How ‘Illinoise’ Lighting Designer Created a ‘Visual Vocabulary’ Using Sufjan Stevens’ Album on Broadway
variety.comLexi Carson It was in 2010 at the New York City Ballet when Brandon Stirling Baker, the lighting designer of Broadway’s “Illinoise” met Justin Peck, the director and choreographer.
One of the first things they ever talked about was Sufjan Stevens‘ 2005 indie folk concept album “Illinois,” Baker says. “And that wasn’t that we had any agenda.
It’s just that we were fans of the music.” Over the past 14 years, the pair have worked on 32 projects together. Their first professional project was in 2012, and it was also to the music of Stevens, but as an orchestrator work called “Year of the Rabbit.” “That set up this amazing and exciting life together, inspired by both music, light and dance, and for us, that’s the world and the language that Justin and I speak,” Baker says.
The pair brought “Illinoise” to life as it officially opened at the St. James Theatre on April 24. The show is nominated for four Tony awards this year including Best New Musical, Best Orchestrations and Baker and Peck both receiving noms in their own right.
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