Conference napalm::commusic_v1

1798.0. "1000 Airplanes on the Roof" by PAULJ::HARRIMAN (Just say Yo) Wed Dec 07 1988 13:25

    
    
    I went to see Philip Glass' "1000 Airplanes on the Roof" last night.
    
    The show has been touring in Europe for quite a while, this show
    was their first one back in the States. (for the benefit of those
    who don't know where I live, thas all happened in Burlington VT
    at the Flynn Theatre).
    
    It pays to know people; a good friend of mine happens to be the
    technical director there, and got me a pair of tickets next to the
    soundboard. Right next to the soundboard, in fact I got the center
    seat in the house. 
    
    For those who aren't familiar with "1000 Airplanes", it is a multimedia
    performance, centering on the inner-mind adventures of "M", who
    is played by Patrick O'Connell. The storyline is part Zen, part
    schizophrenia, and part sci-fi-drama. 
    
    The stage was set up with the keyboards and one mixer on house left,
    the wind instruments on the right, all essentially on the proscenium
    in front of the main curtain. A 32 channel mixer was set up out
    in the house, next to where I sat. (yes, two engineers..more on
    that later). I counted 12 still projectors on the balcony, and other
    than one follow spot, no other lighting was readily visible.
    
    Glancing to my left, I could see the right half of the house mixing
    system. The labels I could read said "TX81Z", "M60", and a couple
    of other scribbled references to onstage machinery. The effects
    rack consisted of an Alesis MVII and an SDE1000. A small Sony reel
    deck was loaded and sitting on top of the rack. A number of racks
    onstage held a complete wireless miking system (there were no wires
    on stage at all), and a number of disk drives... Alas, without going
    up onto the stage it would have been impossible to tell all of the
    equipment on stage right, except that there were two identical keyboard
    controllers (look like Rolands), with two Yamahas on top of each.
    
    The musicians were:
    
    	Martin Goldray - Keyboards
    	Jon Gibson     - Flute, Soprano Sax and Wind Synthesizer
    	Jack Kripl     - Flute, Piccolo, Soprano Sax and Wind Synthesizer
    	Dora Orhenstein- Soprano (voice)
    	Richard Peck   - Flute, Alto/Soprano Sax
    	Dan Dryden     - SOund Engineer
        Bob Bielecki   - Sound Engineer
        Philip Bush    - Keyboards
        Nelson Padgett - Keyboards
    
    The sound engineers were treated as members of the ensemble. Truly
    refreshing, since they were very busy during the performance.
    
    The performance was amazing, even for Philip Glass. It lasted about
    100 minutes. The actual set consisted of a white structure which
    had a central inclined ramp with spaces and grottoes built into
    it. At least three scrims. Also, a number of thin screens which
    also came and went throughout the show. The still projectors provided
    the actual setting at any point, and the result was, well,
    hallucinogenic at times. "M" would appear in the middle of a forest
    of trees, which would melt into faces, and as he disappeared behind
    a tree, it would change into a picture of New York skyscrapers,
    and he would reappear from behind a different building and hop around
    buildings, while narrating his story. All accompanied by what I
    consider classic Glass: hours of arpeggiations, chops, monotones,
    winds, quiet and LOUD. I happen to like his music; I have also heard
    people describe it as "practice room hell, a kind of Hanon torture".
    In any case, the Burlington crowd gave a five minute ovation at
    the end of the performance. I thought it was simply amazing. My
    wife didn't come down out of the clouds for about fifteen minutes.
    
    
    The best part was that we got to attend a private reception following
    the performance, and I got to meet Philip Glass and the musicians.
    I think I can sum up my impressions of him with his answer to a
    question my wife asked him. She politely inquired about whether
    or not a recording was available of his chamber opera "The Fall
    of the House of Usher" (yes, the Poe story). His answer was "no,
    but NPR had it on the radio a while back, you might try finding
    a bootleg of it. I'll see if someone can find it for you." 
    
    Definitely a better evening than sitting around my studio.
    
    /pjh

Would you happen to have a tour schedule?  I would very much like to see
     this extravaganza.

Thanks,
/Mitch

    
    
    hmmm. From what I heard it's going on to NYC.
    
    I have the program, and the "worldwide management" is listed as:
    
    Robert LoBianco and Jedediah Wheeler
    IPA/International Production Associates, Inc
    853 Broadway Room 2120 NYC 10003
    TEL 212.505-1688
    Associate - Linda Greenberg
    
    You might try calling them. 
    Possibly Ticketron might know too.
    
    /pjh

    It came and went in Tucson, unseen by me, three or so weeks ago.
    
    After seeing 'Koyaanisqatsi' twice, I never need to hear Glass again.
    
    karl