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Well-developed characters, props, and lighting sure can make any performance come to life. You know what else can? Our show-specific backdrops can transform a theater into an enchanted yellow brick road, the Emerald City of Oz, or the tornado ravaged fields of Kansas.

Our Wizard of Oz themed backdrops can take audience members from a simple theater, into the world of ‘lions and tigers, and bears… oh my!’

Let’s take a closer look at this fan favorite musical and how Backdrops by Charles Stewart can make your spring performance come to life.

The Story of the Wizard of Oz

While every theater group or community theater may perform different adaptations of this time-honored favorite, the story remains basically the same in each.

The traditional story of the Wizard of Oz chronicles the adventures of a young Kansas farm girl, Dorothy, and her beloved dog, Toto, as they are swept up in a tornado that destroys her house and carries them to the mysterious Land of Oz.

Upon her arrival, she is shocked to find out that she must travel to the Emerald City to seek the help of the great and powerful Wizard of Oz in order to return to her beloved aunt and uncle and her prairie home.

During her trip along the yellow brick road she is joined by Glenda, the Good Witch, and three unlikely friends: the Scarecrow, the Lion, and the Tinman. Dorothy, along with the Munchkin people encourage them to join her on her journey to see the Wizard, in the hopes that they can find the things they desire the most: the Scarecrow wants a brain, the Tinman wants a heart, and the Lion wants courage.

The four travelers are met with challenges from the Wicked Witch of the West and some flying monkeys, as well as help from Glinda, the Good Witch. Upon meeting the Wizard, they are shocked to find out that he is not as he appears.

Kansas Prairie Scene

The musical both starts and finishes at the farm on which Dorothy lives with her Aunt Em and Uncle Henry. We have several options for which to choose the depict these scenes including a Black and White Farm Scrim Backdrop #2370.

Or, if you should prefer to remain in color, we offer several Cornfield Backdrops #2315 and a more traditional Farm Backdrop #1541.

Land of Oz Scene

The Land of Oz is made up of whimsical creatures who speak including a Lion, Scarecrow, and Tinman. It is also surrounded by a well-known trail called the yellow brick road. We offer several different Yellow Brick Road backdrops #3098 including this colorful path to the Wizard.

Emerald City Scene

They are “off to see the Wizard” and finally reach their destination when the storyline reaches its conclusion in the Emerald City. The climax of the story takes the audience to the famous Wizard at the heart of the city where they find out he is not all he is made out to be. Our Emerald City backdrops transport the audience right into this sparkling world with one of our most popular backdrops: The Emerald City #2507.

Do you have a Wizard of Oz performance scheduled for this spring? Check out our full menu of Wizard backdrops on our site.

It’s hard to imagine that anyone has not heard of the timeless story Beauty and the Beast. As the song says, it’s a ‘tale as old as time.’ From school and theater groups, to community theaters and the bright lights of Broadway, everyone can enjoy the magical world of Disney characters and an expertly written score.

Check out our entire collection of Beauty and the Beast backdrops that are perfect for your next performance.

If your theater group is planning a spring musical featuring Beauty and the Beast, it may be time to explore the wide assortment of backdrops that we have here at Charles Stewart. Let’s take a closer look at the backdrop options that your group may be interested in to make your magical French Village and Mysterious Castle of the Beast come to life.

The Story of Beauty and the Beast

Beauty and the Beast tells the tale of two unlikely love interests; a cursed prince doomed to live his days in his castle in the form of a hideous beast, and Belle, a spirited and intelligent young maiden who lives in a nearby village with her father, Maurice.

The prince, we know as the Beast, was once a spoiled and selfish man who showed great disdain for anyone who did not fit his standard of beauty. His selfishness knew no bounds as he refused a haggardly older woman safe shelter at the castle one cold night in return for a single red rose. The woman was an Enchantress who told the Prince “not to be deceived by appearances, for beauty is found within.”

She then set a curse on the prince who would be doomed to live as a beastly figure until he could learn to love and be loved. And that is how he lived for years as he waited for each petal of the enchanted rose to fall, which signaled he would remain a beast forever.

Years later, the volatile prince took Maurice (Belle’s elderly and infirmed father) as his prisoner for trespassing on his castle grounds. When Belle hears of this she offers to take her father’s place as prisoner in the castle. It is during her time with the Beast that she learns to appreciate him and eventually fall deeply in love. She is captivated by the enchanted servants; Mrs. Potts, the tea pot, the magical wardrobe, Madame de la Grande Bouche, Lumiere, the candlesticks, and Cogsworth, the mantle clock.

The story culminates with the giving and acceptance of love between Belle and the Beast. They also learn the valuable lesson that it’s never too late to change.

Our Favorite Beauty & The Beast Backdrops

From the French provincial village where Belle, her father, and the conceited Gaston live, to the cavernous castle that is the Beast’s home for years, Backdrops by Charles Stewart has a wide assortment of backdrops that can make your performance come alive for your characters and audiences alike.

Village Scenes: The French Village Outside the Beast’s Castle

Create that quaint village feel with our European Village Backdrop # 2360. This whimsical European village features Tudor style buildings in the center of a European town and distant mountains. You can almost envision Belle as she happily sings while stopping at the shops and visiting with villagers.

Forest Scenes

Discover an enchanted forest right at the doorstep of the Beast’s castle with this Castle in the Clouds Backdrop #2485 with its winding dirt road to an elusive castle in the clouds.

Castle Scenes

Can you picture Belle as she makes her dramatic entrance down the grand staircase or how Lumiere, Mrs. Potts, or Cogsworth look on as she begins to fall in love with the Beast? This Palace Ballroom Backdrop #3263 is perfect for those moments when Belle and the Beast begin their romance.

The interior and exterior backdrops for the castle scenes can help make your performance come to life and create a sense of magic as Belle and Beast have their first dance under the twinkling lights of the crystal chandelier. (Palace Ballroom Backdrop #2525)

Is your school or theater group going nostalgic this year in your choice for a spring musical? If your group is itching to do the “Hand Jive,” or sing “Grease Lightning,” then we have the musical for you – the 1950’s lyrically catchy world of Grease the Musical!

Despite being an ode to the “good old days” when things seemed simpler, Grease the Musical seems to also be timeless in its depiction of teenage romance, peer pressure, sexual evolution, and gang violence.

Backdrops by Charles Stewart has a wide range of options for your theater group to choose from including: a 1950’s Soda Shoppe, a high school gymnasium, an outdoor carnival, and a 1950’s drive up diner/movie theater.

Let’s explore the possibilities as we take your audience back to Rydell High of yesteryear.

The Story of Grease

Originally written in 1972 by Jim Jacobs and Warren Casey, Grease tells the story of a group of young men known as “greasers” and young women known as the Pink Ladies.

Greasers were a youth subculture that emerged in the 1950s and early 1960s from predominantly working class and lower class teenagers and young adults in the United States. They often worked with their hands in the automotive industry and used hair grease that also lent itself to their apt naming.

The story of Grease begins with the opening of the school year where Danny Zuko, Rydell High’s coolest greaser, returns to school after a secret summer romance with the new girl Sandy Dumbrowski.

While the romance was sweet and innocent during the quiet summer months without the pressure of peers, Danny and Sandy must learn to navigate the blossoming relationship in front of the friends who expect a different, cooler Danny.

Rydell High School

The musical begins at the rebellious and gang-filled Rydell High School, where Danny and Sandy meet again after their romantic summer together.

Danny impresses his Burger Palace friends with the physical aspects of the new relationship, while Sandy meets the Pink Ladies and woos them with the emotional aspects of the young love she experienced.

“Summer Nights” is one of those songs that will stay with audiences long after the show has ended and our backdrop of the gymnasium and bleachers along with the exterior setting of the high school can transport viewers into the be-bop sensation known as Grease!

Check out our exterior high school backdrop #2224 with columns and brick exterior and our interior gym backdrop #2352 with stairs, Americana bunting, and an old fashioned 1950’s feel.

Burger Palace & Soda Shoppe

Much of the musical happens in places where teens like to hangout such as the Burger Palace, Soda Shoppe, or Drive-In Movie theater.

Check out our Soda Shoppe backdrop #1925 or the Bleacher Backdrop #1914 to set the stage for the rumbles between the boys or the auto shop performance of “Grease Lightning.” These locations are where the girls fawn over the boys, gang rumbles nearly occur, and one of the Pink Ladies discovers a potential pregnancy.

The Finale

In the end, Danny and Sandy discover that they are willing to change for each other and the culmination of this high school angst plays out at the end of the year spring carnival. Our Amusement Park backdrop #1978 is perfect to end your performance on a high note and create lasting memories for your audience.

Take a closer look at all of our Grease backdrops and how they can make your performance a success this year.

Last year the theater community lost a legend. After five decades in the business, Stephen Sondheim died at his home in Connecticut at the age of 91. Known worldwide as an award-winning composer-lyricist he was often acknowledged as one of the most important figures in 20th-century musical theatre and for having reinvented the American musical.

How It Began

Born in New York City in 1930, Sondheim was the son of Herbert and Janet (née Fox) Sondheim who worked in the NYC garment district. Even at a young age he began playing the piano and organ and even dabbled in song writing at the George School.

After his parents’ divorce a teenage Stephen moved to Pennsylvania where he became friends with the son of Broadway lyricist and producer Oscar Hammerstein II, who gave the young Sondheim advice and mentoring in musical theater. He also served as a form of surrogate father during this time of tumult.

By the time he was in his early twenties, Sondheim was asked by Leonard Bernstein to write the lyrics for the classic West Side Story. His early lyric genius was first seen on a Broadway stage by the time he was merely 27 years old!

The first Broadway show for which Mr. Sondheim wrote both the words and music, the 1962 comedy “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum,” won a Tony Award for best musical and went on to run for more than two years.

Broadway Hits & Accolades

With his Broadway career spanning more than fifty years on both sides of the pond, Sondheim was honored to have a Broadway theater named after him as well as one in the West End of London.

Additionally, Sondheim has been honored over the years with many accolades such as: eight Tony Awards, an Academy Award, eight Grammy Awards, a Pulitzer Prize, and a Laurence Olivier Award. In 1993, Mr. Sondheim received the Kennedy Center Honors for lifetime achievement, and in 2015 he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama. In 2008, he was given a Tony Award for lifetime achievement.

His wide variety of songs and lyrics were often called complex and sophisticated, yet understandable and relatable. Some of his greatest Broadway shows included: A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum (1962), Company (1970), Follies (1971), A Little Night Music (1973), Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (1979), Sunday in the Park with George (1984), and Into the Woods (1987).

More recently Sondheim was honored by the New York Times in a published special section devoted to him, and a virtual concert, “Take Me to the World: A Sondheim 90th Birthday Celebration,” was streamed on the Broadway.com YouTube channel, featuring Broadway performers singing his songs.

I think we can all agree that a professionally created backdrop can determine the tone, mood, and setting of a performance, whether it’s on Broadway or your local dance school recital.

We shared in one of our recent blogs the impact of backdrops. We stated that scenery such as a backdrop can, “truly set the stage for every performance or presentation. The effect is that a backdrop can create a mood that ranges from a dark, scary tone to a bright, happy one and everything in between.”

Knowing the importance of backdrops is one thing, finding one that fits your specific needs is another. What if your performance is not a typical one? What if you have scoured all your resources and can’t seem to find one that fits your musical, performance, dance recital, or business needs?

Backdrops by Charles Stewart can create a custom backdrop that suits all of your needs.

Why Are Custom Backdrops Needed?

We are often asked why a custom backdrop would be needed if we have so many in our inventory. The answer is two fold.

One main reason an organization may need a custom made backdrop would be to make the scene and color palette fit the brand of the company being presented.

Another reason a group may want a custom backdrop includes the idea that the show may be unique or have special needs like being held outdoors as many performances have shifted to in this age of coronavirus.

A Word About Our Custom Backdrops

We have the production capabilities to create any backdrop you can imagine. We do not, however, design the backdrops. We leave that artistic aspect to our clients.

We will take your designs and give some input, if needed. But, in general, we will create an exact duplicate of the design you submit. We caution all of our clients to be sure the design is exactly as you want it before making your final decision on production.

Our backdrops will include a 2” jute webbing with grommets across the top, hemmed sides, and a small pipe pocket across the bottom. Ties are optional ($25 fee to include them).

The cost of our custom backdrops really depends on a few factors including size, speed at which you need it completed, and the complexity of the design. Most of our 18×42 custom backdrops are priced at $3000 and up. For larger backdrops, 20×42, the prices begin at $3500.

To start the process of getting your custom backdrop underway, we offer a free quote and then will start work once we have received a 50% down payment on the work to be completed.

Talk to our team about starting your custom backdrop and see how it can positively impact your next performance.

If you love music by the Scandinavian rock group ABBA, then you probably already love the musical Mamma Mia! From the lyrics of “Dancing Queen” and “Take a Chance On Me” to the scenic setting on the fictional Greek island of Kalokairi, Mamma Mia fans are delighted with performances that have audiences singing along and relating to the characters in some fun and interesting ways.

In our extensive inventory here at Backdrops By Charles Stewart, we have quite a few backdrops for rent that will surely bring your Mamma Mia production to life.

The Story of Mamma Mia

Mamma Mia tells the story of a 20 year old bride-to-be, Sophie Sheridan, who is trying to find her real father using her mother’s diary. Without the support of her mother, Sophie uses the personal and dated diary which indicates there are three men who could potentially be her biological father.

With dreams of her father walking her down the aisle on her wedding day, Sophie invites all three men, without her mother’s knowledge, to the stunning Greek island to determine which is the actual father!

As Sophie embarks on her journey to discover her true father, her mom and best friends join her as they spend the days leading up to the wedding unraveling the mystery.

As the performance unfolds, it is clear that Sophie’s paternity will remain undetermined, but everyone involved agrees that they want to be a part of Sophie’s life.

Scenic Backdrops for Mama Mia

Since the main portion of the story of Sophie, her mother, and her potential fathers takes place on a Greek island, many of our backdrops that show tropical beaches, sunset skies, and rocky shorelines would be perfect for the vast majority of the show.

Tropical Islands and Beaches

This Tropical Beach backdrop #2391 shows an ocean with blue skies, and tropical palms shading the beach below.

Our Rocky Coastline backdrop #2410 shows a translucent seacoast and sky surrounded by rocky landscape.

In addition to those options for an island scene, we offer many sky scenes such as Sunray Clouds Backdrop #2302, a Clouds Backdrop #2221, and a quiet Tropical Beach Backdrop #2317.

Greece Background

To solidify the audience’s belief that the events of Mamma Mia are happening on a small Greek Isle, this backdrop of the Athens Acropolis is perfect for many of the scenes when the three fathers arrive at the island.

The Acropolis Backdrop #2376 shows both the ruins of the building and a stunning blue sky.

Greek Streets and Homes

When the storyline brings us to the home of Sophie and her single mother, our Spanish Exterior is an obvious choice with its European and Spanish features common on many of the Mediterranean homes. This Spanish Exterior #0776 or Spanish Street #NO678 featuring stucco buildings are perfect for these scenes.

If your theater group is planning a performance of Mamma Mia in the near future, talk to our team about which backdrops would be right for your needs.

It’s so great to see theaters opening up and performances come roaring back to life again! If your theater is preparing for a performance in the near future and have started planning the setting pieces and backdrops, you may be interested to know that Charles H. Stewart has a sale on a wide variety of backdrops for your school, theater group, or dance recital.

Backdrops can have an enormous impact on any performance. A professional backdrop can transport audience members into the world created by the show, including the time and location the performance is meant to be set. Additionally, backdrops are that final element that tie together the characters, set pieces, music, and dialog to form one cohesive look for the performance.

Backdrops For Sale

We always have backdrops in inventory that are for sale, waiting to find a home in a drama club or theater group. This is especially cost effective if your theater has annual shows of the same variety that allow you to invest, reuse, and recycle set designs for less than it would cost to rent one outright.

Our sale includes:

Buy One, Get the Second 1/2 off
Buy Two, Get the Third Free

There are some exclusions however including: new Cycloramas and Scrims. Taxes and shipping and handling are also not included in the prices we have listed on our site.

Add to your club’s backdrop collection with one of these high-quality backdrops.

Cycloramas

In the theater world, a cyclorama is a background device employed to cover the back and sometimes the sides of the stage and used with special lighting to create the illusion of sky, open space, or great distance at the rear of the stage setting.

We have several Cycloramas for sale that can help your theater group create the images and aesthetics you are hoping for with your performance. We have a size 17.5×42 standard light blue color #1974 and a size 18×42 white (Blank Muslin) Backdrop #1938.

Scrims

Another theater term, “scrim” means a theater drop that appears opaque when a scene in front is lighted and transparent or translucent when a scene in back is lighted. We have these for sale as well!

Some of our scrims include: Big River Show Scrim Backdrop #1675, My Fair Lady Show Scrim Traveler Backdrop #1298, The Wiz Show Traveler Scrim Backdrop #1212, and Vintage Television Scrim Backdrop #1519.

Speciality Backdrops

In addition to our Cycloramas and scrims, we also have a number of specialty or show specific backdrops for sale including: tropical backdrops #1180, city skyline backdrops #1000, and stylized backdrops that look like an icecream land #0290.

Check out our entire collection of backdrops for sale and invest in a design piece that you can reuse year after year.

If you or your children are Frozen fans, you know that theater lovers will come from far and wide to see their favorite performance come to life right in front of their eyes. The 2013 Disney blockbuster is still as popular today as it was 8 years ago when it first held us spellbound in the magical Kingdom of Arendelle.

Whether you are an Anna or Elsa fan, it won’t matter when your theater group performs your rendition of this classic. From Queen Elsa’s ice castle to the streets of Arendelle where Anna longs to be among the people, our backdrops can make your set design realistic and professional.

Backdrops By Charles H. Stewart is also a superfan of the hit show. We have 52 unique backdrops to help your show come to life. Take a look at the choices we have organized for you today.

Queen Elsa’s Magical Ice Castle

One of the most iconic moments of any Frozen show is the mountaintop ice castle built by none other than Elsa herself. Some of our most popular backdrops include the snowy forests and the ice castle.

Our Ice Palace Backdrop # 2469 depicts the interior of a large palace covered in ice with columns and cathedral-like windows. These drops are 18×42 and both for rent or for purchase. Imagine Elsa singing “Let It Go” as she builds her castle with her fingertips.

Your show will absolutely come to life in the snowy forest as Olaf, the snowman, Anna, and Cristof travel up the North Mountain to talk to Elsa. Some of your favorite scenes are where Olaf sings “Summertime” or Anna falls frozen in the snow and needs the help of the Trolls to revive her.

Our Snow Forest backdrops #2531 or Winter Trees Tab Backdrop #2392 would make an excellent snowy setting for your forest scene.

European Street Backdrops

Our main characters, Anna and Elsa live in a sheltered mountain kingdom in the city of Arendelle. It is there that we first meet our main characters and hear their family story that leaves them shuttered inside the cold, stony castle. The cobblestone streets are where Anna longs to be on Coronation day and our backdrops deliver just that aesthetic!

We have several options for just such a setting that looks European and majestic. Our Dickens Street #2310 or European Village backdrop #2359 would be perfect additions to your show!

Check out all of our options for sale or rent for your next performance of Disney’s Frozen.

Now that the theater world is coming back to life, it’s a good time to take a look at some of the names and faces that we love to watch doing what they do best.

Let’s take a closer look at some of Audra’s work on the stage and screen and see what she is up to next in the theater world.

Who Is Audra McDonald?

According to her site, Ms. McDonald has been bestowed many honors in her time on stage, screen and singing professionally. She is the “winner of a record-breaking six Tony Awards, two Grammy Awards and an Emmy Award, in 2015 she was named one of Time magazine’s 100 most influential people and received a National Medal of Arts—America’s highest honor for achievement in the field—from President Barack Obama.”

It’s no wonder McDonald became an acting and singing powerhouse, she was raised in a family of talented musicians. At age nine, she began taking voice and acting lessons. Her classical voice training for her incomparable soprano range was completed at New York’s Juilliard School.

Just a short year after graduating she won her first Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical for Carousel at Lincoln Center Theater (1994). Since that time she has gone on to win 6 Tony Awards for Best Lead Actress and Featured Actress in 1994, 1996, 1998, 2004, 2012 and 2014!

Along with being an amazing Broadway actor, McDonald is well-known for her concert stage presence and opera skills. She has sung with every major American orchestra including the Boston Symphony, Chicago Symphony, Cleveland Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, National Symphony, New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra and San Francisco Symphony under such renowned conductors as Yannick Nézet-Séguin, Sir Simon Rattle and Esa-Pekka Salonen.

As if this was not enough, McDonald is also not a stranger to the small screen as well. You may recognize her from her remake of Annie, appearances on Law and Order Special Victims Unit, Mister Sterling, Kidnapped, The Good Wife and so much more.

Audra McDonald’s Broadway Credits

Audra McDonald has an extensive list of credits from Broadway including:

Frankie and Johnny in Clair De Lune 2019
Last Day at Emerson Bar & Grill 2014
Porgy and Bess 2012
Chance and Chemistry 2009
110 in the Shade 2007
Children and Art 2005
Raisin in the Sun 2004
Henry IV 2003
Dreamgirls 2001
Marie Christine 1999
Ragtime 1998
Master Class 1995
Something Wonderful 1995
Carousel 1994
Secret Garden 1991

For more resources on Audra McDonald and what her next project may be, check out her calendar of upcoming events and charity projects.

Proudly renting theatrical backdrops to the United States and Canada for over 100 years.