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Becoming a Theatre Gypsy

Becoming a Theatre Gypsy

If you think working on a musical with multiple sets is tricky, try tackling a touring show where the venue changes almost daily, and the size of the venue expands or shrinks depending upon where you are. That’s the challenge that production stage manager Shawn Pennington and head electrician Lynnette Provost face on the current national tour of Gypsy. The show chronicles the rise of Gypsy Rose Lee, whose stage mother tried for years to make her a star until their waning fortunes landed their act in a seedy burlesque theater, where financial desperation and failed artistic aspirations transformed a sweet young woman into a seductive stripper.

 

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14 Rounds to a Knockout Show

Lighting and stage designers have the tools at their disposal to create shows that a previous generation of LDs could only dream about. But the complexity of today’s sets and shows often requires repeat visits to the electronic drawing board, with an occasional reality check from someone eyeing the budget and logistics.

 

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Raising the Bar with 46664 in Johannesburg

Dec. 1, 2007 was World Aids Day, a day set aside by the World Health Organization to raise awareness of the global AIDS epidemic, and Gearhouse South Africa was busy supplying design, full technical production and crew for the 46664 Concert staged in Johannesburg’s Ellis Park Stadium.

 

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Dancing with the Stars – The Tour

Following the huge popularity of TV’s Dancing with the Stars comes Dancing with the Stars — the Tour. The tour features a revolving door of celebrity guests and dance numbers. On a recent night, for example, “Mr. Las Vegas” himself, Wayne Newton, made an appearance, along with Cheetah Girl Sabrina Bryan, who was voted off the show early in the season, to the dismay of many. Also on board for the tour were emcee/dancer Drew Lachey and dancer Cheryl Burke.

 

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Evanescence – Upton Opens Door to Hall of Mirrors

The word “Evanescence” is derived from the Latin word meaning “to vanish,” and that’s just what several of its band members and management have done since the band formed in 1998. But one element that leader and vocalist Amy Lee insisted on not changing was lighting designer/director Lawrence “Loz” Upton. Upton, who has designed the lighting for Smashing Pumpkins, Staind, and Marilyn Manson, among others, has a penchant for artists with more of a classical design aesthetic.

 

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The SmartMAC by Martin Professional

Martin Professional understands at least one thing about this industry — it thrives on new products. To that end, the company released a plethora of new products late last year, one of which is a new fixture designed for permanent installations as well as small clubs and theatres. This sleek, small product takes the original Mini MAC to a much higher level.

 

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RTFM

When I’m not writing about video for PLSN or tracking down the latest video innovations on the concert stage, I make my living writing technical manuals for my clients.  Way back in the last century, when the mighty Ampex was downsizing, I left the company to start my own business thinking that I could make a living producing sales, training, and marketing videos for broadcast manufacturers.  However, a trend soon emerged after the first few dozen cold calls.  Potential clients told me that their customers loved their products, but hated their manuals (and since this is a fine, respectful publication, we can’t print the client’s actual descriptions of their own manuals).

 

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Thematics Lightbox

Amid a growing field of computer-based lighting pre-visualization systems, lighting designer Charles Kirby and his company have been busy building and improving on a more organic and interactive method of modeling light. By taking advantage of today’s fiber-optic and LED technologies, Thematics is giving designers — and students of the craft — a way to build fully-operational scale models of their lighting designs.

 

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Lighting the Concert DVD Shoot

The rules for lighting a concert in front of a camera are quite different than lighting one for the eye. The cameras tend to pick up things that the human eye cannot. Over the years I’ve had to teach myself how to change and adapt my show so it still looks the same to the audience and still looks good on camera. The fact is that this particular evening’s performance is not meant to be perfectly lit for the 15,000 people who bought tickets; it’s for the million people who will view the concert footage.

 

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