The recently revived discussion of the set for Titanic has me wondering how many shows have used a bi-level set design. I'm not referring to sets where most of the action takes place on the stage floor and one or two characters occasionally appear on a small balcony or similar that overlooks the main floor (e.g., Hadestown, West Side Story); I'm talking about a wing-to-wing, bi-level set. The only other show I can think of was the original production of Sunset Boulevard. Are there any others?
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Thank you, this is a good example of the set concept I was referring to, i.e., the characters on the first level cannot see or interact with those on the second level because they are in completely distinct spaces.
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"Michael Riedel...The Perez Hilton of the New York Theatre scene" - Craig Hepworth, What's On Stage
Thanks for the clarification. Based on these images, it appears that The Humans and The Flat Earth did have wing-to-wing bi-level stages. On the other hand, the August: Osage County set is only partially bi-level, and She Loves me only had a balcony, which is effectively in the same space as the main set/stage floor.
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"Michael Riedel...The Perez Hilton of the New York Theatre scene" - Craig Hepworth, What's On Stage
And then there is Grand Hotel, which in its Broadway production had a bi-level set. The upper floor housed the orchestra, but as far as I am aware (or read somewhere) also some of the action took place on the second floor?? I could only find two pictures of the model set.
Erzlump said: "And then there is Grand Hotel, which in its Broadway production had a bi-level set. The upper floor housed the orchestra, but as far as I am aware (or read somewhere) also some of the action took place on the second floor?? I could only find two pictures of the model set."
That's a really beautiful set and you can see how the design would create a sense of sweeping space to suggest a "grand' hotel lobby. That said, it does seem a bit sad to have the second floor space utilized solely to house the orchestra.
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"Michael Riedel...The Perez Hilton of the New York Theatre scene" - Craig Hepworth, What's On Stage
bandit964 said: "DidPillowmanhave a second level that they used?
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Yes to Pillowman. Roundabout's revival of Company in the mid-90s also used a bi-level set.
Act One had a multi-level set that added to the story. Poor Santino Fontana must have been exhausted after every show from constantly running up and down the stairs. If I recall, MTC's revival of The Royal Family also used a bi-level set. "
The original Kinky Boots used a design similar to Sweeney Todd's, with a revolving giant cube that could represent various interior locations, with the top of it being Sweeney's barber shop/Charlie's office. Not what you were asking exactly, but the set piece was a near-constant presence onstage in both productions.
For non-musicals, especially "kitchen sink dramas" like The Humans, a two-level set is pretty common in order to have the first floor of the house and second floor of the house simultaneously visible to the audience. As someone pointed out, August: Osage County demands a three-floor house set.
Noises Off is a full-stage two level set that needs to flip around!
The Distinctive Baritone said: "The original Kinky Boots used a design similar to Sweeney Todd's, with a revolving giant cube that could represent various interior locations, with the top of it being Sweeney's barber shop/Charlie's office. Not what you were asking exactly, but the set piece was a near-constant presence onstage in both productions."
I had to Google the Kinky Boots set because I couldn't recall what you described, but after seeing some pics, I remember it. As you said, it's not exactly what I was referring to, but it is an interesting design.
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"Michael Riedel...The Perez Hilton of the New York Theatre scene" - Craig Hepworth, What's On Stage
The set design for "Best Little Whore House in Texas" also calls for a bi-level set with parts of the second level seen from below and other parts separate.