What is the cleverest stage trick you have seen?

[TenuousBond]

What tricks on stage have made you say, "Whoah! How did they do that?"

I've always liked the part in Turn it Off from BoM when the lights go out and they all get those purple vests on. Must take some serious practice. 

I also like in Phantom at the end (spoilers I guess) when the Phantom sits in his chair and disappears. I sat right up front when I saw the show, but still couldn't see how they did that.

I also saw Dear Evan Hansen the other day and found it shocking that I saw no one on stage, but then in a second, Evan is on his bed and the show begins. How did I miss it???

[RaisedOnMusicals]

There were some incredible quick change moments in R+H's Cinderella. The audience always gasped and applauded.

[mamaleh]

The CINDERELLA quick-change dress during a dance was indeed amazing.

This is not a trick, but something I have always wondered about.  How does a cast take their initial places in complete darkness so that every actor is where he or she needs to be as the lights come on?  Do the actors practice in total darkness?  

[trpguyy]

mamaleh said " How does a cast take their initial places in complete darkness so that every actor is where he or she needs to be as the lights come on?  Do the actors practice in total darkness?  "

Echolocation. 

 

Or their eyes eyes are adjusted to the low lighting since it's also dark backstage. One of the two. 

[Theatricality]

Not sure if this is classified as a trick, but the moment in Finding Nederland towards the end where **SPOILER** the mother dies and they have Peter Pan throw the glitter in the fans and the glitter flies around her. 

[ethan231h]

All the tricks in the recent revival of Pippin were always amazing to me. I also adored the way Celie gave birth and held her baby in the recent revival of Color Purple

[Hairspray0901]

Pretty much all of Ghost. lol. Mostly, when he walked through the door. 

[perfectlymarvelous]

Ghost was a damn mess but there was some really incredible stagecraft happening, particularly the bit mentioned above. 

[Wilmingtom]

Laura's entrance in Tiffany's Glass Menagerie.

[jomilo21]

 For me, it was definitely the quick changes in Cinderella. Also the flying carpet in Aladdin always amazes me. Lastly probably the most amazing thing to me  is when Trunchbull picks up the girl by the pigtails and swings her around. I've seen the show five times can't ever figure out how they do that… 

[amaklo]

Several years ago I saw Lord of the Rings in London.  I still remember the scene when Bilbo Baggins puts the ring on his finger and poof! vanishes.  Just like in the movie.

[John Adams]

mamaleh said: "How does a cast take their initial places in complete darkness so that every actor is where he or she needs to be as the lights come on?  Do the actors practice in total darkness? "

Glow Tape on the floor.



 

[A Canadian in NYC]

HATAI - The quick change that Hedwig makes during Wig in a Box always impresses me. Doesn't seem like there's enough time to get those clothes and wig on. And then Yitzak's transformation at the end  - wow - how do they do that? Especially the makeup!  

[thedrybandit]

A Canadian in NYC said: "HATAI - The quick change that Hedwig makes during Wig in a Box always impresses me. Doesn't seem like there's enough time to get those clothes and wig on. And then Yitzak's transformation at the end  - wow - how do they do that? Especially the makeup!"

If I remember right, Yitzhak is already wearing most of the costume under the Yitzhak clothes. They just have to take a few things off, throw on the heels and wig (which I think, like most of the wigs in the show, was held on by magnets, so it's an easy thing to put on) and then do makeup, which was a pretty simple makeup design. It's definitely a sprint for the makeup person and actor, but they had it planned and designed incredibly well.

[willep]

The chalkboard in Matilda was pretty great.

[KathyNYC2]

jomilo21 said: " For me, it was definitely the quick changes in Cinderella. Also the flying carpet in Aladdin always amazes me. Lastly probably the most amazing thing to me  is when Trunchbull picks up the girl by the pigtails and swings her around. I've seen the show five times can't ever figure out how they do that… 

 

"

The Cinderella quick change is it for me too but the Matilda pig tail swing was pretty obvious. I guess you weren't sitting in the right seats to see. I think it's been posted here before but I imagine it doesn't matter since the show has closed. While Trunchbull has been spinning her, the lights go down and Amanda runs to stage right. When the lights come back on, part of the cast of students is looking for Amanda from the front of the stage while some others run up and down the aisles. While it's dark, Amanda runs up the side aisle house left with one of the adult female actor children hiding under her jacket. She then returns down a center aisle hiding amid the group of students who wind up catching the Amanda dummy that falls from the ceiling and then she pops up. Not that tricky but effective. 

[Tag]

If you're wondering how she actually picks her up and swings her though, the Amanda is wearing a harness with 2 hand loops.

[sorano916]

There are many tricks in "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" that pretty awesome. Of course, some are more obvious but they're all pretty great if pulled off without a hitch.

My favorite two tricks are:

 

Click Here To Toggle Spoiler Content

1) When they make the entire stage vibrate during time travel

2) When a character has to become another character (ie. using polyjuice potion) on stage.

 

[trpguyy]

The most clever theatre trick I witnessed was paying money to see Dracula.

[BroadwayConcierge]

It's embarrassing how many times I've seen Phantom and how I still don't get how they pull off that damn final disappearance. It's quite spectacular, and works not just for the "ooh, ahh" effect, but for emotional effect as well.

[BroadwayConcierge]

Also, watch from 2:41 to 4:50ish for Yitzhak's finale quick-change in Hedwig! It's amazing!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nobSihlOR_Q

[Call_me_jorge]

trpguyy said: "The most clever theatre trick I witnessed was paying money to see Dracula.

 

"

I'm dead!!!

[Tag]

Seriously, the Hedwig change is barely a *quick*change.  Not sure what's so clever or tricky about it??

[AC126748]

Mark Rylance's movement in TWELFTH NIGHT. It was like he was floating above the stage.

[mpkie]

I don't know if it qualifies as a stage trick as it's more fancy stage design/engineering but the ship gliding on stage during The King and I just took my breath away. It was so magical.

Also want to echo about BoM. I LOVE the "Turn It Off" moment when the lights go off and come back on with all the actors in pink vests. And Elder Price finds himself among them tapping away. When I took my friend, she was equally astounded and kept asking me how they did that.