Seven Excerpts

In Peter Pan, where Cathy Rigby (Peter Pan) demonstrates the flying capabilities of her character, the technology is very important to engage the audience in the reality that they're meant to believe. With the thin, yet highly strong and durable, wires and harness holding onto Cathy, she's able to easily  glide up and around, even preforming some acrobatic flips and twists to make it appear as though she truly has the gift of flight. The colorful lighting and childish glee associated through the tune and the other children's engagement with Peter Pan, the excitement is portrayed wonderfully.

I do appreciate Cathy for having control over her body as she soars, so that it doesn't just look like her body is being flung around. I give her a lot of credit for being able to hold her body in certain positions, such as leaning forward or back, to help contribute to the illusion that Peter is in full control of his flight.

"Defying Gravity" from Wicked had a spectacular display of lights and emotion in the set. It is all too easy to be enveloped in the mood and experience that is being presented, not only by the musical number itself, but also the way the lights are used. Deep blues and bits of lighter blue to insinuate a bit of mystical magic, with sparkles here or there to show that it's a positive, awe-inspiring sort of music. As Alpheba soars into the sky on a moment's notice, with veils of blue draping beneath from her, it's obvious that the audience was supposed to be in shock and awe. The light brightened a bit, rotating to show a change in pace or mood of the storyline. As others rushed in, with the smoke and fog at their feet, there was an excellent example of using props and special effects to really get the audience deeply involved in the story being told.

Shirly Jones sings "The Sound of Music", and there is an elegant sort of grace shown here. Her beautiful outfit, with the dazzling background filled with enticing signs and twinkling lights, the audience is captured and held in by her voice as it's exemplified by the stage set up behind her. Sometimes less is more, such as here where it's blatant that the focus should be Shirly and her solo, so the background isn't nearly as busy as it could be. The set gets the audience in the mindset of a graceful sort of poise, though simplistic in the sense that there is no dramatic movements so that all eyes are directed to Shirly and her words.

In "42nd Street", there is an abundance of focus on the colors and the light used. There is a surplus of twinkling lights almost everywhere the audience looks, from the title letters to the borderlines and the steps, themselves. The cast is wearing a multitude of outfits consisting of shimmering sequins that reflect all the light back, only contributing to the spectacle. Even their shoes are shiny so as to amaze the eyes of the audience. It is truly a sight to see, with the exciting and rhythmic dance motions and movements for the number. The lights that shine down on the cast add a hint of color to them, with the main focus being the couple in the center as they wear blue as opposed to the rest.

The cast was also engaged with the audience, which was very interesting as they ran around the theatre.

"King Herod's Song" from Jesus Christ Superstar is a great example of how well color and light can be used in a musical number. This piece has a lot of blues and reds, each complimenting the other as they're backed up against each other in the outfits, the set pieces, and even the background lighting and walls. The golden "H" stands out brilliantly, now making sure that all three of the primary colors are present, each complimenting the others wonderfully. The dazzling sparkles and shining on the cast members' outfits, save for Jesus, the audience can easily understand how Herod and his underlings have the good life, and are really proud of it by flaunting it around. There's a sense of pity set up for Jesus, as he's there, backed away from the "party" wearing not much more than a cloth robe - which is exactly the mood that the people are supposed to be in.

"The Circle of Life" from Disney's The Lion King is, by far, one of my favorite Broadway numbers. I'm a sucker for Disney, and when I saw this number, I couldn't help but watch it over and over again. The use of bright and beautiful colors is incredible, as the oranges and golds and yellows and reds create the feeling of warmth and comfort. The costumes and set designs were... unbelievable. The mechanics used made me wish I could create something like that, as the costumes were manipulated to represent the desired animals, such as rhinos or cheetahs. The cheerful and energetic dancing numbers make the audience watch in awe, sharing in the cast's excitement, while the incredible use of lighting and color keep them watching and eagerly waiting for more. The busy motion of the cast members flowing gracefully, creates a sense of beautiful nature that the wild is known for. As everything seems to "flow as it should", everyone can feel and understand the meaning of "the circle of life" - everything works according to how it's supposed to, even if it seems like it might not.

It'd be an understatement to say that "Supercalifragilisticexpealidocious" from Mary Poppins definitely used colors to their advantage in this number. With the idea of how atrocious and crazy that particular word is, the exuberant use of various colors, some contrasting and others complimentary, helps get the audience into thinking the same. The outrageous outfits and makeup worn by some of the cast members on stage causes the need to laugh or giggle, which is exactly the whole point of this piece. The swift and energetic movements give off the feeling of a game, of something fun and exciting, and with this tied in with the colors, this musical number exemplifies itself very well.