Wicked Tour Questions

[uncageg]

Posted: 10/1/09 at 4:06pm

I have been invited to the load-in for the national tour of Wicked's stop in Denver. As I did with Phantom, I thought I would see if anyone has any questions about the tour. I will be able to interview the Production Stage Manager and Head Carpenter. If you have any questions or want to know anything about the touring production, post your questions here or PM them to me.

Updated On: 10/2/09 at 04:06 PM

[uncageg]

Posted: 10/2/09 at 4:18am

I will bump this once then let it drop.

[CATSNYrevival]

Posted: 10/2/09 at 6:33am

I'd like to know about the dragon and if there really are two of them for each tour and also something I've never understood about the projections. How much time does it take to set up in each city? Since projections are so specific I would assume that the set up is different for each city. Is it time consuming or fairly routine at this point?

[Justin D]

Posted: 10/2/09 at 8:25am

Im sure I have questions, just cant think of them right now, the main one i guess depends on which tour it is that you will be seeing loaded in (1st or 2nd) just to get confirmation that the 2nd is alot smaller to fit smaller stages (judging by photos i've seen of it)

[Texas Yankee]

Posted: 10/2/09 at 9:11am

^I would be curious to know that too. I saw the 2nd National Tour on a stage that was actually bigger than the one where I saw the 1st National Tour.

The set took up the stage both times so I found it odd that the 2nd tour's set is supposedly smaller (if that makes any sense).

I guess it's all a matter of perspective.

[TMedeiros17]

Posted: 10/2/09 at 11:22am

IMO, I have seen both tours, and where I saw the 2nd tour, both times they were held at larger theaters, but smaller towns. I do believe that the 1st Tour travels to larger touring venues/cities, while the 2nd travels to smaller towns, etc. The reason some of the smaller venues in the smaller towns are not equipped enough for Wicked, which calls for the 2nd tour, is because they are not used to having so many large shows come there, as are for ex, Boston, LA, Pittsburgh, Chicago, etc.. I would really like to know how they decided whether to use the well or not on the tour because I have found that both tours use it very much, but sometimes do not. I find it to lower the illusion that they are trying to create, but thats just my opinion.

[mina3]

Posted: 10/2/09 at 11:31am

The second tour's set is only "smaller" in the sense that it's less automated. Things like the beds in Popular are moved manually instead of mechanically, which means there is less equipment to move between cities. The second tour uses several fewer trucks than the first, but the set isn't actually smaller in dimension.

[TMedeiros17]

Posted: 10/2/09 at 11:36am

most of the set is from Chicago, just transformed so it is easier to move. Some new sets were built as well. The popular beds moved on their own when I saw it. The only things that didn't were the benches in the classroom. I saw it in Ft. Myers and Birmingham

[StephanieJBlockFan]

Posted: 10/2/09 at 11:39am

I have a question. I always wanted to know this. I've been told that the props for the 2nd National Tour of Wicked are from the Chicago production...is that true?

[TMedeiros17]

Posted: 10/2/09 at 11:50am

for the most part, yes. LA transfered to SF, as Chicago did to the 2nd tour, however some changes were made to the set so they could make it easy to set up and take down quick for the road

[uncageg]

Posted: 10/2/09 at 12:11pm

Thanks for your responses! JustinD, The load in is next week so if you think of the questions, go ahead and post them or send them to me. I will address/ask the questions that you have asked. I will also confirm the responses to the questions asked.

If anyone else has a question post them here.

[Fosse76]

Posted: 10/2/09 at 2:19pm

The Chicago set was actually the original 1st National Tour set...it was modified when they transitioned from the tour cast to the Chicago cast. I imagine that they "undid" those modifications and made further changes for easier load-in and load-out.+

[Justin D]

Posted: 10/2/09 at 3:34pm

I wonder then if they will at some point start to use the 2 "screens" that the 2nd tour uses......

To compensate for the bland proscenium of the 1st tour, the 2nd tour has 2 flat screens with drawings of cogs and gears painted on them in the proscenium so it is not as empty looking. Its a small detail but it helps somewhat......

1st tour
2nd tour

Updated On: 10/2/09 at 03:34 PM

[jonmbway4652]

Posted: 10/4/09 at 12:39am

thanks for posting thats a cool detail. it looks like the gears on the flat top that goes over the stage are a lot thinner
Updated On: 10/4/09 at 12:39 AM