Randy Barceló (September 19, 1946 – December 6, 1994) 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.[1]
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.[1]
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.[1]
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.[1]
Works or publications
1977-1978: Richard III. University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Libraries. 1977. OCLC272396284.
A Midsummer Night's Dream. New York. OCLC84859948.
Randy Barcelo : Memorias. [place of publication not identified]: [publisher not identified]. 1996. OCLC56472774.
Randy Barceló conquista a Broadway : Randy Barceló 1946-1994 : el Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Puerto Rico, 6 de febrero al 28 de marzo de 1998. San Juan, Puerto Rico: Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Puerto Rico. 1998. OCLC415710247.
The Extravagant Triumph of Jesus Christ, Karl Marx, and William Shakespeare. 1982. OCLC77741304.
The Magic of Katherine Dunham. 1987. OCLC44004944.
Randy Barceló’s Production Credits
Broadway
Ain't Misbehavin', 1978
Ain't Misbehavin', 1988
A Broadway Musical, 1978
Dude 1972
Jesus Christ Superstar, 1971
Lenny, 1971
The Leaf People, 1975 (costumes and make-up)
The Magic Show, 1974
Mayor, 1985 (sets and costumes)
The Night That Made America Famous, 1975
Senator Joe, 1989 (never officially opened)
Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Off-Broadway
Blood Wedding, INTAR Theatre (sets and costumes)
Caligula, La Mama Experimental Theatre Club
Cracks, Theatre De Lys, 1976
Lady Day, Chelsea Theatre Center
Mayor, Village Gate Theatre (sets and costumes)
A Midsummer Night's Dream, New York Shakespeare Festival, Delacorte Theatre, 1982
The Moondreamers, La Mama Experimental Theatre Club
The Randy Barceló collection is available at the Cuban Heritage Collection, University of Miami Libraries. The Randy Barceló collection consists primarily of oversize costume and set designs by the Cuban-born designer. The collection also includes costume plots, drawings and sketches, posters and postcards, videotapes, photographs and slides, and two scripts written by Barceló.