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Post by Deleted on Mar 2, 2016 9:23:32 GMT
I loved the flying sequence in the Witches of Eastwick at Drury Lane and the subsequent move to the Prince of Wales. Yes, you could see the wires, but it was the way the 3 witches floated around the auditorium space that was so spectacular - rising and falling, and moving from side to side. Even how their flying wires were clipped on through the back of the sofa was cleverly done :-) Yes! this is my favourite as well, partly because it was my first west end show! |
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Post by theatre-turtle on Mar 2, 2016 10:02:26 GMT
I really liked Willy Wonka disappearing at the end of Charlie! Very unexpected so worked really well! If I remember correctly it's the same as Elphaba disappearing in wicked? |
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Post by tommy123 on Mar 2, 2016 14:29:18 GMT
I really liked Willy Wonka disappearing at the end of Charlie! Very unexpected so worked really well! If I remember correctly it's the same as Elphaba disappearing in wicked? Elphaba melting At the end of the show is just a trap door behind a large screen and its all shadows. The difference with Willy Wonka is his 'figure' is still there until he hits the last note where all that is left is a pile of clothes! |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 12, 2016 8:56:11 GMT
I love Elphaba flying in Wicked. We all know how it's done, but it's still pretty awesome to be behold in my opinion. Especially from the front row.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 12, 2016 8:59:18 GMT
I also liked the rain in Never Forget.
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Post by tommy123 on Dec 12, 2016 12:35:38 GMT
Not in the UK but does anyone know how during Morning Glow (in the 2013 production of Pippin on Broadway) they make Pippin's father levitate and then dissapear when the cloth is taken away?
(There's a video on YouTube but not sure if allowed to share on here!)
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Post by Deleted on Dec 12, 2016 12:44:38 GMT
I still don't understand how they do Willy Wonka dissapearing at the end of Charlie. I even sat in the front row my most recent time seeing the show, at the end of the central row, so on a slight side view and I still couldn't figure out how it is done! Can someone explain, it has been one of those things bugging me since I saw the show in previews.  |
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Post by Dan213 on Dec 12, 2016 12:55:11 GMT
The pink waistcoat moment during Turn it Off in Book of Mormon is still pretty impressive. So many theories out there haha
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Post by cheesy116 on Dec 12, 2016 13:35:36 GMT
I still don't understand how they do Willy Wonka dissapearing at the end of Charlie. I even sat in the front row my most recent time seeing the show, at the end of the central row, so on a slight side view and I still couldn't figure out how it is done! Can someone explain, it has been one of those things bugging me since I saw the show in previews. Wonka walks over the the trap door and stands above it, during the 10-15 seconds he is standing there facing the factory, a metal frame comes up the hole and fits in around the jacket and holds the hat up. While this is happening, he climbs down the hole and the metal frame holding up the jacket and hat gives the impression that he is still standing there even though he's now under the stage. Then at the end the metal frame drops at high speed back down the trap door in turn making the costume drop! Hope this helps  the same trap door is also used to make Augustus Gloop go down the waterfall and Veruca Salt to disappear into the hole where the squirrels throw the nuts. |
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Post by WireHangers on Dec 12, 2016 14:17:28 GMT
I was in a regional production of Alice in Wonderland. The show was pretty impressive and the entire set was made to look like a giant suitcase where characters could pull out props, set pieces and whatever they needed they place them back at the end of their time on stage. Every single inch of the stage was used as storage for a character and what they needed during their scene, it was fantastic. The only way I can describe it would be like a giant game of Tetris.
The best part was at the very end, after the curtain call, a small section of the stage IN MID AIR opened to reveal the Cheshire Cat walking towards the audience with a real life Wonderland in the background. On the ground at the Cheshire Cat's feet was an open suitcase with miniature versions of the characters in their curtain call positions. She snapped the suitcase shut which made the on-stage lights go down on the characters, leaving this mid-air section the only thing that the audience can see. The Cheshire Cat says something, picks up the suitcase and walks away from the audience back into Wonderland. It looked like she was genuinely walking towards a large forest that was just levitating in the air.
I'm not very good at explaining but it was INCREDIBLE and every member of the audience was gob smacked when it happened. It was such a lovely way of wrapping up the story and explaining why the Cheshire Cat kept appearing throughout the production.
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Post by d'James on Dec 12, 2016 14:38:52 GMT
That sounds great.
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Post by dan on Dec 14, 2016 0:05:52 GMT
Favourite ever illusion is Sam appearing / disappearing from thin air in the middle of the stage in Ghost. I'm aware of some of the trickery but it's still incredible and even required the "emergency exit" lights be turned off during that illusion as any light would have ruined it. Amazing.
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Post by notmymuse on Dec 14, 2016 11:10:45 GMT
I am not sure. I remember Paul telling me that the fading away illusion was the first time it had been done in a very long time and the whole set had to be designed around that moment (it' not in any tour of the show, sadly) Here's a televised version of it: The effect in LOTR may've been a smaller version of it done by Paul. Elphaba's flying is weak - it was also done in Joseph in the early 90s, so it's nothing amazing. The reason it works, much like the helicopter, is that it happens at the emotional high point in the show so, like all good magic, the story itself is 80% of the effect! I do like the paper plane trick in Charlie - if you're sat very close to the stage you can see how it's achieved, but it always takes people by surprise and, again, works in the emotional moment of the show. It's ironic that it's the best magic trick in the piece, really... It was indeed Pepper's Ghost used in LOTR, very effective (although the night I went the glass wobbled so ruined it slightly). I remember the first time I saw LOTR and Bilbo vanish. I literally couldn't believe my eyes. Thought about it for days afterwards. They vanished Frodo later too, but in a "end of Phantom of the Opera" kind of way. LOTR also gets points for the Lothlorein scene, and the bit where Galdalf faced some red creature or other on a bridge and for the rising revolves. |
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the same trap door is also used to make Augustus Gloop go down the waterfall and Veruca Salt to disappear into the hole where the squirrels throw the nuts. 
