Sunday, November 29, 2009
Loading in Phantom of the Opera—and the chandelier—at DPAC
indyweek: "Although the show doesn't open for another week, the huge work of loading it in began this morning. The famous decorative elements of The Phantom of the Opera—the chandelier, the underground tunnels and everything else—will fit easily onto DPAC's massive stage and will no doubt thrill audiences. But behind the opulence is a lot of grunt work that goes into laying the foundation for the complex, notoriously mobile set."
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13 comments:
Two simultaneous sets being used is a great idea for tandem scheduling, and 30 trucks is quite a fleet to manage. The established system for managing everything must be really ingrained in people if it has been going on for 17 years, I wonder what happens when something critical breaks and shakes the normal routine up. And how often is all the gear updated? I'm sure the rigging on that chandelier isn't as old as the rest of the set.
It is quite the scheduling task to coordinate a show of this scale, especially with the scale of the scenery and lighting rig. I saw this show when I was younger (maybe 10 or so) and I was absolutely amazed at the scale of the show when I saw it. I would really like to see the show again and see if I get the same amazement from seeing it again. A show of this scale is always interesting to see because of both the complexity of the technical elements as well as the quality of the production.
The set for Phantom is very intricate and complex. I am not surprised that it take a full week for load-in. I have always wondered about the installation of the chandelier. I would love to see the work that goes into it. This is probably the part of load-in that takes the most time since it is a very dangerous effect. I wonder if they have ever installed into a theatre that did not provided the proper structure for the chandelier? Or is this something they look into before booking a venue?
I always thought Phantom was big - but never really grasped the scale of the show. Two touring sets makes complete sense - however 30 trucks being used to transport the set between cities? This sounds ridiculous. It makes complete sense- but nonetheless ridiculous. Phantom is one of those shows where the producers can afford to tour such a large set - as it sells out in almost every performance hall it visits. Lucky for the producers (and the designers, who i'm sure are still banking on the royalties)
I'm a bit confused as to what the advance stuff is. If the show is in place, and they are loading in stuff, that that mean that there are copies of certain elements or are there just two complete sets of everything? As for the set, it's just HUGE. everything in the space is modified and every location in the script is physical represented in full. I love the fact that it took the designers 8 months to figure out how to make it all portable. I also wonder how much of the labor is local. With something this big and complicated it would make sense to travel with its own crew as that would probably speed up the load in process immensely. Other than that this show does a great job of transporting a full over the top and immersive experience across the country, over 7,000 times.
I wonder if an inspector looks at the venue before it is allowed to put up Phantom considering the complicated scenery and lighting rigs required. I wonder what the requirements are if there are any considering the huge scope of show. I wonder if a few of those 30 trucks is devoted to simply spare parts for the two complete sets. You would imagine that their are a few employees in charge of managing just the spare parts!
It's amazing that it takes a full week for load-in and only 30 hours to strike and pack. It must be exhausting to load-in a show, watch it go up for a night, and then fly somewhere to load-in the other set. That constant state of load-in, traveling, and strike must be taxing. I can't imagine what it must be like when one of them takes a vacation and another person has to step up. It must be a little confusing to keep track of the same show at two different venues, like having identical twins.
This is one of those great articles that I wish the general public got to see more of. While some of us technicians out there will scoff at terms like "T shaped device" This gives the common man a look into what it is like to work a tour. Too often I feel that audience members show up and believe the set and lighting just appeared there. They have no concept for the effort and time put into place to make a show like this happen night after night. While Phantom is certainly an intense example, it definitely shows the audience a bit more what our jobs are like.
I remember when Phantom came to Charlotte this past summer what an ordeal it was to load into one of the biggest spaces in our city. Every other show seems to get in and out pretty quick without much hassle, but I just remember hearing random stories about Phantom having to bring in so much structure for their own (aside from the scenic elements that we actually see) in order to support the weight and rigging for the show.
Two full sets touring is huge but critical. Not only does it make it easier for scheduling, but it also allows one set to be fixed if need be, while the other one is in production. Upkeep on a show of this scale would be critical, especially with all the heavy structures and flying elements.
Very cool for the "common man" to get a glimpse into our side of theatre. Although, I think everyone knows, theatre-worker or not, just how big Phantom is. Not a fan of the show too much, but dang that set is huge, especially for a tour!
I am amazed at how much planning needed to go into the show to get it on the road. The aesthetic and engineering requirements of making a set that elaborate tour must be immense. Which explains the 11 million dollars needed to get it there. Using two copies of the set makes complete sense both in terms of the health and safety of the crews and possible budget-wise as well. It is possible that by having two sets the producer is able to negate some overtime costs and shipping costs associated with getting something that big to a new location so fast. Both of those elements would tend to suck up a shows budget pretty fast. I wonder if this is actually saving them money. Of course, they are also able to do more shows with a more complete design aesthetic which makes for a happy audience.
Oh, the things you can do when you have the money. It's so advantageous for the actors to be able to perform in almost the exact same environment despite the differences in venue--I imagine that makes touring a lot smoother for them. Although Phantom has been touring for 17 years, I wonder how old each set piece is? I can't imagine it's all original, but maybe at this point it's all built for extreme longevity.
This is amazing. What a great look into what it takes to keep these enormous productions running smoothly as they travel from city to city around this country. I had heard about national tours taking two sets on the road, using one while installing another. When you think about it, it makes a ton of sense, even given the huge expense it cost upfront. I am interested in hearing more about what the job of the advance stage manager consists of... do they really "stage manage" in any real capacity, or is it more of a literal title?
I think this tour is an amazing feat. I am sure it is a well oiled machine by now, after so many years. I wonder how many set pieces have been replaced, nothing lasts for ever. I wonder what the weekly nut is when they have crews running at two locations. I am sure it is a scary figure. The scheduling was probably a nightmare, but is now apart of the well oiled machine.
How does a tour get to run this long? It is not a new story, but a classic at this point. There can not be that many new people to see it every year or two... or is there. But I am sure it has a returning audience and family traditions tied to it at this point.
It would be interesting to watch the load in and out at each venue to compare the differences based on the location.
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