How Long does It take to load in a musical like Book Of Mormon?
National tours usually begin loading in early on Tuesday morning, then they open that night. It happens very quickly. Bigger shows like Lion King and Wicked might starts a day or two prior to beginning performances.
Wicked tours have two sets each. They leapfrog. While one set is loading the other set is being used in one city. The cast, after the final curtain call just flies to the next city and performs the next night. I believe with Wicked set up is about two to three days.
I was at the box office buying my ticket for the first preview of The Book of Mormon in SF last year. That was around noon or 1 p.m.-ish, and a good deal of the set was still sitting in the lobby.
Wicked tours have two sets each. They leapfrog. While one set is loading the other set is being used in one city. The cast, after the final curtain call just flies to the next city and performs the next night. I believe with Wicked set up is about two to three days.
They don't have 2 complete sets but they do have advance scenery that goes in the day before the big load in. Wicked typically loads out of a venue on a Sunday and has is first performance in the next city on a Wednesday.
On a show as big as Wicked the actors do not perform in one city one night and in another city the next night.
It's quite a fascinating process. Do a Google search on "Wicked Load In" and you'll find bunches of great articles and videos detailing the process.
Broadway Legend Joined: 3/18/10
How do actors and singers keep their voices in good shape especially whilst on tour? It's ridiculous!
You know I personally think being on a national tour is harder than doing a broadway show eight times a week. Don't get me wrong I respect the people who are on broadway a ton and realize how hard it is!!! They are very talented. But I think it takes a really special kind of performer to do a show eight times a week in a new city and travel all over the country. Traveling alone takes a lot of energy but doing a show on top of traveling and getting into your hotel room at midnight can make you feel like death.
Broadway Legend Joined: 2/25/05
Many tours will load in in 8 hours (or less, if it's a split-week/one-nighter tour).
Larger shows will do it in a day and a half - which typically means loading out of the previous city Sunday night (well into Monday morning), catching a 8AM flight, and starting work at the new theater by 2PM. Put in 5-8 hours that night, and 8 the next day with a show that night.
Then there are shows like Wicked and Phantom that will have an "advance package," which is involves loading in some minimal lighting and audio cable, perhaps the FOH lighting fixtures, and maybe some scenic elements. This would be done by the advance carpenter and advance electrician on a Sunday night or Monday morning.
So to answer your question, it could take anywhere from 5 hours to 2 days to load in a show, but usually it's an all-day Tuesday event.
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/13/09
For the most part the jump set for the bigger shows is mostly the show deck and any cabling (automation, sound, lights, effects, etc) that might need to be run through it. When Lion King had two touring companies there were three show decks that were shared between the two companies. I believe Phantom also included the chandelier as part of the jump set along with the deck, so there were two chandeliers out there on the road.
WICKED's main "jump set" is the dragon and the false proscenium that it's attached too. I don't know if they have an advanced deck. I believe they don't because the deck itself is sort of like a puzzle that they put together relatively fast.
Broadway Star Joined: 7/29/12
From the load-in videos I've seen of the show, it looks as if the deck comes with the rest of the scenery. I would imagine the jump set includes the dragon, false proscenium, and some lighting.
Videos