TVs on stage?

[Mister Matt]

It is a rather silly superstition. I've always wondered what they do when rehearsing or performing Macbeth. Too bad this revival is a solo production. I would have loved to have seen Sigourney Weaver as Lady The Scottish Play.

[theatregeek4]

Catch me if you can

[choitoy]

Didn't the Kennedy Center Sondheim Celebration version of "Sunday In The Park" with Raul use a lot of TVs? It was part of modern George's art chromolume art instillation, and they used TVs with videos of Raul instead of the cardboard cutouts of Mandy as in the OBC. Or am I misremembering (note, I did not see this production).

[artscallion]

Craig Lucas' God's Heart had a bank of TVs on screen that "God" spoke through as well as TVs scattered throughout the audience if I remember correctly.

[King of the City]

Many shows have used TV's as a part of the show. Avenue Q, both on and off-Broadway, have used two TV's on each side of the stage. I did not see this, but I believe in some pictures of The Whale, recently at Playwrights Horizons used a T.V.

*Might be considered more of an LED or "screen" type of thing, but Sunday in the Park(Roundabout revival) and Spider-Man use larges screens throughout the show. They definitely played a major part providing scenery and moving forward the story.

[TheGingerBreadMan]

Other shows I can think of right away: Hairspray, Sondheim on Sondheim, and Sister Act.



Those were already mentioned.

[King of the City]

^ Sorry, I edited it.

[GavestonPS]

Do I remember correctly?

Didn't APPLAUSE start with the Tony Award ceremony on a TV monitor and then seque into a live Lauren Bacall presenting the award to Penny Fully on stage (while we heard recordings of Margo's thoughts)?

Granted I was a teenager, but it seemed an inventive use of television at the time for a mainstream musical. I can't say the rest of the show was as creative (even though I loved it at the time).

[King of the City]

Gaveston, Applause did use monitors in the first scene. I have the libretto and it does say that the "Tny Awards" Hoster appeared on a screen and then Lauren Bacall would come out and present. I would have loved to seen the show. I think it has a great script but it sadly would not do good like its initial success. But yes, they did incorporate monitors into the show.

[kdogg36]

Didn't the Kennedy Center Sondheim Celebration version of "Sunday In The Park" with Raul use a lot of TVs? It was part of modern George's art chromolume art instillation, and they used TVs with videos of Raul instead of the cardboard cutouts of Mandy as in the OBC. Or am I misremembering (note, I did not see this production).

Yes on the screens, but to the best of my recollection, they showed still photos. Again relying on a sketchy memory, I think George had a camera and kept taking pictures of himself, which then appeared on the video screens. (I stand ready to be corrected on this!)

[EricMontreal22]

"The Wooster Group's Hamlet (as mentioned above) is also really interesting for the way they used replaying the performances. "

Sounds like they're keen on that--didn't their (abysmal sounding) production of Vieux Carre also have monitors on stage.

[Playbilly]

The recent revival of The Best Man used them on stage and among the audience.

[bobs3]

Someone already mentioned it but CHESS in London used a bank of a 64 television sets (the same number of squares as on a chess board). It was such a great set that it helped one to overcome the other problems with the musical (too bad the effect wasn't used in the Broadway production).

I didn't see CLOSER on Broadway but I believe someone told me there was a large monitor on the stage that displayed the chat room messages.

[King of the City]

bobs3 comment made me think of Speech and Debate. The first scene of the show used a large screen to show the chat message going on between one of the characters and someone in a chat room. I did not see the show but I have the script. Seemed like a great show though.

[perfectlymarvelous]

The recent production of Richard III with Kevin Spacey used a rather large screen during one of Richard's speeches...I'm not sure if it was recorded or a live feed but it was a shot of Spacey to make it appear as though he were addressing his subjects live on television.

Also, didn't Leap of Faith have television screens on the sides of the house with live shots of the audience/Raul as he was talking?

[dramamama611]

To the OP: Are you looking for tvs/screens being used in ANY way, or that the characters are involved with the use of the telly? Just the idea of a screen being for the audience doesn't seem to fit (from what I interpreted from your first post).


Speech and Debate was pretty interesting, but a tad overhyped (IMO).

[Patronus]

Damn Yankees features Old Joe yelling at the television while watching a Washington Senators game and leads into "Six Months Out of Every Year".

[Wee Thomas2]

Took me a week to come up with it, but "Intrigue With Faye", with Ben Bratt and Julianne Margulies pretty much took place around a big screen that was an integral part of the show.