Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1490572
1 3 2 P E R S P E C T I V E | J A N U A R Y / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 3 RESHOOTS B Y B A R B A R A H A L L , A D G A R C H I V I S T S E L E C T I O N S F R O M T H E A D G A R C H I V E S CO U RT E SY O F T H E A D G CO L L E C T I O N S AT T H E M A R GA R E T H E R R I C K L I B RA RY, A . M . P. A . S . A A. CONCEPT ART FOR AN EVENING WITH FRED ASTAIRE. EDWARD STEPHENSON COLLECTION. An Evening with Fred Astaire, originally broadcast on NBC on October 17, 1958, was a groundbreaking show in many ways. Not only was it the first television variety special centered on the talents of the legendary dancer, the live broadcast was also one of the first major television shows to be recorded on videotape in color. This striking piece of concept art is one of a series of illustrations created for the show by its talented Art Director, Edward Stephenson, and his team. This design was for a musical number set to the song "St. James Infirmary," which was danced by Astaire and his partner Barrie Chase, and sung by Jonah Jones. Like all of the understated sets used in the show, this set used a few key elements, as well as a rich color palette to create a dramatic background for Astaire's artistry. Stephenson won his first Emmy Award for his work on the special. Trained at the Pasadena Playhouse College of the Theatre, Edward Stephenson worked as a theatrical designer and director before entering the Army Air Corps in 1943. In the mid-1950s, Stephenson started his television career as a staff designer at NBC, where he soon began specializing in variety shows. In addition to three Astaire specials, Stephenson also designed series for, among others, Tennessee Ernie Ford, Andy Williams and Danny Kaye. In the 1970s, Stephenson transitioned into working on three-camera comedies. His impressive list of credits includes Sanford and Son, Maude, Good Times, Soap, Benson, Empty Nest, The Golden Girls, and many other series that defined network television in the 1970s and 1980s. Stephenson, who died in 2011 at the age of 94, was nominated for six Emmy Awards over the course of his career, and won three. He was inducted into the ADG Hall of Fame in 2013. A