Most impressive special effect — Page 2

The Sets and scene chances in Caroline Or Change werew extremly impressive to me. Its almost like scenes seemlessly floated into eachother, especially inbetween Rose Stopnick Can Cook and Long Distance. Then theres the Act 1 closer when the Moon sings "Shine So Bright" and the moon has a huge bean of light coming from her upper left side. SO COOL! It isnt really like "speical effects" but to me that was the most impressive.

Mufasa's Face form the sky in The Lion King was amazing. Lion King was the first professional show I ever saw and to me that was awe-inducing.

Maybethistime - Mistoffeles doesn't disappear into thin air in the stage production of CATS - that was clearly something they digitally did for the movie version.

I can't believe people listed DEFYING GRAVITY as the most impressive special effect...it's the cheapest, worst effect I've ever seen on the professional stage and completely ruins what would otherwise be a great moment in the show. Anyway...

Some of these aren't very amazing "special effects," but more just really amazing things i've seen happen on stage.

1.) The fountain in BOMBAY DREAMS. Yes, I'm well aware that the show was bad, but that scene is undeniably fantastic. The choreographed water spouting out is amazing and 10x better than the London production. If every scene in BOMBAY DREAMS produced the amount of excitement that single song did, the show would be around for a bit longer.

2.) The stage filling with water during "The Grand Canal" in NINE, and then slowly draining as Contini's world is falling apart. Amazingly touching and beautiful to listen to.

3.) Almost every single god damn thing about DANCE OF THE VAMPIRES. If that show had only stuck around long enough for more people to see it, it would have swept the Tonys in the design categories. It was absolutely technically brilliant. I got chills during every scene change.

4.) During TITANIC when the entire stage tilted and everything slid to one side as the boat was sinking. Now even this show has it's rampant haters (which completely baffles me,) even they can't deny that it's pretty amazing to see an entire broadway stage lift and tilt with actors sliding across it as if they were falling off the boat.

5.) Cathy Rigby's flying choreography in PETER PAN. I was in a production of THE WIZARD OF OZ. It was right after DANCE OF THE VAMPIRES had closed, and we got all their flying equipment. All out harnesses were still labled with the DOTV actor's names on them so we had top of the line equipment with first rate "flyers" showing us exactly what we could do with the actors in the air. After seeing how much work it took to get an actress to take off on stage on a bicycle across stage, I can't imagine how long it must have taken them to master Cathy Rigby's flying in PETER PAN. I was in PETER PAN as well and the flying was not easy, so when I saw her production, what she did in the air really blew me away.

As much as I would love to say the chandelier falling in phantom, I can't. It doesn't even fall. It slowly and carefully glides to the stage, unharmed. If you ask me, it's really crappy and very lame.

I know there's more...

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i like the lighting effects in Wicked.

What does your post even mean? What can't they do these days? Have they started doing something new...?

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hes being sarcastic... that an amazing special effect is how bombay dreams has managed to stay open (meaning wow look at how long a terrible show has lasted, its magical!)

this effect i have yet to see and only have read described vaguely in a review- but i hear that the black knight in spamelot loses all 4 of his limbs on stage- that should be a sight to see

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The original production of DREAMGIRLS. There has yet to be a musical where a more delicate and comprehensive use of scenery has been deployed. Brilliant collaboration of everyone involved.

For sheer emotional impact ( especially if you have witnessed something similar in real life), the barricade in LES MISERABLES being built! This was where they would make their last stand and it looked almost fragile

For sheer beauty ( especially if you have seen it in real life), the set opening up to show blue skies and the outline of the Pyrenees Mountain in ASPECTS OF LOVE

For sheer fun ( especially if you look at it with the eyes of a child) - the sets of CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG ( in London, which presumably will come over for the Broadway production), not to forget the sight of the flying CHITTY

For sheer campiness ( especially if Hugh Jackman's on it) - the staircase in THE BOY FROM OZ

The mansion "levitating" during scenes of Sunset Boulevard...

3.) Almost every single god damn thing about DANCE OF THE VAMPIRES. If that show had only stuck around long enough for more people to see it, it would have swept the Tonys in the design categories. It was absolutely technically brilliant. I got chills during every scene change.

I would have to agree on some of those special effects. Don't get me wrong, the show was an absolute disaster. But some of the effects were very cool, although mostly in an "expensive" way. One I really liked was the mirror, where the main male character was dancing with the vampire, and in the back you had a mirror where you could see the main character but no vampire's reflection (it was another actor, dressed like the main male character and mimicking every move). Rather clever.

I think there were a few more effects I found rather impressive in that show... some sort of giant drawbridge comes to mind, or the mirrors of flying ballroom vampires...

The exploding house - An Inspector Calls
The tilting ship - Titanic
The barricade - Les Miserables
The dress that opens by itself - Sunday in the Park
The chair - Sweeney Todd
The train sequence - Whistle Down the Wind
The B&W/color quick-change during You Can Always Count on Me - City of Angels
The stampede - The Lion King
The mirror - 42nd Street
The fountain - Bombay Dreams
The theatre reassembly - Phantom of the Opera
The Giant lite-brite - Hairspray

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not an effect persey but douglas sills' costume changes in little shop of horrors, particularly during the meek shall inherit

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I agree Bway Matt -

Dracula: when Dracula dissappears into the stage - or floats out of the coffin and just lingers. Well, so many from Dracula come to mind.

oooh, I have to leave...