50 In the Air | Kennedy Center

50...It's in the Air

Suspended from the ceiling in the Hall of States and Hall of Nations in the form of a giant 50 are five decades of posters for performances at the Center…from MASS to Wicked. Explore the stories behind some of these impactful images.

A conversation between Kennedy Center Advertising Creative Director Scott Bushnell and Broadway poster designer Frank "Fraver" Verlizzo

Kennedy Center Posters by Frank "Fraver" Verlizzo

草莓视频免费版app *Sondheim Celebration* (2002)

“I was elated when Michael Kaiser and Max Woodward contacted me about this massive project. Originally, I was asked to design one poster that would encompass the entire *Sondheim Celebration*. My art presentation strategized a number of different approaches. When I came up with this concept featuring fragments of art from the various productions, I created much more work for myself: I would need to design nine individual posters in order to extract a detail from each one. I felt strongly that each fully realized Kennedy Center production was worthy of a singular poster.”

**Frank “Fraver” Verlizzo**

A drawing of a turn-of-the-century woman in a pink dress sitting on a yellow crescent moon floating in the sky — 草莓视频免费版app *Sondheim Celebration* (2002)

**A Little Night Music**

“My inspiration for 草莓视频免费版app’s production of *A Little Night Music* paid homage to one of my favorite artists from the turn of the century, Alphonse Mucha, who created some of the most beautiful and elegant theatrical posters in the Art Nouveau style. He was Sarah Bernhardt’s artist of record. I focused on the glamorous character of stage actress Desirée Armfeldt, who is the catalyst for all the romantic action to come.”

**Frank “Fraver” Verlizzo**

A plastic figurine of a bridegroom in the foreground and a cluster of 5 bride figurines atop a wedding cake in front of a bright orange polka dot background — 草莓视频免费版app *Sondheim Celebration* (2002)

**Company**

“Both the original production of *Company* and the 1995 revival of this musical were represented by stunning logotype designs. I felt it was time to humanize this show with an image for the Kennedy Center production. I purchased and had photographed (by John Reilly) wedding cake figurines. My husband, Joseph Ligammari, baked and decorated the cake upon which Bobby and his potential brides reside. The production had a definite 1970s vibe, hence the op-art background of circles. Actor John Barrowman was tremendous in the lead and was indeed a real doll.”

**Frank “Fraver” Verlizzo**

An image of a man and a woman is superimposed over the bristles of an artist's paintbrush spattered with paint — 草莓视频免费版app *Sondheim Celebration* (2002)

**Sunday in the Park with George**

“*Sunday in the Park with George* was one of the three concepts I had presented for the original Broadway production. I always liked it and felt it was a strong solution to this musical challenge. In 1984, I had designed a version of this concept as a hard graphic, and the original was given to Mr. Sondheim as a gift. This time, I decided to treat it with realism. I scanned a paintbrush smeared with acrylics, and added the famous Seurat image in Photoshop.”

**Frank “Fraver” Verlizzo**

An line illustration of hand holding a pleated paper fan painted with an American flag and the face of a Japanese man wearing an angry expression — 草莓视频免费版app *Sondheim Celebration* (2002)

**Pacific Overtures**

“I had created the art for the Off-Broadway revival of *Pacific Overtures* in 1984. I decided, on this go-round, to involve the same elements but to scramble them up and use them in a completely different way. I created the illustration on a rice paper background. This is the only production of the entire Kennedy Center *Sondheim Celebration* I did not get to see. The performance schedule was a tricky one, and I unfortunately couldn’t get to D.C. during its brief run.”

**Frank “Fraver” Verlizzo**

A young woman and two young men with their backs to the viewer hug each other as they watch a sunset — 草莓视频免费版app *Sondheim Celebration* (2002)

**Merrily We Roll Along**

“Since the clever device employed in *Merrily We Roll Along* is to tell the story of three friends in reverse chronological order, I landed on the idea of photographing (photo by Joan Marcus) the main characters watching a sunrise—or is it a sunset?—for the Kennedy Center production. Broadway show jackets were all the rage and a favorite opening night gift in the 1980s. I own several to prove it, and thought it fitting to present the embroidered title logo as a nod to the date of the original production.”

**Frank “Fraver” Verlizzo**

A black crow sits atop a barber pole painted with dripping red stripes in front of a blood red sun — 草莓视频免费版app *Sondheim Celebration* (2002)

**Sweeney Todd**

“Needless to say, I decided to avoid depicting the main characters in *Sweeney Todd*, having already covered that territory for the original Broadway production in 1979. Instead, I chose to symbolize them. A hand-painted barber pole, atop which perched a protective, squawking crow captured the spirit of the show in my graphic reimagining. Of the nine posters I designed for this Kennedy Center *Sondheim Celebration*, Mr. Sondheim phoned me one day to discuss this one in particular. He wanted to know why I felt this art was appropriate for *Sweeney Todd*. We discussed it for quite some time. It is my experience that Mr. Sondheim is always willing to listen to the rationale behind a creative/design choice. By the end of our conversation, he gave me his blessing to run with it.”

**Frank “Fraver” Verlizzo**

A closeup view of a woman's face showing one in which is reflected the face of a man — 草莓视频免费版app *Sondheim Celebration* (2002)

**Passion**

“I felt the dark and intense musical, *Passion*, needed a dark and intense image—hence the staring gaze of the main character, Fosca. Reflected in her eye is the object of her obsession, Giorgio. This was a brilliant Kennedy Center production, starring the amazing Judy Kuhn, whose glorious voice was perfect for the lush score. It also gave me a chance to design poster art for a musical that I love more and more each time I see and hear it.”

**Frank “Fraver” Verlizzo**

A yellow pencil sits on a sheet of lined note paper with a sketch of a witch and comments marked in blue writing — 草莓视频免费版app *Sondheim Celebration* (2002)

**Into the Woods, Jr.**

“The design I originally submitted to the Kennedy Center for this smaller-scale production, *Into the Woods, Jr.*, was rejected by Michael Kaiser and Max Woodward. My second entry—which includes blue-penciled corrections, the witch, a wooden ruler, and hole-punched school notepaper—was met with much more enthusiasm. It does serve to convey a clearer notion of educational guidance, which was the point of this version of the show.”

**Frank “Fraver” Verlizzo**

A yellow pencil sits atop a piece of sheet music over a red background with inscribed with the names of musicals — 草莓视频免费版app *Sondheim Celebration* (2002)

**Sondheim on Sondheim**

“*Sondheim on Sondheim* took place on April 28, 2002 at the Kennedy Center. It consisted of a fascinating interview, conducted by theatre critic Frank Rich, in which the composer and lyricist talked about his work and creative process. I asked Mr. Sondheim for permission to use an original piece of his hand-written sheet music for the poster. Having read that he mostly writes using a 2B lead pencil, I took the liberty of creating a special edition implement just for him. The titles of the musicals produced for the *Sondheim Celebration* are ghosted in the background.”

**Frank “Fraver” Verlizzo**

Three big words Streetcar, Menagerie, and Cat hold images of a streetcar, a glass figurine, and a woman in a slip. The words are tan, yellow, and blue on a black background. images of — **Tennesse Williams Explored** (2004)

“I am as big a Williams fan as I am a Sondheim fan. 草莓视频免费版app handed me the assignment of a lifetime, asking me to design the posters for its *Tennessee Williams Explored* celebration. Three of his greatest works: *Cat on a Hot Tin Roof*, *A Streetcar Named Desire*, and *The Glass Menagerie* were given first-rate productions featuring amazing casts and directors. My very graphic concept revolved around highlighting a famous word from each title.

“I realized that each time I discussed the shows with Max Woodward over the phone, he’d refer to Cat, or Streetcar, or Menagerie, as abbreviations for the play titles, so I focused on highlighting each word. That word would house an image. The posters were bold and each featured a predominant color.

“For *Streetcar*, I used a vintage image of criss-crossed tracks leading up to the titular vehicle. The color used was a dusty sepia.

“For *Menagerie*, I created a young woman made of glass. Typically, a unicorn figure is featured as a main image, but in doing my research, I discovered that Williams’ original title for this play was *Portrait of a Girl in Glass*, based on his 1943 short work. That served as my inspiration. The color used was an icy blue.

“For *Cat*, I employed a steamy photo of a woman wearing a loose slip, sitting on a rumpled bed. The color used was a hot magenta.”

**Frank “Fraver” Verlizzo**

An art deco style line drawing in shades of pink and burgundy of a smiling woman holding a cigarette in a gloved hand — **Mame** (2005)

“I began my work on the musical, *Mame*, well before Christine Baranski was cast in the starring role. All of my original poster ideas and sketches fell by the wayside when the Kennedy Center requested that I now feature Ms. Baranski in the artwork. I tried to distance this artwork from the well-known Broadway poster starring Angela Lansbury. I started by choosing a new color palette, and surrounded my Mame with soft rose tones and art deco flourishes to create an elegant portrait of our fantastic leading lady.”

**Frank “Fraver” Verlizzo**

An illustration of a woman looking upwards made of scraps of torn images of other faces — **Follies** (2011)

“*Follies* was a particularly challenging assignment from the Kennedy Center. As a Pratt Institute art student in the 1970s, my illustration teacher was David Edward Byrd, who had designed the quintessential theatre poster (of all time!) for the original Broadway production in 1972. Having to rethink the work of my famous mentor briefly held me in a near state of panic. After speaking with David Byrd (who was enthusiastic about my new project), I calmed down and dived into the work. I immediately became caught up in the many facets that shape *Follies*, and my hesitations vanished. I designed a total of twelve different pieces of art for this musical revival. The image that was chosen by Michael Kaiser is my favorite. When the production was mounted on Broadway in 2012, it was a thrilling event.”

**Frank “Fraver” Verlizzo**

A tall red velvet soldier's hat is adorned with a gold eagle crest and pom-pom. The black brim of the hat has a red lipstick print of a kiss. — **The Guardsman** (2012)

“My original directive was to treat the artwork as lightly comedic. Apparently, during the course of production, a new director was hired on board and changed the tone of the play. It was to be a bit darker than originally intended. Although my poster was used in the subscription campaign, the change in direction required the Kennedy Center’s Advertising Creative Director, Scott Bushnell, to reconceive the ad campaign by having a photo session with the actors that captured the tone of the newly reimagined production. My title design appeared on some merchandising though.”

**Frank “Fraver” Verlizzo**

Side Show (2013)

“It was fascinating to explore the world of carnival design in my research. The story of Side Show takes place in the 1930s, when most of the fairgrounds art was hand-painted on canvas tarps or tent facades. I became enamored of the rough, gritty texture of the banner fabrics. As with The Guardsman, my art was used for the subscription brochure but then the leads were cast. 草莓视频免费版app’s Advertising Creative Director, Scott Bushnell, held a photo session which now glamorized the Hilton Sisters and took the look of the advertising to entirely new heights. My poster design was used on some select merchandising.”

Frank “Fraver” Verlizzo

on a yellow painterly background is a colorful silhouette of a bearded man in a top hat. On top is a cut out of a young ballerina in a tutu. — **Little Dancer** (2014)

“Michael Kaiser and Max Woodward had just one request before I began designing for their new musical, *Little Dancer*, by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty, and directed by Susan Stroman. They did not want to see the internationally renowned Edgar Degas sculpture in the poster art. This stumped me for a while, but once I decided to concentrate on the profile of the artist, Degas himself, the concept fell into place easily. The figure of *La Petite Danseuse de Quatorze Ans* is so famous, most will recognize it from her silhouette alone. I chose the bright colors based on the celebrated artist’s traditionally brilliant palette.”

**Frank “Fraver” Verlizzo**

Frank “Fraver” Verlizzo

Frank Verlizzo headshot Frank “Fraver” Verlizzo has left an indelible mark on the landscape of the American theatre. He’s created poster art for over 300 Broadway, Off-Broadway, regional and international productions, including some of the most memorable designs in theatre history including The Lion King, Sweeney Todd, and Sunday in the Park with George. Playbill has called him, “the theatre poster legend.” In 1987, Fraver’s designs garnered him a Special Drama Desk Award for “consistently inspired artwork for theatrical productions,” an honor never before bestowed in the area of theatrical advertising. In 2011, The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts at Lincoln Center presented a retrospective exhibit of his posters in celebration of his illustrious career. Born in New York City, Frank is a graduate of the High School of Art & Design in Manhattan, and earned his BFA from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn.

Kennedy Center Posters by Scott Bushnell

A cartoon illustrations shows an eagle with a protest sign, a female judge with a beehive hairdo, and sexy legs spilling out of an Uncle Sam top hat — **Let Freedom Sing** (1987)

“This satirical revue with music by some 30 composers and writers—including Stephen Schwartz, Sheldon Harnick, Alan Menken, and George C. Wolfe—took delight in poking fun at the Constitution. With songs and sketches featuring the Statue of Liberty as a hooker, students praying in school to score, and presidents as beauty contestants, it seemed to call for a cartoonish illustration.”

**Scott Bushnell**

An illustration of two faceless figures hiding behind comedy and tragedy masks in front of an imposing block of urban buildings — **Wenceslas Square** (1988)

“This play by Larry Shue is based on his own experiences visiting Prague in 1974 and talking to actors who were forced to go underground due to political oppression. The illustration reflects the theatrical community having to hide their identities and ideologies, as two anonymous figures meet in the city’s famed square. I chose the style to echo the political posters of Eastern Europe.”

**Scott Bushnell**

A black and white illustration of a man's face in half shadow behind a wire mesh fence — **Incommunicado** (1989)

“This play by Tom Dulack about poet Ezra Pound featured actor David Hurst imprisoned in a metal cage for most of the performance. I chose to create a portrait of the actor chopped up by the mesh of the cage, signifying his ‘incommunicado’ status as a prisoner of war. It has the look of a woodcut but I actually drew it in ink.”

**Scott Bushnell**

An illustration of a smiling woman in pilot garb giving the thumbs-up sign while behind her biplanes perform aerial acrobatics — **Lolly Foster's Daredevil Airshow** (1993)

“This world premiere play featured deaf actress Phyllis Frelich (known for *Children of a Lesser God*) as a deaf aerialist from the 1920s. I created a portrait of Phyllis in pilot garb while planes do acrobatics in the sky behind her. The play was actually performed in ASL with translation via headsets for the hearing audience members.”

**Scott Bushnell**

A young girl in a blue dress and straw hat stands facing a red curtained tent with a suitcase at her feet. Colored lights shine above. — **Carnival!** (2007)

“For the Kennedy Center revival of this 1961 musical by Michael Stewart and Bob Merrill, I chose to depict the moment of anticipation before all the excitement waiting inside the carnival tent. The young orphan Lili has arrived with her battered suitcase hoping to find a new life. The production was really fun because it featured real acrobats, puppets, and even magic tricks!”

**Scott Bushnell**

A woman and a man touch foreheads with their eyes closed in an intimate black and white portrait — **The Guardsman** (2013)

“Frank Verlizzo was originally hired to do the artwork for this 1911 play by Ferenc Molnár that is usually played as a farce. During the rehearsal process, a new director came aboard and decided to find the human truth hidden in the comedy. So with this much more serious direction and two leads who were well-known television actors, we decided to do a photo shoot in New York with iconic celebrity portrait photographer Brigitte Lacombe. She shot Sarah Wayne Callies (of *The Walking Dead*) and Finn Witrock (of *American Horror Story*) in a romantic and intimate pose. Although the photo was modern, I chose to reflect the period of the piece through the Art Nouveau type treatment of the title.”

**Scott Bushnell**

Two showgirls joined at the hip wear red velvet dresses in front of a red curtain in a spotlight — **Side Show** (2014)

“Frank Verlizzo created the first poster for this Kennedy Center revival before the roles were cast. Once we had our stars, I called photographer Cade Martin to do a photo shoot. In addition to this image of the conjoined Hilton sisters in front of a vaudeville curtain, we did another shot with them in elegant white gowns on a side show set complete with sawdust floor and banners advertising the Freaks. We did keep Frank’s title treatment on this version of the poster. When the show transferred to Broadway, the poster was redesigned again by a New York agency to not show the leads’ faces, in case of future replacements.”

**Scott Bushnell**

A grid of trading cards featuring images of circus freaks in a faded vintage color palette — **Side Show** **Trading Cards** (2014)

“One of the coolest things about the Kennedy Center’s revival of the musical *Side Show* was the amazingly realistic makeup for “The Freaks” by Cookie Jordan and Dave and Lou Elsey. Broadway photographer (and former Kennedy Center in-house photographer) Joan Marcus shot individual portraits of each Freak in addition to a group photo. The photos were so compelling, I thought it would be fun to create a set of vintage trading cards. While no actual cards were ever printed (a lucky few received a handmade set), we did use the images on social media and I made this poster just for fun.”

**Scott Bushnell**

A black man in a suit and tie poses with arms crossed in front of two Civil War generals with bright sunlight behind them — **Appomattox** (2015)

“For the Washington National Opera’s production of the Philip Glass opera *Appomattox*, I collaborated with one of my favorite photographers, Cade Martin. Since the opera jumps back and forth in time between the ending of the Civil War at Appomattox and the Civil Rights movement in the 1960s, I chose to juxtapose Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with Generals Grant and Lee. Solomon Howard, who was singing the role, posed as Dr. King. For the generals, I found two Civil War reenactors, one from from Virginia and one from Pennsylvania, who arrived with their own costumes, complete with swords and sashes!”

**Scott Bushnell**

A screaming man stands in a fiery pit as flaming demonic hands tear at his clothes — **Don Giovanni** (2020)

“Mozart’s opera *Don Giovanni* famously ends with its villain being dragged down to hell for all of his crimes against women. In another collaboration with photographer Cade Martin, we constructed a giant platform with a hole in the middle that opera star Ryan McKinny stood in. A female model crouched behind him to portray the demons grabbing at his clothes (fiery effects added later!). We actually had to reschedule this shoot because of a giant snowstorm that trapped Ryan in North Carolina. When we did finally do it, I felt bad for making an opera singer scream repeatedly, but Ryan was game and the results were terrifying.”

**Scott Bushnell**

Scott Bushnell

Scott Bushnell headshot Scott Bushnell has led the Kennedy Center’s visual brand for over 34 years. As Director of Creative and Brand Strategy, he develops designs and copy for institutional communications and manages a team of writers and designers to create advertising for more than 1,500 performances annually. He has lectured on arts marketing before college students, working professionals, and a variety of arts organizations across the country. A graduate of George Washington University with a degree in Visual Communications, he began his career at the Center in 1987 as part of the first in-house advertising department. With beginnings before the advent of desktop publishing, he brings an analog designer’s respect for craftsmanship and typography to the digital present.

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