Let me backtrack just a bit in time to the spring of 1985 when
I went to my first national USITT Conference
and Stage Expo.
The United States Institute for Theatre Technology, USITT, is a group of theatre
professionals, designers, manufacturers, educators and students was formed to
share ideas and advance the skills of those working in technical theatre.
The conference was held in New York City at the Sheraton Centre Hotel, which is the same hotel in which I interviewed
for my job a few years before.
I find it sad that this was the last time that USITT has been able to hold the conference
in the home of Broadway but costs have made it impossible from them to go
back.
I traveled to NYC with the Mike, the outgoing department Lighting
Designer, who was still looking for work at the time and must have used the job
placement service at the conference.
The conferences are always a great time with many workshops,
displays and the Stage Expo which has all of the major manufacturers and suppliers
of theatrical equipment.
Of course the biggest attraction that NYC has is Broadway!
Part of the conference registration was tickets to see a
special performance of Dreamgirls.
After the performance all of the members of USITT
stayed in the theatre for a talkback with the designers and producers of the
play.
It was great to hear from designers; Robin Wagner, Theoni V.
Aldredge and Tharon Musser.
To me and the others at the conference these were famous
people, but to the average Joe they are often unknown.
The audience had lots of questions for the designers but my
favorite question was asked of the show’s producer.
He was asked how much it cost each week just to run the
show, called The Nut by some.
This is the cost to pay the actors and crew, theatre rentals
and design costs.
This is not what is needed to pay back the backers.
I was surprised that the producer actually gave an answer.
This was 1985 and I think he said something like between
$250,000 and $500,000.
When the ticket sales fall below The Nut there is no way for the play to ever make money and that is
when they close.
It is no surprise that I just read that the highest ticket
for prime seats on Broadway is now
$499.
I have always enjoyed the USITT conferences for the chance
to hear from and meet the top designers and other top Theatre professional working today.
Sometimes it is hard to chat with them without gushing praise
and sounding like an idiot.
Back in 2009 I got to talk with Jules Fisher for a few
minutes at a reception and I just chatted and tried not to ask stupid questions.
Fisher has designed on Broadway
and the movies for over 40 years and had just finished working in Las Vegas on
a Cirque
du Soleil production.
While at the conference I went to three other plays; Noises
Off, The Real Thing and 42nd Street.
It was four shows in three days, crazy but fun.
Interestingly Tharon Musser, the top Lighting Designer at
that time, designed three of the four
shows I happened to see.
On the way back from one of the shows we passed the Winter Garden just as Cats
let out and we went in to look at the wild scenery that was mounted all around
the theatre.
A few years later I would pop in again to see the scenery
but somehow I never got around to see the play.
The conference was great and I always enjoy going when I
have the time and money.
In addition to seeing the plays I did make it to some
workshops and lectures, explored Stage Expo and all the new lighting equipment
and also got to go on a tour of two new theatres.
We toured the Marquis
Theatre on 45th street which was then under construction and we
also went downtown to see the Union
Square Theatre which had just been renovated.
When I worked in the NYC a few years before I walked by the Union Square Theatre all the time but
never really noticed it as it was not in use at the time.
To build the Marquis
Theatre and New York Marriott Marquis
hotel they had to tear down five old theatres including the Helen Hayes.
Some place in my box of odd bits I have a piece of a brick
that I took from the site just after they razed the Helen Hayes Theatre a few years before.
Being in NYC is always fun and the conference hotel was near
the Stage Deli and of course the world
famous Carnegie Deli.
What can I say, both have great food; plies of meat, great
cheesecake and classic pickles.
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