Stanley A. Meyer

Stanley A. Meyer (born March 13, 1958) is an American scenic designer, production designer, and illustrator. He is best known for designing the original Broadway production of Disney's Beauty and the Beast, he has notably worked across Broadway and international theatre, regional theatre, theme park attractions, arena and ice shows, concert tours, roller coasters, parade floats, and book illustration.

Early life and education Growing up, Meyer's family had limited means, and he spent childhood summers at the bay in Belmont Shore, California, where his parents arranged swimming lessons before he could walk. In high school, Meyer was a member of the Future Farmers of America, and was elected State Reporter for the California Association of Future Farmers of America from 1976 to 1977, an office that involved speaking engagements at chapters across the state and service as a delegate to the FFA National Convention in Kansas City. He raised a dairy heifer over two years and won showmanship awards. He was studying landscape design, horticulture, and floriculture when he won first prize for a Polynesian-themed landscape design featuring anthuriums at the Hemet Farmers Fair. After high school, Meyer attended Mt. San Jacinto College, where he studied theatre, dance, and acting and played the title role in Godspell. He also sang in a barbershop quartet called The Undertones, which performed at local retirement and assisted-living facilities.

Meyer transferred to and eventually graduated from California State University, Long Beach after which he went for a scholarship to Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University.

Career

Grove Shakespeare Festival and early work Meyer worked at the Grove Shakespeare Festival in Garden Grove, California, during summers, advancing from scenic artist and charge artist to assistant designer and then scenic designer.

His first scenic design for the company was The Merry Wives of Windsor (1986), for which he received a Los Angeles Drama-Logue Award. Reviewing the production for Drama-Logue, Jack Holland described Meyer's set — built around miniature houses tilted at unusual angles — as inventive.

Meyer went on to design King Lear, The Comedy of Errors, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and The Two Gentlemen of Verona for the festival, receiving additional Drama-Logue Awards for The Comedy of Errors and The Two Gentlemen of Verona. Writing in the Los Angeles Times, critic Sylvie Drake singled out the gnarled-root set he created for the 1987 production of A Midsummer Night's Dream; in Drama-Logue, Polly Warfield described the same design as a dappled, color-washed forest glade with roots ascending to form a staircase.

In 1986, Meyer was admitted to United Scenic Artists Local 829 after passing the union's scenic design examination in Los Angeles, a process that required presenting a portfolio and completing two design projects, among them a rendering for Tartuffe.

Disneyland Meyer worked as an art director at Disneyland, designing stage shows, parades, and special events. His credits there included the original musicals Plane Crazy! and Dick Tracy in Diamond Double Cross — staged on the Videopolis stage at Disneyland and at Disney's Hollywood Studios at Walt Disney World — and a rock-and-roll adaptation of The Nutcracker, Mickey's Nutcracker, which was filmed for the Disney Channel. The position brought him into direct working contact with Disney executives Michael Eisner, Frank Wells, and Jeffrey Katzenberg.

Early New York work During the 1980s, Meyer designed The Marriage of Bette and Boo and Cloud 9 at the Nat Horne Theatre on Theatre Row in Manhattan, and The Everafters and the Festival of One Act Comedies for Manhattan Punch Line Theatre. He designed The Secret Garden for TheatreWorksUSA, described in his own accounts as his first union job. Other credits from this period include In Trousers, March of the Falsettos, Titanic, A Day in Hollywood, A Night in the Ukraine, and Marry Me a Little.

Disney's Beauty and the Beast In 1992, Meyer was part of the creative team that pitched a stage adaptation of the animated film Beauty and the Beast to Michael Eisner and Frank Wells in Aspen, Colorado, presenting approximately 140 black-and-white and 8 full-color scene-by-scene renderings. The resulting production, Disney's Beauty and the Beast, had its world premiere at Theatre Under the Stars in Houston, Texas, before opening on Broadway at the Palace Theatre in 1994. It was the Walt Disney Company's first Broadway musical, and Meyer's design work contributed to the establishment of Disney Theatrical Group. The Broadway production later transferred to the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, where the reduced backstage space required the use of the first national tour's scenery.

Meyer's design received nominations for the American Theatre Wing Design Award, the New York Outer Critics Circle Award, and the Los Angeles Ovation Award, and won a Los Angeles Drama-Logue Award. In 2001, he became the first recipient of the League of American Theatres and Producers' National Broadway Award, for his design of the North American tour.

Meyer went on to design subsequent international productions of the show, including sit-down productions in Los Angeles and abroad. For the production's 25th anniversary, producers Thomas Schumacher and Anne Quart reconvened members of the original creative team. Meyer redesigned the production and digital backdrops. He also introduced large moving architectural "scrolls" that transition on curvilinear paths to suggest the enchanted castle. Much of the design was developed remotely over video conference during the COVID-19 pandemic, with technical rehearsals held in Bristol, England, ahead of a West End run; the production was directed and choreographed by Matt West. This production subsequently toured Australia. The same creative team also worked on the 30th Anniversary U.S. National Tour.

Other theatre Meyer designed the world premiere of Elton John and Tim Rice's Aida at the Alliance Theatre in Atlanta, where it was staged under the title Elaborate Lives: The Legend of Aida. His other theatre credits include the world premiere of Joe Bard's Zoz! The Bard of Dublin Liberties; Little Shop of Horrors for Alejandro Romay Theatrical Productions in Buenos Aires; the world premiere of Treasure Island, A New Musical at Arkansas Repertory Theatre, directed by Brett Smock; the 2015 American premiere of Saturday Night Fever at the Finger Lakes Musical Theatre Festival in Auburn, New York, also directed by Smock; The New Nutcracker Ballet for Lone Star Ballet in Amarillo, Texas; and the world premiere of WarholCapote at American Repertory Theater, directed by Michael Mayer.

Meyer designed the North American premiere of Tim Rice's From Here to Eternity, his third collaboration with Rice.

At Syracuse Stage, Meyer designed The Three Musketeers, the directorial debut at that theatre of artistic director Robert M. Hupp, for which he received a Syracuse Area Live Theatre (SALT) Award for best scenic design. He returned to Syracuse Stage in 2024 to design Dial M for Murder, his first realistic period interior set.

He also contributed to Buzz!!, a developmental Las Vegas musical about director-choreographer Busby Berkeley, with songs by Alan Menken and David Zippel.

Concert tours Meyer designed production for Alice Cooper's 2007 and 2009 world tours and the 2010 Theatre of Death tour; Cyndi Lauper's True Colors tour; and three tours for the Steve Miller Band — the 2010 Bingo! tour, a 2012 world tour, and a 2014 tour co-headlined with Journey. Working with director Robert Jess Roth, Meyer developed the Bingo! tour design around images of guitars from Miller's personal collection, digitally photoshopped into a spiraling vortex.

Parade design Meyer has designed floats for the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena, California, working with Fiesta Parade Floats. His first was a float marking SeaWorld's 50th anniversary, titled A Sea of Surprises, which received the 2014 President's Award for most outstanding use and presentation of flowers. He subsequently received the 2015 Queen's Award for The Bachelor: Inspiring Love, the 2015 Extraordinaire Award for Kiehl's: Inspiring a Beautiful World, and the 2015 Sweepstakes Award — the parade's top honor — for a float designed for Dole Food Company.

Illustration Meyer illustrated 101 Things I Hate About Your House, an interior design book by James Swan and Carol Beggy. The illustrations incorporated pets belonging to the author and collaborators. Stanley A. Meyer is the key art illustrator for the new musical Winnie-the-Pooh: Forever Friends, premiering at First Stage in Minneapolis, MN in January 2027.

Awards and nominations +Category, Awarding bodyAwardResultWorkBest Scenic Design for a Musical, Disney Theatrical GroupThe League of American Theatres and Producers National Broadway AwardWinnerBeauty and the Beast (2001 North America Tour)Best Scenic Design for a Musical, Disney Theatrical GroupAmerican Theatre Wing Design AwardNomineeBeauty and the BeastOutstanding Scenic Design for a Musical, Disney Theatrical GroupLos Angeles Drama Logue AwardWinnerBeauty and the BeastBest Scenic Design for a Musical, Disney Theatrical GroupNew York Outer Critics Circle Award NomineeBeauty and the BeastBest Scenic Design for a Musical, Disney Theatrical GroupLos Angeles Ovation Award NomineeBeauty and the BeastBest Outdoor Nighttime Spectacular, Universal Studios JapanTHEA Award WinnerPeter Pan's NeverlandOutstanding Achievement - Indoor Marine Waterpark, SeaWorld Abu Dhabi, Yas Island, UAETHEA Award WinnerBest Outdoor Daytime Spectacular, SeaWorld & InMotion EntertainmentIAPPA Brass Ring AwardWinnerBlue HorizonsOutstanding Scenic Design, Grove Shakespeare FestivalLos Angeles Drama Logue AwardWinnerThe Merry Wives of WindsorOutstanding Scenic Design, Grove Shakespeare FestivalLos Angeles Drama Logue AwardWinnerThe Comedy of ErrorsOutstanding Scenic Design, Grove Shakespeare FestivalLos Angeles Drama Logue AwardWinnerThe Two Gentlemen of VeronaBest Scenic Design, Syracuse StageSALT Syracuse Area LIve Theatre Award WinnerThe Three MusketeersMost Outstanding Use and Presentation of Flowers, Tournament of Roses Parade (2014)President AwardWinnerSeaWorld: Sea of SurprisesMost Outstanding Presentation of Roses, Tournament of Roses Parade (2015)Queen Award WinnerThe Bachelor: Inspiring LoveMost Extraordinary Float(*Including floats that do not retract to 55')*, Tournament of Roses Parade (2015)Extraordinaire Award WinnerKiehl's: Inspiring a Beautiful World Top Award in the Parade - Most Beautiful Entry, Encompassing Float Design, Floral Presentation and Entertainment, Tournament of Roses Parade (2015)Sweepstakes Award WinnerDole: Rhythm of HawaiiMost Outstanding Artistic Design and Use of Floral and Non-Floral Materials, Tournament of Roses Parade (2016)Director AwardWinnerDole: Soaring Over ParadiseMost Outstanding Use and Presentation of Flowers, Tournament of Roses Parade (2016)President Award WinnerThe Bachelor: Love is the Greatest JourneyMost Outstanding Creative Concept and Float Design, Tournament of Roses Parade (2016)Grand Marshal AwardWinnerKaiser Permanente: Helping Mother Nature ThriveMost Outstanding Imagination & Innovation to Advance the Art of Float Design, Tournament of Roses Parade (2016)Crown City Innovator Award WinnerKiehl's: The Beauty of AdventureBest Depiction of Life in California, Tournament of Roses Parade (2016)Governor Award WinnerMiracle-Gro: Life Starts HereMost Outstanding Use and Presentation of Flowers, Tournament of Roses Parade (2016)President AwardWinnerNorthwestern Mutual: Dancing into AdventureTop Award in the Parade - Most Beautiful Entry, Encompassing Float Design, Floral Presentation and Entertainment, Tournament of Roses Parade (2017)Sweepstakes Award WinnerDole: Spirit of HawaiiMost Outstanding Presentation of Roses, Tournament of Roses Parade (2017)Queen Award WinnerMiracle-Gro: Everything’s Coming Up RosesMost Outstanding Use of Animation, Tournament of Roses Parade (2017)Animation Award WinnerNorthwestern Mutual: Waves of HopeMost Outstanding Use and Presentation of Flowers, Tournament of Roses Parade (2017)President's Award WinnerThe Bachelor: Echoes of LoveMost Outstanding Creative Concept and Float Design, Tournament of Roses Parade (2018)Grand Marshal Award WinnerDole: Sharing Nature's BountyMost Whimsical and Amusing Float, Tournament of Roses Parade (2018)Bob Hope Humor Award WinnerNorthwestern Mutual: Letting Kids Be KidsMost Outstanding Depiction of Life in California, Tournament of Roses Parade (2018)Golden State Award WinnerThe City of Riverside/The Mission Inn: 25th Annual Festival of LightsMost Outstanding Use of Animation, Tournament of Roses Parade (2018)Animation Award WinnerUnderground Service Alert: Making It Safe for AllMost Outstanding Innovation in the Use of Floral and Non-Floral Materials, Tournament of Roses Parade (2019)Past President Award WinnerDig Alert: Backyard HarmonyMost Outstanding Display of Floral Presentation, Float Design and Entertainment, Tournament of Roses Parade (2019)Wrigley Legacy Award WinnerDole: Rhythm of ParadiseMost Whimsical and Amusing Float, Tournament of Roses Parade (2019)Bob Hope Humor Award WinnerNorthwestern Mutual: Spend Your Life LivingMost Outstanding Display of Floral Presentation, Float Design and Entertainment, Tournament of Roses Parade (2020)Wrigley Legacy Award WinnerKaiser Permanente: Courage to ReimagineMost Outstanding Display of Fantasy and Imagination, Tournament of Roses Parade (2020)Fantasy Award WinnerNorthwestern Mutual: Spend Your Life Living