PhillyVoice: Throughout the kick-off of her two-night-stand in Philadelphia on Sunday at the Wells Fargo Center, Lady Gaga repeatedly spoke of Pennsylvania. The dramatic powerhouse vocalist mentioned her family in the Keystone State and the support she’s had in Philly since her start (a support she’ll surely feel during Monday’s showcase). But the one Pennsylvania element she didn’t mention by name was the intricate staging custom-built for her by TAIT – the famed, global, Lititz, PA staging/lighting effects conglomerate.
2 comments:
I have to preface this comment by saying I have not actually seen the Joanne tour in person, but rather watched videos of each of the songs being performed online. I've heard quite a few mixed reviews of this show. I kind of have to disagree with the author's praise of the staging however, as from what I've seen the stage looks like its doing a lot but doesn't feel true to Gaga's brand. The stage could have been brought along on any generic pop/rap/electronic tour, and that just doesn't feel like it fits Gaga's Joanne era. Joanne, the album, comes from a country music base with lyrics that fits Gaga's pop twist. A plain black hydraulic stage littered with LED's just doesn't seem to fit the marketing of the album. I would have wanted more subdued colors and floral elements to match the Joanne persona, rather than this stage which feels like it lacks personality.
As Adorosi states “Rarely would a reviewer bring up a stage designer by name in a review,” I fully agree. It is hard to find mention in publications about a show any mention of the type of work we do. It is special when that mention is there because it shines some light on what we do. I don’t care too much about praise or acknowledgment, if I did, this would be the wrong career path, but it’s always nice when people point out good work. I am slightly confused by what he says in the article about having the staging outshine the performer. He says it is possible but never really makes a clear distinction about whether or not he feels as though that is the case for this tour. I personally am always more blown away by the stage then the performance when there are cool technical elements, but I suppose that is not a typical thing.
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