The Music Attraction
(Current Project)

            Scenic designers can use their talents in so many creative ways. For years ideas have been brewing in my head as I have learned about theatre design. Immersive theatre is what got me involved in theatre design in the first place. So, after graduating I began thinking about how I could create an experience similar to those found in themed entertainment, because it often overlaps with immersive theatre. I want to show how the universal language that is music continues to evolve throughout humanity and how we interact with each other through music. So, imagine you are sitting down for an orchestral performance in a glorious theatre, and the sound of the orchestra becomes visible as your seat is swept up and you are taken on a musical journey through time.

 

            Music history is a difficult topic to tackle because music’s own definition is so broad. Almost any sound can be defined as music, and so when looking back it is difficult to decide what moments can actually be shown as well as what moments significantly contribute to music’s very long story. So, the experience will differ from person to person, however the story being told stays the same. The experience will show people different scenes throughout history, and those scenes change from person to person as there are different ride paths. 

 

            The scene I chose to model is The Beatles performing at Shea Stadium in 1964. This is a pivotal moment in music in the 20th century, as not only did The Beatles change music, but it changed concerts and the way we interacted with each other. 50,000+ people attended this concert. It was nationally televised. The concept of a stadium concert was so new at the time that Shea Stadium was using its own PA system for sound. People were screaming so loud that no one could hear the music. The Beatles may not have been able to hear themselves. This is a concert that everyone wonders what it was like to be at. My goal is to make that possible.

 

            The scene itself has the audience entering this concert through the stadium’s dugout as The Beatles are mid-song. The vehicle navigates them across the baseball diamond and into the opposite dugout. My approach to this is to create the baseball diamond to scale, as well as the surrounding area. Only the first few seating areas are built, because audiences won’t get close enough to notice that projection walls wrap around the entire room, creating the illusion that the audience is in the now demolished Shea Stadium. This scene will overwhelm audiences as they are woken up and put right in the middle of one of the most famous performances in history. 

 

            This is just one of many scenes I have created for this experience. I felt that this scene would best capture what this experience should be. Fun, educational, thrilling, and inspiring.