Back in the 1950's, big musicals like GYPSY and THE SOUND OF MUSIC could close in one theater on a Saturday night, and open a few days later at another.
They didn't have the sophisticated scenic and lighting machinery, and sound design, that shows do today and, I believe, they didn't bring in their own decks.
Accordingly, they did not require as much tech time to make sure everything worked properly prior to opening. So, they could open after a couple of previews.
I saw the original productions of both of those shows from excellent mezzanine seats (admittedly a long time ago), and I don't recall that they used electronics or computers to move set pieces on and off, or traps and elevators, which are common nowadays.
The employed simple, perhaps even primitive, stagecraft by today's standards.
Maybe someone knows when the modern deck became standard for most Broadway shows. IIRC, the original Camelot had some sort of luminous stage floor. Not sure how that was accomplished. |
