FEATURE PROJECTION LIGHTS & STAGING NEWS Security, of course, was always a c<strong>on</strong>cern. Once the Pope entered the grounds, every<strong>on</strong>e was locked down into positi<strong>on</strong>. This meant that Adelman and every<strong>on</strong>e else had to anticipate any problems that might occur. Jumping up and running to fix it during the <str<strong>on</strong>g>Mass</str<strong>on</strong>g> was not an opti<strong>on</strong>. Good planning and executi<strong>on</strong> preempted the need. The kid from the Br<strong>on</strong>x was unfazed. “It was pretty cool to be locked down in the visitor’s dugout,” said Adelman. Pope <strong>on</strong> the Pope <strong>PLSN</strong> Doug Pope, who has a 30-year history with Edgren, said early <strong>on</strong> a key factor was bringing in Huds<strong>on</strong> Theatrical Associates. “Neil Mazzella and Sam Ellis put together a crack labor team, starting with scores of department heads.” How important was this gig? “People dropped out of their Broadway shows to do this.” For Pope, spreading the work around as much as possible was going to make this event a success. “We didn’t want to wear people out—just the department heads!” After the first site survey in the fall, they put together a timeline. They knew they would be starting at midnight and knew the Bravomats needed to go down quickly in order to ac<strong>com</strong>modate the forklifts and rest of the workers. “We did have the benefit of a pre-rig day, the M<strong>on</strong>day before, where we moved in as much equipment as possible. It was still not very much — it is an 87 year-old stadium and there are not a lot of spaces to put things,” he said. The Yankee Stadium grounds crew was looking over the creative team’s shoulder the entire time, making sure nothing damaged the turf. As intrusive as that sounds, Pope says they did their job with professi<strong>on</strong>alism and respect for what the team had to do. “People like us, we’re <strong>on</strong>ly there a little bit,” he explained. “But the Yankee team pers<strong>on</strong>nel have to carry <strong>on</strong>, and they have a love and respect for their grass, and we respect that. Hats off to the Yankees for all they did, including allowing us to use the team’s locker rooms and everything else,” including the umpire’s changing room, which was transformed into a vesting room where the Pope could “suit up.” Fleeting Moments <strong>PLSN</strong> Composer Benoit Jutras was brought in to <strong>com</strong>pose special music for the event. “He’s very brilliant, and quick, and he came up with themes for the opening and closing that sounded like angels,” said Edgren. This music inspired Edgren to imagine flying doves, and he passed the idea al<strong>on</strong>g to his creative team. The director of the pre-<str<strong>on</strong>g>Mass</str<strong>on</strong>g> show, Ezralow, brought in Michael Curry, a renowned designer known for his work with the The Li<strong>on</strong> King. “He came up with an idea which included doves that fly <strong>on</strong> sticks.” Edgren said that he would have liked to see the young people and the doves run out <strong>on</strong> the field <strong>on</strong>e moment before the <str<strong>on</strong>g>Mass</str<strong>on</strong>g>, “but it was just something that didn’t happen in time.” Even so, the papal visit to Yankee Stadium scored a home run <strong>on</strong> most accounts, thanks in large part to the prevailing spirit of teamwork. “I had the best team in the world,” Edgren said. “They surrounded me, protected me and I was h<strong>on</strong>ored to be part of it. It was magical.” Perhaps a higher power was rooting for the producti<strong>on</strong> team as well. Every<strong>on</strong>e involved needed to be prepared for the worst, but the weather improved, as if <strong>on</strong> cue. “At the youth rally the day before, it was a warm beautiful day. Then at the Pope’s visit to ground zero of the World’s Trade Center, the clouds were dark and ominously low; it was as if you felt the victim’s spirits in the air. It stayed like that through Sunday morning, and then when Jose Feliciano started to play, the clouds broke,” Edgren said. “It was good advance work from God Almighty!” René Lagler’s fr<strong>on</strong>t elevati<strong>on</strong> of the stage. AutoCAD renderings helped the crew prepare for the actual event. The diam<strong>on</strong>d-shaped set was designed to keep off the grass. LYN PARKER PAtRicK StANSfiELd The entire set was rigged, wired and lit within a 50-hour window. Part of the set’s overhead truss, being prepared for the massive <str<strong>on</strong>g>Mass</str<strong>on</strong>g>. Al<strong>on</strong>g with Pope Benedict XVI, there were 14 cardinals, 200 bishops and 300 priests. Yankee Stadium, Br<strong>on</strong>x, N.Y. Creative Staff for the Archdiocese of New York: Executive Producer: Stig Edgren Producti<strong>on</strong> Designer: René Lagler Co-Producer: Patrick Stansfield Lighting Designer: Alan Adelman Creative C<strong>on</strong>sultant: Imero Fiorentino Producti<strong>on</strong> Supervisor: Doug Pope Sound Mixer: Howard Lindeman Pre-<str<strong>on</strong>g>Mass</str<strong>on</strong>g> Show Director: Daniel Ezralow Pre-<str<strong>on</strong>g>Mass</str<strong>on</strong>g> Show Producer: Ken Ashby Pre-<str<strong>on</strong>g>Mass</str<strong>on</strong>g> Talent: Rick Southern Scenic Designer: Ed Pierce Exterior Décor Manager: Paul Chavarria Scenery Associates: Nick Franc<strong>on</strong>e, Jen Price Communicati<strong>on</strong>s Director: Larry Estrin Media Director: Maris Segal Head Gaffer: Tom Blancato Programmer: Paul S<strong>on</strong>nleitner Backstage Managers: Scott Schneider, Beth Schneider Communicati<strong>on</strong>s Manager: Pete Erskine Producti<strong>on</strong> C<strong>on</strong>troller: Mark Aurelio Lead Producti<strong>on</strong> Coordinator: Dennis Menard Producti<strong>on</strong> Rigger: Hans K. Wert Producti<strong>on</strong> Site Electrics: James Eisner Producti<strong>on</strong> Electrician: John Ellar CAT Event Power: Burt Bracegirdle Media Project Coordinators: T.J. Morehouse, Nancy Shefts Traffic Manager: David McDaniels Runner: Jedi Keith Ketchum Crew Caterer: Gordy Hebler, Full Plate Catering, Inc. Yankee Stadium Staff: Stadium Operati<strong>on</strong>s Manager: Doug Behar Stadium Superintendent: Pete Pullara Stadium Electrician: Fran Ninivaggi New York Police Department: Capt. Drew Kastner Producti<strong>on</strong> Suppliers: Sound: Clair Brothers Systems — Ralph Mastangelo, Mike Wolf, Doug Nightwine, David Staub, Tom Huntingt<strong>on</strong>, Christopher Fult<strong>on</strong>, Robert Bussiere, Kevin Dennis, Anth<strong>on</strong>y Sabao, James Ward Video: Pete’s Big Screen TV — Peter Daniel, Erin Lynch Lighting: Scharff Weisberg — Chris Mc- Meen, Chris Komischock, Ian Healy Scenery: Huds<strong>on</strong> Scenic Studios — Neil Mazzella, Robert McGarvie Labor: Huds<strong>on</strong> Theatrical Assoc. — Sam Ellis, Susan Bristow, Irene Wang (Supervisors) Staging and <strong>Ground</strong> Cover: Mountain Prod., Inc. — President Jim Evans, R<strong>on</strong> “Wilky” Wilkins<strong>on</strong>, Paul Serkosky, Michael Gasper, Jake Smolenak, Bill Heinzlmeier, Paul Sim<strong>on</strong>cavage Rehearsal Studio/Music Rentals: Studio Instrument Rentals — Bo Holst, Carly Vena, Erik White IATSE Stagehands Local #1: Carpentry: Frank Illo, Kevin Camus, John Woytas Rigging: Wally Bullard, Jeff Goodman Electrics: Jimmy Mal<strong>on</strong>ey Sound: Tommy Arrig<strong>on</strong>i, Rich Gilmour Load Master/Forklift Crew: Pat Quinn Teamsters: Vinny Russo Local One Steward: Dan Gillo<strong>on</strong> Lighting C<strong>on</strong>soles: 2 grandMAs, 2 grandMA NSPs 6 6K HMI PARs 8 Arri 2.5k/4k HMI PARs 12 Zap Technology Lil’ Big Lite 3.5s 12 Vari*Lite VL3500 Wash lights 12 Vari*Lite VL3000 Wash lights 10 Vari*Lite VL3500 Spots 8 Vari*Lite VL2500 Wash lights 9 Mini Lite 10s 30 <strong>PLSN</strong> JUNE 2008
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