DAVID BARRINEAU

In the case of Orlando Ballet, they chose one of my other campaigns (I probably would have, too). But I’ve always loved this botanical season art (especially the peony tutu). Maybe next year?

Fat Camp is a show that’s currently working its way to Broadway. The art development was a breeze. It was one of the quickest client approval’s I ever experienced. They absolutely LOVED these illustrations by Gary Taxali. Ultimately, to everyone’s dismay, they couldn’t work out the rights. I hope they’re able to work it out, because the art fits this snarky/adorable new musical perfectly. Besides, I want a t-shirt with that big chubby face plastered on it! Who wouldn’t?!

Starring Darren Criss and Helen Shen, Maybe Happy Ending is a totally original new musical that opened to raves on Broadway. Set in the future, this unconventional love story tells the tale of two “Helper Bots” who are sent to live in a housing complex now that they become obsolete to their owners. Oliver (a Helper Bot 1) and Claire (a slightly more advanced Helper Bot 3) live out their days, alone in their little rooms. Until one day, Claire’s charger fails and she ventures across the hall to borrow Oliver’s. A touching romance slowly begins to develop.

The challenge for this show was how to explain the story and convey that, even though they’re robots, you’ll still care about the journey they go on.

My idea was to treat this as a new product launch from Apple. Knowing how iconic Apple’s white packaging is, I wanted to use this as a visual short hand to explain what a Helper Bot was — it didn’t hurt that West World also used a white color palate for their robot’s, too.

While the producers loved this campaign, they really wanted a “mark” and ended up using an image of Oliver’s charger. Luckily, I was still able to use one of my comps. Since my husband is the Company Manager for the show, I replaced Darren and Helen with his and his associate’s images for his Opening Night cards. The cards were a big hit with the company!

This complex musical told the story of Caroline, a housekeeper in the South during the 1960’s. To me, her relationship with the young boy was a great entry point for the audience. The playwright felt that this wasn’t a show about relationships (that was a first!). Instead the producers chose a brooding solo portrait by legendary theatre poster artist Paul Davis depicting Caroline on a cigarette break. Ultimately, no matter how much you may like a certain direction, you have to trust that the authors and producers know their show best.

Taboo was a wild ride. Produced by Rosie O’Donnell, written by and starring Boy George, this musical told the story of the legendary underground club performer Leigh Bowery. Just as Leigh Bowery pushed boundaries, Rosie wanted to do the same with the show and its advertising. These comps inserted actual photos of Leigh Bowery into classic Broadway show posters. Rosie loved them. Boy George loved them. The legal team didn’t.

For the musical version of the beloved book, I wanted to convey the longing and the clandestine nature of the lovers’ affair: shadows of a passionate kiss, a private tete-a-tete seen from afar, two tomatoes ripening on a windowsill…you know, sexy stuff. The final art the producers used was very similar to the second comp shown here...minus the shadow (i.e. without the sexy stuff). 

I love Zara Picken’s illustrations. She has a retro-modern style that I adore (I’m a sucker for anything tactile). Her whimsical work felt perfect for this trio of one-acts by Woody Allen, Elaine May and Ethan Coen. Alas, the producers wanted something edgier.

What to do for a musical set in a trailer park? Heck, since I grew up in the Florida Panhandle (a.k.a. the Redneck Riviera), I knew this called for trucker hats, bad tattoos, hickeys, pink flamingos and farmer tans, of course.

I have a fondness for hand-screened and letter press creations. That style seemed a natural fit for a musical about hard-scrabble competitors trying to win a truck (the “hardbody” in the title). The winner was the last man or woman with their hand on the truck.

Orphans is a play about two brothers in a Philadelphia slum. Bullied by his older brother, the younger brother is afraid to leave the house. Things change when they kidnap a shady businessman.

Usually, the producers want their star’s photo prominently displayed. In this case Alec Baldwin didn’t want his image used. Instead he suggested that the art be a photo of a can of tuna (apparently, the characters eat a lot of tuna in the play). Naturally, that was the direction they took. Later they switched to a photo of their star.

Since one of the themes in If/Then is about paths not taken...here are some options the producers didn’t pick. I particularly like how the slash (which is part of the title) extends from the logo and integrates into the art.

In this comedy by Alan Ayckbourn, a videotape (remember those?) complicates the lives of six characters. I like the simplicity of the art, but I’m most proud of the headline.

Without Hatch Show Print there may be no rock-n-roll. Okay…there probably still would be rock-n-roll, but without Hatch Show’s kick-ass posters, it certainly wouldn’t be as cool. 

Who better then to print the poster for Million Dollar Quartet? A musical about an impromptu jam session in 1956 with Johnny Cash...Carl Perkins...Jerry Lee Lewis…and...Elvis Presley.

This was a pitch and the agency didn’t get the account, so it didn’t happen, but, damn, how cool would it have been to work with Hatch Show Print?!

Years ago, I created this key art for the Broadway transfer of the original off-Broadway production of In Transit. A transfer that never happened. However, almost a decade later a production of In Transit finally did make it to Broadway – and I ended up working on it. While we didn't use this art (I'd created it during my tenure at another agency), you can see photos of the Broadway cast in the PHOTO SHOOT section of my site.

We did a whole art exploration for the Broadway transfer of Spring Awakening. This was deemed a little too sexy and pastoral. The producers decided to go towards a more graphic, rock-n-roll esthetic. The show was a hit and went on to win 8 Tony Awards, but I still wish they’d used this logo by designer David Molina.

While Edward Albee’s play is quite a potent cocktail, leaving a doozy of a hangover, the client was interested in reminding audiences that there’s also much humor to be found. You never want to mislead an audience (it will always backfire), but I think these concepts find just the right amount of wit.

Executed like an early 80’s album cover, this concept was probably “too quiet” for the roller skating, ELO-infused Broadway musical. While it doesn’t scream ”grab your leg warmers, come have a good time,” the focus is more on the heart of the story. It was an attempt to keep audiences from dismissing the show as camp.

Turns out, that wasn’t a problem, the show was a success and got multiple Tony nominations, including Best Musical. Repeat after me: “the client is always right...the client is always right...the client is always right...”