Motor Stage Automation (MSA) has provided two elements of automation equipment for Cinderella the Musical – MRD750 7.5 metre double revolve comprising a 5-metre centre circle and a 2.5 metre outer ring, plus two tracking video screens on a rear truss.
Operated via a Kinesys Vector control console, programmed by Lion Productions’ head of automation, Erik Mølgaard Jensen, at the start of the tour. A touring operator runs the automation day-to-day, with Jensen overseeing the moves to different venues.
The MRD750 high gloss surfaced revolve is in constant motion throughout the performance for moving props and people. The action starts off in a fashion show environment, and transitions to a more traditional Cinderella fairytale setting, the narrative coming alive with scenography by Benjamin La Cour, costumes designed by Soeren Le Schmidt, plus new music by Danish pop artist Rasmus Seebach.
The two rings are moved using an Elevation 1+ drive on each, both feeding into the Vector controller.
The screens were rigged on the venue house bars and comprised 18 metres of MSA’s Litec DST52 Track, and each screen is moved by two Litec EXE 21-metre-a-minute vari-speed drive trolleys, all supplied to the production in MSA touring dollies.
The screens were each 6 metres wide and 1.5 metres deep, made up from ROE CB8 semi-transparent product. In total, there were 54 different movement cues in the show.
PSN (PosiStageNet) tracking data from the EXE units is fed via the Vector console to the disguise VX2 media server programmed with all the video content, enabling the video to move proportionately in harmony with the physical screen positions.
Jensen highlighted the importance of everyone involved onstage and backstage being aware of the automation. While things might not always be moving super-fast, artists and actors need to be aware of what is moving, when, and how it affects themselves and others.
“We have a straightforward and highly effective system on this show which really enhances Benjamin’s creative vision,” commented Jensen.
He has known MSA’s Christian Vigsø for some time and commented, “MSA is a great company. fully focussed on producing tools and systems that can maximise the imagination of the designer on any event or production.”
He added that Vigsø and business partner Kasper Sonberg are “very good at listening to people and to what the market wants and needs on a practical level, plus other factors like safety and a perspective on how everyone – including audiences – ultimately benefit from better production values.”
