Tech Talk

Tech Talk

It has been quite a summer over here at  ASU Gammage! We’ve been busy freshening
up the building for the upcoming season and can’t wait to get started! I had a
chance last week to “get in the groove” by working the ASU Fall Welcome Concert
and Event over at Wells Fargo Arena (WFA). (Yes, they do let me out of the
building every now and then!) Working at WFA presents its own unique challenges
as it’s an athletic facility (Go ASU Basketball!) and not the familiar setting
of ASU Gammage.


As you can see in this photo the load-in
area is the West Tunnel (same place the teams enter when playing a game) but it
is continually sloped down toward the court which makes handling road cases that
are on wheels all the more difficult! WFA also resurfaces the court every summer
and guess who has the fun of being the first person on it…? Yup, that would be
me! Since we obviously do not want to mar the bright new shiny floor we use
Teflon maroon cover that protects it from the stage legs, road boxes and concert
goers.


As you can see a lot of work goes into the
construction of the stage and loading in of the Band Gear! The head liner of
this year’s concert was country singer Dierks Bentley and the opener was  rapper
Chingy . It took two full days of working to get the band and their gear loaded
in and performance ready. As you may have realized, there are no “battens”
(pipes you can hang lights or scenery on) in an arena. The way around this is to
crawl up into the catwalks at WFA and hang chain motors onto the steel I-beams
of the building. This is done by professional riggers (even I get week in the
knees when walking around up there, it’s really high!)



At concert time everything was up, the band had been through sound check and we
were set with the lights. Only one thing left to do…. Turn off the lights and
send the talent onstage!



This was a few minutes before “Go” time.
Security everywhere and nothing much to do until concert time.


Chingy starts things off with some high energy rapping!


This was all I could shoot of Dierks
(contract issues), but it was a good show!! And WFA was packed too! Go Devils!

Day three of the Fall Welcome week was the Sun Devil Welcome where all the
incoming students are invited to WFA to listen to people speak and get ready for
the beginning of their new adventure as a Sun Devil. Dr Crow, Lisa Love, Coach
Sendek and others spoke at the event and were very motivating. The day concluded
with the ASU Marching Band storming the arena and teaching the Sun Devil Fight
Song!

Here is the Sun Devil Marching Band standing
by for their takeover of the arena! I am not sure how many students are in the
band (there are tons of them) and yet they all squished into the west tunnel and
ran all throughout the arena while playing their instruments, truly awesome!
Of course all great events come to an end! The floor was unharmed and we cleaned
up all of our messes! It was a great week of load-ins, rigging, rap, country,
inspiration and Sun Devil Pride! I can’t wait until next year! If you can’t wait
to here more feel free to shoot me an email, I always love to talk tech!

-Jeff Rollins

New Beginnings

I love the idea of new beginnings- a time to begin again, a fresh start. That idea is always on my mind this time of year when young men and women are beginning their freshman year of college. This Saturday through Tuesday, August 14-17, thousands of new students will move into residence halls across all four ASU campuses. ASU Gammage will welcome them at Wells Fargo Arena as they check in. It is an exciting time for students and a stressful time for parents!

Many will leave their kids and return to their homes in other parts of the country. Some will cry, others will breathe a sigh of relief, but all will realize that their sons and daughters will be moving forward with the next part of their life’s journey. It is a significant step toward independence. College life is filled with fantastic experiences, growing pains, new relationships, more growing pains, and great fun. The best part of college in my opinion is the diversity. Diversity of ideas, of interests, of socio economic backgrounds ...the list goes on and on. And you get to present yourself to all these new people as your own unique person while sharing in this common event called Fall Welcome Week at ASU. A new beginning- very cool!

Here at ASU Gammage we are committed to the idea of engaging students in the arts- many have never been to NYC to see a Broadway musical or play. The notion that they can have that experience - right here on campus- is pretty incredible.

To introduce our new students and families to Gammage, we will be hosting Broadway Buzz on Monday, August 16 from 6:30 to 8 p.m. ASU students are invited to a FREE event to see what ASU Gammage has to offer. Find out about the 2010/2011 Broadway season featuring shows and actors straight from New York in Tony Award-winning hits like HAIR, MAMMA MIA!, BILLY ELLIOT THE MUSICAL, SPRING AWAKENING and more.

In addition to the Broadway series, find out what else ASU Gammage has to offer like its BEYOND series, student rush discounted tickets, student subscriptions, Campus Connection events and so much more.

Broadway Buzz will also feature free food, activities, giveaways, and more. It will be a chance to meet new friends who enjoy the performing arts as much as you. Plus, the first 150 people to arrive will receive a free Broadway gift.

“We are so excited to to open our building to ASU’s newest students—our doors are always open to them and we look forward to entertaining them this year,” says Colleen Jennings-Roggensack, executive director.

The best part is that we are offering a student package this year which will include tickets to four of the Broadway shows coming to ASU Gammage AND the opportunity to meet other students who love Broadway. We will have student events before or after each of the 4 shows where kids can mingle and chat about the show- get to know one another and hopefully make new friends. We are excited to introduce Broadway to another freshman class at ASU, so look for our table at Wells Fargo Arena when checking in- or come Broadway Buzz on Monday at 6:30PM at Gammage. It will be lots of fun and the start of another great season of Broadway at Gammage!

What's Ahead on Broadway

What's Ahead on Broadway

By Colleen Jennings-Roggensack, Executive Director

Well the weather is not the only thing that is HOT in New York this summer.
Many of the new Broadway shows are being mounted to open in the Fall and they
are hot, hot, hot. Here is some inside scoop of a few shows to see this fall.
The weather may be cool but these shows will keep the Great White Way sizzling.

After cautiously watching SCOTTSBORO BOYS, OFF Broadway at the Vineyard, I
cheered this musical’s move to Broadway. This John Kander and Fred Ebb’s musical
directed and choreographed by Susan Stroman (CONTACT, PRODUCERS and YOUNG
FRANKENSTEIN) takes a 1931 historic civil rights events where nine young African
American men are falsely arrested for a crime involving two white women and thus
starting the American Civil Rights movement. Set as a minstrel show (thus
caution and weary eye). The wonderful talented cast is moving on to Broadway
with the moving, smart, dark humor, enlightened script and made entertaining. I
enjoyed sitting with Tom Hulce and comparing notes on the show.

HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS WITHOUT REALLY TRYING is back with Daniel Radcliffe.
Yes, Harry Potter. But all you Broadway buffs will recall the great job Daniel
did in EQUUS. It should be mad, man fun (pun intended)

BLOODY, BLOODY ANDREW JACKSON transferring on to Broadway from downtown having
had an extended run at THE PUBLIC THEATRE. Ever wonder what life was like for
our early American Presidents? This musical, yes another historic romp answers
that question. Making young Andrew Jackson and the times of the day hip and
happening. Thanks in large part to yummy Benjamin Walker who rocks the title
role. Think “SNL” meets the History Channel. An Irreverent, fun, thought
provoking evening, I over heard two young women commenting that this musical
makes them reconsider being history majors (true story).

Under better late than never category SPIDERMAN: TURN OFF THE DARK appears to be
ready to open after a season delay. The creative team of TONY AWARD winner
Director and Creator Julie Taymor and U2’s Bono promises to thrill us from the
moment we walk into the lobby and the Spidey’s den to the stage of magic, wonder
and rocking action.

Classic plays remain a staple of the new Broadway season with James Earl Jones
and Vanessa Redgrave in DRIVING MISS DAISY. Not to be missed, Broadway royalty
on stage in Alfred Uhry’s Pulitzer Prize winning play.

And this is just a quick peak of the new Broadway season. There are so many
more shows to come!!!!!!

See you on Broadway and in ASU GAMMAGE!!!!