Monday, March 05, 2007

We took some time off

We stopped the never-ending re-modeling & chores this weekend and went to the theatre on Sunday. We saw the Broadway show "Wicked" at Tampa Bay Performing Arts and it was great! We had box seats, and a great view of everything. It never ceases to amaze me the work that it takes to put on a show like that. I could see right down into the orchestra pit. One conductor has his head just high enough to see the actors on stage, so he could take his cues from them, while another conductor watched the first conductor, so he could lead the other half of the orchestra. Intricate mechanisms and hatches on the stage floor controlled large set pieces and smoke and wind coming up from the floor. I am just as much fascinated with the behind the scenes workings as I am with the play itself. What a wonderful job it must be to be involved in live theatre. I always worried that the actors could fall into the orchestra pit from the stage. I went up for a closer look during intermission and discovered that there is a large (mostly invisible) net over the orchestra pit. It was pulled tight and looked sturdy enough to catch even the heftiest of the actors!

4 comments:

Motherkitty said...

Sounds exciting. I haven't been to the theater in years to see a play but can remember many that I've seen on Broadway (NYC) and in Chicago. We've been to musical performances here and have thoroughly enjoyed them. There's really nothing like live performances for excitement. Glad you had a great time.

Didn't know about the net over the orchestra pit. Must be because too many performers were taking flying leaps and maybe got hurt. Interesting.

Sandy Hatcher-Wallace said...

The college here has a theater and puts on live performances which I used to take the kids to see all the time. I'm sure they were nothing as elaborate as the one you went to see though, but the college students do a great job themselves. Sometimes traveling actors come to perform and we have seen opera's & ballet's complete with orchestras.

I also have always been fascinated by the backstage goings on, so to speak and have seen someone fall from the stage...thank goodness for the nets nowadays, because it's not a pretty sight and they do get hurt.

Terri@SteelMagnolia said...

I have never been to a theater...
or a play .... (except for a child's play)
Heck... I live in LV and we never go to the shows...
that could be party because they are gosh darn expensive!!

Jellyhead said...

The net over the orchestra sounds like a damn good idea, now that you mention it!

Glad you had so much fun at the theatre!