Your "How do they do that?!" moments- Page 4

[OnMyWay]

Posted: 8/16/06 at 3:30am

Gum, You can see the trap door on stage where the bed later comes out. I assume she just fans out the blanket, and the bed quickly comes through the door. If you look at the stage, you can see an outline of where the bed comes out.

[COOOOLkid]

Posted: 8/16/06 at 4:50am

The Phantom chandelier in Las Vegas was amazing! I mean, it's tied up to numerous wires, and it amazes me how they can put it together in one!

In My Life... the whole show.

[Joshua488]

Posted: 8/16/06 at 6:26am

I remember being baffled by the Beast's mid-air transformation in Beauty and the Beast. I have only seen the show that one time many years ago, so I don't know if it's still as astounding as it seemed to be.

Also, seeing Chip on the cart was pretty cool.

I think I will revisit Beauty... as soon as Sarah Uriarte Berry comes back.

[VeuveClicquot]

Posted: 8/16/06 at 9:40am

Ooh, it's always the quick change for me.

The first Broadway show I saw was "Evita," and when she did those quick changes during "Goodnight and Thank You" I was hooked.

Others include "I Am Changing" in Dreamgirls, and as mentioned, "Show Off" in Drowsy.

I love a quick change!

[neomystyk29]

Posted: 8/16/06 at 9:50am

I was amazed during Phantom, when it appears that the Phantom and Christina are walking across downstage, and then once they go into the trapdoor, IMMEDIATELY the Phantom and Christine are on the second level.

[4seasonsJB]

Posted: 8/16/06 at 9:53am

The car in chitty chitty bang bang and the beast's transformation in B&B. The "Show Off" quick change used to baffle me, but the last time I saw Drowsy I was way off to the side in the front row (yay lottery) and I saw how they did it.

[ILUVTOMG]

Posted: 8/16/06 at 9:58am

DREAMGIRLS during the HEAVY number when the girls change everything including shoes in what seems like 3 seconds and burst through the curtains. won't be the same in the movie

[Piazzaslight]

Posted: 8/16/06 at 10:06am

WARNING: MAJOR SPOILERS FOR "THE LIEUTENANT OF INISHMORE." IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE SHOW YET, DON'T READ THE PARAGRAPH BELOW!






One special effect that really astounded me was when towards the end of The Lieutenant of Inishmore, Mairead (Sp?) takes out a gun from the seat in which Paidraic is sitting. Then, she stands back, points it at him, and shoots him dead. Blood literally shoots out from behind the seat, spraying on Mairead and the whole wall behind her.




END "THE LIEUTENANT OF INISHMORE" SPOILERS

Also, the "Show Off" costume change really astounded me, but now I know how it's done.

Another one is the West End production of Mary Poppins. Right before the "Temper, Temper" sequence, Jane throws her doll, Valentine, into the dollhouse. A few seconds leter, Jane and Michael hear a voice that's coming from the dollhouse. Then, a huge red hand reaches out from one of the dollhouse windows. Then, a life-sized Vlaentine comes out of the dollhouse. I was sitting in the right box, and I still couldn't see how they pulled it off.

Ah, the magic of theatre...

Updated On: 8/16/06 at 10:06 AM

[Theatreboy49]

Posted: 8/16/06 at 11:21am

The costume changes of Show Off are amazing but Sutton went even faster at the tonys and i was like woah! I know how she does it but at the same time its awsome. I also always wonder how the phantom dissapears and a split second later appears upstage during Why so silent?

[singtopher]

Posted: 8/16/06 at 11:31am

In any given production of Phantom, there are a handful of guys in the chorus that appear as the Phantom at one time or another, which is how he can "move" so fast.

[kissmycookie]

Posted: 8/16/06 at 11:34am

Oh, Michael Beresse's sheer gymnastic strength to scale that set of Kiss Me Kate, during his 'Bianca' number.... For eight performances a week.

[flicker_]

Posted: 8/16/06 at 8:57pm

Oooh, another good moment:

Slow-motion death in Les Miserables. I mean, it's obvious how they do it but, Christ, they're just so good at it.

[Link Larkin Wanabe]

Posted: 8/16/06 at 9:16pm

I know the Lady of the Lake's change from her blue dress to a white dress really impressed me.

Akiva

[sideshow13]

Posted: 8/18/06 at 5:02pm

OMG! The way they make Elphaba fly at the end of "Defying Gravity" Is it a wire?!

:/

...TOTALLY just kidding...

Everyone and their mom knows how they pull that off...

I haven't actually seen a show on Broadway yet, but the Witch's transformation in "Into The Woods" was really cool the first time I saw it.

[flaemmchen]

Posted: 8/18/06 at 6:07pm

I love the Black Knight sequence in Spamalot. Fascinating to read how it's all done.

[kaboodles041]

Posted: 8/18/06 at 7:01pm

Phantom: when Raoul is heading into the lair and jumps and disappears into "water" without making a noise.

[tophertilson]

Posted: 8/18/06 at 8:23pm

That INISHMORE effect sort of bothered me. I mean it was amazing, but...

SPOILER

...the blood wouldn't have shot back on her face. It would have come forward.

END SPOILER

Shocking as hell (and tastelessly funny), but in terms of physics - WAY off the mark.

[All_For_Laura]

Posted: 8/18/06 at 9:06pm

When Raoul jumps off the Bridge near the end of phantom into "the lake" Must either be a cool effect or one large trap door with cushioning!

[jonartdesigns]

Posted: 8/18/06 at 9:39pm

glinda's quickchange during dear old shiz, but only when it was the obc costume (different wig, different dress, different shoes)and on top of that stack of luggage in 9 seconds

[coolphantom919]

Posted: 8/18/06 at 9:43pm

Show Off scene from DRS!

[freshasadaisy]

Posted: 8/19/06 at 2:27am

INISHMORE SPOILERS

The Lieutenant of Inishmore effects blew my mind (no pun intended) as well... I had the opportunity to meet two of the actors (the guy who plays Brendan and Wilmot's understudy) and they told me how it was all rigged with various tubes and buttons. What I loved most though was the cat at the end... they told me he even knows his cue line... smart kitty.

[Radioactiveduck]

Posted: 8/19/06 at 3:07am

neomystyk29, the real Phantom and Christine dont come out onstage until the 3rd verse "Those who ahve seen your face...." If you watch very carefully, sometimes the doubles on the walkway aren't even lipsynching the whole time.

Jonart, glinda actually has about 30 seconds for her costume change, cuz she dives out right before they start singing "Dear Old Shiz" and is back on for her little bit. More like 30 seconds...which, by the way, is still ridiculous. I think its her One Short Day change that's 9 seconds.

[beenthere]

Posted: 8/19/06 at 8:42am

the bar cart in Titanic, rolling so slowly across the stage as the boat is sinking. chilling moment

[WickedGeek28]

Posted: 8/19/06 at 8:46am

The Witch's Transformation (Into the Woods)
The Childcatchers Entrace (CCBB)

[Unknown User]

Posted: 8/19/06 at 8:50am

so i know this moment isnt that great but i deff went "woah" when i saw it cause i didnt expect it. in tarzan when jane's dress opens up and becomes a spider web. again, not that great or how did they do that but deff something i didnt expect cause i wasnt looking for it to happen.