Bay, Howard

Variant names

Hide Profile

Howard Bay (1912-1986), whose career spanned more than fifty years, was considered by some to be the "dean of American stage designers."

Bay's set and lighting arrangements were used in some 170 Broadway shows. He received two Tony Awards as a scenic designer; the first for his work on Lillian Hellman's play, Toys in the Attic (1960), and the second, for Man of La Mancha (1966), the musical written by Mitch Leigh, Joe Darion, and Dale Wasserman. Other notable work for musical theater included the designs for the original productions of Carmen Jones (1943), Oscar Hammerstein's adaptation of the George Bizet opera, Carmen, Up in Central Park (1945) by Sigmund Romberg and Herbert and Dorothy Fields, Meredith Willson's The Music Man (1957), and Milk & Honey (1961) by Jerry Herman and Don Appell. In addition to original productions, Bay worked on revivals of Show Boat (1946) by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein, Finian's Rainbow (1955) by Burton Lane and Yip Harburg, and Pal Joey (1963) by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart on Broadway and at City Center. He also worked on numerous dramatic productions, including both the original version and the revival of Lillian Hellman's The Little Foxes (1939; 1946), William Inge's Come Back, Little Sheba (1950), and the American premiere of Peter Shaffer's Equus (1974). As a designer, he is remembered for his practical and realistic approach. Bay's designs have been used for operas, films, touring productions, and television productions. He also taught set design at various schools, spending fourteen years at Brandeis University.

From the description of Howard Bay designs and technical drawings, 1934-1985. (New York Public Library). WorldCat record id: 144682727

Howard Bay was born May 3, 1912 in Centralia, Washington. Both his parents were schoolteachers; his father was an art teacher in particular. Bay's career in set and lighting design began in 1933 and he began working on Broadway productions as early as 1937, He would later be referred to as the "dean of American stage designs".

Howard Bay's set and lighting arrangements were recreated in some 170 Broadway shows in a career spanning over fifty years. Bay won two Tony Awards as a Scenic Designer for his work on Toys in The Attic (1960) and Man of La Mancha (1966). His work also included designs for Carmen Jones (1943), Show Boat (1946), The Would-Be Gentleman (1946), Come Back, Little Sheba (1950), Finian's Rainbow (1955), Pal Joey (1963) and The Music Man (1957). He is remembered for his technique of solving design problems with a practical and realistic approach. Bay designs have been used for operas, films, touring productions, and television productions. He also taught set design at various schools spending most of it at Brandeis University for fourteen years. Bay also contributed articles in his field to various reference books. He was last working on a production of The Music Man to be produced for the Peking Opera House when he died in New York City on November 21, 1986 of a heart attack.

From the guide to the Howard Bay designs and technical drawings, 1934-1985, (The New York Public Library. Billy Rose Theatre Division.)

Archival Resources
Role Title Holding Repository
referencedIn Lucille Lortel papers The New York Public Library. Billy Rose Theatre Division.
referencedIn Cheryl Crawford papers, 1920-1986 The New York Public Library. Billy Rose Theatre Division.
referencedIn Miscellaneous theatrical set designs, 1661-1975 and undated. Harvard Theater Collection, Houghton Library, Harvard College Library, Harvard University
creatorOf Howard Bay designs and technical drawings, 1934-1985 The New York Public Library. Billy Rose Theatre Division.
creatorOf Bay, Howard. Howard Bay designs and technical drawings, 1934-1985. New York Public Library System, NYPL
Role Title Holding Repository
Relation Name
associatedWith Appell, Don. person
associatedWith Bizet, Georges, 1838-1875. person
associatedWith Crawford, Cheryl, 1902-1986 person
associatedWith Darion, Joe, 1917-2001. person
associatedWith Fields, Dorothy, 1905-1974. person
associatedWith Fields, Herbert, 1897-1958. person
associatedWith Hammerstein, Oscar, 1895-1960. person
associatedWith Harburg, E. Y. (Edgar Yipsel), 1898-1981. person
associatedWith Hart, Lorenz, 1895-1943. person
associatedWith Hellman, Lillian, 1905-1984 person
associatedWith Herman, Jerry, 1933- person
associatedWith Inge, William person
associatedWith Inge, William. person
associatedWith Kern, Jerome, 1885-1945. person
associatedWith Lane, Burton, 1912-1997. person
associatedWith Leigh, Mitch, 1928- person
associatedWith Lortel, Lucille person
associatedWith McGinley, Phyllis, 1905-1978 person
associatedWith Rodgers, Richard, 1902-1979. person
associatedWith Romberg, Sigmund, 1887-1951. person
associatedWith Saddler, Donald person
associatedWith Shaffer, Peter, 1926- person
associatedWith Wasserman, Dale. person
associatedWith Willson, Meredith, 1902-1984. person
Place Name Admin Code Country
Subject
Theaters
Occupation
Set designers
Activity

Person

Birth 1912-05-03

Death 1986-11-21

Information

Permalink: http://n2t.net/ark:/99166/w6x068wf

Ark ID: w6x068wf

SNAC ID: 38723176