Trannies

Trans-Atlantics (or 'trannies') are 5 days long. It consists of going from New York to Southampton or Southampton to New York. This is when the crew gets absolutely no sleep and works non-stop. And this isn't just our department, it's everyone!

Our ship has 3 production shows plus two versions of a Welcome A Board Show (WABS) and a going away show called Thank You For The Music (TYFTM). The production shows are Rock at the Opera, Appasionata and Zing Went the Strings. Rock at the Opera is a fusion of Rock and Opera music which isn't as bad as it sounds. The only problem is a 2minute transition shift cue we have that is insane!

In two minutes time, three crew members have to move 5 columns and load a moving bridge truck (automated scenery) into a track. The actors (at the same time) are striking 6 rolling arches pretty much into the same area that we have to move columns, so like all shifts it's timed to work like choreography. If one person is late or slow on a shift, it throws everyone off. And the show is all timed with MIDI so when the music runs out, and if the shift isn't complete, we're "proper fucked."

Rock at the opera also features the fiber optic wall upstage and a quarter of a million dollar chandelier above the apron. The chandelier looks like a half dome, then the "petals" open like a flower lowering a full sized crystal chandelier from that, and a disco ball. The fiber optic wall displays a skyline of Barcelona. The floor has 6 lifts built in which can all be programmed to raise and lower with the music while at the same time a built in revolve spins the stage.

Zing went the Strings is a lot more intense. The shift involves striking the rolling truck, striking a flat, rolling two scroll walls upstage of the main and then making a clearing in the center for the truck to roll back downstage thru a swagged opening in the main. During my first time in rehearsal, we didn't make it and had to stop the run thru. Our second try, we still didn't make it, so it was decided that having two new people on the crew at the same time was a bad idea. So from now on, only one new crew member will run the rehearsal and show while the other new person "shadows" the veteran crew members.

Appasionata is the easiest show for crew. There are six panels. Two mounted on the floor far stage left and the other stage right. Four panels fly in on one flybar. On each of them, one side is mirrored and the other has built in LEDs to match the star drop upstage. All you need to remember to be a stage hand is which way you're supposed to turn each panel on each cue. Clockwise or Anti-Clockwise and the stage manager calls that before each shift. The only other job I have during that show is handing a mashenka (sp?) to a dancer thru the truss and handing a drum box to a dancer.

I'm going to try to get an mpeg of the chandelier and the revolve onstage during Rock at the Opera because it is amazing!

This weekend our boat was chartered by a company in England so a lot of shows are running right now in every single venue. It's almost 12:30pm so the shows techs (who came on board) are setting up for tonight. We assist them where we can but we're still responsible for the main theater's show. Last night and again tonight we did a Jamie Cullem concert. He's really famous in Britain and I can see why. I'm ready to buy his CD just after listening to him play and sing in the Royal Court Theater.

Hope all is well, Casey's gay! And my friend Andrew has his wireless working on his laptop so I'm going to try to upload some pics after this charter is over and we get free time. Plus, I'm thinking I may have to get a domain when I get home. Casey's Gay Dot com?