Angel De Quinta

Chita Rivera: The Dancer's Life

00:52 The lights are uniquely used to create shadows of the dancing figures.

So In Love - Rachel York

00:36 The blue lighting paired with the warm pink lamp shade adds warmth to the scene. We can feel her longing and love for the man she is singing about.

Jerome Robbins Fancy Free.mp4

02:21 The single dim light in the background, which I believe is a lamp, sets the time of day and the seemingly barren scene. 

Fiddler On The Roof

01:15 The blue light and the bright moon in the background paired with the bare trees show us temperature. We can feel that the setting is a cold environment.

La Cage Aux Folles 

(Original Broadway Cast) - 

Live at the 1984 Tony Awards

00:35 Lighting combines with set design, staging, and costumes to guide our eyes to the important aspects of the scene. We can tell who we should be mainly watching because of the way the spot light is set.

Barbra Streisand 'I'd 

Rather Be Blue'

At the very beginning , the lighting adds to the story. We hear a man say “on her, her over there” as the spot light is searching for Barbara Streisand. This is comical and adds to the story. This shows us that we are most likely watching an unprofessional amateur possibly unplanned performance. The light gives us the back story.

Show Clip - South Pacific - "Younger Than Springtime"

00:07 The set with the bars is interestingly lit from the back so it casts shadows down the stage setting the scene and adding a distinct mood to the piece. 


From the multiple examples of lighting withing different Broadway performances, we can see how much more lighting can be used for other than just illuminating a set. It can be used to set temperature to a scene or even add to the plot line. There is much much more to lighting than I used to think.