Theater has captivated audiences for centuries, evolving from epic Greek tragedies and Shakespearean comedies to contemporary musicals and historical adaptations. But this rich tradition of storytelling does not belong solely to the actors on stage. Seamless production starts with crucial technical elements and is intertwined with the expertise of the crew behind the scenes. Without experienced techs handling the set design, lighting and sound, the performance can’t reach its full immersive potential.

Since 2012, Reynolds Hall at the Smith Center has showcased dozens of world-class stage productions, including Wicked, The Phantom of the Opera, West Side Story, Hamilton, Les Misérables and many more. During an exclusive backstage tour, the Weekly had the chance to peek behind the curtain to see what it really takes to put on a show.

Sound and mixing

Audibly, the needs of every show are different. And when a production calls for professional sound mixing, monitoring and controlling, the Smith Center checks all the boxes.

In the front-of-house (audience seating), which accommodates up to 2,050 people, a hidden below-ground area is key to sound and mixing operations. Here, the mixing console is assembled and lifted above ground. “This is one that various shows share but some bring their own … so it’s not always the same but it’s a similar setup,” says John Wrote, head audio engineer. This particular setup is used for concerts by the Philharmonic and National Geographic Live series, but 65% of other productions travel with their own engineers and equipment.

Orchestra pit

At the front of the stage, a hydraulic platform performs a vital, hidden function. Capable of holding up to 40,000 pounds, it lowers the orchestra pit 11 feet down, revealing a concealed area that serves multiple purposes. “You’re going deep into the dragon,” says Wrote, as he takes us below ground level into the belly of the theater. The space below not only stores show equipment but also provides additional seating. When needed, seats are slid into place and the platform is raised back up beside the pony wall and locked into place, looking as if it never even moved.

Lighting and background

“In rock-and-roll you always see all the lights, but in theater, you want to have a black box,” says Robert Brassard, head of lighting. His team deals in arcane elements such as “borders” and “legs”—black panels that veil the glaring lights from audience eyes. Light fixtures dangle from pipes, with more pipes required as the stage deepens. Follow spots, one of the most ancient tools of stagecraft, are used to track actors. With hundreds of lights blazing, the temperature inevitably rises, which Brassard says necessitates a barrage of air conditioning.

Setting up for a Broadway show requires many hands. Some 12 to 14 techs are called upon, their labor divided into four-person teams, taking eight to 10 hours to load in and install the required lighting. Once the setup is complete, the show crew shrinks to two to four operators.

Behind the scenes, fly rails—essentially a high-altitude rigging system—manage the hefty weight of backdrops and curtains. With 88 pipes, each capable of supporting up to 2,000 pounds, and bricks weighing 28 pounds each, the flymen perched 90 feet above the stage load these bricks to balance the weight. The crew rely on in-ear communication and light signals cues to smoothly transition between scenes.

Keeping the light on

Reynolds Hall keeps a ghost light on the upper stage, a superstition meant to ward off mischievous spirits when the theater is unoccupied.

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