Derek McLane (born June 14, 1958, in
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
, England) is an American
set designer for
theatre
Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors to present experiences of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a Stage (theatre), stage. The performe ...
,
opera
Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...
, and
television
Television (TV) is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. Additionally, the term can refer to a physical television set rather than the medium of transmission. Television is a mass medium for advertising, ...
. He graduated with a BA from
Harvard College
Harvard College is the undergraduate education, undergraduate college of Harvard University, a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Part of the Harvard Faculty of Arts and Scienc ...
and an MFA from the
Yale School of Drama.
Career
McLane has designed more than 350 productions at theatres throughout the United States and around the world, for
Broadway,
Off-Broadway
An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...
and major live television. He won a Tony Award for ‘''33 Variations''’ and Emmy Awards for the 2014 Oscars + ‘''Hairspray Live!''’ and an Art Directors Guild Award for his 2014 design of the Oscars.
Broadway credits include: ''Moulin Rouge!'' (2020), ''A Soldier's Play'' (2020), ''
Gigi'' (2015), ''
Beautiful: The Carole King Musical'' (2014), ''
33 Variations'' (Tony Award, Best Scenic Design 2009), ''
Grease'', ''
The Pajama Game'' (2006 Tony Nomination); ''
The Threepenny Opera
''The Threepenny Opera'' ( ) is a 1928 German "play with music" by Bertolt Brecht, adapted from a translation by Elisabeth Hauptmann of John Gay's 18th-century English ballad opera, '' The Beggar's Opera'', and four ballads by François V ...
'', ''
Little Women'', ''
I Am My Own Wife'' (Tony Award, Best Play); ''
Intimate Apparel
Underwear, underclothing, or undergarments are items of clothing worn beneath outer clothes, usually in direct contact with the skin, although they may comprise more than a single layer. They serve to keep outer clothing from being soiled ...
'' (2005 Lortel Award), ''
Barefoot in the Park'', ''
Lestat'', ''
The Women'', ''
Present Laughter'', ''
London Assurance'', ''
Holiday
A holiday is a day or other period of time set aside for festivals or recreation. ''Public holidays'' are set by public authorities and vary by state or region. Religious holidays are set by religious organisations for their members and are often ...
'', ''
Honour
Honour (Commonwealth English) or honor (American English; American and British English spelling differences#-our, -or, see spelling differences) is a quality of a person that is of both social teaching and personal ethos, that manifests itself ...
'', ''
Summer and Smoke'', and ''
Three Sisters''.
Off-Broadway credits include: ''
Buried Child'' (2016), ''
Into the Woods
''Into the Woods'' is a 1986 musical with music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and book by James Lapine.
The musical intertwines the plots of several Brothers Grimm fairy tales, exploring the consequences of the characters' wishes and quests. T ...
'' (2015), ''Posterity'' (2015), ''
The Scene'', ''
The Voysey Inheritance'' (2007 Lortel Award), ''
Two Trains Running'', ''
Prime of Miss Jean Brodie'', ''
Macbeth
''The Tragedy of Macbeth'', often shortened to ''Macbeth'' (), is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, estimated to have been first performed in 1606. It dramatises the physically violent and damaging psychological effects of political ambiti ...
''(Shakespeare in the Park), ''
Hurlyburly'', ''
Abigail's Party'', ''
The Great American Trailer Park Musical'', ''
Aunt Dan and Lemon'', ''
The Credeaux Canvas'' and ''
Rafta, Rafta...''.
McLane was the scenic designer for all of the productions of the entire Sondheim Celebration at the
Kennedy Center
The John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, commonly known as the Kennedy Center, is the national cultural center of the United States, located on the eastern bank of the Potomac River in Washington, D.C. Opened on September 8, ...
in Washington, DC. in 2002.
His designs in opera and theatre have also appeared in London, Paris, Dublin, Glasgow, Moscow, Kraków, Sydney, Caracas and Warsaw. For television, McLane designed the 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018
Academy Awards
The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence in ...
, as well as the live television productions of ''
The Sound of Music Live!
''The Sound of Music Live!'' is an American television special that was originally broadcast by NBC on December 5, 2013. Directed by Rob Ashford and Beth McCarthy-Miller, produced by Craig Zadan and Neil Meron, and written by Austin Winsberg, t ...
'', ''
Peter Pan Live! ''and ''
The Wiz Live!''.
He has collaborated with renowned directors such as Alex Timbers, Kenny Leon,
Rob Ashford
Rob Ashford (born November 19, 1959) is an American stage director and choreographer. He is a Tony Award, Olivier Award, Emmy Award, Drama Desk Award, and Outer Critics Circle Award winner.
Early life and education
Born in Orlando, Florida and ...
, Marc Bruni, Scott Elliott,
Moisés Kaufman,
Kathleen Marshall,
Daniel Sullivan, Mark Brokaw,
James Lapine and
Michael Mayer.
McLane is on the board of directors for
The New Group and Fiasco Theater Company, and is also a mentor with the
Theatre Development Fund
The Theatre Development Fund (TDF) is a not-for-profit performing arts service organization in New York City. Created in 1968 to help an ailing New York theatre industry, TDF supports audiences and artists through a variety of programs. Initially ...
's Open Doors Program.
With his first wife, McLane has three children; he is currently married to
Sony Pictures Entertainment executive
Lia Vollack.
Awards and nominations
Tony Award Nomination: Best Scenic Design of a Musical: MJ • 2022
Tony Award: Best Scenic Design of a Musical: MOULIN ROUGE! • 2021
Drama Desk Award: MOULIN ROUGE! • 2020
Art Directors Guild: 90th ACADEMY AWARDS • 2019
Emmy Award Nomination: 90th ACADEMY AWARDS • 2018
Emmy Award: HAIRSPRAY LIVE! • 2017
Art Directors Guild Nomination: 88th ACADEMY AWARDS • 2017
Art Directors Guild Nomination: HAIRSPRAY LIVE! • 2017
Emmy Award Nomination: 88th ACADEMY AWARDS • 2016
Emmy Award Nomination: The WIZ LIVE! • 2016
Drama Desk Nomination: FULLY COMMITTED • 2016
Art Directors Guild Award: Excellence in Production Design • 2015
Art Directors Guild Award: 87th ACADEMY AWARDS • 2014
Emmy Award: 86th ACADEMY AWARDS • 2014
Drama Desk Nomination: FOLLIES • 2012
Drama Desk Award: ANYTHING GOES • 2011
Tony Award Nomination: ANYTHING GOES • 2011
Tony Award Nomination: Best Scenic Design of a Musical: RAGTIME • 2010
Lucille Lortel Award Nomination: Outstanding Scenic Design: A LIE OF THE MIND • 2010
Garland Award: Excellence in Southland Theater - Backstage: BENGAL TIGER AT THE BAGHDAD ZOO • 2010
Tony Award Nomination: Best Scenic Design of a Play: 33 VARIATIONS • 2009
Henry Hewes Design Award: Best Scenic Design: 33 VARIATIONS • 2009
Henry Hewes Design Award Nomination: Best Scenic Design: RUINED • 2009
Vivian Robinson Audelco - 'The Viv' : Set Design Award: RUINED • 2009
Drama Desk Nomination: 33 VARIATIONS • 2009
Outer Critics Circle Award Nomination: 33 VARIATIONS • 2009
Henry Hewes Design Award Nomination: Best Scenic Design: RAFTA, RAFTA • 2008
Lucille Lortel Award Nomination: Outstanding Scenic Design: 10 MILLION MILES • 2008
San Diego Critics Circle Noel Award: Outstanding Scenic Design: 33 VARIATIONS • 2008
Drama Desk Nomination: 10 MILLION MILES • 2008
Dora Award, Toronto: ELEKTRA • 2007
Lucille Lortel Award: THE VOYSEY INHERITANCE • 2007
Outer Critics Circle Award Nomination: THE VOYSEY INHERITANCE • 2007
Tony Award Nomination: Best Scenic Design of a Musical: THE PAJAMA GAME • 2006
Lucille Lortel Award Nomination: ABIGAIL'S PARTY • 2006
Drama Desk Nomination: ABIGAIL'S PARTY • 2006
Lucille Lortel Award: INTIMATE APPAREL • 2005
Drama-Logue Award: INTIMATE APPAREL • 2005
Audelco Award: INTIMATE APPAREL • 2004
OBIE Award: Sustained Achievement 2004
Lucille Lortel Award: I AM MY OWN WIFE • 2004
Drama Desk Nomination: I AM MY OWN WIFE • 2004
Michael Merrit Award for Collaboration: : CHICAGO • 2003
Drama Desk Nomination: THE WOMEN • 2002
Drama Desk Nomination: EAST IS EAST • 2000
Drama Desk Nomination: MISALLIANCE • 1998
Drama-Logue Award: HARMONY • 1997
OBIE Award: Sustained Achievement 1997
Drama Desk Nomination: PRESENT LAUGHTER • 1997
Drama Desk Nomination: THE MONOGAMIST • 1996
References
Notes
Sources
"What I Love" ''The New York Times''
"What's In Your Bag" ''Wall Street Journal''
"From Broadway to Hollywood, the Scenic Designs of Derek McLane" Live Design
External links
*
*
*
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Derek McLane designs, 1988–2015 held by the Billy Rose Theatre Division,
New York Public Library for the Performing Arts
{{DEFAULTSORT:McLane, Derek
American scenic designers
1958 births
Living people
Harvard College alumni
David Geffen School of Drama at Yale University alumni
Primetime Emmy Award winners
Tony Award winners