Anna Louizos
Encyclopedia
Anna Louizos is an American
scenic designer and art director
. She is best known for her Tony Award
-nominated sets for the musicals In the Heights
and High Fidelity
, as well as the London
, Broadway
, Las Vegas
, and touring productions of Avenue Q
. Louizos is currently represented on Broadway with Baby It's You!
at the Broadhurst Theatre
.
. She saw her first Broadway musical, Applause
with Lauren Bacall
, at age fifteen. Interested in performing as an actress, Louizos studied at Mills College
, Oakland, before transferring to New York University
to complete a degree
in acting. "Instructors recognized her talent as a visual artist, and progressively her post-graduate focus shifted to design," wrote Andy Smith of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS
. She used to live in the East Village
, Manhattan
, New York City
.
in 1993, and designed sets for the Broadway musical The Red Shoes
in December of that year. She followed this with the Broadway production of The Scarlet Pimpernel
(1997) at the Minskoff
and Neil Simon Theatre
s. From April to June 2000, she was associate scenic designer for the comedic play Taller Than a Dwarf. Louizos then joined the creative team of Uncle Vanya
on Broadway.
Her first major production credit as scenic designer came in 2003, with the critically acclaimed musical Avenue Q
. Written by Jeff Whitty
, Robert Lopez
and Jeff Marx
, the musical premiered off-Broadway
before opening on Broadway at the John Golden Theatre
. Wrote one reviewer of Louizos' sets: "[She] provides an adaptable row of ramshackle houses that convey a down-at-heel atmosphere and somehow change character to fit the mood, rather like glorified dolls' houses."
Following the opening of Avenue Q, Louizos became art director for eight episodes of the 2003 television series Sex and the City, and also worked on the short-lived play Golda's Balcony
at the Helen Hayes Theatre
. Susequent credits include the Broadway shows Steel Magnolias
(2005), High Fidelity
(2006), Curtains
(2007), and In the Heights
(2007).
Other scenic design work includes the regional premieres of Crimes of the Heart
, Minsky's
, and Vanities, the Musical, as well as the off-Broadway
productions of Altar Boyz and Tick, Tick... Boom!
. She designed sets for the Manhattan Theatre Club
production of To Be or Not to Be
at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre.
In November 2008, Louizos became set designer for the short-lived musical White Christmas
on Broadway at the Marquis Theatre
. A year later, in November 2009, the musical returned to Broadway
in a revival production at the Marquis Theatre. She currently serves as the scenic designer for the Broadway musical Baby It's You!
, which opened in April 2011 at the Broadhurst Theatre
.
Drama Desk Awards
Lucille Lortel Awards
Emmy Awards
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
scenic designer and art director
Art director
The art director is a person who supervise the creative process of a design.The term 'art director' is a blanket title for a variety of similar job functions in advertising, publishing, film and television, the Internet, and video games....
. She is best known for her Tony Award
Tony Award
The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes achievement in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual ceremony in New York City. The awards are given for Broadway...
-nominated sets for the musicals In the Heights
In the Heights
In the Heights is a musical with music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda and a book by Quiara Alegría Hudes. The story explores three days in the characters' lives in the New York City Dominican-American neighborhood of Washington Heights....
and High Fidelity
High Fidelity (musical)
High Fidelity is a musical with a book by David Lindsay-Abaire, lyrics by Amanda Green, and music by Tom Kitt. Based primarily on the Nick Hornby novel rather than the subsequent film version it inspired, the plot focuses on Rob Gordon, a Brooklyn record shop owner in his thirties obsessed with...
, as well as the London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
, Las Vegas
Las Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...
, and touring productions of Avenue Q
Avenue Q
Avenue Q is a musical in two acts, conceived by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx, who wrote the music and lyrics. The book was written by Jeff Whitty and the show was directed by Jason Moore and produced by Kevin McCollum, Robyn Goodman, and Jeffrey Seller...
. Louizos is currently represented on Broadway with Baby It's You!
Baby It's You!
Baby It's You! is a jukebox musical written by Floyd Mutrux and Colin Escott, featuring the music of the 1960s pop group The Shirelles. The show "tells the story of Florence Greenberg and Scepter Records, the label Florence started when she signed The Shirelles." After several tryouts and...
at the Broadhurst Theatre
Broadhurst Theatre
The Broadhurst Theatre is a legitimate Broadway theatre located at 235 West 44th Street in midtown Manhattan.It was designed by architect Herbert J. Krapp, a well-known theatre designer who had been working directly with the Shubert brothers; the Broadhurst opened 27 September 1917...
.
Early life and training
Louizos was born and grew up in Yuba City, CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. She saw her first Broadway musical, Applause
Applause (musical)
Applause is a musical with a book by Betty Comden and Adolph Green, lyrics by Lee Adams, and music by Charles Strouse. It won the Tony Award for Best Musical and Lauren Bacall won the Tony for Best Actress in a Musical....
with Lauren Bacall
Lauren Bacall
Lauren Bacall is an American film and stage actress and model, known for her distinctive husky voice and sultry looks.She first emerged as leading lady in the Humphrey Bogart film To Have And Have Not and continued on in the film noir genre, with appearances in The Big Sleep and Dark Passage ,...
, at age fifteen. Interested in performing as an actress, Louizos studied at Mills College
Mills College
Mills College is an independent liberal arts women's college founded in 1852 that offers bachelor's degrees to women and graduate degrees and certificates to women and men. Located in Oakland, California, Mills was the first women's college west of the Rockies. The institution was initially founded...
, Oakland, before transferring to New York University
New York University
New York University is a private, nonsectarian research university based in New York City. NYU's main campus is situated in the Greenwich Village section of Manhattan...
to complete a degree
Academic degree
An academic degree is a position and title within a college or university that is usually awarded in recognition of the recipient having either satisfactorily completed a prescribed course of study or having conducted a scholarly endeavour deemed worthy of his or her admission to the degree...
in acting. "Instructors recognized her talent as a visual artist, and progressively her post-graduate focus shifted to design," wrote Andy Smith of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS
Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS
Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS is the theatre community’s response to the AIDS crisis. By drawing upon the talents, resources and generosity of the theatre community, on Broadway, Off-Broadway and across the country, BC/EFA raises funds for AIDS-related causes across the United States...
. She used to live in the East Village
East Village, Manhattan
The East Village is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City, lying east of Greenwich Village, south of Gramercy and Stuyvesant Town, and north of the Lower East Side...
, Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
Career
Louizos served as art director at the 47th Tony Awards47th Tony Awards
The 47th Annual Tony Awards was broadcast by CBS from the Gershwin Theatre in New York City on June 6, 1993. The host was Liza Minnelli.Presenters: Bea Arthur, Tom Bosley, Matthew Broderick, Ellen Burstyn, Diahann Carroll, Michael Crawford, Tyne Daly, Tammy Grimes, Marvin Hamlisch, Julie Harris,...
in 1993, and designed sets for the Broadway musical The Red Shoes
The Red Shoes (musical)
The Red Shoes is a musical with a book by Marsha Norman, lyrics by Norman and Bob Merrill and music by Jule Styne...
in December of that year. She followed this with the Broadway production of The Scarlet Pimpernel
The Scarlet Pimpernel (musical)
The Scarlet Pimpernel is a musical with music by Frank Wildhorn and lyrics and book by Nan Knighton, based on the novel of the same name by Baroness Orczy. The show is set in England and France during the Reign of Terror of the French Revolution...
(1997) at the Minskoff
Minskoff Theatre
The Minskoff Theatre is a legitimate Broadway theatre, located at 1515 Broadway in midtown-Manhattan. It is now showing the musical The Lion King, based on the Disney animated film of the same name....
and Neil Simon Theatre
Neil Simon Theatre
The Neil Simon Theatre, formerly the Alvin Theatre, is a Broadway venue built in 1927 and located at 250 West 52nd Street in midtown-Manhattan....
s. From April to June 2000, she was associate scenic designer for the comedic play Taller Than a Dwarf. Louizos then joined the creative team of Uncle Vanya
Uncle Vanya
Uncle Vanya is a play by the Russian playwright Anton Chekhov. It was first published in 1897 and received its Moscow première in 1899 in a production by the Moscow Art Theatre, under the direction of Konstantin Stanislavski....
on Broadway.
Her first major production credit as scenic designer came in 2003, with the critically acclaimed musical Avenue Q
Avenue Q
Avenue Q is a musical in two acts, conceived by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx, who wrote the music and lyrics. The book was written by Jeff Whitty and the show was directed by Jason Moore and produced by Kevin McCollum, Robyn Goodman, and Jeffrey Seller...
. Written by Jeff Whitty
Jeff Whitty
Jeff Whitty is an American playwright. His works for the stage include the musical Avenue Q, for which he won the Tony Award for Best Book of a musical.-Career:...
, Robert Lopez
Robert Lopez
Robert Lopez is an American composer and lyricist of musicals best known for co-writing the Broadway musical Avenue Q and for co-creating the musical The Book of Mormon, receiving Tony Awards for both works....
and Jeff Marx
Jeff Marx
Jeff Marx is a composer and lyricist of musicals. He is best known for creating the Broadway musical Avenue Q with collaborator Robert Lopez.- Early life :...
, the musical premiered off-Broadway
Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway theater is a term for a professional venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, and for a specific production of a play, musical or revue that appears in such a venue, and which adheres to related trade union and other contracts...
before opening on Broadway at the John Golden Theatre
John Golden Theatre
The John Golden Theatre is a Broadway theatre located at 252 West 45th Street in midtown-Manhattan. Designed in a Moorish style along with the adjacent Royale Theatre by architect Herbert J. Krapp for Irwin Chanin, it opened as the Theatre Masque on February 24 1927 with the play Puppets of Passion...
. Wrote one reviewer of Louizos' sets: "[She] provides an adaptable row of ramshackle houses that convey a down-at-heel atmosphere and somehow change character to fit the mood, rather like glorified dolls' houses."
Following the opening of Avenue Q, Louizos became art director for eight episodes of the 2003 television series Sex and the City, and also worked on the short-lived play Golda's Balcony
Golda's Balcony
Golda's Balcony is a play by William Gibson.It follows the trajectory of the life of Golda Meir from Russian immigrant to American schoolteacher to a leader of international politics as the fourth Prime Minister of Israel. Much of its focus is on the period surrounding the 1973 Yom Kippur War, when...
at the Helen Hayes Theatre
Helen Hayes Theatre
Helen Hayes Theatre with 597 seats is the smallest Broadway theatre and is located at 240 West 44th Street in midtown-Manhattan....
. Susequent credits include the Broadway shows Steel Magnolias
Steel Magnolias
Steel Magnolias is a 1989 American comedy-drama film directed by Herbert Ross that stars Sally Field, Shirley MacLaine, Olympia Dukakis, Dolly Parton, Daryl Hannah and Julia Roberts....
(2005), High Fidelity
High Fidelity (musical)
High Fidelity is a musical with a book by David Lindsay-Abaire, lyrics by Amanda Green, and music by Tom Kitt. Based primarily on the Nick Hornby novel rather than the subsequent film version it inspired, the plot focuses on Rob Gordon, a Brooklyn record shop owner in his thirties obsessed with...
(2006), Curtains
Curtains (musical)
Curtains is a musical with a book by Rupert Holmes, lyrics by Fred Ebb, and music by John Kander, with additional lyrics by Kander and Holmes....
(2007), and In the Heights
In the Heights
In the Heights is a musical with music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda and a book by Quiara Alegría Hudes. The story explores three days in the characters' lives in the New York City Dominican-American neighborhood of Washington Heights....
(2007).
Other scenic design work includes the regional premieres of Crimes of the Heart
Crimes of the Heart
Crimes of the Heart is a play by Beth Henley.-Synopsis:At the core of the tragic comedy are the three Magrath sisters, Meg, Babe, and Lenny, who reunite at Old Granddaddy's home in Hazlehurst, Mississippi after Babe shoots her abusive husband. The trio was raised in a dysfunctional family with a...
, Minsky's
Minsky's
Minsky's is a musical by Bob Martin , Charles Strouse , and Susan Birkenhead , and is loosely based on the 1968 movie The Night They Raided Minsky's....
, and Vanities, the Musical, as well as the off-Broadway
Off-Broadway
Off-Broadway theater is a term for a professional venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, and for a specific production of a play, musical or revue that appears in such a venue, and which adheres to related trade union and other contracts...
productions of Altar Boyz and Tick, Tick... Boom!
Tick, Tick... BOOM!
Tick, Tick... Boom! is a musical written by American composer Jonathan Larson, who won a Pulitzer and two Tony Awards for his musical Rent. Tick Tick Boom tells the story of an aspiring composer named Jon, who lives in New York City in 1990. Jon is worried he has made the wrong career choice to...
. She designed sets for the Manhattan Theatre Club
Manhattan Theatre Club
Manhattan Theatre Club is a theater company located in New York City. Under the leadership of Artistic Director Lynne Meadow and Executive Producer Barry Grove, Manhattan Theatre Club has grown since its founding in 1970 from an Off-Off Broadway showcase into one of the country’s most acclaimed...
production of To Be or Not to Be
To Be or Not to Be (play)
To Be or Not to Be was a Broadway play, a remake of the 1942 film To Be or Not to Be. It was written by Nick Whitby and produced by the Manhattan Theatre Club, New York City. Previews started on September 16, 2008 and the show opened on October 14 at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre for a limited...
at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre.
In November 2008, Louizos became set designer for the short-lived musical White Christmas
White Christmas (musical)
White Christmas is a musical based on the Paramount Pictures 1954 film of the same name. The libretto is by David Ives and Paul Blake, with music and lyrics by Irving Berlin...
on Broadway at the Marquis Theatre
Marquis Theatre
The Marquis Theatre is a legitimate Broadway theatre located at 1535 Broadway in midtown-Manhattan.Situated on the third floor of the Marriott Marquis Hotel, the 1611-seat venue was designed by developer/architect John C. Portman, Jr...
. A year later, in November 2009, the musical returned to Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
in a revival production at the Marquis Theatre. She currently serves as the scenic designer for the Broadway musical Baby It's You!
Baby It's You!
Baby It's You! is a jukebox musical written by Floyd Mutrux and Colin Escott, featuring the music of the 1960s pop group The Shirelles. The show "tells the story of Florence Greenberg and Scepter Records, the label Florence started when she signed The Shirelles." After several tryouts and...
, which opened in April 2011 at the Broadhurst Theatre
Broadhurst Theatre
The Broadhurst Theatre is a legitimate Broadway theatre located at 235 West 44th Street in midtown Manhattan.It was designed by architect Herbert J. Krapp, a well-known theatre designer who had been working directly with the Shubert brothers; the Broadhurst opened 27 September 1917...
.
Awards and nominations
Tony Awards- In the HeightsIn the HeightsIn the Heights is a musical with music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda and a book by Quiara Alegría Hudes. The story explores three days in the characters' lives in the New York City Dominican-American neighborhood of Washington Heights....
(2008, Best Scenic Design of a Musical) (nominee) - High FidelityHigh Fidelity (musical)High Fidelity is a musical with a book by David Lindsay-Abaire, lyrics by Amanda Green, and music by Tom Kitt. Based primarily on the Nick Hornby novel rather than the subsequent film version it inspired, the plot focuses on Rob Gordon, a Brooklyn record shop owner in his thirties obsessed with...
(2007, Best Scenic Design of a Musical) (nominee)
Drama Desk Awards
- Irving Berlin's White ChristmasWhite Christmas (musical)White Christmas is a musical based on the Paramount Pictures 1954 film of the same name. The libretto is by David Ives and Paul Blake, with music and lyrics by Irving Berlin...
(2009, Outstanding Set Design of a Musical) (nominee) - In the HeightsIn the HeightsIn the Heights is a musical with music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda and a book by Quiara Alegría Hudes. The story explores three days in the characters' lives in the New York City Dominican-American neighborhood of Washington Heights....
(2007, Outstanding Set Design of a Musical) (nominee) - CurtainsCurtains (musical)Curtains is a musical with a book by Rupert Holmes, lyrics by Fred Ebb, and music by John Kander, with additional lyrics by Kander and Holmes....
(2007, Outstanding Set Design of a Musical) (nominee) - High FidelityHigh Fidelity (musical)High Fidelity is a musical with a book by David Lindsay-Abaire, lyrics by Amanda Green, and music by Tom Kitt. Based primarily on the Nick Hornby novel rather than the subsequent film version it inspired, the plot focuses on Rob Gordon, a Brooklyn record shop owner in his thirties obsessed with...
(2007, Outstanding Set Design of a Musical) (nominee)
Lucille Lortel Awards
Lucille Lortel Awards
The Lucille Lortel Awards recognize excellence in New York Off-Broadway theatre. The Awards are named for Lucille Lortel, an actress and theater producer, and have been awarded since 1986...
- In Transit (2011, Best Set Design) (nominee)
- In the HeightsIn the HeightsIn the Heights is a musical with music and lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda and a book by Quiara Alegría Hudes. The story explores three days in the characters' lives in the New York City Dominican-American neighborhood of Washington Heights....
(2007, Best Set Design) (nominee) - Avenue QAvenue QAvenue Q is a musical in two acts, conceived by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx, who wrote the music and lyrics. The book was written by Jeff Whitty and the show was directed by Jason Moore and produced by Kevin McCollum, Robyn Goodman, and Jeffrey Seller...
(2003, Best Set Design) (nominee)
Emmy Awards
- The 46th Annual Tony Awards46th Tony AwardsThe 46th Annual Tony Awards was broadcast by CBS from the Gershwin Theatre on May 31, 1992. The hostess was Glenn Close.Presenters: Alan Alda, Alec Baldwin, Carol Channing, Kirk Douglas, Michael Douglas, Richard Dreyfuss, Daisy Eagan, Farrah Fawcett, Vincent Gardenia, Danny Gerald, Danny Glover,...
(1993, Outstanding Individual Achievement in Art Direction for a Variety or Music Program) (nominee)