The Magic of Backstage

Just a little blog by a stage manager about backstage magic! 😊

[crystalized-drumming]

Hi y'all

I want to make more friends that are into the Marvel Comics and/or Marvel movies and shows (because yes people who like both exist). Anyway! If you're into that feel free to message me because I really want to talk to more people about this stuff!

[muscially-obsessed]

For your consideration: 

Spies are Forever but it’s just the word “spy

I spent all day yesterday making this and nearly went insane

[mochalatte-hotte]

This must have taken forever

Spy doesn’t sound like a real word anymore

[trueloveistreacherous]

The Good Place Appreciation Week Day 6: Favorite Lesson/s

[teekoo]

spies are forever music video because I can’t stop thinking about owen and this song! 😔 (warning: spoilers!!!)

[sunlightnstorms]

When I post something that I think is funny and it gets 1 note

[temporalkingdom]

[your-naked-magic-oh-dear-lord]

I think I’m going to apply a bit more critical thinking when watching the news.

[wallflowerwaitlist]

Main takeaways from Black Friday:

Joey should play every villain. I'm not talking about in Starkid shows. I mean every villain. The next Marvel movie? Joey Richter. The new James Bond? Oh, it's Joey Richter again. Who's that actor they cast in the next Joker reboot? Joey fucking Richter.

There is literally nothing funnier in this world than Robert Manion pretending to be Santa Claus pretending to be a high school student.

Hannah Foster is my daughter.

James Tolbert could punch me in the face and I would probably thank him.

[its-amusical]

Professor Hidgens tells it like it is

[hydroxycyclone]

Underappreciated Holy Musical B@tman moments

• alfred is spiderman

• takes place in 1997 but Twitter exists and Obama is the president

• Green Lantern can make beer but only if it comes in a green bottle

• Jeff's blue lipstick

• "all that money I spent on fucking candy!" "You can do that anytime ;)))"

• catwoman has an actual cat on her shoulder

• Jim's awful haircut to play Mr. Freeze

• I'm pretty sure Nick shaved his legs

• superman ripping batman's underwear off in To Be A Man

• Jim carrying Brian

• Brian's Snoop Dogg impression

• Dylan sitting on Denise's lap

• Jeff was Aquaman

• using a Facebook poll to decide the fate of Gotham

• Joe's high pitched batscream

• bruceman batwayne

• everyone hates two-face

• alfred is lucius fox

• the entire musical

[isabellaofparma]

#me dealing with my problems

[mikewoodld]

When you get a note after the final preview.

[operafantomet]

Are the backdrops for the rooftop scene (in replicas/kinda) different? There's the normal replica one, the Las Vegas one (is that the same as the world tour one?), and the new UK tour one?

(continued) (sorry to add, but also the Japanese rooftops when they have the Pegasus seem a bit different?, I can’t really tell but I think that’s more because there isn’t that many pictures of it)

The different rooftop versions I can think of is:

The original, with the Paris rooftop skyline behind an angled view of the Garnier rooftop, all looming under the lowered Golden Angel sculpture - here’s from set-up in Istanbul/World Tour:

The exact execution of this may vary, for example how the window lights flicker, how the clouds moves over the night sky, how the stars shines, and the materials the rooftop backdrop is made of. Some productions also do without the “staircase” to the left, where Raoul and Christine enters and departs. Zooming in a bit, here’s West End:

A take on this was Las Vegas, where there were more emphasis on the dome and less on the other rooftop structures. Theirs was made of a more… translucent (?) material, and they featured the Apollo’s Lyre sculpture (in a flat, painted version, not an actual sculpture):

Moving on to the RAH version, totally different challenges called for a totally different design. As the Golden Angel could not be lowered/raised as usual, and the scene was split in two levels, with actors on the floor and the orchestra up on the platform, this was used to their advantage. Down on the floor the dome was projected in the LED screens (reminding of the Vegas set). Then, up on the platform, a giant projection of the Apollo’s Lyre and Paris skyline was projected, and the Phantom sung his curse from here (reminding of the non-replica Hungarian set). Here’s the digital stage model:

Originally they had a quite elaborate idea, which wasn’t executed quite like that in the finished version: “After Christine and Raoul leave, the skies blacken and the conductor turns around and we see it’s the Phantom”. But the whole idea of the Apollo’s lyre and the Phantom posing as others were ideas finding its way into the shortly-after launched Restaged Tour. Here’s two closeups on how the set looked in action in RAH - the dome in the lower half:

And the Phantom by the Apollo’s Lyre, with the blackened sky (and oh yes, complete with the Eiffel Tower):

Then the quite unique Japanese take on it, where various legislations prevented them from lowering the Golden Angel sculpture at all locations. There they did a stage bound Pegasus culpture instead, from where the Phantom could sing his curse. And no, there’s definitely not a lot of photos of this, probably because they often do the Golden Angel version instead. But here’s some:

Last, but not least, there’s the two new tour versions. Not speaking the Restaged Tour, which does its own design, but the new World Tour revival and the UK Tour revival. You’d think they would have some ideas to pick from above, but they both designed their own take on the curse. First, in the new World Tour they’ve cut the Golden Angel entirely from the proscenium. But they’ve re-introduced it on stage as a sculpture in the Rooftop:

I will be frank and say I find it kinda intrusive in the Rooftop design. It doesn’t really go well with the rest of the sets. BUT - it has a specific benefit: VISUALLY the Phantom’s curse kinda look the same as before. Because they’ve made the sculpture visible through the curtain at the chandelier crash:

Lat, but not least, the new UK Tour. There too they’ve cut the Golden Angel from the proscenium, but with no replacement of any sort. POUT. The chandelier doesn’t crash down on stage either. Double pout. But their Rooftop set is lovely. They’ve introduced a fully sculptured version of the Pegasus seen in the original design:

Which in my view blends in a lot better than the kneeling Golden Angel. It’s also a nice not to Maria Bjørnson’s design for the alternate Japanese set-up, also featuring a Pegasus to the left of the couple. The sculpture turns as the couple leaves, revealing the Phantom, which is also a nice scenic moment:

Those are, I think, the different takes on the Maria Bjørnson design for the rooftop set. In chronological order:

Maria Bjørnson’s original (1986)

Maria Bjørnson’s Pegasus design for Japan (1988?)

The Vegas set, adding the Apollo’s lyre (2006)

The RAH set, with a new take on the Apollo’s lyre (2011)

The World Tour set, with a stage-based Golden Angel (2019)

The UK Tour set, with a new take on the Pegasus (2020)

[miniatureoftheopera]

A small supplement to the above: The actual backdrop in the design originally started off with a star curtain in the back. Then a Paris skyline in front of that with lightboxes in the windows. In front of that a  double plexiglass structure with the dome and pegasus painted on it on a separate flybar. This created a shiny black see through feel that morphed nicely with the shiny floor and side curtains. This design has morphed slightly. On Broadway the plexiglass wall comes up from the floor because of space restrictions. The wall has also become more opaque. As in all productions after the original.

 The star sky and skyline has in some productions transformed into a painted drop. The original world tour (as seen in a picture above) has painted everything on that same drop and cut the plexiglass structure. So slight alterations have been made over time. Probably because of budget and space restrictions. And since the scene is quite dimly lit and the hanging angel gets all the “oohs” alterations can be made without changing the feel of the scene.

[stagefoot]

FACT:

Stage managers can smell a drop of fear and confusion in an Olympic size swimming pool

[justcallmeaphrabehn]

The two sides of tech

[1stutilityplayer]

Here’s a message to young Stage Managers:

Each time you SM a production, you’ll come out different.

Always, always, always, keep a calm, level head. Be professional.

If it’s a big production and you’re a notably young SM, don’t feel discouraged. Work hard. Get the credit you deserve. Show everyone why you’re there and that you can handle all the work.

Never give up!

[esmeedanikatodd]

I Am The Stage Manager

I am the stage manager. I am an unstoppable being powered by caffeine, chocolate, pizza and some form of magic. I am the stage manager. I willingly give up my time to attend rehearsals, set builds, Q2Qs, and lightning hangs. I am the stage manager. I spend more time in the theater than at my own house. And I love it. I am the stage manager. I am the only one who knows how the comm system works, and if you value your life you won’t mess with the organization. I am the stage manager. I never know what exactly I will do when I show up to work. I could be doing blocking notes. Or sewing buttons. Or standing in for a sick actor. Or mice catching. Or stealing a cake. Or stair Tetris. I am the stage manager. I have memorized every show I have ever done. I know every scene change, light cue and quick change. I am the stage manager. I am the first responder when a catastrophe happens 5 minutes before the show starts. Leads getting sick. Light board shuts down. Microphone breaks. Drop rips. Fly falls. I’ve seen it all. I am the stage manager. If you mess with my tech-lings or cast babies, there is going to be hell to pay. I am the stage manager. A crash course in motherhood is part of the job description. I am the stage manager. My company is my family. I am the stage mom, the all knowing, all powerful tech wizard that makes the theater world go round. I am the stage manager. And I wouldn’t give it up for anything in the world.

[angel-in-a-t-shirt]

So my mom and I went up to New York last weekend to see The Lightning Thief Musical (amazing by the way). Being the theatre-loving-techie that I am, I decided I really wanted to meet their stage manager. So afterwards, while everyone was waiting for the actors to come outside we hung out in the very small lobby. The director was out there and wasn’t really having any of this “random kid asking him questions” thing so he was a bit dismissive, which I totally get because directing, and especially directing a sold out off-broadway show, is very stressful. However, the conductor of their small orchestra was out there too and when he heard my request he was very eager to go get the SM. She was so nice and so happy to have someone genuinely interested in her job! She even helped me find a big theatre near my city that does high school internships to get me some extra experience before college. So I guess my point here, other than the fact that Leigh'Ann Andrews is amazing, is that if you’re a crew member or high school/college SM or anyone interested in what goes on “behind the scenes” of a play, if you have the opportunity or might even have a little chance, talk to the stage manager or sound/light designer. They rarely get recognition from fans of the show and they just deserve so much.

[auditionwtf-blog]