Bay, Howard

Howard Bay (1912-1986), whose career spanned more than fifty years, was considered by some to be the "dean of American stage designers."

Bay's set and lighting arrangements were used in some 170 Broadway shows. He received two Tony Awards as a scenic designer; the first for his work on Lillian Hellman's play, Toys in the Attic (1960), and the second, for Man of La Mancha (1966), the musical written by Mitch Leigh, Joe Darion, and Dale Wasserman. Other notable work for musical theater included the designs for the original productions of Carmen Jones (1943), Oscar Hammerstein's adaptation of the George Bizet opera, Carmen, Up in Central Park (1945) by Sigmund Romberg and Herbert and Dorothy Fields, Meredith Willson's The Music Man (1957), and Milk & Honey (1961) by Jerry Herman and Don Appell. In addition to original productions, Bay worked on revivals of Show Boat (1946) by Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein, Finian's Rainbow (1955) by Burton Lane and Yip Harburg, and Pal Joey (1963) by Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart on Broadway and at City Center. He also worked on numerous dramatic productions, including both the original version and the revival of Lillian Hellman's The Little Foxes (1939; 1946), William Inge's Come Back, Little Sheba (1950), and the American premiere of Peter Shaffer's Equus (1974). As a designer, he is remembered for his practical and realistic approach. Bay's designs have been used for operas, films, touring productions, and television productions. He also taught set design at various schools, spending fourteen years at Brandeis University.

Howard Bay was born May 3, 1912 in Centralia, Washington. Both his parents were schoolteachers; his father was an art teacher in particular. Bay's career in set and lighting design began in 1933 and he began working on Broadway productions as early as 1937, He would later be referred to as the "dean of American stage designs".

Howard Bay's set and lighting arrangements were recreated in some 170 Broadway shows in a career spanning over fifty years. Bay won two Tony Awards as a Scenic Designer for his work on Toys in The Attic (1960) and Man of La Mancha (1966). His work also included designs for Carmen Jones (1943), Show Boat (1946), The Would-Be Gentleman (1946), Come Back, Little Sheba (1950), Finian's Rainbow (1955), Pal Joey (1963) and The Music Man (1957). He is remembered for his technique of solving design problems with a practical and realistic approach. Bay designs have been used for operas, films, touring productions, and television productions. He also taught set design at various schools spending most of it at Brandeis University for fourteen years. Bay also contributed articles in his field to various reference books. He was last working on a production of The Music Man to be produced for the Peking Opera House when he died in New York City on November 21, 1986 of a heart attack.