Theatre Design & Technology - Winter 1998 - 28

out the SMPTE cues from the Expression, and reprogram them
onto the onboard Impression board using MIDI. When Ulat was
done, ule crew was ready for a 11In. Once ule park closed (anywhere from 7 P.M. to midnight, depending on ule day) ule floats
would roll out to a show location, and ulen Ule show would 11In
two or uU'ee times. ''Two or uu-ee I1UlS a night was ule most we could
get. We also had to have time for driving practice, and of COlU-se, time
for Ule director and choreographer to do uleir notes with ule cast.,.
And what about changes to cues? "NoUling can happen real
time in a show like Utis," said Gale \\1len 1asked ltim. "Everytlting is a
note. TIle show I1ms from so many different places ulat ulere is really noUling ulat you can change in a cue wltile Ule show is 11InIling. So we'd take a lot of notes." Once dIe I1m-duuugllS were
finished for Ule evening, dIe floats would mll on back to ule warehouse,
leaving one for Gale to focus on. "We'd spend ule rest of the nigllt
ruiving ule float up and down Ule street, tweaking focuses."

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9lttll,

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Gale's work doesn't end with opening. "We were still tweaking
tllings six weeks after we opened," he said. As we watched a performance ule week before closing, Gale's eyes were attentive, and
when 1turn to speak to (tim, ltis head tumed, butltis eyes stay on
Ule magic. "I love ulat blackligllt blue," he said.
And now Ulat Ule show is on ltiatus for two years; what nex1? 1
phone Blian Gale: "I haven't heard what's happeJling on it," he
told me. "I don't know if I'll be doing it or not. 1told Ule teanl ulat
1would love to come back, so we'll see."

In dIe meantime, \\ilal replaces Ugllt Magic? "Again, 1hare no
idea," Gale said. "I\e heard ulat they \\ill use Ule units that we installed for Ugllt Magic, and will do some odler SOl1 of shO\v, but \\no
knO\\ \\ilal it \\ill be. TIlen 1called Phil Undser "We \\ill, most likely,
have to remove Ule LPs until Ule show's retum," he sighed. 1resist
Ule impulse to ask ttim who he will hand ulat big saw to.
But ulen, 1 have an image of Pltil and Blian \\~Ul Ulat huge
saw, culling and chopping down the huge ulemed ligllt pipes and
Cal1ing them away, waiting for the show's return. ''Well, we put 'em
ulere," he said. "I guess we could take 'em down." .:.

SHOW CREDITS (par/iaO
Ugllting Designer:
Teclutical Director:
Special Effects Coordinator:
Audio Coordinator:
Assist,Ult tigllting Designers:
Assistant Technical Director:
Construction Supervisor:
Master Production E1ecllician:
Production E1ecllician (FloaiS):
Production E1ecllician (Buildings):
Wholehog Progranuner:
Expression Programmer:

Robert C.

M1I11l11l

Blian Gale
Pltil lindsey
Klaus GuenUler
Bob Maske
Allison Ford, Michael Romero
Joe Vulich
Dean Howlett
Ken Wagner
Dan Beaumont
Jolm Gliffin
Jason Badger
Ke\~n Sorg

is the author ojPhotometrics

Handbook, now in its second edition, and vice-chair oj
the SOli/hem Calijomia Sec/ion ojUSITT

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Winter 1998