Wow--time has flown for me out here. Since my computer has been out of commission my mother has come to visit me, I've gone to Red Rock Canyon, seen Lion King and shadowed Ka, LOVE and Blue Man Group. Where do I begin?! ...I guess the beginning is the most logical place.
My mother and my Aunt Dale came to Vegas week before last. They saw Mystère their first night, Ka the second, and then we went to see Lion King together. During the day we went and explored Red Rock Canyon--which was fantastic. In the park there's a 13 mile loop which we followed, stopping at scenic points to take pictures (and good-off with each other as is family protocol). There are several hikes in this canyon and I hope to go back to do at least one of them before I leave--but we'll see. I only have two weeks left with Cirque and then I head back to NC/VA! Lion King was enjoyable, and it was a nice reminder that there are other forms of entertainment other than CDS. My honest review of the show is that I feel it was lacking some spectacle that I feel Vegas shows should have--but it was a fun family-oriented performance that stayed true to the original Disney film. The Zebra and Giraffe puppets were our favorite animals and instead of Zazu singing "I've got a lovely bunch of cocanuts, deedle-de-de" he sang, "VIVA, LAS VEGAS!" while trapped in his skeleton cage during Scar's rule. I thought that this wasa funny touch, and my hard-core Disney fans will understand what part of the movie I'm attempting to reference.
After joining my mother and my Aunt for Breakfast at a local restaurant my roommates suggested (a place called 'The Cracked Egg') and dropping them off at the airport I went and shadowed Ka. This show is technically AMAZING. It has two giant decks that create their stage as well as bridges and trusses that wind through the house. The performers climb, jump and swing from these platforms and bridges for a majority of the show, and at the end of the performance Cirque wraps up the story with a celebration complete with Fireworks inside. Wow.
Ka seats 1,950 and the theater is 12 floors including 2 basement levels and two grids. The main grid is stationary, and then they have a lower grid that is raised and lowered for a particular scene. The two decks I mentioned previously are called 'Tatomie' (spelled phonetically) and the 'Cliff Deck.' Tatomie only slides forwards and backwards where as the Cliff Deck can be raised, lowered, rotate and angle itself to a 90 degree angle to the audience. the cliff deck has smart panels on it that connect to infared cameras that send information to projectors that produce images reactive to artist's movement. This same cliff deck also has 80 pegs that come out for artists to climb during a fight scene where the deck is at a 67 degree angle and spinning. This piece of the show is called Climb, and it's incredible. Non of the artists are safety-ed in while performing their acts, but there is a net that is set whenever an artist is on one of the decks, and around the stage walk (a pathway at the front of the house where performers make crosses) there are giant airbags for people to fall on. And just to clarify--these are GIANT airbags. Think the size of my living room for a small bag, and the size of my apartment or a large/average one. Oh--and I forgot--in addition to these two decks I've described there are 5 other lifts that raise and lower to create UR, DR, UL, DL and DC. Ka has a giant training room that has its own grid for rehearsal purposes and it takes a team of 6 SMs to run the show.
Anyone confused yet? It's a bit overwhelming I feel, but still very cool--that is if you understand what I tried to describe. If not, just ask me when I get back and I'll gladly tell you about it. I took notes during my visit. :)
Alright--now on to LOVE! This, I believe is Bill Webb's favorite show, so consider this another shout-out to him. I can certainly see why he likes this Cirque project. If you're a Beatles fan--this is the show to see. Through the acts the show tells the story of the Beatles coming together, the trials and tribulations of their time-period and demonstrates their impact on society... all by using the unique talent of CDS performers who do areal acts, bungee, skating, Russian Swing, and dance. Again, this show has a 6-member SM team and unlike the other Cirque shows--LOVE is in the round. To guide their performers they have labeled the theater directionally like a compass. The theater seats 2,000 people and there are 8 voms and entrances to the stage. The theater is three-levels with several traps, lifts and sloats. Which--BTW, I didn't know that sloat isn't just a word--it's an acronym. It stands for something like, "Sliding Lifts Over A Trap." Hm.
LOVE goes through several thousand streamers and pieces of confetti each week, and it's all cleaned up by hand after every performance (I definitely thought they would have some fancy trick for this, but no--it's just hard-working ushers!). During one act leaf-shaped confetti falls from the grid to symbolize the changing of seasons, and I was lucky enough to drop these leaves when I was backstage. Awesome. The team is integrating a new caller so I didn't see the call of the show, but I did obtain a copy of their script. Of course it's electronic (as I'm finding most CDS scripts are) and perhaps I'll find a use for this format later in my career. LOVE, unlike other shows, has actual lyrics to follow, so I found it easy to follow and interesting to read-through.
Whew... I don't think I warned anyone that this was going to be a long entry. Feel free to come back another time. ;) ...but onto the next topic of: BLUE MAN GROUP!
Tonight I went and shadowed Blue Man Group. When I went to visit Zumanity I met one of the BMG SMs who is an ASM at Zu. She and I talked, and she invited me to come shadow their show for an evening. Again--I had a blast. The show is comical and musical and I throughly entertained. BMG is run much more like a traditional theater show and the SM calls lights, sound and automation. This 2-hour show has over 300 cues that the SM is entirely in-charge of calling. Most of the cues are musical ('GO' on '7' of the third count of 8 during the second chorus-type stuff) but some are what my friend referred to as 'Zen' calling. She used this term to mean when an SM has to anticipate what a performer is going to do and call the cue as it's happening instead of slightly after. It's a small cast with three Blue Men, 7 band members and a run-crew of about 15ish. Every evening they have a 'Circle Meeting' where the cast and crew meet to receive notes for the show--and play pictionary. Ha ha, yes--they play one-round of pictionary every evening before the show. Winners are rewarded with candy.
AND... that's it. I've spit out a lot of information in this entry, and I hope that for the most part it all makes sense. I'm going into my second-to-last week with Mystère and I will be completing my 'final projects' within the next 3-7 days. My final challenges are to run a Cube Training, Do the SM hand-choreography during a live show, and to call a specific section of the show during a live performance. Cube training means calling cues during rehearsal and moving all the props that performers normally move during a show for this training (being a calling SM and a deck SM at the same time basically). SM hand choreography refers to the duties that the calling SM has to juggle while in the booth. The control the recording show-camera, timers for music and cue lights. I will be running these during several performances and Saturday may be my first day I do this. The calling SM will sit behind me to supervise and do the calls for the show. For my calling section I will be cueing a Turntable stop, several ball entrances and a artist's entrance. I also will be doing the check in and pre-show headset announcements while in this role. WHEW. Final Stretch--here I come!
Friday, April 23, 2010
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Update!
Just got my computer back recently so I'm back online. I'll post soon about recent experiences which include shadowing Ka, Love and helping out with the Nevada Theatre Ballet.
In the mean time, I'm happy to announce that Cirque du Soleil is joing forces with the Michael Jackson estate for their new show in 2012. Check out this link for a little "preview":
In the mean time, I'm happy to announce that Cirque du Soleil is joing forces with the Michael Jackson estate for their new show in 2012. Check out this link for a little "preview":
Thursday, April 8, 2010
For the Hockey Fans...
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
*
I've edited the title of my blog in light of recent updates with my internship...
Cirque offered me an extension on my internship. Though I was not able to accept the full offer (due to wanting to attend graduation, needing prep-time for my next contract, and having to move out of my apartment) I will be adding on more week to my time in Vegas. I'm very excited and honored to have been presented with this opportunity.
Some other quick updates about this week is that I was able to shadow most of the other departments during shows. I've been with Rigging, Carpentry, Lights and Sound, and today I will follow Automations and Props. By allowing me to tag along with the other departments, it's given me a greater appreciation of how complex this show really is. It also reminds me that I'm working with the best of the best. Everyone is very good at their job--which I guess is a given--and I truly believe that every person wants to be working where they are. I was also reminded that everyone is there to do *their* job. It's not my place to collect the rainsticks for the props guys--they'll be there. They'll do their job and I'll do mine and the show will go forward as needed. It's a great challenge and benefit for me to take the time to prefect and improve my track because there is no need--and again, it's not really my place or role--for me to worry about the other departments. It's all a great big, well-oiled (and time-tested) machine!
My other update is that my macbook has been sent off for repairs. I'm currently borrowing my roommate's computer to check in and update. I'll be offline for about a week or so, but again--this could be a good thing. Mom and Aunt are in town and I'll be spending time with them these next two days. Tomorrow's plan is to visit Red Rock Canyon (a favorite sight-seeing place of the locals and tourists--I hear it's beautiful) and to see Lion King tomorrow night. LK is a full Broadway-length play, and I think we'll all throughly enjoy it--but I might get a bit antsy between acts. I'm now accustomed to 90m shows!
Cheers to you for reading this again--a special shout-out to my friends in Elon, my family members in MD, TN, and FL, and the beau in VA. Thanks!
Cirque offered me an extension on my internship. Though I was not able to accept the full offer (due to wanting to attend graduation, needing prep-time for my next contract, and having to move out of my apartment) I will be adding on more week to my time in Vegas. I'm very excited and honored to have been presented with this opportunity.
Some other quick updates about this week is that I was able to shadow most of the other departments during shows. I've been with Rigging, Carpentry, Lights and Sound, and today I will follow Automations and Props. By allowing me to tag along with the other departments, it's given me a greater appreciation of how complex this show really is. It also reminds me that I'm working with the best of the best. Everyone is very good at their job--which I guess is a given--and I truly believe that every person wants to be working where they are. I was also reminded that everyone is there to do *their* job. It's not my place to collect the rainsticks for the props guys--they'll be there. They'll do their job and I'll do mine and the show will go forward as needed. It's a great challenge and benefit for me to take the time to prefect and improve my track because there is no need--and again, it's not really my place or role--for me to worry about the other departments. It's all a great big, well-oiled (and time-tested) machine!
My other update is that my macbook has been sent off for repairs. I'm currently borrowing my roommate's computer to check in and update. I'll be offline for about a week or so, but again--this could be a good thing. Mom and Aunt are in town and I'll be spending time with them these next two days. Tomorrow's plan is to visit Red Rock Canyon (a favorite sight-seeing place of the locals and tourists--I hear it's beautiful) and to see Lion King tomorrow night. LK is a full Broadway-length play, and I think we'll all throughly enjoy it--but I might get a bit antsy between acts. I'm now accustomed to 90m shows!
Cheers to you for reading this again--a special shout-out to my friends in Elon, my family members in MD, TN, and FL, and the beau in VA. Thanks!
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Touristy
So this entry is going to be a little-less CDS oriented and more 'Las Vegas' themed.
This past weekend I spent in Las Vegas doing, "the Vegas thing." My wonderful beau flew across the country and we split the cost of two night's stay at New York New York. Now, I know that most people think, SIN CITY when they think of Las Vegas, but it's really about how you spend your time.
The Guy and I spent most of our time walking the strip and going in and out of casinos. We didn't gamble on the strip, but took our time admiring the themes and attractions each casino had to offer. We caught one of the Bellagio fountain shows which was themed to Pink Panther music. The Bellagio has a fountain show that runs every half-hour until 6p, where it then plays every 15 minutes. The Bellagio lake is 9 acres, has 1200 fountains 4500 lights and cost $75 million to build. Wow. We didn't make it to seeing the Volcando erupt in the Mirage or the Siren Show if TI, but I'll try to check out these events before I leave town.
Other fun facts we found out are:
-The Luxor can hold 9 Boeing 747's (the Luxor, if you're not sure which building this is, is the Black Pyramid-shaped casino)
-The replica Eiffel Tower and the Statue of Liberty are both 1/2 size of the originals. (yes, you can go from Paris to New York in just a few blocks in Vegas)
-The MGM Grand Lion is 45 feet tall and wights 100,000 pounds. It is the largest bronzed statue in the U.S.
Pretty nifty stuff.
On our second day in Vegas we went and explored Fremont street. This is located on the North End of the strip and is what most people think of when they think 'old-school Vegas.' The Casinos have flashing lights all over them, and the entire street is blocked of for this carnival-like experience. The street is covered with an LED ceiling that will flash advertisements and light shows with corresponding music.
The Guy and I played Roulette for hours, and though it was a blast, didn't go very far with our winnings. Then again, we weren't betting anything high either. I lost $6, and the Guy won $4. ;) We did test the theory that if you gamble long enough casinos do provide you with free drinks. To us this notion seemed like a myth until a cocktail waitress strolled up to us and asked if she could get us a cocktail. Oh, and something else about Vegas--there's no open container law. if you grab a beer in one bar, please--feel free to cross the street with it and go gamble someplace else. Heck, I saw one woman with a beer in one hand, a cocktail in the other, and then a daiquiri tube hung around her neck with a straw sticking out.
The North end of Vegas is also where you can find most of your Vegas Wedding Chapels. You can get married with Tim McGraw, or Elvis--and there are even some places where you don't even have to leave your car to get married. Yup--they have drive-through wedding services.
All in all, the weekend was very enjoyable. I got to take some time off of work, explore the strip and spend some much needed time with my boyfriend. Now it's back to work at Mystère! This week I'm shadowing all of the other departments, so rather than do SR or Rover track, I'll be following and working with Lighting, Automations, Rigging, Properties and Wardrobe. I hope to gain a lot from this experience because Stage Management doesn't necessarily cross with these departments on a regular basis. I'll take dutiful notes and report next week!
This past weekend I spent in Las Vegas doing, "the Vegas thing." My wonderful beau flew across the country and we split the cost of two night's stay at New York New York. Now, I know that most people think, SIN CITY when they think of Las Vegas, but it's really about how you spend your time.
The Guy and I spent most of our time walking the strip and going in and out of casinos. We didn't gamble on the strip, but took our time admiring the themes and attractions each casino had to offer. We caught one of the Bellagio fountain shows which was themed to Pink Panther music. The Bellagio has a fountain show that runs every half-hour until 6p, where it then plays every 15 minutes. The Bellagio lake is 9 acres, has 1200 fountains 4500 lights and cost $75 million to build. Wow. We didn't make it to seeing the Volcando erupt in the Mirage or the Siren Show if TI, but I'll try to check out these events before I leave town.
Other fun facts we found out are:
-The Luxor can hold 9 Boeing 747's (the Luxor, if you're not sure which building this is, is the Black Pyramid-shaped casino)
-The replica Eiffel Tower and the Statue of Liberty are both 1/2 size of the originals. (yes, you can go from Paris to New York in just a few blocks in Vegas)
-The MGM Grand Lion is 45 feet tall and wights 100,000 pounds. It is the largest bronzed statue in the U.S.
Pretty nifty stuff.
On our second day in Vegas we went and explored Fremont street. This is located on the North End of the strip and is what most people think of when they think 'old-school Vegas.' The Casinos have flashing lights all over them, and the entire street is blocked of for this carnival-like experience. The street is covered with an LED ceiling that will flash advertisements and light shows with corresponding music.
The Guy and I played Roulette for hours, and though it was a blast, didn't go very far with our winnings. Then again, we weren't betting anything high either. I lost $6, and the Guy won $4. ;) We did test the theory that if you gamble long enough casinos do provide you with free drinks. To us this notion seemed like a myth until a cocktail waitress strolled up to us and asked if she could get us a cocktail. Oh, and something else about Vegas--there's no open container law. if you grab a beer in one bar, please--feel free to cross the street with it and go gamble someplace else. Heck, I saw one woman with a beer in one hand, a cocktail in the other, and then a daiquiri tube hung around her neck with a straw sticking out.
The North end of Vegas is also where you can find most of your Vegas Wedding Chapels. You can get married with Tim McGraw, or Elvis--and there are even some places where you don't even have to leave your car to get married. Yup--they have drive-through wedding services.
All in all, the weekend was very enjoyable. I got to take some time off of work, explore the strip and spend some much needed time with my boyfriend. Now it's back to work at Mystère! This week I'm shadowing all of the other departments, so rather than do SR or Rover track, I'll be following and working with Lighting, Automations, Rigging, Properties and Wardrobe. I hope to gain a lot from this experience because Stage Management doesn't necessarily cross with these departments on a regular basis. I'll take dutiful notes and report next week!
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