation with Paul is complete without touching on his other great passion in life, Baseball.

Ken Billington is a lighting designer. He has 96 Broadway productions to his credit including Copperfield, Checking Out, Moon Over Buffalo, Grind, Hello Dolly!, Meet Me in St. Louis, On the Twentieth Century, Side by Side by Sondheim, Lettice and Lovage, Tru, The Scottsboro Boys, and Sweeney Todd. Off-Broadway productions include Sylvia, London Suite, Annie Warbucks, Lips Together, Teeth Apart, The Lisbon Traviata, What the Butler Saw, and Fortune and Men's Eyes. He was the principal lighting designer for Radio City Music Hall from 1979 - 2004. He has been nominated for the Tony Award for Best Lighting Design eight times and in 1997 won for the revival of Chicago, which also garnered him the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lighting Design. In November 2015, Billington was inducted into the Theater Hall of Fame. You’ll hear one of the industry’s best lighting designers talk about . . . How he prepares to light a show before he even sees a rehearsal. How Directors should work with lighting (and all) designers. The incredible changes in the lighting industry over the past 3 decades . . . and what’s coming next. How to speed up the “bidding” process and save money. One of my favorite answers to my “Genie” question and how I’m going to steal it.  Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode #15 goes to the Obi-Wan of lighting software...it's John McKernon! John tells us how Lightwright came to be and what it's like creating an integral design tool used all over the globe. Learn how Lightwright and John's career started (like so many things) in Ken Billington's office, and hear tales from the past from 'One Mo' Time', 'The Red Shoes', 'Chicago', and 'Late Nite Comic'. Hear what the Union exam used to be like back in the "old days" and what John thinks is the trick to winning a Tony for lighting. John McKernon has forever changed the way lighting design is created and documented and now you can meet the man behind the code!

Turn the lights down low, chain the door, and pour yourself a drink because we're sitting down with lighting designer and living legend Ken Billington. Ken and Cory cover a wide range of topics from his biggest hit, "Chicago", to his newest project, "Act One", and other shows from his over 40 years in the business including "Footloose", "Chaplin", "The Visit", "Sweeney Todd" and more. Ken tells us about learning the ropes from Tharon Musser, why you better be fast in a room with Hal Prince, how he introduced Bob Fosse to the magic of moving lights and why you should tuck in that shirt for goodness sakes! (Warning...management is not responsible for you walking into traffic while having your mind blown.)

Today's guest is lighting/projection designer Ben Pearcy. Ben and Cory discuss his design for ‘Big Fish' and mourn it's closing, his experience working with renown artist James Turrell, how it feels to hit the GO button at the Opening Ceremonies, and how Ben owes much of his career to the legendary (and possible mid-show surprise guest,) Ken Billington!

"The Addams Family" and "Elf"'s lighting designer Natasha Katz talks about the path of her career, beginning with a high school community service requirement that saw her volunteering at a (now-defunct) Off-Broadway theatre and her semester away from Oberlin College as an intern/observer of designer Roger Morgan on the musical "I Remember Mama" which brought her into immediate contact with such notables as Liv Ullmann and Richard Rodgers. She discusses her on the job training (sans graduate school) with such figures as special effects whiz Bran Ferren and lighting designers Marcia Madeira and Ken Billington; explains why she thinks it takes longer now to mount a musical than it did when she began; how a tumultuous relationship with director Clifford Williams led to her Broadway debut at a very young age; what she learned from her work Off-Broadway and in regional theatre, including some 30 productions at the Dallas Theatre Center; why her task is to focus on two key elements -- people and sets -- and to both separate and unite them; how she comes to love a show that she didn't necessarily enjoy reading simply by virtue of working on it; when she joins the creative process with the director and other designers -- and whether that's always at the right time; how she constantly references and stays familiar with lighting in other shows and even other mediums; what it was like to be part of a triumvirate of designers for "The Coast of Utopia"; and why she thinks lighting design was initially very open to female designers and why she believes it's headed in the wrong direction today. Original air date - January 12, 2011.

“The Addams Family” and “Elf's” lighting designer Natasha Katz (2000 Tony Award winner for Best Lighting Design of a Musical for “Aida”; 2007 Tony Award winner for Best Lighting Design of a Play for “The Coast of Utopia”) talks about the path of her career, beginning with a high school community service requirement that saw her volunteering at a (now-defunct) Off-Broadway theatre and her semester away from Oberlin College as an intern/observer of designer Roger Morgan on the musical “I Remember Mama” which brought her into immediate contact with such notables as Liv Ullmann and Richard Rodgers. She discusses her on the job training (sans graduate school) with such figures as special effects whiz Bran Ferren and lighting designers Marcia Madeira and Ken Billington; explains why she thinks it takes longer now to mount a musical than it did when she began; how a tumultuous relationship with director Clifford Williams led to her Broadway debut at a very young age; what she learned from her work Off-Broadway and in regional theatre, including some 30 productions at the Dallas Theatre Center; why her task is to focus on two key elements -- people and sets -- and to both separate and unite them; how she comes to love a show that she didn't necessarily enjoy reading simply by virtue of working on it; when she joins the creative process with the director and other designers -- and whether that's always at the right time; how she constantly references and stays familiar with lighting in other shows and even other mediums; what it was like to be part of a triumvirate of designers for “The Coast of Utopia”; and why she thinks lighting design was initially very open to female designers and why she believes it's headed in the wrong direction today.

"The Addams Family" and "Elf"'s lighting designer Natasha Katz talks about the path of her career, beginning with a high school community service requirement that saw her volunteering at a (now-defunct) Off-Broadway theatre and her semester away from Oberlin College as an intern/observer of designer Roger Morgan on the musical "I Remember Mama" which brought her into immediate contact with such notables as Liv Ullmann and Richard Rodgers. She discusses her on the job training (sans graduate school) with such figures as special effects whiz Bran Ferren and lighting designers Marcia Madeira and Ken Billington; explains why she thinks it takes longer now to mount a musical than it did when she began; how a tumultuous relationship with director Clifford Williams led to her Broadway debut at a very young age; what she learned from her work Off-Broadway and in regional theatre, including some 30 productions at the Dallas Theatre Center; why her task is to focus on two key elements -- people and sets -- and to both separate and unite them; how she comes to love a show that she didn't necessarily enjoy reading simply by virtue of working on it; when she joins the creative process with the director and other designers -- and whether that's always at the right time; how she constantly references and stays familiar with lighting in other shows and even other mediums; what it was like to be part of a triumvirate of designers for "The Coast of Utopia"; and why she thinks lighting design was initially very open to female designers and why she believes it's headed in the wrong direction today. Original air date - January 12, 2011.

Lighting designer Ken Billington, veteran of more than 80 Broadway productions ranging from the original "Sweeney Todd" to the current "Sunday in the Park with George", discusses the art of lighting design, including how lighting can be used to emotionally enhance the theatre experience, how he discovered his calling during a fourth grade play, what audience members might look for when assessing a lighting designer's work, the speed with which his design for "Sweeney" came together, how he collaborated with the English creative team of "Sunday", how rock and roll helped Broadway lighting, and how his career has encompassed work for performers as diverse as Liza Minnelli and Shamu the Killer Whale. Original air date - April 4, 2008.

Lighting designer Ken Billington, veteran of more than 80 Broadway productions ranging from the original "Sweeney Todd" to the current "Sunday in the Park with George", discusses the art of lighting design, including how lighting can be used to emotionally enhance the theatre experience, how he discovered his calling during a fourth grade play, what audience members might look for when assessing a lighting designer's work, the speed with which his design for "Sweeney" came together, how he collaborated with the English creative team of "Sunday", how rock and roll helped Broadway lighting, and how his career has encompassed work for performers as diverse as Liza Minnelli and Shamu the Killer Whale. Original air date - April 4, 2008.

Lighting designer Ken Billington, a Tony winner for Chicago in 1997 and veteran of more than 80 Broadway productions ranging from the original Sweeney Todd to the recent Sunday in the Park with George, discusses the art of lighting design, including how lighting can be used to emotionally enhance the theatre experience, how he discovered his calling during a fourth grade play, what audience members might look for when assessing a lighting designer's work, the speed with which his design for Sweeney came together, how he collaborated with the English creative team of Sunday, how rock and roll helped Broadway lighting, and how his career has encompassed work for performers as diverse as Liza Minnelli and Shamu the Killer Whale.

The panelists -- lighting designer Ken Billington, costume and set designer Robert Jones, costume designer William Ivey Long, scenery designer Thomas Lynch, costume and scenery designer Tony Walton, and costume designer David C. Woolard -- discuss the fields of study that led them to design; perceptible styles; the design of "Six Degrees of Separation"; how actors are effected by design details; how lighting influences audience reaction; contemporary audiences' expectations for brighter, quicker-moving shows; and creating The Yellow Dress in "Contact" through costume and lighting.

The panelists -- lighting designer Ken Billington (Tony winner for Chicago in 1997), costume and set designer Robert Jones, five time Tony-winning costume designer William Ivey Long, scenery designer Thomas Lynch, costume and scenery designer Tony Walton (Tony Award winner for, among others, Pippin, the original House of Blue Leaves and 1992’s revival of Guys and Dolls), and costume designer David C. Woolard -- discuss the fields of study that led them to design; perceptible styles; the design of Six Degrees of Separation; how actors are effected by design details; how lighting influences audience reaction; contemporary audiences' expectations for brighter, quicker-moving shows; and creating The Yellow Dress in Contact through costume and lighting.