Ming Cho Lee leaves a legacy counted in generations

[Someone in a Tree2]

We lost one of the greats on Friday, when Ming Cho Lee passed away at the age of 90. He forever changed how sets are designed on Broadway, the Opera Stage, the Regional Stage, and anywhere that practices the art of great set design. He also changed how set design is understood for countless graduates of the design program at the Yale School of Drama, where he taught for 46 years. I count myself very fortunate-- I was one of Ming's students.

Ming revolutionized set design in the 1960's with his seminal work at The Public Theater and New York Shakespeare Festival when he stripped away design to its essence by suspending graphic or sculptural pieces on networks of pipes, poles and scaffolding. Look at his design for the off-Broadway "HAIR" or "MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING", or countless shows at the Delacorte to see how evocative and adaptable this approach could be. 

He took this framework to new heights with his extravagant sets for the Met Stage and New York City Opera. But Broadway proved a tough nut to crack. If you look through Arnold Aronson's gorgeous monograph "Ming Cho Lee, A Life in Design", you'll weep at the series of lovely designs Ming did for shows that barely saw the light of day. "TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA" was a hit, and "K-2" won Ming a Tony, but oh to have seen his sets for "Angel" or "Lolita My Love" in person! I actually did see his exquisite designs for "THE GRAND TOUR", a flop Jerry Herman musical from 1980. He never succumbed to the threat of failure, and was still designing gorgeous sets into the 21st century. 

For us lucky ones who withstood 3 years in the graduate design program Ming ran at Yale, no mentor looms larger in our lives. He was gentle but merciless in his critiques of our first timid sketches, always eager to strip away the excesses and serve the story. Each of us carries one or two tricks of the trade we only learned at Ming's behest. I will forever sketch my sketches on onionskin paper with black ink and whiteout pens for highlights because that's how Ming taught us to do it back in 1978, and nothing works better. 

He was a giant. He was an artist. He will be missed by so many.

Steve Saklad

YSD Class of '81

 

 

[Dollypop]

I fondly recall his beautiful watercolors that served as the opening credits for the movie FLOWER DRUM SONG.

May he rest in peace.

[CarlosAlberto]

Dollypop said: "I fondly recall his beautiful watercolors that served as the opening credits for the movie FLOWER DRUM SONG.

May he rest in peace."

Ming Cho Lee did not do the watercolors for the motion picture version of FLOWER DRUM SONG. Those were the work of Dong Kingman. 

[Someone in a Tree2]

Regardless, his watercolors are in fact extraordinary. Early in his career he was Jo Mielziner's assistant, creating the paint elevations in abstract watery washes for the backdrops of so many of Jo's most famous shows. Much later in life (long after he taught my class at Yale), he created countless breathtaking watercolors evoking scenes from his trips to Maine. Even into his 80's, he could still master new forms. 

[Charley Kringas Inc]

I'd really really love to see more of Ming Cho Lee's work, does anyone know of a good place to view his designs? The Aronson book looks neat but sadly my library's copy is reference-only.

[Dollypop]

CarlosAlberto said: "Dollypop said: "I fondly recall his beautiful watercolors that served as the opening credits for the movie FLOWER DRUM SONG.

May he rest in peace."

Ming Cho Lee did not do the watercolors for the motion picture version of FLOWER DRUM SONG. Those were the work of Dong Kingman."

 

Thank you for the correction.

 

[George in DC]

This saddens me beyond belief. I had the honor of working with him twice. He will be missed. Rest In Peace and Thank You!