The show’s operas and high-society parties often happen in Albany. The New York State Capitol Building doubles as the Met and other swanky venues.
This building is a beast. It took 32 years to build. It has a million stone steps that make actresses in corsets weep.
They also use the University at Albany’s Performing Arts Center. It’s a modern building that gets completely transformed. Costumes, chandeliers, the works.
The “Russell Mansion” Secret
Here’s the juicy bit: The interior of the Russell mansion is a soundstage built at the Silvercup Studios in Queens, New York. That’s right—all that marble is fake.
But it’s a very expensive fake. They built the great hall, the dining room, and the kitchen from scratch. It cost more than my entire neighborhood.
The wallpaper is hand-painted. The furniture is antique. It’s so real that actors sometimes forget they aren’t actually rich.
