The New York Public Library has digitized and created an online database that contains plots, paperwork, and informal notes from lighting designers who have designed some historically significant Broadway shows. Right now, there are only four shows, but with promises of adding more.

At the moment, these shows are A Chorus Line (Tharon Musser, 1975), Fall River Legend (Thomas Skelton, 1991), Hair (Jules Fisher, 1968), and Sunday in the Park with George (Richard Nelson, 1984). Unlike set designers' models and costume designers' renderings, lighting designers are usually limited in the way that they can present their design concepts. Most of the work isn't revealed until tech rehearsal, when the sets and costumes are already on stage. The NYPL Lighting Database offers a unique glimpse at all of the work that goes into lighting a broadway show and the copious amounts of paperwork and organization it takes to keep track of the hundreds of lighting instruments and their individual purposes.

The members of the advisory committee, helping to make this all possible include some big names in the lighting design world such as Ken Billington, Eric Cornwell, Jules Fisher, Vivien Leone, John McGraw, Richard Pilbrow, Marilyn Rennagel, Steve Terry, and Kenton Yeager.

All of the information provided is extremely helpful to the student or young lighting designer looking to learn from other designers who are in the top of their field. It is amazing to see the amount of organization that is required to keep a broadway show on track. Hopefully we will see a wide variety of shows continue to be added to this database. Having a small glimpse into Broadway lighting history, online where everyone can see, is going to be an invaluable resource.