Wednesday, December 7, 2022
6:00-7:15pm (ET) via Zoom
A murder. A trio of neighbors-turned-crime investigators-turned-podcasters. A landmarked building. A perfect evening!
If you’ve been pulled into the whodunnit world inside the luxe Arconia building (aka the Belnord on the UWS), you can’t miss this “how-dunnit” special event. Emmy-winning Production Designer Curt Beech, Set Decorator Rich Murray, and Art Director Jordan Jacobs from the hit Hulu show Only Murders In The Building will share their secrets with moderators Lorna Nowvé and Sean Khorsandi on everything from scouting the perfect NYC building for this caper of capers to creating the entire glittering world within.
For those just catching up: Only Murders In The Building follows three strangers (Steve Martin, Martin Short and Selena Gomez) who share an obsession with true crime and suddenly find themselves wrapped up in one. When a grisly death occurs inside their exclusive Upper West Side apartment building, the trio suspects…murder. Recording a podcast to document the case, they begin to unravel the complex secrets of the building and soon realize a killer might be living amongst them. They race to decipher the mounting clues (dun, dun, dun) before it’s too late. (View Season One trailer here).
Already an OMITB fan? Then you know well the lavish and eclectic interior set design crafted by our über-talented speakers that has made the fictional Arconia a full-fledged cast member. That courtyard! The lobby! Even the elevator! And of course, the unbelievable rambling pre-war apartments for each character: maximalist Oliver, sophisticated & quirky Charles, inscrutable Mabel and a host of others (no spoilers). Hear how every detail, color palette, texture and style was carefully curated to create a set that feels real and wholly New York City.
The Historic Districts Council and Landmark West! invite you in for an evening to peek behind the designer curtains (there will be photos!) of one of the most popular series that also features one of our city’s finest landmarks!
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Speakers
Curt Beech worked his way up through Art Departments in Hollywood after completing his MFA in theatrical Scenic and Lighting Design at UCLA. As an Assistant Art Director, Curt worked in the Art Departments of Ocean’s 13 and Mission: Impossible III, among others. As an Art Director, Curt worked on JJ Abram’s Star Trek, David Fincher’s The Social Network, and Stephen Spielberg’s Lincoln, which won the Academy Award for Best Production Design. Since moving back to New York, Curt has been steadily production designing television as well as films. As Production Designer, Curt’s work includes Till, Only Murders in the Building, Hunters, Good Behavior, She’s Gotta Have It, and BlackkKlansman. Curt recently won a Primetime Emmy Award for creating the look of Only Murders In The Building. He started his career teaching and directing theatre at The Horace Mann School in NYC and is still an avid theatregoer. A 14-time marathoner (PB 3:36:33), Curt lives in New York with his wife and two daughters.
Rich Murray has nearly 30 years’ experience designing and decorating for film, television, and theater. He is a proud union member of USA829, IATSE 52 and received Emmy awards for The Nate Berkus Show (Daytime) and Season One of Only Murders In The Building. He earned a BA in Humanities from the University of Chicago and an MFA in design from NYU-Tisch and has been the Set Decorator for numerous television series, including American Horror Story, Monsterland, The Nate Berkus Show, and Only Murders In The Building. Previous projects, as Assistant Set Decorator, included And Just Like That… and Madam Secretary. He lives in Brooklyn Heights with his husband and pug. He is passionate about political activism, the works of Frank Lloyd Wright and Stephen Sondheim, and has an extensive Star Wars toy collection.
Moderators:
Lorna Nowvé recently served as the Interim Executive Director of and is currently an Advisor to the Historic Districts Council. Prior to working on Only Murders In The Building and countless other film and television projects, she was the Associate Director of the Bryant Park Restoration Corporation and the Municipal Art Society (not simultaneously).
Sean Khorsandi is Executive Director of Landmark West! A twice-trained architect, prior to LW! he was a project architect and is enamored by NYC building details. While he found some great places, he is still searching the UWS for the Dimas Gourmet Delicatessen.
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Header photos courtesy of Disney+/Hulu. Only Murders In The Building seasons one and two are now streaming on Hulu. Click for Hulu’s free 30-day trial. The third season is coming soon!