Broadway: Cues called or show control?

[DHSLXOP]

Hi everyone, I have been wondering this for a while now, and was wondering if anyone knew the answer:

Are lx, spot, rail, sound, etc. cues "called" from a stage manager, or run automatically from a show control system? (Specifically for the show "Wicked")

If I posted this in the wrong place or theres another post about this somewhere else on this board, than I apologize in advance.

Thanks

[Footer]

I can just about guarantee everything is ran from an SM. I am sure there is some show control involved in getting sound/LX cues timed perfectly. I can also just about guarantee they are using spots with DMX control of douser/color/iris... I know that they have 3 s4 spots that all have scrollers on them. Usually you do not want a show control system to control flys/deck movements without some sort of dead man in the loop. Most broadway shows are ran more in the "old fashion" way. When you get into vegas however... all bets are off.

[soundlight]

Yeah, most stuff is run off of SM, but as was stated, all of the followspots are probably DMX controlled in every way except the actual movement of the fixture itself. There is probably some follow cue stuff and some console linking, but I've seen some shows that have a 52 channel analog sound console, a light board for conventionals, and a light board for movers, and all of the cues are called by the SM and not really linked across systems.

It mainly depends on how much control the SM wants to have over the show.

Yeah...about vegas...I was reading a article on the show control of Cirque du Soleil's latest eneavours...specifically "KA"...and it's all computerized. There's central timecode generation, central lighting control, digital audio matricies, digital video servers, and so forth. But there are always dead man loops in the operation of the huge moving set pieces, and there are a number of followspot ops for the show as well.

[soundman]

I dont know that many national theatre tours are using DMX color and iris spots. I know most of the stuff that comes to town does not load in there own spots and uses the house spots. I could understand color and dowser but iris should stay in the ops control IMHO for the same reason that the movement is not controlled via DMX, it can change.

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Originally Posted by soundman

I dont know that many national theatre tours are using DMX color and iris spots. I know most of the stuff that comes to town does not load in there own spots and uses the house spots. I could understand color and dowser but iris should stay in the ops control IMHO for the same reason that the movement is not controlled via DMX, it can change.

A touring show and a show loading into a Broadway theatre are completely different ball games. Most shows don't cary there own spots because there is no way of knowing where you spot position is going to be, some have a very steep short throw, others are HUGE throws. Touring shows are all about getting in as fast as possible, having somewhat of the same design that played in the broadway house, and getting out as fast as possible. They have to loose some things in that process. Linking of gear is usually the first thing lost. On broadway however, the skies the limit, and in vegas, you might as well go to venus.

[rapscaLLion]

Hey,

Well the touring show of wicked has two spots that they cart around with them, that are operated from hidden booths at the sides of the stage for sidelight. The main spotlights are of course whatever is in the FOH booth for the particular theatre.

As for the original question, I can tell you from working on both touring and permenent shows, most cues are called by the SM. Even if it is a showcontrol cue, it is still called by the SM, to A) Let everyone know what is happening, and B) to preserve the director's intentions of when the cue should happen.
Even on LOTR in Toronto many of the cues where called by the fantastic SM, John Gray. For larger sequences where light/sound/turntable/elevator cues are packed too close together (ie-helm's deep), the SM called the initial cue which triggered the orchestra and a timecode, which most of the sound/light cues operated off of. From what I saw backstage (which wasn't a lot, since I mostly was just on the deck and not in the booths), there wasn't a lot (if any) completely automated scenery. Granted the only large rail cue was really the show curtain... and one large set piece that came down and opened up like an umbrella. But the grid was too packed with catwalks, lights, projectors, rigging for flying and safety cables for the ents...

Sorry now I'm way off topic. Basically every show I've worked be it large or small has had SM calling all major cues, even when automation and linked systems are used. Vegas is a special case as always. But even in Vegas there is always a stage manager.

[DHSLXOP]

Thank you everyone for your answers. So is there a light board operator (or multiple operators) that is (are) pressing the go button on the board? Or is it done differently?

Thanks everyone for the help.

[soundlight]

For the touring shows that I've seen (4 or 5), there is a go monkey sitting at the light board. When there's two light boards (one for automated lights and one for conventionals), there's a go monkey at each board.

[snowie86]

SMs don't not call follow spots. I believe the M.E. does (On Tour)

They do have the switchboard for warning the rail, deck, sound, etc.

Wicked is amazing. I would love to work on that show one day

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Originally Posted by soundlight

For the touring shows that I've seen (4 or 5), there is a go monkey sitting at the light board. When there's two light boards (one for automated lights and one for conventionals), there's a go monkey at each board.

One of my friends is the Head Elec for the Producers tour, he is traveling with 2 hogs and an Obsession II, all linked to one go button on one cue stack.