SPAMALOT SCENIC FLOW 02.05.13 MUNY 2013

Scenic Overview: Terry Gilliam style graphics CUT-OUTs for both scenery and graphics. Monty Python style. 2D, profiles. The show is very “meta” all the time: always aware of itself as a “show!” … push sticks, roll-around trees with bracing, etc.

BOOM 1 Show Curtain. Will not be closed for Preshow. In the style of the production, we will see crew setting up the stage. Perhaps just before the downbeat, we see 4 IA put on monk costumes and then make final adjustments to scenic placement. Closes at Intermission.

SPAMALOT LOGO with the rabbit crashing into it.

UV paint and UV Fresnels to pop up DISCO STYLE for “His Name Is Lancelot.” Investigate invisible UV paint to spell out “LANCELOT” on the Spamalot Logo.

BOOM 2 The lead edges will be the scripted SR and SL Towers with 2^nd floor windows for actors who are on portable A-Frame ladders or rolling ladder. They will be visible to the audience but in a Terry Gilliam style. Need to discuss efficient ways to bring on and strike the ladders. When not needed, the side towers will goes off stage.

A second “look” brings the boom on 25’ each side (more of less). The SR side of the Boom with Tower on leading edge will be a illustrated manuscript, monk’s song sheet with “Always Look on the Bright Side of Life” lyric for the audience to follow along to sing along. SL side will have “Whistle, whistle, whistle” on it.

Might paint torm flats in the style of the show.

There needs to be a UCL entrance for actors from backstage. We need to create a ground row in front of the islands to mask actors crossing for CL entrances. Are there lighting issues? Can we create a path through the islands?

The Ground Rows might help frame the LED scene with Medieval trees.

Passerelle. The unit will be used for the first 3 shows. Important information for Seth, Nathan and Jason. (Should have a STOCK drawing for the Passerelle. We have used it for Oz and Hello Dolly.)

Nathan, lets talk about story boarding the show with Denis.

There are numerous scenic ideas being considered. One idea is to creating a unit setting of various Terry-Gillliam-style profiles, which can be rearranged on stage to vary location and composition. To this, specific location sets will be pushed on and off a vista.

ACT ONE

Medieval Unit SET with

Finnish Moose Village (Pine Trees and Finnish flags)

BOOM 2 Towers SR and SL Second-Story

Plague Village (bare stage)

Mud Mound (profile) with the Lady/Phantom Unit upstage

(LPCB)Lady/Phantom/Camelot Backing Unit

BOOM 2 Towers SR and SL Second-Story

(LPCB) is revolved to set up Court of Camelot Unit

The Feet of God DROP

Mountain and Grail Lift Unit

Castle Unit

BOOM 1 Intermission

ACT TWO

Medieval Forest with

Black Knight Unit

Boom 1 Diva’s Lament

Castle Unit redressed as Herbert’s

Boom 1 Lancelot UV Disco

Mountain and Grail Lift Unit (Repeat?)

Killer Rabbit Mound with pyro reveal of BONES and pointing figure

Boom 1 Audience interaction

Court of Camelot Unit redressed the Wedding

Boom 2 with lyrics

Top of Show: unit set on stage, no boom.

Act One

Scene 1: Medieval SET

Medieval “look” that might be rearranged for different looks and locations.

Video. ENGLAND 932AD

History Lesson via weather map style.

Scene 2: Finnish Moose Village

Quick change Finnish Village.

Perhaps “Medieval Unit Trees” flip around to become pine trees.

Perhaps small Finnish flags crisscross the stage from Tree to tree.

“Fisch Schlapping Song”

Fish props for slapping … large and safe

End of song restore to MEDIEVAL SET

Transition to Mud Village and Plague Village (general space)

“Monk’s Chat”

Large Bibles … 18” x 24”. Muslin covered upholstery. Actors bash bibles on forehead as they cross the stage. Or something like this.

Scene 3: MEDIEVAL SET Mud Castle

BOOM 2 Towers SR and SL Second-Story Functional

“King Arthur’s Song”

End of Scene, ladders off before opening the boom. OR Perhaps we leave them on for the Plague Village.

Scene 4: MEDIEVAL SET Plague Village

“Monk’s Chant”

“He is Not Dead Yet”

“Dead Play Off”

Significant practical Wagon Prop. Must be moved by one (or two) actors. Must carry 6 “dead” bodies. Wagon needs to have 5 kneeling actors AND a tap-dancing performer.

Scene 5: MEDIEVAL SET Mud Mound in Countryside outside the Lady/Phantom/ Camelot Backing Unit (LPCB)

Mud mound … 2-D slip wagon. Maybe a long, long push stick … very obvious … from the wings pushes on a mud mound 2-D profile.

End of number, mound goes off.

Scene 6: The Lady of the Lake Unit

This scenic unit (a version of the Pirate Basket Unit) might be used for the Lady and Phantom on one side with flying chandelier. When turned around, it would be the electronic backing for the Court of Camelot with flying electronic roulette wheel.

Lady Unit is Botticelli’s Venu Clam Shell Float. Drawbridge to reveal her entrance. The unit will be pushed around by actors.

Medieval Dry-Ice Unit will be rolled around by actor or IA in costume for fog.

“Come with Me”

profile swamp grass

“The Laker Girls”

Lancelot’s Entrances …. a la Phantom of the Opera on a FLOATING (Phantom) Boat with two standing actors and no visible means of movement. Needs to track straight??? Maybe a super long push stick with Monk/IA?

Medieval Dry-Ice Unit will be rolled around by actor or IA in costume for fog.

“The Song that Goes like This”

Phantom chandelier (electric) flies down from inside the Lady/ Phantom Unit.

Needs to light up, drop and spark (pyro).

Scene 7: King Arthur and His Knights scene …

One side of BOOM 2 comes on with obvious ladder for Historian to narrate in Castle Turret

CAMPFIRE

It would be great if the Campfire could be on the Passerelle so the IA can revolve the Lady/Phantom Unit to the Court of Camelot.

“All for One!”

End of scene Boom opens to reveal

Scene 8: The COURT OF CAMELOT

Electronic Castle Disney/Vegas backing (revolved unit) with light up CL entrance and side towers that open up to reveal big, light-up medieval slot machine that settles on a winning, “grail,” “grail,” “grail,” with a show girl popping out of it slot machines. Fly in electronic roulette wheel for button.

Dancing craps tables

“Knights of the Round Table”

Vegas Lounge Nightclub Act --- to Vegas Jackpot in lighting

“The Song tat Goes like This”

4 large prams capable of carrying concealed actors.

Scene 9: The Feet of God DROP

Cut Drop of GOD FEET drop 25’ down the front of the DS Torms … in front of the Production Stage Manager position. Activated by IA from Side Follow Spot positions.

Strike the Camelot Set.

Scripted NASA Blast-Off. Probably not. Need to Austrian the feet up, somehow.

Scene 10: The Quest for the Grail … MOUNTAIN & GRAIL LIFT UNIT

In the transition, the Mountain/Grail Unit will come onstage a vista.

Unit to include front profile of a mountain with steps up and down. Actors climb the mountain unit. On cue Lady of the Lake in HOLY GRAIL CUP is lifted above the mountain. Forklift would drive on with IA covered by mountain, etc.

“Find Your Grail”

End of the number, Fork Lift MOUNTAIN UINT exits with Grail.

Tracy, do we need to lower the cup before it can drive off?

The JOURNEY PANORAMA Cyclorama idea

During the traveling, the CASTLE UNIT comes onstage

Scene 11: The French Castle CASTLE UNIT

The Castle unit will require a balcony with battlements, stairs and a CL entrance. We will redress it during intermission for Prince Herbert’s Chamber in Swamp Castle.

Wooden Rabbit Unit … substantial build

Cow Launch …. Life size cow stuffed animal

“Run Away”

BOOM 1 closes

INTERMISSION

ACT TWO

Scene 1: SHOW CURTAIN

BOOM 1

Historian

Scene 2: FOREST … A Very Expensive Forest

Forest Look with CL or US arched entrance ….

Dry Ice Wagon to set the mood???

Need to change the forest into a very expensive forest. Maybe dollar signs attached to the trees (set during intermission), maybe the cash register idea, the $$$$ signs pop-up to the sound effect of a cash register. Actor operated?

“Always Look on the Bright Side of Life”

BOOM 2 Comes ONSTAGE with Song Sheets

Scene 3: FOREST … Sir Robin and His Minstrels

“Brave Sir Robin”

Singin’ in the Rain Knights

Scrub Bush ground rows

Scene 4: FOREST … The Black Knight

Black Knight bit (loss of limbs moment)…how to do this?

… done with some forest profile set unit for actor to sit inside a hide his legs. Trick prop / scenic unit and costume challenge.

One actor on stilts

Scene 5: FOREST … Another Part of the Expensive Forest

“You Won’t Succeed on Broadway”

Piano with tricks

Fiddler on the Spamalot

9 Grail Prop Hats

Star of David LED event. Maybe parting the Unit Trees for better framing LED event.

Scene 6: FOREST … Yet Another Part of the Very Expensive Forest

Scene 7: BOOM 1 On stage at Spamalot

“The Diva’s Lamemt”

Diva Isolation for scene change into Herbert’s Chamber in Swamp Castle.

· ACT II Diva’s Lament will probably be played on the passerelle with spot; maybe a MUNY concession kid in uniform brings her a big drink and tub of popcorn… .

Scene 8: Prince Herbert’s Chamber in Swamp Castle. CASTLE UNIT

Castle Unit redressed during intermission with window unit. Upper Above, CL Entrance Below, Step up to Balcony. Tower /castle profile with large window and curtains, escape out back window for rope down bit.

“Where Are You”

“How Are You!”

BOOM 1 LANCELOT production number

Disco moment. UV light-up LANCELOT with other Disco effects.

LED footlights on the Passerelle “gay disco aesthetic”

Denis suggested adding our chorus girls in hotpants and rollerskates.Need to transform the boom, apron and passerelle.

“His Name is Lancelot”

Scene 9: Forest Set with a stump for Arthur to sit

“ I’m All Alone”

Maybe the dry-ice wagon??? Maybe monks with bamboo fans to push the ice around???

Fork Lift without the Mountain but with the Lady of the Lake redressed in some way.

“The Song that Goes Like This”

At the end of this number, Lady exits one way and Arthur exits the other.

Knights regroup and continue riding journey to arrive at …

Scene 10: Killer Rabbit Unit

A profile mound will slip wagon out of the wings. It is a puppet stage for the rabbit. End on cue it needs to explode with smoke and pyro fall over to reveal STONE 3-D Letters “B O N E S”

LED … To quote Denis, “Tim the Enchanter, rather than trying to do a live feed of an actor's face, which seem complicated, if we had a Terry Gilliam style face, could just the mouth move (in that REALLY primitive, cut out animation style) and just open and close to a live actor speaking? the opening and closing would be controlled by the operator? And maybe the eyeballs could move to stage r when the bunny mound comes in?

“The Grail”

Terry Gilliam Hand points to the Bones Cutout. I think this can be a large cutout that is connected to the face of Boom 2 in a custom black cove. We can rig off the follow spot bridge with a simple pivot pull up of the pointing hand.

Close BOOM ONE for Audience interaction

Will use step unit into the audience.

Preset Las Vegas Unit dressed for the Wedding

Scene 11: COURT OF CAMELOT … The Holy Grail Wedding Chapel!

Las Vegas Unit

“We Are Not Yet Wed”

“Always Look on the Bright Side of Life”

BOOM 2 close with lyrics of “Always Look ….”