Rochester Civic Theatre’s holiday show this year was The Musical Miracle on 34th Street, a musical adaptation of the classic story adapted by Greg Miller, the RCT artistic director. It was also my last theatre shoot of 2014!
The show followed the well known story with various holiday songs – some familiar and some not so much – sprinkled throughout. It certainly played well for the season and, I believe, all the performances were sold out. And that’s a great thing for the theatre.
I shot this show live, as has become my preference, during the final dress rehearsal. The set was colorful as were many of the costumes. And lighting was pretty much what I expect for most musicals. Some evenly lit scenes, some stronger gels with moodier lighting, and lots of use of the spots. The spots can make the photography more challenging, but it’s what you have to handle if you are shooting a stage performance and especially musicals.
Looking through my shots, I had several I wanted to post. There’s some good variety in the lighting, the angle, the emotion. So, I’ve included a few more than I usually do. I think. I don’t really have a usual.
Ha! Well, no, I don’t usually count, but this felt like more than usual.
But I wanted to make sure I included Fred and Doris and Susan. And Santa, of course. That’s Denny, who’s been on the RCT stage many times, as Santa and, yes, that’s a real white beard.
Lynne was on stage for this performance in the ensemble. So, I’d get regular updates regarding how rehearsals were going.
And how much work was going into the dances. Folks who aren’t intimately connected to musical theatre can only guess how much work is expended to build a show. There are weeks of rehearsals, and most of the players either work or attend school. It’s truly amazing.
And the performance level is consistently top-notch. We really have a talented community in and around Rochester!
I’m happy that I get to be involved in my own way. And try to make some art from their art.
If you read my theatre shoot posts, I probably sound repetitive, but I am looking for angles and shots that help capture – and tell – some of the story being portrayed. When it works, it can be a lot of fun for me.
I’m usually looking for tighter shots, but sometimes you need to include more to get to the story – like the courtroom scene. Or I just want to include some good shots of the big numbers.
Megan, the choreographer for the show, was a model for my I Dance personal photography project a while back. We thought it would be fun to use one of those shots for her “head shot” displayed in the theatre during the show. That didn’t work out, but I can certainly include it here! She did a tap number in RCT’s Chicago production which inspired this shot.
With 2014 coming to a close, I wish all of you a happy, healthy, and creative 2015. Smile and make some art!
