Top 5 Coolest Effects

[Forester]

Posted: 4/6/05 at 11:57am

In your humble opinion, what are the top5 coolest effects you have seen on the stages?

[Britt0913]

Posted: 4/6/05 at 12:03pm

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang- the car!
Wicked- Idina in the flying machine
Into the Woods?- the witch's transformation
Beauty and the Beast- the beast's transformation

(can't think of a fifth one.....)

[CapnHook]

Posted: 4/6/05 at 12:10pm

That I have PERSONALLY seen live:

-Witch's Transformation - INTO THE WOODS Revival
-Peter Pan's Audience Flight - PETER PAN
-Defying Gravity Flight - WICKED
-It's Possible Flight & Blacklight - SEUSSICAL Tour
-Puppetry Illusions - THE LION KING

[umgeoboy]

Posted: 4/6/05 at 12:27pm

5. Peter Pan's audience flight
4. Dracula when Tom Hewitt fell through the stage/Keli O'hara's clothes being ripped off of her.
3. Beauty and the Beast, the beast's transformation
2. I hated the show but I have to go with Dance of the Vampires. The entire set and everything they did with it was just amazing. The show itself was TERRIBLE though!
1. Titanic the 3 story set sinking it was amazing!

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 4/6/05 at 12:37pm

1: Peter Pans Flight (Back in '72, it's what made me want to get into theatre)
2: Phantom Of The Opera (The whole frickin thing)
3: Sunset Blvd. (The opening scene as well as the scene where the entire mansion glides back and up without a sound as the New Years Eve scene raises up out of the floor)
4: Beauty and the Beast (Transformation Scene)
5: Hairspray (When Enda run's into Mr. Pinky's looking like a house frau, then re-appearing seconds later looking FAB! Okay, maybe I'm partial to it)

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 4/6/05 at 12:39pm

The use of the barricade - Les Miserables
The entrance of Young Joe Gillis - Damn Yankees revival
The house - An Inspector Calls
The stampede - The Lion King
The carriage ride - The Scarlet Pimpernel
The use of revolves, cyclorama and lighting carousel - Jane Eyre
A Kiss is a Terrible Thing to Waste - Whistle Down the Wind
Quick costume changes - Our House

[KelRel]

Posted: 4/6/05 at 12:40pm

1- Miss Siagon the Helicopter landing
2-Wicked- Defying Gravity
3- Beauty and the Beast- Transformation
4- RENT- The motorcycle...yes I know its not that impressive, but it sure had me fooled the first time
5- Peter Pan- Flight

[hak]

Posted: 4/6/05 at 12:51pm

not in any order, just as they popped into my head:

1. Defying Gravity the first time I saw it.... WOW!
2. the curtain in Cirque Du Soleil's "O" [for those who haven't seen the show... at the beginning og the show the curtain gets "sucked" into the back of the stage. at the end a basket floats [the "stage" is a gigantic pool of water] out from the wings and the curtain comes out of thebasket back into place]
3. in DOTV when Max's character is dancing with Crawford's gay son how they do the mirror thing so the vampire doesn't reflect. simple yes, but it took some practice and the effect is wicked kool

sorry, can't think of any others right now

edit: okay here's the other two, not "WOW!"s but....

4. the fountain in Bombay Dreams
5. the Black Knight getting hos appendages cut off in SPAMALOT

and "stage" itself in Cirque Du Soleil's KA is totally amazing! Updated On: 4/6/05 at 12:51 PM

[Rathnait62]

Posted: 4/6/05 at 1:18pm

Sadly, not too many people saw this, but one of the most beautiful effects I've ever seen was the horses galloping through the snow in SHOGUN.

[Lome2]

Posted: 4/6/05 at 1:19pm

- The car (Chitty Chitty)
- Train projection (Woman in white)
- He lives in you (Lion King)
- Helicopter (Miss Saigon)
- Motorcycle effects on Whistle Down the Wind and ASU

[peach]

Posted: 4/6/05 at 1:48pm

Have to agree with TheatreDiva and go with "Phantom of The Opera" - the whole thing. What I love about Phantom is just how much fun it is to watch. Each time I see it, depending on the theatre, they seems to take advantage of different features of the theatre itself. In the right venue, it makes you feel like you are really sitting in some old, haunted Opera House...I totally dig it each and every time.

I also thoroughly enjoyed the effects in Wicked, particularly the monkeys' flying sequence.

[baddadnpa]

Posted: 4/6/05 at 1:51pm

Javert's suicide when he "jumps" into the river. I was amazed the first time I say it how it was done.

[Britt0913]

Posted: 4/6/05 at 1:54pm

Okay, i got some more.

Dracula- flying vampires and Tom falling thru the floor
Phantom- the chandelier

[Thenardier]

Posted: 4/6/05 at 1:57pm

Dracula - basically, all of it...

POTO - the fire (I was in the back of the front mezz and felt the heat)

[wendy72]

Posted: 4/6/05 at 2:00pm

I agree with some already posted:
Javert's suicide when he "jumps" into the river
Defying Gravity--Wasn't sure at first I was really seeing what I thought I was seeing
Lion King-He Lives in You (apparition of Simba's father)
Lion King--This was simple, but effective..when young Simba swings off and adult Simba swings back in "Hakuna Matata"
Lion King--drying of the lands (beginning of act 2)

[musicnmath]

Posted: 4/6/05 at 2:10pm

I love many of the above -- and because many of you may not have seen it, I'll second that amazing effect with the huge red curtain in O!!!

[JeaniusIsMe]

Posted: 4/6/05 at 2:11pm

POTO: pretty much all the effects
Wicked: the flying monkeys
Les Mis: the barricade and Javert's suicide
Beauty and the Beast: the transformation
and now I'm really excited about finally seeing Lion King, as the effects sound amazing....

[trpguyy]

Posted: 4/6/05 at 2:24pm

I second most of the above

I think it's interesting how "Projected Scenery (Images)" are being used pretty frequently now. It gives the designers much more felxibilty.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 4/6/05 at 2:33pm

"I think it's interesting how "Projected Scenery (Images)" are being used pretty frequently now. It gives the designers much more felxibilty."

And less creativity. The only creative and effective use of projections I've seen was in Jane Eyre and the final moment of Sunset Boulevard.

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 4/6/05 at 3:22pm

I totally forgot how they made it look like Javert killed himself...care to help me remember?

[WiCkEDrOcKS]

Posted: 4/6/05 at 4:13pm

Anyone?

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 4/6/05 at 4:15pm

The bridge he "jumps off" of is flown into the flys as lighting effects make you feel as if he's falling.

It's a simple yet highly effective SPX.

[baddadnpa]

Posted: 4/6/05 at 4:17pm

Javert is walking on a "bridge" which is on the turntable - it is not raised. It is obvious the bridge is over a river which is created with lighting and the sound of running water. He climbs over the railing towards the end of the song and then "jumps" with his arms up. The bridge starts to raise up towards the ceiling over the stage so it appears as if Javert is falling from the bridge.

Amazing and a very simple solution. It looks the best the first time you see it. Once you know it is coming, the effect is not as striking.

[munkustrap178]

Posted: 4/6/05 at 4:18pm

1. Sinking of the Titanic
2. Most of DANCE OF THE VAMPIRES
3. Fountain in BOMBAY DREAMS - for some reason, i LOVED this!
4. Most of CATS
5. Projected image on Neil Patrick Harris' t-shirt at the end of ASSASSINS - simple, but heartbreaking and incredibly moving.

[umgeoboy]

Posted: 4/6/05 at 4:21pm

munk i cmopletely forgot about the ending of assassins that was incredible! so heartbreaking!