frozenray
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- Dec 4, 2011
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I am currently spending time reading and gaining knowledge about Michaels HIStory Tour (Since I am also a keyboard player and got highly interested in the multitracks from Munich 1997, which leaked some time ago, I studied about Brad Buxer, his role in directing the sound, the stage gear and sound equipment).
What I am interested in, is everything surrounding the tour like planning, production, crew etc. Basically behind the scenes information, so to say and I have found the following. This might be interesting to some.
The Workers
There are 160 people working on the Michael Jackson History Tour. In every city another 200 professional stage hands and 200 security officers are hired locally.
The Logistics
The logistics for such a huge show require an almost military-style organisation! In any given week, three different stages are either up, going up or coming down. Moving the custom designed steel and scaffolding requires 7 trucks per stage each weighing 200 tons which takes 3 days to build, 24 hour to set up the elements of the show (backline, lights, sound, band gear, pyro, video) and 24 hours to de-rig. Once built, the set weighs 550 tons. A further 22 trucks carry the backline, sound, lights, rigging, video, pyrotechnics and band gear. That’s a total of 43 trucks carrying 1200 tons of equipment.
The Show
The show is conceived and created by Kenny Ortega and Michael Jackson, the choreography is by Michael Jackson and Lavelle Smith, Travis Payne and Michael Jackson for ‘Dangerous’ and ‘They Don’t Care About Us’. The set designed by Peggy Holmes and Michael Cotton was engineered by John McGraw. Costumes are by Michael Bush.
The Lighting
Peter Morse, the lighting designer who has worked with Madonna and Janet Jackson among others, fine tuned the show for several weeks with MichaelJackson.
“Michael wanted a theatrical look to this show, while maintaining the technology of the 90’s, so the lighting is made up of the latest in technological advancements but the lights hang in a traditionally theatrical way. The lighting is designed specifically to give a very White Light. Most theatrical lighting is warm or yellowish by comparison, on this set the light is ‘daylight level’ or 5600 degrees kelvin”.
There are 14 people working the lights who are controlling about 1000 fixtures and assorted equipment under the direction of Michael Keller, the lighting director. The whole system u ses about 35 kilometres of cable and weighs 3200kg. It takes 5 trucks to transport all the equipment, and load in of the lighting system takes about 8 hours the day before the show, with all fixtures getting individually focused after dark.
The Sound System
The sound system, designed by Clair Bros Audio, consists of 150 S-4 cabinets totalling 400,000 watts of power and weighing 30 tons. There are also 50 sub low cabinets specially designed to create a sensoround effect. The sound engineer, Trip Khalaf has worked with Madonna, Steely Dan and Queen.
The Stage
The stage was built by UK based Edwin Shirley Staging, who transmitted by computer graphics back to England any changes and modifications needed for construction of the stages during the rehearsals held in L.A.
The Pyrotechnics
Pyrotechnics are an important element of the show. 4 people handle over 500 shots a night, the noise effects are comparable to a TNT explosion bringing down a 3 storey building. For Pyritz, the company who have worked on every Michael Jackson tour, safety is of prime concern, and their safety record proves it. The stage may well look like it’s totally destroyed, but no damage actually occurs.
The Video System
Michael Jackson travels with his own television studio provided by Nocturne Productions. 4 broadcast cameras capture Michael’s every move on stage transmitting them to 2 large Jumbotron screens flanking the stage on either side. Directed by Paul Becher, the screens enable the audience to see every detail of what’s happening on the stage no matter where they are sitting. The video portion of the show include a computer generated opening specially made for each city, while certain scenic elements are played back on a moving Jumbotron over the stage.
I would love to learn more about the tour. Maybe anyone here who was even involved in any part of the above?
Is it true, that there were plans to do a 3rd leg in 1998?
Could not find a thread about this topic, so I though why not start one.
What I am interested in, is everything surrounding the tour like planning, production, crew etc. Basically behind the scenes information, so to say and I have found the following. This might be interesting to some.
The Workers
There are 160 people working on the Michael Jackson History Tour. In every city another 200 professional stage hands and 200 security officers are hired locally.
The Logistics
The logistics for such a huge show require an almost military-style organisation! In any given week, three different stages are either up, going up or coming down. Moving the custom designed steel and scaffolding requires 7 trucks per stage each weighing 200 tons which takes 3 days to build, 24 hour to set up the elements of the show (backline, lights, sound, band gear, pyro, video) and 24 hours to de-rig. Once built, the set weighs 550 tons. A further 22 trucks carry the backline, sound, lights, rigging, video, pyrotechnics and band gear. That’s a total of 43 trucks carrying 1200 tons of equipment.
The Show
The show is conceived and created by Kenny Ortega and Michael Jackson, the choreography is by Michael Jackson and Lavelle Smith, Travis Payne and Michael Jackson for ‘Dangerous’ and ‘They Don’t Care About Us’. The set designed by Peggy Holmes and Michael Cotton was engineered by John McGraw. Costumes are by Michael Bush.
The Lighting
Peter Morse, the lighting designer who has worked with Madonna and Janet Jackson among others, fine tuned the show for several weeks with MichaelJackson.
“Michael wanted a theatrical look to this show, while maintaining the technology of the 90’s, so the lighting is made up of the latest in technological advancements but the lights hang in a traditionally theatrical way. The lighting is designed specifically to give a very White Light. Most theatrical lighting is warm or yellowish by comparison, on this set the light is ‘daylight level’ or 5600 degrees kelvin”.
There are 14 people working the lights who are controlling about 1000 fixtures and assorted equipment under the direction of Michael Keller, the lighting director. The whole system u ses about 35 kilometres of cable and weighs 3200kg. It takes 5 trucks to transport all the equipment, and load in of the lighting system takes about 8 hours the day before the show, with all fixtures getting individually focused after dark.
The Sound System
The sound system, designed by Clair Bros Audio, consists of 150 S-4 cabinets totalling 400,000 watts of power and weighing 30 tons. There are also 50 sub low cabinets specially designed to create a sensoround effect. The sound engineer, Trip Khalaf has worked with Madonna, Steely Dan and Queen.
The Stage
The stage was built by UK based Edwin Shirley Staging, who transmitted by computer graphics back to England any changes and modifications needed for construction of the stages during the rehearsals held in L.A.
The Pyrotechnics
Pyrotechnics are an important element of the show. 4 people handle over 500 shots a night, the noise effects are comparable to a TNT explosion bringing down a 3 storey building. For Pyritz, the company who have worked on every Michael Jackson tour, safety is of prime concern, and their safety record proves it. The stage may well look like it’s totally destroyed, but no damage actually occurs.
The Video System
Michael Jackson travels with his own television studio provided by Nocturne Productions. 4 broadcast cameras capture Michael’s every move on stage transmitting them to 2 large Jumbotron screens flanking the stage on either side. Directed by Paul Becher, the screens enable the audience to see every detail of what’s happening on the stage no matter where they are sitting. The video portion of the show include a computer generated opening specially made for each city, while certain scenic elements are played back on a moving Jumbotron over the stage.
I would love to learn more about the tour. Maybe anyone here who was even involved in any part of the above?
Is it true, that there were plans to do a 3rd leg in 1998?
Could not find a thread about this topic, so I though why not start one.