7 video excerpts

1. Follies- 2011.  At 4 minutes and 5 seconds the lighting on stage changes. While singing " that woman is me" the ladies dancing in the background are lit with a darker/blue color to blend in with the background. This allows the audience to focus in on the main singer on stage while the other dance behind her. Such a small lighting change can make a performance so incredible.

2. Donna Murphy- Could I Leave You. At 1 minute and 7 seconds the spot light affect makes the audience pay full attention to the person singing leaving others in the dark but still noticeably there. Spot light lighting is different than an actual color effect on stage for many reasons. Spot light not only makes the audience tune in to what is going on under the spot light but it makes it more meaningful. While the actor/actress is under a spotlight they feel as if no one was there and can tell their story much better with more feeling feeling as if they are the only ones on stage.

3. Cabaret- At 1 minute and 30 seconds the orchestra is dragged on stage on wheels by other characters in the play. This adds to the humor that carries on throughout the Cabaret and it also keeps the audience entertained. When Joel Grey interacts with the orchestra on the moving stage it creates a fun different sort of entertainment. This part is extremely important because the scene is put together by the orchestra being dragged out. After they appear then the ladies with chairs appear and later more characters for a full stage performance.

4. Kiss Me Kate-  The technology I liked that was used is when the characters make music with the set. For example the tapping on the wood box that he was sitting on. The set became part of the actual story which was cool. The dimmed lights make it more of an intimate feel and the fun dancing makes this show fun to watch.

5. West Side Story- Whenever I think of West Side Story I think of the color red and this video shows exactly what I mean. The lighting in the background helps show how romantic the actual dancing is. I have performed in this in local theatre and if it weren't for such a beautiful background the audience could not feel the romance and intimacy in during the dance scene. Lighting isn't just for looks, it helps tell the story.

6. Fiddler on the Roof- Throughout this musical, the set is the best technology to bring you back into time. The way the sets and props are made helps show the time period this play takes place in. Not only does it show the time period but the characters interact with the sets a lot which also helps tell the story. At some points it feels as if you are brought back to this time. Sets are the most important to a great musical.

7. So in love- Rachel York - the scene that shows the lovers separated by rooms is a great new way of technology to show the characters in different places without actually being in different rooms. The audience is able to see what they are trying to do and it makes the performance more interesting and easier to understand.