BINKLEY REFLECTIONS: A Tribute To Howell
On August 14, 2020, the theater community lost a titan of lighting design as we learned of the passing of Howell Binkley at the age of 64. A perusal of Binkley’s résumé of Broadway credits reads like a “best of” list from Broadway’s past three decades. Yes, there was Hamilton, but there was also Avenue Q, The Full Monty, Parade, Jersey Boys, In the Heights, Memphis, Honeymoon in Vegas and Come from Away. Binkley has 52 Broadway credits in all, which garnered him nine Tony Award nominations along the way.
Two of his designs, Jersey Boys and Hamilton, won the Tony, and his work on Kiss of the Spider Woman and Hamilton both earned him the Olivier. Those of us in the lighting design community that have seen Hamilton on Disney+ recognize how his lighting helped lift that story off of the stage and into our living rooms.
Collage created by Jason Thompson, with photo credits to: Amanda Zieve, Rhett Butler, Andrew Dye and Leila Nelson O’Sullivan.
How important was R77760 to Howell Binkley? Lighting Designer Ryan O’Gara, who assisted Howell on over 30 Broadway shows (and 100+ total productions) showed us. He dug through the archives on our behalf, and shared several images that showcased how Howell had used the pattern in some of his most famous designs.
After all the years working with him, O’Gara recounted the greatest lesson he learned from Howell Binkley: “Listen to the director and the choreographer. Howell would always listen to what they wanted. He was very caring and humble, and never had any ego. He knew that his work would stand for itself. He always kept calm and composed, despite the stressful environment around him.”
We were inspired by how people were using this particular Rosco gobo to express their affection for Howell Binkley. We realized that bestowing his name on this pattern was the best way to honor his career, the impact his work has had on the lighting design industry, and his love for this particular gobo. Therefore, it is with great pleasure that we are honored to announce that Rosco Gobo # R77760 from this day forward will be named “Binkley Reflections.”
R77760 has been in Rosco’s gobo catalog for decades. It was originally designed by Lighting Designer Dennis Parichy. The first thing we did when we decided to rename the pattern was ask Dennis for permission to rebrand his gobo design. Parichy graciously and immediately agreed. “I met Howell when he was just starting out,” Parichy recalled. “He was such a nice man.”
Rosco offers our deepest condolences to Howell’s wife, Joyce Storey, to his family and friends, and to those who worked closest with him. We thank them, and everyone that shared their stories about Howell Binkley with us. Most of all, we are thankful for the opportunity to honor the life and career of such a distinguished designer with this humble tribute.