HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Kenneth Posner is an American lighting designer, working on Broadway, Off-Broadway, and in American regional theatre. His most notable designs include the musicals '' Wicked'' and '' Hairspray'', two highly regarded musicals of the early 21st century. In 2007, he won the Tony Award for Best Lighting Design in a Play for his work on '' The Coast of Utopia (Part 2 - Shipwreck)''.


Career and education

He has been nominated for the Tony Award for Best Lighting Design 11 times and won once for ''The Coast of Utopia (Part 2 - Shipwreck)'' in 2011. His nominations have included nods for ''
Merchant of Venice ''The Merchant of Venice'' is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. A merchant in Venice named Antonio defaults on a large loan taken out on behalf of his dear friend, Bassanio, and provided by a ...
'' (2011), '' Dirty Rotten Scoundrels'' (2005), '' Wicked'' (2004), '' Hairspray'' (2003), and ''
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer ''The Adventures of Tom Sawyer'' (also simply known as ''Tom Sawyer'') is a novel by Mark Twain published on June 9, 1876, about a boy, Tom Sawyer, growing up along the Mississippi River. It is set in the 1830s-1840s in the town of St. Petersbu ...
'' (2001). He has also been nominated 10 times for the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Lighting Design and received an
Obie Award The Obie Awards or Off-Broadway Theater Awards are annual awards given since 1956 by ''The Village Voice'' newspaper to theater artists and groups involved in off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway productions in New York City. Starting just after th ...
for Sustained Excellence in Lighting in 2003. In 2013, Posner achieved a near-sweep of the nominations for the Tony Award for Best Lighting Design of a Musical, garnering nods in three of the four eligible slots (for '' Kinky Boots'', '' Pippin'', and '' Rodgers + Hammerstein's Cinderella''), though he lost to ''
Matilda The Musical ''Roald Dahl's Matilda'', also known simply as ''Matilda'' and ''Matilda the Musical'', is a musical with music and lyrics by Tim Minchin and a book by Dennis Kelly. It is based on the 1988 novel '' Matilda'' by Roald Dahl. The musical's narr ...
''. Posner was educated at
SUNY Purchase The State University of New York at Purchase, commonly referred to as Purchase College or SUNY Purchase, is a Public college, public Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Purchase, New York. Established in 1967 by G ...
, where Brian MacDevitt also attended. He is a 1983 graduate of Eastchester High School in
Eastchester, New York Eastchester is a town in southern Westchester County, New York, United States. The population was over 34,641 at the 2020 United States census over 32,363 at the 2010 census. There are two villages within the town: Bronxville and Tuckahoe. The ...
. He also attended Boston University College of Fine Arts.


Personal life

He is currently a resident of
Verona, New Jersey Verona is a Township (New Jersey), township in Essex County, New Jersey, Essex County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the township's population was 14,572, an increase of 1,240 (+9.3%) from the 2010 United ...
and was born in 1966.KENNETH POSNER
, ''
Playbill ''Playbill'' is an American monthly magazine for Audience, theatergoers. Although there is a subscription issue available for home delivery, most copies of ''Playbill'' are printed for particular productions and distributed at the door as the ...
''. Accessed January 11, 2008. "He resides in Verona, New Jersey, with his wife Michelle and their three children."


Productions


Broadway

* '' The Rose Tattoo'' – 1995 * '' The Father'' – 1996 * '' Getting Away With Murder'' – 1996 * '' The Rehearsal'' – 1996 * ''
The Last Night of Ballyhoo ''The Last Night of Ballyhoo'' is a play by Alfred Uhry that premiered in 1996 in Atlanta. The play is a comedy/drama, which is set in Atlanta, Georgia, in December 1939. Plot The play is set in the upper class German-Jewish community living i ...
'' – 1997 * '' The Little Foxes'' – 1997 * ''
A View From the Bridge ''A View from the Bridge'' is a play by American playwright Arthur Miller. It was first staged on September 29, 1955, as a one-act verse drama with '' A Memory of Two Mondays'' at the Coronet Theatre on Broadway. The run was unsuccessful, ...
'' – 1997 * '' Side Man'' – 1998 * '' Little Me'' – 1998 * ''
You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown ''You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown'' is a 1967 musical with music and lyrics by Clark Gesner and (in a 1999 revision) Andrew Lippa. It is based on the characters created by cartoonist Charles M. Schulz in his comic strip ''Peanuts''. The musical ...
'' – 1999 * '' The Lion in Winter'' – 1999 * '' Swing!'' – 1999 * ''
Uncle Vanya ''Uncle Vanya'' ( rus, Дя́дя Ва́ня, r=Dyádya Ványa, p=ˈdʲædʲə ˈvanʲə) is a play by the Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. It was first published in 1897, and first produced in 1899 by the Moscow Art Theatre, directed by Konstan ...
'' – 2000 * ''
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer ''The Adventures of Tom Sawyer'' (also simply known as ''Tom Sawyer'') is a novel by Mark Twain published on June 9, 1876, about a boy, Tom Sawyer, growing up along the Mississippi River. It is set in the 1830s-1840s in the town of St. Petersbu ...
'' – 2001 * '' The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia?'' – 2002 * '' The Smell of the Kill'' – 2002 * '' The Man Who Had All the Luck'' – 2002 * '' Hairspray'' – 2002 * '' Imaginary Friends'' – 2002 * '' Wicked'' – 2003 * ''
Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All ''Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All'' is a 1989 first novel by Allan GurganusReed, Susan and Hutchings, Davi"He's 42, She's 99—Together They Make the South Rise Again"''People Magazine'', September 18, 1989 which was on the ''New Yo ...
'' – 2003 * ''
The Frogs ''The Frogs'' (; , often abbreviated ''Ran.'' or ''Ra.'') is a comedy written by the Ancient Greek playwright Aristophanes. It was performed at the Lenaia, one of the Festivals of Dionysus in Athens, in 405 BC and received first place. The pla ...
'' – 2004 * ''
Little Women ''Little Women'' is a coming-of-age novel written by American novelist Louisa May Alcott, originally published in two volumes, in 1868 and 1869. The story follows the lives of the four March sisters— Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy—and details th ...
'' – 2005 * '' Dirty Rotten Scoundrels'' – 2005 * '' Glengarry Glen Ross'' – 2005 * '' The Odd Couple'' – 2005 * '' Lestat'' – 2005 * '' The Coast of Utopia (Part 2 - Shipwreck)'' – 2006 * '' The Pirate Queen'' – 2007 * '' Legally Blonde'' – 2007 * '' Grease'' – 2007 * ''
The Homecoming ''The Homecoming'' is a two-act play written in 1964 and published in 1965 by Harold Pinter. Its premières in London (1965) and New York (1967) were both directed by Sir Peter Hall. The original Broadway production won the 1967 Tony Award ...
'' – 2007 * ''
9 to 5 Working time or laboring time is the period of time that a person spends at paid Wage labour, labor. Unpaid work, Unpaid labor such as personal housework or caring for children or pets is not considered part of the working week. Many countri ...
'' – 2009 * '' The Royal Family'' – 2009 * '' The Miracle Worker'' – 2010 * '' Lend Me a Tenor'' – 2010 * '' Mrs. Warren's Profession'' – 2010 * '' A Life in the Theatre'' – 2010 * ''
The Merchant of Venice ''The Merchant of Venice'' is a play by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1596 and 1598. A merchant in Venice named Antonio defaults on a large loan taken out on behalf of his dear friend, Bassanio, and provided by a ...
'' – 2010 * '' Elling'' – 2010 * ''
Catch Me if You Can ''Catch Me If You Can'' is a 2002 American crime comedy-drama film directed and produced by Steven Spielberg and starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks with Christopher Walken, Martin Sheen, Nathalie Baye, Amy Adams, and James Brolin in ...
'' – 2010 * '' Relatively Speaking'' – 2011 * '' Other Desert Cities'' – 2011 * '' Gore Vidal's The Best Man'' – 2012 * '' The Columnist'' – 2012 * '' Harvey'' – 2012 * '' Rogers + Hammerstein's Cinderella'' – 2013 * '' Kinky Boots'' – 2013 * '' Pippin'' – 2013 * ''
If/Then ''If/Then'' is a musical with a libretto by Brian Yorkey and a theatrical score by Tom Kitt, directed by Michael Greif. It tells the story of a 38-year-old woman named Elizabeth who moves back to New York City for a fresh start. ''If/Then ...
'' – 2014 * ''
Disgraced ''Disgraced'' (2012) is the first stage play by playwright, novelist, and screenwriter Ayad Akhtar. It premiered in Chicago and has had Off-Broadway and Off West End engagements. The play, which won the 2013 Pulitzer Prize for Drama, opened on ...
'' – 2014 * '' Finding Neverland'' – 2015 * '' On Your Feet!'' – 2015 * '' Tuck Everlasting'' – 2016 * '' War Paint'' – 2017 * ''John Lithgow: Stories by Heart'' – 2018 * '' Mean Girls'' – 2018 * '' Pretty Woman: The Musical'' – 2018 * ''
Beetlejuice ''Beetlejuice'' is a 1988 American Gothic film, gothic dark fantasy comedy horror film directed by Tim Burton from a screenplay by Michael McDowell (author), Michael McDowell and Warren Skaaren based on a story by McDowell and Larry Wilson (sc ...
'' – 2019 *''
Take Me Out A take is a single continuous recorded performance. The term is used in film and music to denote and track the stages of production. Film In cinematography, a take refers to each filmed "version" of a particular shot or "setup". Takes of each ...
'' – 2021


Touring

* '' Swing!'' (2000-2001) * '' Hairspray'' (2003-2006) * '' Wicked'' Tours ** Emerald City Tour (2005-2015) ** Chicago Tour (2005-2009) ** Los Angeles Tour (2007-2009) ** San Francisco Tour (2009-2010) ** Munchkinland Tour (2009–present) * ''
Little Women ''Little Women'' is a coming-of-age novel written by American novelist Louisa May Alcott, originally published in two volumes, in 1868 and 1869. The story follows the lives of the four March sisters— Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy—and details th ...
'' (2005-2006) * '' Dirty Rotten Scoundrels'' (2006-2007) * '' Grease'' (2008-2010) * ''Kinky Boots'' (2014-2017) * '' Pippin'' (2014-2016) * '' Rogers + Hammerstein's Cinderella'' (2014-2016) * ''
If/Then ''If/Then'' is a musical with a libretto by Brian Yorkey and a theatrical score by Tom Kitt, directed by Michael Greif. It tells the story of a 38-year-old woman named Elizabeth who moves back to New York City for a fresh start. ''If/Then ...
'' (2015-2016) * ''Finding Neverland'' (2016-2018) * '' On Your Feet!'' (2017-2019) * '' Mean Girls'' (2019–present) * '' Pretty Woman: The Musical'' (upcoming)


West End

* '' Hairspray'' – 2007 * '' Legally Blonde'' – 2010 * '' Kinky Boots'' – 2015 * '' On Your Feet!'' – 2019 * '' Wicked'' – 2021 * '' Pretty Woman: The Musical'' – 2021


Off-Broadway

*''
Emerald City The Emerald City (sometimes called the City of Emeralds) is the capital city of the fictional Land of Oz in L. Frank Baum's ''Oz'' books, first described in '' The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' (1900). Fictional description Located in the center of ...
'' – 1988 *''Come As You Are'' – 1990 *'' Machinal'' – 1990 *''Walking the Dead'' – 1991 *''
Ruthless! ''Ruthless! The Musical'' is an all-female musical with music by Marvin Laird and book and lyrics by Joel Paley that spoofs Broadway musicals, like ''Gypsy'' and ''Mame'', and movies such as '' The Bad Seed'' and ''All About Eve''. The musical ...
'' – 1992 *''Spike Heels'' – 1992 *''Flaubert's Latest'' – 1992 *''The Madame MacAdam Traveling Theatre'' – 1992 *''On the Bum'' – 1992 *'' On the Open Road'' – 1993 *''Sophistry'' – 1993 *''Time on Fire'' – 1993 *'' Marisol (play)'' – 1993 *'' Johnny Pye and the Fool-Killer'' – 1993 *''The Swan'' – 1994 *''
Suburbia A suburb (more broadly suburban area) is an area within a metropolitan area. They are oftentimes where most of a metropolitan areas jobs are located with some being predominantly residential. They can either be denser or less densely populated ...
'' – 1994 *''A Cheever Evening'' – 1994 *''The Scarlett Letter'' – 1994 *'' The Rose Tattoo'' – 1995 *''The Radical Mystique'' – 1995 *'' Endgame'' – 1995 *'' Wake Up, I'm Fat''– 1995 *"Cowgirls'' – 1996 *''The Blues Are Running'' – 1996 *''Nine Armenians'' – 1996 *'' Dealer's Choice'' – 1997 *'' Collected Stories'' – 1997 *'' As Bees In Honey Drown'' – 1997 *''
Misalliance Misalliance may refer to: * Misalliance (play), a play by Bernard Shaw ** Misalliance (Playhouse 90), a US television play based on Shaw's work * Mésalliance, a marriage to an unsuitable partner {{dab ...
'' – 1997 *'' Pride's Crossing'' – 1997 *'' Side Man'' – 1998 *''Labor Day'' – 1998 *''2.5 Minute Ride'' – 1999 *''
That Championship Season ''That Championship Season'' is a 1972 play by Jason Miller. It was the recipient of the 1973 Pulitzer Prize for Drama and the 1973 Tony Award for Best Play. Plot synopsis The setting is 1972 at the Coach's home in Scranton, Pennsylvania. ...
'' – 1999 *''The Author's Voice & Imagining Brad'' – 1999 *'' Give Me Your Answer, Do!'' – 1999 *''
The Play About the Baby ''The Play About the Baby'' is a play by Edward Albee. Productions The play premiered in London in September 1998 at the Almeida Theatre Company in Malvern, Worcestershire, directed by Howard Davies. The play's American premiere was in Houston ...
'' – 2000 *'' The Wild Party'' – 2000 *''The Altruists'' – 2000 *'' The Waverly Gallery'' – 2000 *''
The Winter's Tale ''The Winter's Tale'' is a play by William Shakespeare originally published in the First Folio of 1623. Although it was grouped among the comedies, many modern editors have relabelled the play as one of Shakespeare's late romances. Some criti ...
'' – 2000 *'' The Credeaux Canvas'' – 2001 *'' Tick, Tick... Boom!'' – 2001 *''Music from a Sparkling Planet'' – 2001 *'' Hobson's Choice'' – 2002 *''Monster'' – 2002 *''F-ing A'' – 2003 *'' A Little Night Music'' – 2003 *''Valhalla'' – 2004 *''
Can-Can The can-can (also spelled cancan as in the original French /kɑ̃kɑ̃/) is a high-energy, physically demanding dance that became a popular music-hall dance in the 1840s, continuing in popularity in French cabaret to this day. Originally dance ...
'' – 2004 * '' Entertaining Mr. Sloane'' – 2006 *''Satellites'' – 2006 *''Parlour Song'' – 2008 *''The New Century'' – 2008 *''Good Boys and True'' – 2008 *''The Savannah Disputation'' – 2008 *'' The Toxic Avenger'' – 2009 *''Our House'' – 2009 *''The Understudy'' – 2009 *''Mr. and Mrs. Fitch'' – 2010 *'' Me, Myself & I'' – 2010 *'' Other Desert Cities'' – 2011 *''Death Takes a Holiday'' – 2011 *''If I Forget'' – 2017 *''A Parallelogram'' – 2017 *'' Amy and the Orphans'' – 2018 *''Long Lost'' – 2019 *''The Perplexed'' – 2020


Awards and nominations


Tony Awards The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual cere ...


Drama Desk Award The Drama Desk Awards are among the most esteemed honors in New York theater, recognizing outstanding achievements across Broadway, Off-Broadway, and Off-Off-Broadway productions within the same categories. The awards are considered a signific ...
s


Obie Award The Obie Awards or Off-Broadway Theater Awards are annual awards given since 1956 by ''The Village Voice'' newspaper to theater artists and groups involved in off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway productions in New York City. Starting just after th ...


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Posner, Kenneth Year of birth missing (living people) Living people Tony Award winners Obie Award recipients Boston University College of Fine Arts alumni Eastchester High School alumni People from Verona, New Jersey