Mike Baldassari - Theatrical Lighting Designer
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MIKE BALDASSARI is a Tony and Emmy nominated Lighting Designer whose work has been seen in more than twenty-five countries. He designed the Theatrical Lighting for Rob Marshall’s movie musical NINE, as well as SEX AND THE CITY 2 and GOING THE DISTANCE, both to be released in 2010. Also for Rob Marshall (and Sam Mendes) he co-designed the Broadway hit revival of CABARET, for which he received Tony and Drama Desk Award Nominations and received the Entertainment Design Award. He was nominated for an Emmy Award for his Lighting Direction of GARTH BROOKS LIVE FROM CENTRAL PARK. Twice, Mike collaborated on the filming of Neil Young’s CHROME DREAMS II. Tim Pope filmed the tour in Europe, and in the US, director Jonathan Demme’s version will be released as “NEIL YOUNG’S TRUNK SHOW” during 2010.
Around the globe, he and Set Designer David Gallo have created an all-new production of Disney’s BEAUTY AND THE BEAST, which has had nine separate companies throughout Europe, with plans for several more. Dave and Mike also provided the designs for YO GABBA GABBA LIVE!, which is a touring version of the ultra-hip TV show. Additionally Mike designed multiple year tours of BLAST II for Japan.
He designed the world première of Tennessee William’s ONE ARM, adapted and directed by Moisés Kaufman for Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre Company. Other world premieres include: “13” at The Mark Taper Forum in LA, and “NERDS://A MUSICAL SOFTWARE SATIRE” at The Philadelphia Theatre Company. Also on Broadway (and DVD), AS LONG AS WE BOTH SHALL LAUGH and for City Center’s Encore Series; TENDERLOIN directed by Walter Bobbie. He designed a live-action tour for the PBS kid’s show DITTY DOODLE WORKS and KIDZ BOP, a family-friendly concert tour based on the multi-platinum selling CDs.
Off-Broadway credits include: BARE, JEWTOPIA, SAVION GLOVER DOWNTOWN. National tours include: RING OF FIRE; The Music of Johnny Cash, MAN OF La MANCHA, THE WILL ROGERS FOLLIES, FAME, SPIDER-MAN LIVE! GREASE, SATURDAY NIGHT FEVER, Yeston’s PHANTOM, SAVION GLOVER –FOOTNOTES (Scenery and Lighting), THE KING & I, DIAL "M" FOR MURDER, TOMMY TUNE MOONLIGHTING.
In the music arena, he was the Production Designer for ALICE IN CHAINS’ 2010 BLACK GIVES WAY TO BLUE tour as well as their reunion tour in 2006 and tour with Velvet Revolver in 2007. He co-designed Neil Young’s CHROME DREAMS II tour worldwide and was the Lighting Director for Neil’s HARVEST MOON Tour. He has designed shows or tours for: Jerry Cantrell, Mos Def, John Mellencamp, Jonathan Butler, and Kurt Bestor for four seasons.
Television designs include: pre-tapes for SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE (including some from the Digital Shorts series), MTV’s SPANKIN’ NEW MUSIC, VH-1's EIGHT-TRACK FLASHBACK, the filmed concerts for the CBS mini-series SHAKE, RATTLE & ROLL. In 2000 he was the Lighting Consultant to Vice President Al Gore for the Presidential Debates.
Yearly, he designs one or more Multi-media productions for CBS Television, one televised in Hi-Def from Carnegie Hall (featuring acts like The Who, Mariah Carey, LL Cool J and Faith Hill). Twice in 2005 he completed the design and coordination of over a dozen simultaneous Multi-Media productions for SANOFI-AVENTIS in Las Vegas, including an arena performance by Sheryl Crow.
Some of Mike's creations can be found among the Signature Series Gobo Collection. Also for Rosco, Mike created "Baldassari Blue" (R-381) which debuted on Neil Young's Chrome Dreams II tour, as well as six other colors, including "Rust" and "Copper-Tone". Some of the City Theatrical Catalog products that Mike had a hand in creating include the "Stacker Tophat" (for which Mike is listed on the Patent) and the "Broadway Music Stand Lite".
Mike's best production, along with his wife Arlene, is their daughter Sophia. They reside in Hoboken, New Jersey (you gotta problem with that?).
