Wagner, Robin 1933–

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Wagner, Robin 1933–

PERSONAL

Full name, Robin Samuel Anton Wagner; born August 31, 1933, in San Francisco, CA; son of Jens Otto and Phyllis Edna Catherine (maiden name, Smith-Spurgeon) Wagner; married Paula (a producer; divorced); children: Kurt, Leslie, Christie. Education: Attended California School of Fine Arts, 1952-54. Religion: Roman Catholic.

Addresses:

Office—Robin Wagner Studio, 890 Broadway, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10003-1211.

Career:

Set designer. Scarab Productions, president, 1975; Columbia University, New York, NY, professor of theatre arts, 1988; The Design Edge, senior vice president, 1989. Has designed sets for operas, ballets, and other theatre productions around the world as well as for performers, including the Fifth Dimension, the Jo Jo Dancers, and the Rolling Stones. National Corporate Theatre Fund, advisory board member; League of Professional Theatre Training Programs, steering committee member; Broadway Theatre Institute, advisory committee member; Theatre Advisory Council for City of New York, advisory board member; New York Shakespeare Festival, trustee; New York International Festival of the Arts, member of the art advisory committee.

Member:

United Scenic Artists.

Awards, Honors:

Drama Desk Award, set design, 1971, for Lenny; Antoinette Perry Award nomination, best scenic designer, 1972, for Jesus Christ Superstar; Joseph Maharam Award, 1973; Boston Critics Award, 1974; Lumen Award, 1975; Theatre World Award, 1975; Joseph Maharam Award, 1975; Antoinette Perry Award nomination, best scenic designer, 1975, for Mack and Mabel; Antoinette Perry Award, best scenic designer, Drama Desk Award, set design, 1978, both for On the Twentieth Century; Outer Circle Critics Award, 1978; Dramalogue Award, 1980; Antoinette Perry Award nomination, best scenic designer, Drama Desk Award nomination, outstanding special effects, 1982, both for Dreamgirls; Joseph Maharam Award, 1982; Antoinette Perry Award, best scenic design, Drama Desk Award, set design, Outer Circle Critics Award, design, 1990, all for City of Angels; award for excellence in theatre, Ensemble Studio Theatre, 1990; Drama Desk Award nomination, outstanding set design, Outer Critics Circle Award, design, 1992, both for Crazy for You; Antoinette Perry Award nomination, best scenic design, 1992, for Jelly's Last Jam; Boston Critics Award, 1992; Laurence Olivier Award nomination, scenic design, Society of West End Theatre, 1993, for London production of Crazy for You; Antoinette Perry Award nomination, best scenic design, 1993, for Angels in America: Millennium Approaches; Dora Mayer Moore Award, Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts, 1995; Lifetime Achievement Award, New England Theatre Conference, 1996; En Garde Arts honoree, 1996; Drama Desk Award nomination, outstanding set design for a musical, 1996, for Victor/Victoria; Drama Desk Award nomination, outstanding set design of a musical, 1997, for Big; Theatre Hall of Fame, inductee, 1999; Outer Critics Circle Award, outstanding scenic design, Antoinette Perry Award nomination, best scenic designer, Drama Desk Award, outstanding set design of a musical, 2000, all for Kiss Me Kate; Antoinette Perry Award, best scenic designer, Drama Desk Award, outstanding set design of a musical, Outer Critics Circle Award, outstanding scenic design, 2001, all for The Producers; Laurence Olivier Theatre Award nomination, best set designer, Society of London Theatre, 2002, for Kiss Me Kate; two New York Critics Circle awards.

CREDITS

Stage Set Designer:

Don Pasquale, Golden Gate Opera Workshop, San Francisco, CA, 1953.

Amahl and the Night Visitors, Golden Gate Opera Workshop, 1953.

Zanetto, Golden Gate Opera Workshop, 1953.

Tea and Sympathy, Theatre Arts Colony, 1954.

Waiting for Godot, Actors Workshop, San Francisco, CA, 1957.

The Miser, Actors Workshop, 1958.

The Ticklish Acrobat, Actors Workshop, 1958.

The Filling Station, San Francisco Ballet Company, San Francisco, CA, 1958.

The Guardsman, Sacramento Civic Ballet, Sacramento, CA, 1958.

The Plaster Bambino, Actors Workshop, 1959.

And the Wind Blows, St. Marks Playhouse, New York City, 1959.

The Prodigal, Downtown Theatre, New York City, 1960.

Between Two Thieves, York Playhouse, New York City, 1960.

Borak, Martinique Theatre, New York City, 1960-61.

A Worm in Horseradish, Maidman Playhouse, New York City, 1961.

Entertain a Ghost, Irish Players, Actors Playhouse, New York City, 1962.

The Days and Nights of Beebee Fenstermaker, Irish Players, Sheridan Square Playhouse, New York City, 1962-63.

The Playboy of the Western World, Irish Players, 1962.

Cages, New York City, 1963.

In White America, Sheridan Square Playhouse, New York City, 1963.

The Burning, New York City, 1963.

The White Rose and the Red, New York City, 1964.

Dark of the Moon, Arena Stage, Washington, DC, 1964.

Galileo, Arena Stage, 1964.

In White America, Players Theatre, New York City, 1965.

A View from the Bridge, Sheridan Square Playhouse, 1965-66.

An Evening's Frost, Theatre de Lys, New York City, 1965-66.

The Condemned of Altona, Vivian Beaumont Theatre, New York City, 1966.

Oh What a Lovely War, Arena Stage, 1966.

Macbeth, Arena Stage, 1966.

Wind in the Willows, Arena Stage, 1966.

The Magistrate, Arena Stage, 1966-67.

The Crucible, Arena Stage, 1967.

Love Match, Los Angeles, 1967.

The Inspector General, Arena Stage, 1967.

Look Back in Anger, Arena Stage, 1967.

The Andersonville Trial, Arena Stage, 1967.

Galileo, Vivian Beaumont Theatre, 1967.

The Trial of Lee Harvey Oswald, American National Theatre and Academy, New York City, 1967.

A Certain Young Man, Stage 73, New York City, 1967.

Major Barbara, Arena Stage, c. 1967.

Poor Bitos, Arena Stage, c. 1967.

The Tenth Man, Arena Stage, c. 1968.

Room Service, Arena Stage, c. 1968.

The Iceman Cometh, Arena Stage, c. 1968.

The Blood Knot, Arena Stage, c. 1968.

Wind in the Willows, Arena Stage, c. 1968.

The Great White Hope, Arena Stage, 1968.

Hair, Biltmore Theatre, New York City, 1968-72.

Lovers and Other Strangers, Brooks Atkinson Theatre, New York City, 1968.

The Cuban Thing, Henry Millers Theatre, New York City, 1968.

The Great White Hope, Alvin Theatre, New York City, 1968-69.

Promises, Promises, Shubert Theatre, New York City, 1968-71.

Hair, Shaftesbury Theatre, London, 1968.

Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris, Arena Stage, c. 1969.

The Cage, Arena Stage, c. 1969.

Edith Stein, Arena Stage, c. 1969.

You Can't Take It with You, Arena Stage, c. 1969.

The Watering Place, Music Box Theatre, New York City, 1969.

My Daughter, Your Son, Booth Theatre, New York City, 1969.

Promises, Promises, London, 1969.

The Cherry Orchard, Arena Stage, c. 1970.

The Chemmy Circle, Arena Stage, c. 1970.

Enchanted Night, Arena Stage, c. 1970.

The Police, Arena Stage, c. 1970.

Dance of Death, Arena Stage, c. 1970.

No Place to Be Somebody, Arena Stage, c. 1970.

Gantry, George Abbott Theatre, New York City, 1970.

The Rise and the Fall of the City of Mahagonny (also known as Mahagonny), Anderson Theatre, New York City, 1970.

The Engagement Baby, Helen Hayes Theatre, New York City, 1970.

Lenny, Brooks Atkinson Theatre, 1971-72.

Jesus Christ Superstar, Mark Hellinger Theatre, New York City, 1971-73.

Inner City, Ethel Barrymore Theatre, New York City, 1971-72.

Sugar, Majestic Theatre, New York City, 1972-73.

Lysistrata, Brooks Atkinson Theatre, 1972.

Julius Caesar, American Shakespeare Festival, Stratford, CT, 1972.

Antony and Cleopatra, American Shakespeare Festival, 1972.

Major Barbara, American Shakespeare Festival, 1972.

Seesaw, Uris Theatre, New York City, 1973.

Full Circle, American National Theatre and Academy, 1973.

Rachael Lily Rosenbloom and Don't You Ever Forget It!, Broadhurst Theatre, New York City, 1973.

Mack and Mabel, Majestic Theatre, 1974.

The Fifth Dimension with Jo Jo's Dance Factory, Uris Theatre, New York City, 1974.

Sergeant Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band on the Road, Beacon Theatre, New York City, 1974-75.

A Chorus Line, Shubert Theatre, Boston, MA, 1975-90.

The Red Devil Battery Sign, Shubert Theatre, 1975.

Les Troyens, Vienna State Opera, Vienna, Austria, 1976.

Hamlet Connotations, American Ballet Theatre, New York City, 1976.

A Chorus Line, London, 1977.

West Side Story, Hamburg State Opera, Hamburg, Germany, 1977.

Julius Caesar, Stratford, CT, 1978.

On the Twentieth Century, St. James Theatre, New York City, 1978.

Ballroom, Majestic Theatre, 1978-79.

Comin Uptown, Winter Garden Theatre, New York City, 1979.

Swing, New York City, 1980.

42nd Street, Winter Garden Theatre, 1980-81, then Majestic Theatre, 1981-87, later St. James Theatre, 1987-89.

One Night Stand, Nederlander Theatre, New York City, 1980.

Semmelweiss, New York City, 1981.

Dreamgirls, Imperial Theatre, New York City, 1981-85.

Barber of Seville, Metropolitan Opera, New York City, 1982.

Mahalia, Hartford Theatre Company, Stamford, CT, 1981, then Hartman Theatre, Stamford, CT, 1982.

Merlin, Mark Hellinger Theatre, 1983.

Three Dances, Eliot Field Ballet, New York City, 1983.

Jewels, New York City Ballet, 1983.

Measure for Measure, New York Shakespeare Festival, Delacort Theatre, Central Park, New York City, 1985.

Song and Dance, Royale Theatre, New York City, 1985-86.

Chess, London, 1987.

Dreamgirls, Ambassador Theatre, New York City, 1987.

Teddy and Alice, Minskoff Theatre, New York City, 1987-88.

Chess, Imperial Theatre, New York City, 1988.

Jerome Robbins Broadway, Imperial Theatre, 1989-90.

City of Angels, Virginia Theatre, New York City, 1989-92.

Hamlet, Anspacher Theatre, Public Theatre, New York City, 1990.

William Tell, Royal Opera House, Covent Garden Theatre, London, 1991.

Crazy for You, Shubert Theatre, 1992-96.

Jelly's Last Jam, Virginia Theatre, 1992-93.

Crazy for You, London, 1993.

City of Angels, London, 1993.

Putting It Together, City Center Theatre, Stage I, then Manhattan Theatre Club, both New York City, 1993.

Angels in America: Millennium Approaches, Walter Kerr Theatre, New York City, 1993-94.

Angels in America: Perestroika, Walter Kerr Theatre, 1993-94.

Victor/Victoria, Marquis Theatre, New York City, 1995-97.

Death Defying Acts, Variety Arts Theatre, New York City, 1995-96.

Big, Schubert Theatre, 1996.

Dreamgirls, Providence Performing Arts Center, Providence, RI, 1997.

The Life, Ethel Barrymore Theatre, 1997-98.

Side Show, Richard Rodgers Theatre, New York City, 1997-98.

Saturday Night Fever, Palladium Theatre, London, 1998, then Minskoff Theatre, 1999-2000.

Kiss Me Kate, Martin Beck Theatre, New York City, 1999-2001, then Victoria Palace, London, 2001.

The Wild Party, Virginia Theatre, 2000.

The Producers, St. James Theatre, 2001-2007.

Flower Drum Song, Virginia Theatre, New York City, 2002-2003.

Never Gonna Dance, Broadhurst Theatre, 2003-2004.

The Boy from Oz, Imperial Theatre, 2003-2004.

Resurrection Blues, Old Vic Theatre, London, 2006.

A Chorus Line, Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre, New York City, 2006.

Young Frankenstein, Hilton Theatre, New York City, 2007—.

Also worked as set designer for The Immortalist, Encore Theatre, San Francisco, CA; Dark Side of the Moon, Encore Theatre; Tokyo productions of A Chorus Line, Dreamgirls, 42nd Street, City of Angels, and Crazy for You.

Major Tours (as Set Designer):

Dreamgirls, North American cities, 1985-87.

Forty-second Street, U.S. cities, 1989.

The Producers, U.S. cities, c. 2002.

Also designed sets for Hair; Promises, Promises; Swing.

Stage Work; Other:

Lighting designer, Borak, Martinique Theatre, New York City, 1960-61.

Assistant to Mr. Edwards, Big Fish, Little Fish, American National Theatre and Academy, New York City, 1961.

Assistant to Mr. Edwards, The Aspern Papers, Playhouse Theatre, New York City, 1962.

Assistant to Mr. Edwards, Harold, Cort Theatre, New York City, 1962.

Lightening designer, The Days and Nights of Beebee Fenstermaker, Irish Players, Sheridan Square Playhouse, New York City, 1962-63.

Assistant to Mr. Smith, 110 in the Shade, Broadhurst Theatre, New York City, 1963-64.

Assistant to Mr. Smith, Hello, Dolly!, St. James Theatre, New York City, 1964-70.

Assistant to Oliver Smith, Luv, Booth Theatre, New York City, 1966, then Broadhurst Theatre, New York City, 1966-67, then Helen Hayes Theatre, New York City, 1966-67.

Producer, Million Dollar Musical, Coconut Grove Playhouse, Coconut Grove, FL, 1987.

Film Production Designer:

My Old Man's Place (also known as Glory Boy), Cinerama, 1970.

Chess, 2003.

Film Art Direction:

My Old Man's Place (also known as Glory Boy), Cinerama, 1970.

Television Set Designer; Series:

NBC News, NBC, 1971.

Television Production Designer; Movies:

Hamlet, 1990.

Television Set Designer; Specials:

Il Barbiere di Siviglia, PBS, 1989.

"Jammin: Jelly Roll Morton on Broadway," Great Performances, PBS, 1992.

"Victor/Victoria," Julie Andrews: Back on Broadway, 1995.

Crazy for You (also known as The Gershwins' "Crazy for You"), PBS, 1999.

Kiss Me Kate, PBS, 2003.

Television Appearances; Specials:

The 44th Annual Tony Awards, CBS, 1990.

OTHER SOURCES

Books:

Contemporary Designers, 3rd edition, St. James Press, 1997.