5 Secrets to Stage Success

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There are an estimated 29.385 musical theatre performances each year and tens of thousands of theatre venues globally. So how do you make sure, yours is the one, audiences remember? To see what makes a great stage that audiences, artists and technical crews enjoy, we’ve talked to our very own Sammy Najjarine, technical project lead here at Waagner-Biro Stage Systems.

Why Is the Sydney Opera House So Famous?

Everyone knows it. 

Opened in 1973, with its iconic shell architecture, it was the first stage by Waagner-Biro Stage Systems in Australia: the Sydney Opera House. Since then, we’ve built hundreds of stages around the world, including some of the world’s most popular theatres, concert halls, and operas. This gives us a unique insight into the question: what makes a house famous? 

Obviously, there is the grand architecture. From the curved spires of the Elbphilharmonie, the neo-renaissance arches of the Vienna State Opera, or the bamboo pillars of the Wuxi Tahiu Show Theatre – these buildings are remarkable landmarks. 

But their great appeal, that brings millions of tourists to these sites every year, is more than that.

The Promise of Unforgettable Performative Art

The Sydney Opera House, like the Royal Swedish Opera or the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris are symbols for all the world-class artists that have performed there and act as a promise to anyone, who visits: Here, you only see (and hear) the best of the best.

For many performers, standing on one of those stages is a lifetime achievement – just like, for many tourists and art-lovers, it is a once-in-a-lifetime experience to see them perform there. 

But world-renowned performers and touring companies have high expectations when it comes to stages and their stage machinery. Without meeting them, international artists won’t come to your venue.

Like Putting Lang Lang on an Out-Of-Tune Grand Piano

A great architectural marvel without a matching stage is like inviting Lang Lang, one of the most recognisable pianists globally, to your home to play on an out of-tune grand piano. It might look good at first, but he will certainly not come again. 

Just like you wouldn’t expect Lionel Messi to stick around on a dry and bumpy dirt track, when he can play at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires. 

We’ve seen this with stage crews too. If the stage and the team working it are not up to the highest standards, technical directors will move on. And a stage without its crew is just a whole lot of (expensive) metal.

Requirements of Internationally Connected Professionals

When it comes to the expectations of international companies, artists, and stage crews, there are five main areas: 

• Safety: The stage machinery and control system must ensure safe operations of the entire stage at all times, not just upon commissioning but in everyday operation and long-term usage. That’s why we implemented extensive security features in all of our products and co-developed the latest international SIL-standard. For us, safety is less of a priority than a force-of-nature, like gravity. 

• Flexibility: Creative Directors, stage designers, and choreographers are always looking to gain that creative edge. Whether it’s intricate set design, astonishing scenic movement of stage elements, or frequent changeovers of the dramatic scenery – they all require a highly flexible stage machinery to realise their visions. 

• Rigging Efficiency: The importance of this factor cannot be over-stated. The speed at which you can rig a show directly influences how many different shows you can run, how many performances you can have each season, and the speed at which touring companies can set up their shows. This translates directly into ticket sales and economic performance. 

• Usability & Automation: Without great automation and control systems, even a stage that meets all technical specifications will be difficult to work with. That’s why we ensure that both our computer interfaces, and the smart layout of stage machinery works for users, not against them. Our control system, C·A·T v5, is probably the most advanced automation system out there. 

• Communication: Often overlooked, but crucial to creating, running, and maintaining a functioning stage. As Joachim Scholz, former technical director at the Theater Basel put it “you need a reliable partner who is here at once to see that things work.”

There’s only few companies in the world, who can reliably achieve this level of stage technology. We might be a little biased, but we would say, the best one is Waagner-Biro Stage Systems.

Complex Systems of Movement 

Any stage is a complex system of movement. 

Say, you want a completely autonomous stage wagon revolver that can navigate anywhere on the stage – and anywhere below it too. You want wagons to interact with each other, use stage lifts, be used scenically, for rigging shows, and in several different parking positions. It needs to be completely safe, near invisible, and easy to control.

Unlike a static building, you have various different components that need to work precisely, in the right way, at the right time. And if anything does not go right, then it's a challenge to get it working

At the Copenhagen Opera House, where we installed similar equipment using a pinion drive guiding system, we watched the stage crew rig an entire show in half an hour. Something that without this technology would take much longer and require a much larger crew.

So you have to have the right people, the right manpower. You have to have the right method statement. There are so many things that need to go right to make sure to craft a perfect stage wagon or a perfect revolve wagon.

A stage you can trust to astonish

As Sammy put it:

“In the end, we want to deliver a product that achieves long lifespan. We want to deliver a product that wows not only the client but the audience. We want to ensure that there's a good relationship with the main contractor and the theatre or opera.”

That’s the only way we as a company, we as a client-provider team, and we as a global theatrical community can thrive economically and artistically.

The Stage is Yours

What are you going to do with it?

Waagner-Biro Stage Systems is the leading supplier of stage machinery and stage control globally. We’ve built many of the world’s most iconic theatres, operas, concert halls, and multipurpose venues.

Put your creativity to the max and talk to us about your ideas at office@waagner-biro-stage.com