One of the best Broadway scenic designers ever, and two of my all-time favorite sets are ''On the Twentieth Century'' and ''Dreamgirls.''
I will never forget Wagner's sleek silver Art Deco train from the former, beautifully featured in Martin Gottfried's book ''Broadway Musicals.''
And I loved the giant set of stairs in Act II of ''Dreamgirls'' and how his light towers traveled and reconfigured the playing spaces in the show.
Wagner's stylish sets were not only stunning to look at; they literally would shift your perspective. They were eye-popping and show-stopping.
Below, from YouTube, a ''Theater Talk'' from 2016, featuring Wagner and David Rockwell, who did the 2015 revival of ''On the 20th Century.''
Wagner dishes about working with Michael Bennett (''A Chorus Line'') and David Merrick (''42nd Street''). Wow, he really knew how to set the stage! |
