Most impressive Stage Effects (SpecialFX?)- Page 2

[EvanK]

Posted: 9/20/15 at 7:36pm

This thread really gives me life. I love hearing all of these. Wish I could have seen them!!

I really loved the Beast's transformation. 

In a local production of Cats that I saw, a brick wall opened up into a spiral staircase that Grizabella ascended to the heaviside layer. Was a pretty cool moment.

[karen24]

Posted: 9/20/15 at 7:51pm

I remember in La Bete, there was a beautiful effect when Joanna Lumley, as The Princess, made her entrance. A door kind of burst open and there was a huge explosion of gold glitter and light, then she followed. It was gorgeous.

I also still think about the opening of Grey Gardens, when we heard old Big Edie in the decrepit house singing to her record, with grown-up Little Edie, and then the house opened up and her younger singing self was revealed. Not a particularly complex thing, I guess, but effective!

[TrChSpHa]

Posted: 9/20/15 at 7:55pm

Call_me_jorge said: "Now when she falls from the ceiling is that a a different actor or is that the same actor?

That's a doll. One of the "bigger students" folds it underneath the jackets he's holding.

 

[luvcaroline]

Posted: 9/20/15 at 7:58pm

The barricade in the original staging of Les Miserables is still my favorite. 

 

Not really a special FX, but the wall of lights appearing in Passing Strange gave me chills.

Updated On: 9/20/15 at 07:58 PM

[uncageg]

Posted: 9/20/15 at 8:12pm

I thought all of Spiderman was visually stunning.

Also liked the glitter at the end of Neverland. It was breathtaking.

The transformation mirror in the pre-Broadway tong of Jekyl & Hyde. 

The mermamaids in Big Fish.

The barbers chair and chute in the original Sweeney Todd.

The original Les Miz Barricade.

The end of Act 1 in Amazing Grace.

 

[VotePeron]

Posted: 9/20/15 at 9:13pm

Spoilers:

 

For PIPPIN:

When the tarp gets laid down, Charles rolls backstage on his side, behind the red curtain. The tarp then self inflates, and acts as a balloon, which the LP pushes down on. It then deflates when she unrolls it. That was actually discussed on this board, and you can also see Charles roll away in one of the Pippin bootlegs.

 

For MATILDA:

After the actress is spun, she runs off stage right. There is a door under the box seats that leads backstage, and the actress comes out, covered in a jacket, and runs up the far house left aisle, always accompanied by Jennifer Bowles, or whoever is in her track. They then run to the back of the house, and then down the middle aisle. By this point, the actress is covered and shielded by school jackets. Once she is in place, a dummy falls from the ceiling onto the floor. The jackets are then flipped onto the dummy, covering it up, and then revealing the actress who had been hiding! 

[trpguyy]

Posted: 9/20/15 at 9:38pm

That is not at all how the Charlemagne levitation apparatus works. 

[Charley Kringas Inc]

Posted: 9/20/15 at 10:54pm

Not so much an effect as a seriously extended coup de theatre but I'm still not entirely sure how they make the Bed in Einstein in the Beach do that.

[SNAFU]

Posted: 9/20/15 at 11:08pm

Yeah there is no balloon in the Pippin effect. Charlemagne does roll upstage as the tarp is put over him. The form is held in place with a collapsible frame.

[rcwr]

Posted: 9/21/15 at 12:44am

The original Les Mis barricade

"Defying Gravity"

Late-1980s Bway Cats where Skimbleshanks' train seemed to come together out of nothing.

[hork]

Posted: 9/21/15 at 1:31am

VotePeron said: "Spoilers:

For MATILDA:

 

 

After the actress is spun, she runs off stage right. There is a door under the box seats that leads backstage, and the actress comes out, covered in a jacket, and runs up the far house left aisle, always accompanied by Jennifer Bowles, or whoever is in her track. They then run to the back of the house, and then down the middle aisle. By this point, the actress is covered and shielded by school jackets. Once she is in place, a dummy falls from the ceiling onto the floor. The jackets are then flipped onto the dummy, covering it up, and then revealing the actress who had been hiding! 

 

I've read this several times and I can't make any sense of it. Does it make sense if you've seen it on Broadway (I've only seen the touring show)? Why does she need to come out and run to the back of the house and back?

 

[FBay]

Posted: 9/21/15 at 1:40am

Mary Poppins was very impressive when Mary flew up the Bannister 

[toofunktastic2]

Posted: 9/21/15 at 1:55am

hork said: "I've read this several times and I can't make any sense of it. Does it make sense if you've seen it on Broadway (I've only seen the touring show)? Why does she need to come out and run to the back of the house and back?"

Yes, the tour is done differently.  Everything is done on stage on tour whereas on broadway/west end catching the doll happens in the audience.  

[Charley Kringas Inc]

Posted: 9/21/15 at 3:38am

I impressed with the doll catch in the tour, I like that they clearly had the forethought to not simply drop the doll from just out of sight but to drop it from as high as possible, given the way it rockets down.

[Nickhutson]

Posted: 9/21/15 at 6:23am

That moment really is the most amazing moment of theatricality.  I remember seeing it at the RSC thinking How is Trunchbull going to pick her up... and then she does - with no lighting or position switch.  

It's really the chalkboard illusion that's pretty ingenious - considering it is NOT projection at all. 

[mc1227]

Posted: 9/21/15 at 7:39am

Most recently it was the opening scene of The King and I.  I have never seen anything quite like that.  Prior to that it was probably Defying Gravity.

[KathyNYC2]

Posted: 9/21/15 at 7:41am

hork said: "VotePeron said: "Spoilers:

 

For MATILDA:

 

After the actress is spun, she runs off stage right. There is a door under the box seats that leads backstage, and the actress comes out, covered in a jacket, and runs up the far house left aisle, always accompanied by Jennifer Bowles, or whoever is in her track. They then run to the back of the house, and then down the middle aisle. By this point, the actress is covered and shielded by school jackets. Once she is in place, a dummy falls from the ceiling onto the floor. The jackets are then flipped onto the dummy, covering it up, and then revealing the actress who had been hiding! 

 

I've read this several times and I can't make any sense of it. Does it make sense if you've seen it on Broadway (I've only seen the touring show)? Why does she need to come out and run to the back of the house and back?

 

 

The lights go down...and there is a blackout for a number of seconds. Then the lights go back on and everyone is looking for Amanda, and many the "students" are running up and down the theater aisles (and in the boxes) looking to see where Amanda went. Amanda who ran to the back of the house during the blackout and in all this mayhem....then runs back down to the area the doll falls - which is in the front center of the orchestra seating -  with a bunch of the taller older students who are holding some of the jackets that everyone took off when Nigel was sleeping. The jackets cover her up.  So when she pops up after the doll falls, she is able to stand up in the correct area without most audience members really "seeing" how she got there.

 

 

 

"

 

Updated On: 9/21/15 at 07:41 AM

[bwayphreak234]

Posted: 9/21/15 at 9:19am

Les Miserables - the original barricades

Matilda - the pigtail scene

The King and I - the boat at the beginning

Spider-Man - the flying around the theatre was awesome

Wicked - Defying Gravity

Cinderella - the costume changes

 

[kdogg36]

Posted: 9/21/15 at 9:30am

I enjoyed the weaving effect at the start of Spider-Man, though it only worked one of the three times I saw it.

SPOILER, perhaps:

Does anyone know how Tinker Bell is done at the beginning of Finding Neverland? It's probably something simple and obvious, but I can't figure it out!

[doodlenyc]

Posted: 9/21/15 at 10:14am

I have to agree with Shogun: the Musical.

There were many special effects, but Lord Toranaga's charge on horseback still haunts. It was like an army on horseback was charging the audience. They almost took flight. The set design/special effects were the stars that night! June Angela and Francis Ruivivar were also great, the show, not so much.

 

I've never actually understood the awe over "Defying Gravity". It's pretty obvious what happens and it always bothered me that Elphaba simply rises rather than flies. She never rides the broomstick, but just has to hold it to fly? Always struck me as odd.

Updated On: 9/21/15 at 10:14 AM

[TrChSpHa]

Posted: 9/21/15 at 10:27am

kdogg36 said: "I enjoyed the weaving effect at the start of Spider-Man, though it only worked one of the three times I saw it.

 

SPOILER, perhaps:

 

Does anyone know how Tinker Bell is done at the beginning of Finding Neverland? It's probably something simple and obvious, but I can't figure it out!

 

I could be wrong, but I thought it was the stick (with a light at the end) one of the actors is later holding during the "Clap if you believe" re-enactment near the end .

 

[Wee Thomas2]

Posted: 9/21/15 at 10:55am

The way they used the turntable and the sets in Machinal was just amazing theater.

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 9/21/15 at 11:10am

Let the Right One In: 

• Eli falling/dropping backwards on the gym set
• The swimming pool scene, holy CRAP

 

Les Miserables:

• The original barricades
• The current sewer scene

 

Peter and the Starcatcher:

• Everything

 

Beautiful:

• The Shirrelles' quick change

Spider-Man:

• The weaving scene
• The houses on the street as Peter walked past them

[MichelleCraig]

Posted: 9/21/15 at 11:42am

It was interesting to see the orchestra pit of the Ahmanson in Los Angeles turned into the East River for the 2005 production of DEAD END.

http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/diving-scenes-rehearsal-for-center-theatre-groups-news-photo/564027307

 

Updated On: 9/21/15 at 11:42 AM

Posted: 9/21/15 at 12:46pm

Lizzy, can you tell us more about Let the Right One In?