Summary: Broadway Lighting Designer: How the Job Works, What They Make, and How to Break In

Podcast: How Much Can I Make? — Real Jobs. Real People. Real Money.
Host: Mirav Ozeri
Guest: Kevin Adams (Four-time Tony Award-winning Lighting Designer)
Date: November 25, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode offers a deep dive into the world of Broadway lighting design with Kevin Adams, celebrated for his innovative lighting on Broadway and beyond. Mirav Ozeri unpacks how Kevin transitioned into lighting, what the day-to-day looks like, the unique structure of earnings (including royalties), industry changes, and the realities of creative collaboration in theater. The episode shines a light—pun intended—on both the artistry and business behind this high-profile but often underappreciated career.

Kevin Adams’ Journey to Lighting Design

• Accidental Path to Lighting
  • Kevin originally aimed to be a performer, then shifted to set design due to a teacher’s suggestion after a failed audition. He earned a BFA in set design (00:52).
  • Had zero initial interest in lighting—his focus was set and production design. He worked in Hollywood on commercials and production design for film.
  • Only after exposure to artists using light as medium did he experiment, lighting his own sets. This quickly led to others seeking him out as a lighting designer, even though he felt unqualified at first (02:41–04:26):
    • “I just started lighting little shows and each show got bigger. So I was learning about theatrical lighting at the same time.” — Kevin Adams [04:21]

The Art and Process of Lighting Design

• Live Shows vs. Film

  • Kevin has done both, but prefers live theater for the unique challenges and absence of film reviews (05:03).
  • Digital cameras have made lighting for film more accessible since the camera now captures what the eye sees.

• The Invisible Hand

  • Great lighting is often unnoticed:
    • “It's only when the lighting is best. I think I've been mentioned in reviews like me, maybe 10 times... They don't know how to talk about it. They don't recognize it. They don't see it.” — Kevin Adams [05:39]

• Accepting Projects

  • Kevin chooses shows whose music or story resonates with him:
    • “If I don't like the music or if I don't get the music, I would say no.” — Kevin Adams [06:12]

• Automation and Team Workflow

  • Lighting is programmed into a complex console by a specialist, and once the show opens, designers move on. Stage managers run cues with simple commands (“cue one, go”) [06:44–07:19].
  • Many hands are involved; the designer rarely handles equipment directly due to labor divisions/unions [16:45–19:43].

• Special Effects and Innovation

  • Lighting designers often handle dramatic effects, like simulating storms with dozens of industrial fans for realism (“Swept Away”) [08:42–09:26].

Creative Collaboration and Personalities

• Working with Performers
  • Good lighting supports every performer, especially for aging or high-profile women. Kevin shares experiences with stars like Patti LuPone, Audra McDonald, and Faye Dunaway, emphasizing both professionalism and quirks, but no true “divas” [09:40–11:22].
    • “Those are really, really hard working, smart people...they’re funny and weird and neurotic and, you know, everything that show folks are.” — Kevin Adams [11:01]

The Business: Pay, Royalties, and Income Potential

• Union Minimums and Typical Pay

  • Lighting designers belong to a union that sets minimums, which vary:
    • Broadway play/musical: $12,000 to $18,000 per show as a starting point (12:06–12:23).
  • “I don't make minimum.” — Kevin Adams [12:04]

• Royalties (the Real Windfall)

  • Designers of successful shows earn weekly royalties for every running production (including tours and international stagings):
    • “If you design a Broadway show, you get a weekly royalty. If the show runs, every week that it runs, you get paid... It gets better. ...it tours around the US and the world... And you get paid for all of those.” — Kevin Adams [00:04, 14:07]
    • Typical royalty: $500–$1,000+ per week per production, plus periodic shares of box office profit (13:23).
    • Example: Long-running shows can be extremely lucrative, especially if staged worldwide.
      • “That’s where you can make some money. ...I have two tours out now...selling really well...make a lot of money.” — Kevin Adams [14:18–14:28]

• Vegas, Opera, and Non-Broadway Work

  • Vegas shows may pay a lump sum ($50k–$80k), with or without royalties [15:22–15:47].

• Estimated Workload

  • Designing a Broadway show can include a year of part-time prep work, with intense stretches of tech rehearsals (10am–10pm days) [15:47–16:39].
  • Multiple shows can be juggled at different stages.

The Technical Side: Shops, Unions, and Ever-Evolving Technology

• Theater is a Blank Slate

  • Broadway theaters start as empty shells; every light, cable, and tool is ordered, installed, and eventually removed [17:22–18:48].
    • “There’s nothing in a theater.” — Kevin Adams [17:24]

• Ordering and Installing Equipment

  • Designers and their associates coordinate complex “shop orders” down to each cable [18:10–18:48].

• Technological Change

  • The biggest shift: transition from traditional bulbs and fluorescents to LEDs. Early LEDs only lit backgrounds; now, technology allows high-quality light for people and detailed color changes [21:09–23:09].
    • “The cool thing about LED is...there's a huge amount of lighting instruments we can choose from, but they're LED, and the colors have gotten quite nice. You can light humans now. It is changing so quickly.” — Kevin Adams [22:53]

• Staying Up to Date

  • Younger associates often keep seasoned designers current on the latest equipment [23:09–23:32].

Awards, Recognition, and Career Impact

• Awards Experience

  • Kevin shares the anxiety and torture of waiting between Tony nominations and the awards show, the pressure of writing speeches, and the surprising difference between winning and “relaxed” losing [23:32–25:14].
  • Winning major awards (especially for groundbreaking work like “Spring Awakening”) elevates a designer’s career and earning potential:
    • “Spring Awakening, like, really moved me to a different category of designer, and that included more money.” — Kevin Adams [25:55]

• Most Memorable Show

  • “Hedwig and the Angry Inch” stands out as a labor of love, transforming from struggling Off-Off Broadway to a Tony-winning Broadway hit over decades.
    • “We couldn't give the tickets away... And then I did it on Broadway in 2014... and it was sold out every night.” — Kevin Adams [26:38–27:44]

Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• “If you design a Broadway show, you get a weekly royalty. And if it does really well, that's where you make some money. But then, hold on, it gets better.” — Kevin Adams [00:04]
• “When the lighting is best... they don't even mention the lighting. ...They don't know how to talk about it. They don't recognize it. They don't see it.” — Kevin Adams [05:39]
• “There's a person I talk to, and they program the lighting into that console. And then come opening night, that person's moved on to another job. I've moved on. My assistants moved on, my associates moved on. And then there's a group of people in the theater who maintain the show. And there's one guy who presses you. Just press go.” — Kevin Adams [06:46]
• “People die and that shows a long time ago, but. Yeah, I mean... people make so much more now because of current contracts, but, yeah, those people made a lot of money.” — Kevin Adams [14:46]

Key Takeaways

• Lighting design is a unique blend of art, technology, and collaboration—often unrecognized except by insiders.
• Income can be substantial, especially with royalties from hit shows multiplying weekly—sometimes globally.
• Entry-level designers can expect minimums ($12k–$18k per show), but the real money comes from royalties on smash hits and participation in blockbuster productions.
• The work is cyclical, collaborative, and technical, requiring ongoing education as technology evolves.
• Awards matter, both financially and for reputation, but consistent creativity and relationship-building matter most.
• Those hoping to break in should be prepared for a journeyman’s path, networking, and constant learning—but, as Kevin notes, sometimes it’s about saying yes to what inspires you and being ready for the unexpected call.