Based on Tim Burton‘s 1988 cult supernatural fantasy film of the same name, Beetlejuice The Musical is a musical stage production with music and lyrics by Melbourne’s own Eddie Perfect. Now playing at Melbourne’s Regent Theatre, the show features some seriously ghoulishly imaginative lighting by Tony Award-winning Lighting Designer Ken Posner. Lighting is supplied by PRG Australia.
Accompanying the eccentric, Tim Burton-inspired set designs throughout are a variety of haze and smoke effects courtesy of a fleet of Look Solutions products.
Low fog, an essential element to create spooky scenes, is generated by two Look Solutions Cryo-Fog machines twice during the show. The show opens in a rather unconventional way at the funeral of Emily Deetz, starting with the stage filling with low fog, before Beetlejuice is revealed. Following that is the big opening number, through which the Cryo-Foggers continue to flood the stage with low fog.
The next time that they are used is in the second act of the show, where Lydia and Charles Deetz travel to the Netherworld to try to resolve their grief at the death of their mother/wife.
“The Cryo-Fog product is nice and compact, and can fit in a rather inconspicuous area when stage space is limited,” remarked Shane Bowring, Head of Lighting on Beetlejuice. “They’re just a great product. They’re also quiet, allowing them to be closer to the stage than other low-fog machines I’ve used in the past.”
Shane describes the Cryo-Fog as a quick-dissipating fog that doesn’t fill the stage too much, so you can’t see the performance. They deliver the desired effect without encompassing the entire stage.
Two Look Solutions Viper NT Foggers and a Unique 2.1 Hazer reside on dollies along with AF1 Mk II fans. With stage realty at a premium, the gear can easily come on and off the stage.
“We have two of those that get moved around into different wings for various smoke effects that we go along,” added Shane. “We also have a Unique 2.1 hazer, which is used at the top of the show as the audience walks in. There’s a big Beetlejuice sign, and a gap in the show cloth, which has smoke coming out of it, along with green glowing lights. You don’t know it at the time, but it’s the entry into the Netherworld. It really sets the atmosphere of the show. However, it’s a fast opening sequence, so we have it on a dolly with a long rope so it can be pulled off stage very quickly.”
A Look Solutions Viper S fogger is used for some plumbed-in smoke effects in the house stage piece, which traverses up and down the stage. The plumbed-in holes allow a bit more smoke onto the scene.
“We use that in the same areas that we use the Viper NT that are in the wings,” explained Shane. “So when we’re trying to fill certain areas of the stage really quickly, that’s when that’s used. And then it’s also used in a smoke screen effect on the house for the Netherworld entry. We have a doorway effect that is filled up with smoke, and we light it in a way that it becomes a smoke curtain; as soon as performers go through the door, you can’t see them anymore.”
Shane notes that, in his experience, Look Solutions products have always been reliable, adding that he has used the products on several other shows as well, and he’s had really great service from both PRG and Show Technology.
“We need effects to work, usually in unconventional ways, and we need them to work quietly,” he continued. “It’s great because we have an understanding, everyone knows that we need to have these things work, with the time constraints that come with live entertainment, and we need to have them fixed quickly when and if they break down.”
Looking after the smaller, battery-powered Look Solutions equipment is Tom Houghten, Head of SFX, and the gear includes Look Solutions Tiny S, Tiny FX and Power Tiny models.
Every performance utilises nine units, with three more as spares, and they’re used in a range of different ways, from being mounted in small set pieces where a bigger unit cannot fit, to actors wearing them.
“There are a few tricks on the show where cast members need to have smoke emanating from them, so we use Look Solutions Tiny S for that,” added Tom. “Then there are times we need a little more power, so we use a Tiny FX if we don’t have the real estate for a Power Tiny. Or where it’s going into something that already has battery power on board for, say, LED lighting or set electrics, and we’ll pull power from that to power the Tiny FXs. Again, they’re great due to their small form factor and the ability to mount them in any orientation, allowing us to direct the smoke as needed.”
The Tiny FX are mounted on the back of flown scenery that comes in and out of the show. Their small form factor means they do not add much size to the flown pieces, thus avoiding colliding with other things in the air when in motion.
“We’ve got Look Solutions gear mounted on the back of tables,” began Tom. “We have a Tiny S in a toaster to make the toaster look like it is smoking. You rummage around through the couch cushions on this show, and you’ll find a Look Solutions product! The nine active units are moved around throughout the show, with at least 30 moments of the show utilising the battery-powered Look Solutions products to achieve an effect.”
As mentioned, the actors also wear the battery-powered foggers, placed in custom-made bags, which are a similar size to a microphone pack. They are a comfortable size for the actor without being obvious to the audience.
Tom remarks that the Look Solutions battery-powered equipment has performed better than he expected, and PRG has been excellent with their support in terms of providing parts and replacements.
