Your "How do they do that?!" moments- Page 6

[Tag]

Posted: 6/14/07 at 12:08am

I just watched the clip and I really don't think that the clip is one continuous shot. Notice that their gloves change colour too.

[Mythus]

Posted: 6/14/07 at 12:24am

Yeah, it's definitely not. Watch Chita's legs right before and right at the change - in the far shot, her legs are bare, and a half-second later in the close-up she has the gown on and it's down to the floor. There's no way it could've fallen from being bunched at her waist that fast.
Updated On: 6/14/07 at 12:24 AM

[amalou]

Posted: 6/14/07 at 1:32am

The transformation of the witch still baffles me on the Into the Woods dvd. I've had it explained to me hundreds of times, but I still don't get how the phantom disappears like that at the end of the show...I'm a bit slow I guess. haha

...also, how in the HELL do Hadley Fraser and Raul Esparza hit those notes!?

Updated On: 6/14/07 at 01:32 AM

[LizzieCurry]

Posted: 6/14/07 at 2:22pm

Looks like this needs to be posted again.

https://www.phantomoftheopera.com/modules/article/view.article.php/c7/18

[mominator]

Posted: 6/14/07 at 2:59pm

Many of mine have already been mentioned (Dracula, and Lieutenant of Inishmore) I would like to add the underwater scene from Coram Boy I know how it was done but still a wow moment.

[VonTussleGirl]

Posted: 6/14/07 at 3:36pm

I know these aren't that big of a deal, but when Leaf falls of the bleacher in Spelling Bee, I was seriously wondering how that didn't hurt.

He has on kneepads underneath his pants, but that fall is so LOUD - I'm surprised somebody hasn't gotten moderately hurt at one point or another.

[MikeMagbaleta]

Posted: 6/14/07 at 3:58pm

The "How do they do that" awards go to..... The "Jersey Girls" from the play, Jersey Boys! We sat in on a public appearance with a female swing and a Frankie Valli alternate in SF. That's how we found out how the female actresses in that play perform the "quickest changes" I've ever seen in any Broadway or National Tour show cast.

They move 1000 mph. at the Curran Theatre, August Wilson and Ahmanson, backstage, below stage, above stage and onstage, changing wigs, costumes and adding accessories in a blinding pace. They're always amazing, especially how many performances they do each day.

[istillbelieve24601]

Posted: 6/14/07 at 4:24pm

I always wondered how the actors playing Enjolras stay on the barricade after his death in Les Mis. I just couldn't imagine laying like that, especially while moving... it seems so uncomfortable.

[Dover]

Posted: 6/14/07 at 6:37pm

LizzieCurrie:
Looks like this needs to be posted again.

http://www.phantomoftheopera.com/modules/article/view.article.php/c7/18

Well there are two errors on that page (that the real Phantom and Christine don't appear on the travelator, and that the "dummy" actress is replaced by a mannequin when the lights come back up). I suppose somewhere in the world things could be done that way, but not that I've heard of.

[bwaygal1]

Posted: 6/14/07 at 7:03pm

the question is really, "Who stands in as Little Edie in the window: Erin or Christine?"

SPOILER!!!!
It's Erin. Look at the hands. They're smaller than Christine's. Also-there's no way she could make that costume change that quickly, complete with wig.
It's Erin with Christine speaking offstage. It remains a thrilling moment for me, though, when the house opens to reveal Christine singing "The Girl Who Has Everything". My "how do they do that" moment is when Christine breaks down during "Another Winter". No, there are no special effects, just pure and simple and BRILLIANT acting. To me, that's more remarkable than flying witches or beasts becoming princes.

Updated On: 6/14/07 at 07:03 PM

[SweeneyPhanatic]

Posted: 6/14/07 at 11:43pm

The set in Carrie. I get the panels that turn to reveal mirrors, and even the mirrors that slide on to cover the back wall, but I cannot figure out how the actors manage to hold their positions when the back wall tilts to let out the set for the house. I can tell that the back wall does a total 180, but the bottom part that slides out has me a bit lost. Wouldn't the actreses have had to bend down to get through, or was it bigger than the archive video makes it look? And the staircase. I understand how it comes down, but what about all the stage lights on its underside? What's making them work throughout the show, and then still as the staircase is lowering.

I'd also like to know how they made all of her stuff move during "I'm Not Alone." I'm sure some wires were used, but the dress comes pretty far downstage!

Yeah...I like Carrie. Sue me. :)

[jonartdesigns]

Posted: 6/14/07 at 11:59pm

in thoroughly modern millie i was amazed how muzzie's apartment could come down from the rafters, rotate completely and raise back up without some major tangling issues

[BroadwayBound86]

Posted: 6/17/07 at 4:30am

Also, sort of random..but the fact that Jenn Gambestese comes down in the hammock (sp) without a safety restraint of any sort baffles me. I Love the song they sing while that happens, but I was almost a bit scared for her the whole scene.

She does have a safety restraint. As she's stopping herself from the swing she's un-hooking herself. You can see on the skirt she's wearing there is a random loop that is used to attach her.

[LuckyBroadway]

Posted: 8/14/07 at 5:48pm

The change begind the umbrella is called a bag dress. The top "blouse" of the yellow dress flips down and becomes the skirt of the purple. The purple skirt covers the yellow mini skirt, and when the blouse flips down, it reveals the purple leotard top.

sorry if i spoiled the magic for anyone. And the beast is already changed in the last scene (he goes off after the fight w/ gaston and re-enters on the wagon), he has a latex mask to replace his usual makeup and while hes spinning all he has to do it rip it off.

[LuckyBroadway]

Posted: 8/14/07 at 5:55pm

The change begind the umbrella is called a bag dress. The top "blouse" of the yellow dress flips down and the inside of it becomes what you see as the skirt of the purple dress. The new "purple" skirt covers the yellow mini skirt, and when the blouse flips down, it reveals the purple leotard top. The chnage into the red white and blue is just a very fast change.

Into the Woods was a body double in the original but I think they may have edited the transformation for the video recording.

Sorry if i spoiled the magic for anyone. And the beast is already changed in the last scene (he goes off after the fight w/ gaston and re-enters on the wagon), he has a latex mask to replace his usual makeup and while hes spinning all he has to do it rip it off.

[LuckyBroadway]

Posted: 8/14/07 at 6:00pm

I know for a fact that Both changes used a double. Cinderella exits and her last line to the fiary godmother is spoken via mic from backstage. The double ran on from behind the pumpkins when cinderella exited. The real cinderella changed during the carriage transformation sequence. When "Cinderella" spins around, the two girls switched very quickly behind the carriage. The double remained tucked up inside the bottom of the carriage for the rest of the act!

When she changed back into her ball gown, it got ripped off the double through a tiny trapdoor in the staircase. There was actually a man INSIDE the spinning staircase to rip it off through the trap door.

[Stewpot]

Posted: 8/14/07 at 7:40pm

The swimming pool scene is Aida was definately a wow. I can still remember the gasps from the audience.

[meredithchandler73]

Posted: 8/14/07 at 11:00pm

Like many others have mentioned, I remember scratching my head when I saw the Witch transformation in INTO THE WOODS and the behind-the-umbrella superquickchange in DROWSY CHAPERONE.

I've had other "moments of amazement" where I was just stunned by the talent and/or thought, "that was COOL":

--Jefferson Mays in I AM MY OWN WIFE - the entire performance was amazing
--Michael Beresse's "set climb" during the song "Bianca" in KISS ME, KATE
--the cast of PILLOWMAN - I loved every minute of the show!

Oh, I'm sure there are many more, but those were the ones that immediately came to mind.

[WickedBoy2]

Posted: 8/14/07 at 11:13pm

The opening pool scene in Sunset

[WickedBoy2]

Posted: 8/15/07 at 6:46am

When i saw Phantom in previews in the West End he sat in the chair and couldnt disappear. Cue blackout and lots of stage hands. That was the second time id tried to see it. I had tkts for the very first preview but it was cancelled due to technical difficulties. Harold Prince and ALW stood front of house to chat to people who were wondering what was going on.

[Anon2]

Posted: 8/15/07 at 7:35am

'Our House' was amazing especially Michael Jibson as Joe the amount of quick changes he did on and offstage were outstanding.

**SPOLIER OF UMBRELLA's IN OUR HOUSE**


as the umbrella chorus are moving into their positions two members of the wardrobe team come on dressed as the chorus - they rip of his tracksuit thanks to velcro and took it off in their umbrella's



** END OF SPOLIER BUT THE START OF A NEW ONE****

i always chuckle when people say how amazing boq's transformation in wicked is. IMO i think this could be done a lot quicker if they had one wheelchair preset behind the wardrobe for elphaba just to ditchone and take up another..to me it arouses suspicion in the audience as to why she left hij round the back


** END OF SPOILERS*