Riccardo Hernández, the acclaimed scenic designer, has once again captivated audiences with his visionary work on the Broadway musical Lempicka. His innovative set design earned him a well-deserved Tony Award nomination for Best Scenic Design of a Musical, alongside his collaborator Peter Nigrini.
“My father was an opera singer,” Hernández begins, recounting his early exposure to the arts. “In Cuba, he sang with all the greats, and he was obsessed with opera. He started involving me in the world of opera, and when we moved to Argentina, he took me to the Teatro Colón. I was fascinated by the world onstage and asked him who created these worlds.” This curiosity led a young Hernández to meet a set designer in Rome, sparking his lifelong interest in scenic design.
Hernández’s path took him to the United States, where he attended the Yale School of Drama. “My teacher was Ming Cho Lee, an amazing mentor,” he recalls. “From there, I commenced my career, starting with new plays and musicals, and eventually circling back to opera.”
While Hernández initially focused on new plays and musicals, he acknowledges the lasting influence of opera on his work. “There’s an influence, particularly in the scale and abstraction of my designs,” he explains. “Even in new plays, like working with Suzan-Lori Parks on Topdog/Underdog, I see the impact of my early experiences with opera. The epic nature of opera has taught me to embrace grand, evocative settings, even in more intimate productions.”
It’s the morning after the Tony Awards, as we chat in a hotel opposite The Lincoln Center, Hernández was nominated for his set design for Lempicka. Reflecting on the evening, he says, “It was amazing. I was also involved with Suffs which did very well. Seeing George Wolfe receive a Lifetime Achievement Tony was particularly moving, as he has been a mentor to me and we’ve worked on over twenty productions together.”
Lempicka holds a special place in Hernández’s heart. “We’ve worked on it multiple times, from Williamstown to La Jolla Playhouse, and then Broadway,” he shares. “The design evolved significantly with each production. By the time we reached Broadway, we had a clear vision. It’s a piece about a pivotal moment in history, blending elements of constructivism, futurism, and propaganda art. Creating a world that encapsulated these diverse influences was a unique and rewarding challenge.”
Hernández is proud that he was able to immerse the audience in Lempicka’s world, blending elements of constructivism, Bolshevik propaganda art, and the artist’s distinctive style. “I created this piece that is, I would call it kind of a constructivist Meyerhold structure. And that was fascinating, because we usually never get a chance to do anything like that, especially with a Broadway musical.”
With whispers of Suffs potentially coming to London, Hernández expresses his enthusiasm. “I love London. The theatre scene there is incredible. If Suffs comes to London, I would absolutely want to be involved.”
Hernández has already left his mark on the UK theatre scene, with notable productions such as Carmen at Glyndebourne and Indecent at the Menier. “Working in the UK is a joy,” he says. “The attention to detail and the historical significance of the theatre are unparalleled. The workshops for building sets are incredible, and the audience’s appreciation for theatre is profound.”
Despite his extensive career, Hernández’s passion for scenic design remains undiminished. “The magic of theatre is still very much alive for me,” he states. “My curiosity has only grown over the years. Each new project, like Lempicka, pushes me to explore new possibilities. Recently, I opened a production of The Screens in Paris, which was a profoundly moving experience. Hearing the words of Jean Genet in their original context was magical.”
Hernández’s career has come full circle in many ways. “The very first opera I saw was Lucia di Lammermoor, designed by Ming Cho Lee,” he reminisces. “Years later, I studied under him at Yale, and eventually, he invited me to teach there. Life has a mysterious, tapestry-like quality, and I’ve been fortunate to weave my love for theatre and design into it.”
