Beautiful: The Carole King Musical

Television Camera Project:

The 1960s camera was made from several different kinds of foam and a cardboard box. The bulk of the weight was in the base and wheels, which ended up working perfectly for the sequence. The camera was only used for the “One Fine Day” sequence and part of the “One Fine Day (Reprise)” and moved quickly across the stage. The rake of the aisles to get to the passerelle where the actors entered and exited was too steep for the camera to roll up quickly, so it had to be light enough to carry. In retrospect, I should have used a primer or some kind of barrier between the foam and the spray paint to avoid some of the imperfections that happened.

Camera Process

Additional Projects and Show Details:

The log cabin couch was created from cushions and a couch base that were donated to the theatre but didn’t have the right look. I used a cut-up quilt to reface the cushions, and the base got a fresh coat of paint. In that same scene, we used unsweetened instant iced tea to make faux liquor for the bar cart bottles. There was also a specific book that I photoshopped to get the right title and look, and I rewrapped it in tissue paper before every performance. The rest of the props in this show were set dressing for the offices and various other locations like the bar and school.

Process & Show Photos