latimes.com: In the two weeks it took Cirque du Soleil crew members to strike the sets, pack the costumes and remove every trace of evidence that the company and its resident show, "Iris," ever existed at Hollywood's Kodak Theatre, the most pressing questions didn't concern logistics or disassembly. After all, the $100-million production had been conceived with the knowledge that come each February of its anticipated 10-year stay, the show would have to decamp to make room for the Oscars. "The plan has been in place for months," says "Iris" technical director Kevin Kiely, surveying the organized chaos taking place on the Kodak's stage early in the moving process. "The biggest concern hasn't been executing the plan. What everyone's really wondering is: When are they taking out the coffee makers?"
Sunday, February 19, 2012
Cirque du Soleil's 'Iris' clears Kodak Theatre for Oscars
latimes.com: In the two weeks it took Cirque du Soleil crew members to strike the sets, pack the costumes and remove every trace of evidence that the company and its resident show, "Iris," ever existed at Hollywood's Kodak Theatre, the most pressing questions didn't concern logistics or disassembly. After all, the $100-million production had been conceived with the knowledge that come each February of its anticipated 10-year stay, the show would have to decamp to make room for the Oscars. "The plan has been in place for months," says "Iris" technical director Kevin Kiely, surveying the organized chaos taking place on the Kodak's stage early in the moving process. "The biggest concern hasn't been executing the plan. What everyone's really wondering is: When are they taking out the coffee makers?"
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While I have always known that the Oscars are held in the Kodak Theater, I never really thought about what was in the space for the other 11 months of the year. This article was quite fascinating because it essentially addresses the strike procedures for a large scale show. I like what the technical director said at the end, that all the technicians have a vested interest in the careful removal of the show. This is extremely true. Often times at CMU we get in the habit of striking sets with the intent to just throw it in the trash. Just once would I think that it would be interesting to build and strike a set as if it were needed for a touring company. It's my believe that the overall process would be extremely different. But as I tune in for the Academy Awards this year, I will most definately keep the fact that this same space was used for the magnificent performances of Cirque "Iris".
I also had never thought about the fact that of course the Kodak Theatre is going to be used by another show when not in use for something we see on TV. What I was most surprised about in this article is that it took them two weeks to strike! I have grown so accustomed to "strike" meaning a one day process where (mostly) everything is thrown away. Its so odd for me to consider that process taking as long as it does for Iris. On the same note, Im sure a Cirque show contains much more specificity to it than your average high quality traditional theatre piece.
One thing in particular that sparks my interest in the article is the reference to the show being a ten year show with a yearly "tour." having to scrub a permanently standing show every year would be quite the experience and technically speaking an incredible challenge. Tour shows are designed to be picked up and moved in as little as a couple of days. at least this technical team went into the design and development understanding that once a year they would have to perform this scenic shuffle. But this move gives the show what many showes struggle to schedule, proper maintenance on over worked machinery. As for the rumor of of the Oscar's leaving, I strongly doubt that after all these years of being at the KODAK they would choose to pick up and leave. Its a tradition and as fast and growing as film and entertainment has become traditions like this are held onto.
It is unfortunate for whatever show is in that space to have to move out of there just for 2 months. But this kind of a situation only goes to show how constructing sets with touring in mind is so useful. It's a great thing to know that as ornate as sets can get, especially like the shows that Cirque du Soleil produces, it can be just as collapsable as any other stage production. As fortunate as that is, I still think that it'd be wiser for the Kodak Theater to be a touring house rather than a facility with a permanent show. But I'm glad the negotiation works out peacefully to put on 2 very successful productions in that house every year.
What I kept thinking about while reading this was the great task that is organizing this load-out. Someone had to come up with the color-coded roadbox system! This was a uniqe challenge, but if the plan for this year works out well, then whatever system has been put into place can stay in place for the next 9 years. It's crazy to think that the show had to move completely out. Having been backstage at several Cirque shows, I have seen the vast amounts of technical, office, hospitality and performance medicine eqipment that goes along with each of these shows. Moving all of this out seems insanely inconvenient, but I understand that the Oscars aren't something you mess with. It is great that a beautiful space such as the Kodak can be used and adapted for such different and huge productions.
I also never thought much about what other shows were preformed in the Kodak Theatre. The fact that the Kodak Theatre is home to the Oscars poses an interesting predicament for shows that want to perform there. I find it very interesting that the people involved in the strike were most worried about when the coffee maker would be taken out. This shows how well the whole process was organized. This is very impressive because it is such a large show and there are so many different pieces that it takes a lot of logistical prowess for someone to effectively organize such a strike.
When i worked the JAY-Z/Kanye West Load Out - I was extremely impressed with the truck organization, labor efficiency, and pace of work. I had never thought about loading out a show of that caliber in quite the detail whoever is in charge does... everyday. The thing that made me think was that all of the local labor - had never seen the set before. I cant imagine how much more efficient it would be with the staff cirque does and how familiar they already are with the crew. Or would this strike be made up of mainly local labor as well? I think that would be interesting to see how those two situations differed and see compare pros/cons
Lots of good commentary on this so far; regarding whether or not this is built like a tour show, it definitely is. All of the equipment is in road boxes on wheels that are indeed color coded and numbered.
As for the Kodak, it typically was occupied 250 days/year prior to Cirque's arrival, but relatively few of those days were days with actual performances, and so now it has quite a few more days with performances. The whole center section of the Parterre is portable platforming, and there are massive tie panels with fiber runs at the US edge of the Parterre section to facilitate all of the media.
Regarding the Oscars' threats of moving back to the Shrine, while the Shrine holds more, the Shriners haven't taken care of the venue and so it has fallen into relative disrepair and also has probably can't support the weight of the Oscars. They just want the owners of the Hollywood and Highland complex to sweat.
As for organizing the load-out, some of the departments spent several hours a day documenting the system (since even with the level of planning required for IRIS there were innumerable changes once in the venue) in preparation for the load-in / load-out process. Mr. Kiely, the "technical director" interviewed in this article has an interesting role for two reasons: firstly, tech. dir. on CDS shows is different than how we define the position and is more like a general supervisor/manager of all technical elements and the logistics for them; secondly, he is the "operations technical director" as opposed to the "production technical director", so Mr. Kiely's time has been primarily devoted to maintenance and preparation for the load-out and load-in.
I would have liked it if this article mentioned the various permanent changes that IRIS has made to the the Kodak, such as the significant changes to the trap room and the loudspeaker system upgrade.
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