Randy Barceló
Randy Barceló was a Cuban dancer, photographer, interior designer, and all-around artist. He was also known for his set and costume designs for theatre and film.
Biography
Born in Havana on September 19, 1946, Randy Barceló left Cuba through Operation Pedro Pan at the age of 14. He studied art at University of Puerto Rico and in 1965 moved to New York where he enrolled in the Lester Polakov Studio and Forum of Stage Design.Barceló began his career as a dancer and choreographer. At the age of 24, he worked as a designer for the Broadway musical, 'Lenny'. In 1972 he designed the costumes for Jesus Christ Superstar and was nominated for a Tony Award, the first Hispanic nominee for costume design. He went on to design costumes for several on- and off- Broadway plays and musicals, ballet and dance productions, and operas.
Barceló's art-work, primarily abstract and figurative sketches and paintings, have been shown in several galleries and museums including the Cooper Hewitt Museum, Hudson River Museum, and Kennedy Center for Performing Arts.
In 1994, Barceló designed costumes for ¡Si Señor! ¡Es Mi Son!, choreographed for Ballet Hispanico by Alberto Alonso and Sonia Calero with music by Gloria Estefan. These were his final designs as he died of cancer on December 6 of that same year.
Works or publications
*Randy Barceló’s Production Credits
Broadway
Ain't Misbehavin, 1978Ain't Misbehavin, 1988A Broadway Musical, 1978Dude 1972Jesus Christ Superstar, 1971Lenny, 1971The Leaf People, 1975 The Magic Show, 1974Mayor, 1985 The Night That Made America Famous, 1975Senator Joe, 1989- ''Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band''
Off-Broadway
Blood Wedding, INTAR Theatre Caligula, La Mama Experimental Theatre ClubCracks, Theatre De Lys, 1976Lady Day, Chelsea Theatre CenterMayor, Village Gate Theatre A Midsummer Night's Dream, New York Shakespeare Festival, Delacorte Theatre, 1982The Moondreamers, La Mama Experimental Theatre ClubPhillip Morris Superband Series, Beacon Theatre Rice and Beans, INTAR Theatre Spookhouse, Playhouse 91, 1984The Tempest, LaMama Experimental Theatre ClubOpera
L'Histoire du Soldat, Carnegie Hall Les Troyen, Vienna State OperaLily, New York City OperaMass, Leonard Bernstein, Kennedy CenterSalome, New York City OperaBallet and Dance
Black, Brown & Beige, Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre, 1976The Blues Ain't, Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre, 1974Crosswords, Alvin Ailey Dance TheatreLa Dea delle Acque, Alvin Ailey for La Scala Opera Ballet, 1988For "Bird" – With Love, Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre, 1984Fuenteovejuna, Ballet HispanicoLovers, Jennifer Muller Mondrian, Jennifer Muller The Mooche, Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre, 1974Opus McShann, Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre, 1988 - Predicaments for Five, Jennifer Muller ¡Si Señor! ¡Es Mi Son!, Ballet Hispanico, 1994Spell, Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre, 1981The Street Dancer, Ballet Hispanico,
Television
Ailey Celebrates Ellington, Alvin Ailey for CBS, 1975Ain't Misbehavin, NBC, 1982Duke Ellington: The Music Lives On, PBS, 1983Film
Body Passion, 1987 The Cop and the AnthemCubanos Fat Chance Fatal Encounter, 1981Secret Life of Plants Tainted, 1988 Los Dos Mundos de Angelita, 1984 Welcome to Miami When the Mountains Tremble, 1983